So on to blogging.........

Alot has been going on. First don't you just love this song. I heard Michael Buble on the radio driving home one night a few months ago. I forgot about him and then heard him again the other day. I love the all these songs he remade. I only added 2 I think, LOL....

Okay Tony is now officially back with Staynlis!!!!! Yeah!!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved Gregory Paul Smith and the other guys from the band, I have all of his songs on my iPod, but Greg just has not had the time for everything, between his family, his job as a worship leader, and the solo shows.... The other news with this is that it looks like the guitarist, Josh Keeling, who was with Greg will also be joining Staynlis. He is awesome and has such a heart for ministry.

I am excited because I have always enjoyed Staynlis's music. And the guys are pretty great and so are all the wives. They are in Kansas City today playing in Rock the Light. Along with lots of other bands. They are pretty popular, my husband gets stopped all the time by people asking about the band. Not sure exactly where the band is headed, but with an awesome message and hearts for God, wherever they go will be awesome.

School has started here again. My Andrew is glad to be back in school. He is the only one who goes to public school, as he need so many special services. I can do alot of things, but I just don't know if I can also be a physical therapist, occupational therapist, a speech therapist, etc.... So for now he is in school. We are homeschooling the others. Me two youngest are somewhat reluctant learners at this point. You would think I was telling them they were being fed to sharks when I mention we need to practice letter, LOL. The older kids are working well and I am thankful for that.

I am really hoping for something big this fall. After the puppies are sold, I will have a chunk saved up and I am hoping to finally open my restaurant/tea room. I have felt such a calling to do this. I adored giving tea parties before. The ladies were all so blessed by it and in turn so was I. The lovely surroundings, the awesome food, if I do say so myself ; ) the other ladies to chat with, the chance to dress up, maybe wear a hat, just to revisit something that is lost alot of the time. I would like to do more with this, I have ideas, I am just not ready post some of them, still refining.

I also plan to have a way to have music every so often and since I have an "in" with some bands around, LOL!!!!! Hospitality is a strong calling for me. I did not used to think it was and then things just fell into place. I had alot of lovely ladies, some who were very strong very intuitive ladies have mentioned that they have really felt the same as I do about what I was felling was a calling. So I am praying for strength and for enough faith in myself, and to keep trusting in God.

Oh yeah, I am trying to get more things ready and plan to reopen Miss Emma's Tidbits, LOL. Not sure when that might be, but hopefully soon.

We are having a picnic in the park with all of my family on Monday. It will be good to get together. Get to see my 4 nieces, and my youngest brother and parents, plus my sisters and their husbands. It should be fun.

Good news next month my brother David will be back from overseas. I am so relieved. My other brother while be there a bit longer, but not too much. I know his wife is anxious. I will just be glad when my two "baby" brothers are back here. Yeah they are both big strong Marines, but they will still forever be my "baby" brothers.

I have risen this morning in a much better frame of mind then I was a few days ago. Today is ripe with possibility. There is always new possibilities with each day. No matter what you are going through, each and every new morning can lead to a better ending that next night. I struggle with this alot. Now I am not kidding myself into thinking that I have the worst life of anyone. I KNOW that is not true. We struggle, and we are in some of those valleys that are so dark. But I do know that God is carrying us through and we WILL get to up out of the dark shadows to the light again. God is good that way.

I was reading the devotion and the Bible this morning and it was about feeling abandoned and orphaned, unheard from and insignificant in this world. And yes I admit I struggle with this. I just feel so often that I am actually invisible. I have always been one to give and give until I have nothing left. I have ended up feeling like no one actually even sees me. There is a movie called What Women Want, with Mel Gibson in it, it is not a kids movie definitely. If you have not seen this movie it ia about a man who has an accident and after it he can now hear women's thoughts, even the female poodles, LOL. In this movie there is a character, a young women who works where he does and she basically is invisible to the rest of the people there. No matter how hard she works no one seems to notice, and only because he can "now" hear her does he even notice. She "says" in her mind that no one would care no one would notice if she killed herself. It all works out in the end, but I KNOW how she feels.

