Jacob William (Jake) Brown made his arrival on Saturday, March 29, 2008. He arrived at 9:01 PM. He hit the scale at 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and is 19 1/2 inches long. Andrea, Jason and Jake are doing well. Nana Nette and Paw Paw are elated!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Being A Mother
My daughter emailed me