I often wonder how long it would take for people to notice I had died. Not my family of course, but would they eventually notice? Would they care???? Right now with everything going on in my life, we are going to have to move again, my husband was laid off again as again the company he worked for was going under. So due to no fault of his own he are now without a job. He has been looking and putting in applications left and right. So far nothing. Then my church, sigh.... I feel as if I need to either have a major DRUG or ALCOHOL problem for my church to even care enough. If you have these problems at our church they will just bend over backward. I guess I just don't have enough issues.

I was really stressed and having panic attacks and asked our pastors wife to add me to the prayer list THAT day. She just generalized it and said people are not dealing well with news remember them. I never ask for them to pray for me. I won't again. We are 25 miles from our church, we have a suburban, we have no income, think gas here, I got a card saying hope we put them back in our PLANS. Back in our plans, I can't afford to get there.

When my husband was laid off before and we had no income to pay tithe we were sent a filled out bulletin and sermon notes explaining how we were cheating God by not tithing. I was livid, tithing on WHAT???? No income usually means you have ummmm no income. What am I supposed to be tithing on??? You might be wondering why are we still there. Not sure. The world lets us down and even the church can let us done. But I know God is forever there carrying us, even when it feels as if everyone is against us. Even when everything looks dark and bleak down in the valleys, God has us and will carry us up to the light.

A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.

I trust God and know that what the Bible says is true, so then He will deliver us, he is with us in times of trouble. His angels have charge over us. God will not fail us. Praise God!!!

Today has possibility and tomorrow has even more...... Just gotta hang on!!!! I hope that everyone can see the possibilty in their todays and tomorrows. Have an awesome weekend.

Hugs
Amt

So todays the day the Birthday, LOL

SO today is my birthday interestingly enough it is also my a cousins birthday and an aunts birthday as well. Someone sent me this so I thought I would post it here. So today I am 35, sigh...... Life has gone so fast. Whatever happened to all the years. It seems like yesterday really that I was playing hide and seek with my cousins, or when I was really little like 3 and watching the cuckoo clock in my great grandparents hall. Or when my younger sister and I "snitched" a jar of grandmas homemade pickles and I puled her around the block and we ate the whole jar.

All those family vacations around the USA to see family and then to Reno every year for the hot air balloon races. It seems like yesterday when I was 14 and finally getting to ride horses, and when I was 17 and I beat 35 others in a class at a horse show to bring home the blue ribbon. I met my husband when I was 15, and it seems like that was just yesterday, or when we got married at 18. We have been together for more years now then we were apart. Where did all my babies go. 6 total and now they are all getting so big. My youngest is 5.

So much has happened over the course of my 35 years. I know that is the way with everyone, but it is so strange to sit here and feel like these things just happened when in actuality so many occurred so long ago. I suppose every one ponders this now and again. Not sure why for me this birthday is such a big deal. Well gotta run need to go to the store. I hope everyone has a terrific day.
Hugs
Amy

My picture, LOL

A number of people had gently pointed out that my last picture is not my best, so I am posting this one here until I muster up the time to dress up and do my makeup and hair, geesh..... hahahahahahhahahahahahahah SO anyway this one I do look a bit happier in, ; )

Hugs everyone
Amy

The puppies are here

We have 3 boys and 2 girls. I am so excited that they are here. They are way too cute. I will post better pictures tomorrow on the Amore Schnauzer Puppy page. I am so tired gotta go.

On Birthdays and getting older

I was born August 25, 1973 Wow now that's a long time ago, LOL. As the years pass they seem to be getting faster. I will be 35 this year. Sigh..... Now I know that 35 is not old at all. The problem is my mother was 35 when I was a teenager and of course to teens their parents are Ohhhhh Sooooo OOOOOOOld, LOL. I have always thought that as you get older you gain wisdom, okay who really thinks this???

Okay yes I have gained alot of knowledge as the years have past, but I have also really come to understand how much there is now that I don't know. And as brilliant doctors, or scientists, or computer techs discover or create new things, I seem to just be falling behind in comparison. At this point there is so much to know out there there is no hope for me of ever catching up.

But I am thinking that perhaps just maybe that is okay. I know what I need to and I can learn more when necessary. So that's enough for me. Now alot of people have asked me to post new pictures of me. Well these may not be new as in today, but they are all new to anyone on this blog so here I am from shortly after birth all the way up until last fall. LOL Okay I did skip a few years. I went through a stage that no one gets to see. VERY skinny and with a very very strong perm, ekkkkkk. HAHHAHAHAHHA; )


Myself and my Great Great Grandma Harris. My family is fairly long lived.

Just me look at all that hair!!!

My first Easter awwwwww!!

My first Easter, yeah they took a variety of shots with a variety of outfits and blankets, I have a few more, figured 2 was enough, LOL.

Myself and a very long suffering dog, considering all the pics this poor little guy posed for with me, hahahahahahha.

Me and a very long suffering dog you know I see that look on my youngest face all the time, LOL. Now I know where he gets it rats thought it was his dad, hahahah.

Me a ham no not me I could never ever be a a ham okay I was a ham. LOL

Me a bit more composed such a sweet looking child. I think I might have still be a bit naughty. I do recall telling my sister that dog food was cereal and talking her into eating it with milk. Hey I was just a kiddo.

Ahhhh school pics. I hated having that long hair I hated having it combed.

A school field trip. We went camping near the ocean, easy to do in California. I am the third one in on the left. Ahh the early eighties....... That is Terry and Jesse Hampton in the back in the middle, they sang and had guitars, they were a blast, that's my mom in the big glasses over to the right. Weren't the early eighties great?? The clothes, the hair, the glasses, sigh. Okay I am so glad that we are not in the 70's or early 80's now, LOL..... Also apparently I had a thing for stripes when I was a kid just keep watching stripes will appear again, LOL

Okay time for a party game, LOL Can you pick me out??? Look at the first 4 pics and see if you can find the common factor in each, LOL Look under the 4th for the answer, LOL...




In the top picture I am the first kiddo who you can see clearly in the shot coming from the right. Second picture I am the first in on the right. In the third I am the second kiddo in on the right. And the last one I am the third in on the right. Awww aren't I cute. Okay I really am not happy with the paint brushed and troweled on makeup, LOL, nor the BIG FLOPPY STUPID BOW. I have a few other pictures that were old fashioned type, and my sister got a bear to hold and what did I get A BIG FLOPPY STUPID BOW, LOL.... What did they see in me that said hey give this kid a BIG FLOPPY STUPID BOW, LOL.....

The Gusheas. This family was awesome. We did loads together, went fishing, played at each others houses, and well went to the rodeo obviously. Uriah was my best friend as well as my first crush, LOL. Of course I said nothing and he "puppy loved" a girl named Naomi. Oh well. Sadly the world lost 2 shinning stars when both Uriah and his dad Greg died the same year. The world is so much darker with out their presence on it. Also tidbit of info here. I know my Grandpa Noel took the picture just by looking at the shadow, do you see the pipe??? I love the smell of pipe tobacco. Also my sister and I were trend setters!!!! LOL ; ) Do you notice the Birkenstocks and socks, we wore them WAY before anyone else ever thought of it. LOL Thanks Mom!!!

Okay skipped a few years here. This is me and a very short haircut with my goat Miss Heidi. She was soooo cute.

Here is myself and two of my rabbits, Baby Black and Blue, yeah real creative on the names. They were great rabbits. Blue won alot!!! Can you tell he has a blue ribbon. And yeah I know UGLY coat.

Can you see the girl hiding behind our gigantic tomato bushes and yes as I said that is a striped shirt I have on, LOL

Rusty, myself and the striped shirt as well as a bunch of tomatoes. He was the best cat.

Reading cards out loud at a birthday party. not sure who's but one of my brothers anyway. We are in the backyard at my Grandmas. It was a fruit lovers paradise, apricots, apples, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, tangerines, almonds, walnuts and grapes. Yummmmmmmmmy

Me and Easter, LOL Short hair again

Joel Wilmarth and myself standing where the new horse arena was going in this would be where the gate was put in. A bigger one then you see anyway.

Me in my Grandma's kitchen. Not sure why...
Contemplating the slide do I wanna, no I might be too old and dignified now, LOL

Christmas at my Grandma's when Capri's were in in the 80's. I loved that sweater. Not too sure about the look of those Capri's though yuck....

Myself and my younger brother David at well Christmas apparently I am quite pleased about something, LOL

8Th grade graduation. Myself and Kerri also a surprised Joel Wilmarth and Juan getting a in the shot. Can't remember what I was laughing at.
Kerri and I being much more composed, LOL

Okay can you spot the interesting thing with this picture, this is myself, Kerri, Christine and Denise. Now look closely....... Okay I bought this dress 2 years before this and it just happened to be the perfect color for graduation, Christine bought her a month before this picture and although it is a different color it is the exact same dress, and Kerri and Denise bought theirs a few weeks apart, we decided two of us would push the straps off the shoulder for a different look, LOL. Oh how grown up we all felt, LOL

Riding on a trail ride in Minnesota. My Grandparents had taken me with them on vacation, and I am ashamed to admit, I whined until they gave in. Rotten kid, Thankfully they still love me. Getting ready to leave here.

Just back from the ride and boy is my seat awful. You just don't know how bad you are doing until you see it with your own eyes, I do improve over the years.
Ginger and I at the fair, yup before zoom apparently, LOL Can you see me I might be a little speck but I am there, LOL

Yup see me right there in the middle with Ginger.

Ginger and I again with the addition of my sister Windi and our friend Sherri Anderson.

Ginger Peach the horse that taught me most of what I need to learn. Sweet girl.

Ginger neighed really loudly here. I was being judged on something called catch and halter. She looks pretty good for a 25+ year old horse. She was well taken care of and loved until she died at 34+ years old no horse should be skinny just cause they are old. Okay, off my soap box now.

Ginger and I concentrating.

Picale and I opening a gate in a trail class. I showed mostly English, but did some pole bending, barrel racing, the keyhole, hurry scurry etc. you know if your going to a show you might as well enter what you can, LOL. I did place every time and in an English saddle to boot, some western riders were not so thrilled with me. I even won 1st in a trail class in a English saddle, on a Pony of the Americas, or POA in a group of 35+ entrants most in western gear, LOL. Besides all that I also jumped and did dressage.

Picale and I in and equitation class and at a very relaxed show I might add look at the short sleeves with no coat and my hair not tied back, oh well. I placed in this class, glad some people realize that youngsters are still learning.

Myself and Picale showing. She was a sweet girl.

Me and my soon to be hubby looks like I am gonna whack him with a stick doesn't it, LOL He probably deserved it though, hahahahaha.

One my wedding pictures. R to L, My Grandmother Shirley, my Great Grandma Wilma, and my Mother Gail with wedding hair, LOL, then myself and my husband Tony. About this picture it is and interesting picture for me as it shows some of my heritage as well you just can't see it with the naked eye. My Grandmother is 100% Swedish, my Great Grandmother is 100% German (she is my Mom's Grandma on her Dad's side, and my Mom who is half Swedish and Half German, then me a quarter of each and then a whole bunch of other stuff, LOL. Yes, my Mom has big hair she DID NOT fix it like this most of the time. I was married in 1991 and this was a hairdressers idea of hair for a wedding, LOL. And the dress and veil were my Grandmothers. I always wanted to wear it and I was blessed by her allowing it.

My husband and my first kiddo and myself, I was sooo tired in this pic. Not sure why just remember being tired, LOL

And yes a big ol' gap until last year. Yup that's me. I guess I should take some new ones, LOL.

So there that is my life in pictures, with yes some gaps, up until now. Okay then done!!!
Hugs
Amy

A blog I found today

You must seriously check out this blog I found today. The link is..... http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
I have always struggled with my cakes and felt a bit concerned about if they were good enough. After looking at alot of the cakes on that blog I do feel way better about my cakes now, LOL. Hope you have a good laugh I did, I was laughing so hard I had tears...
Have an awesome day.

More cards and creativity

Okay made some more cards. I have been trying to get going, the bottom one here, while it does match my blog, LOL, is maybe a bit brighter then I was hoping for the ribbon kinda inspired it and I think it just kept going and ran away with me. I mean could it be much brighter???? I guess you could hardly help but smile if you got a note card that bright in the mail. It is cheerful.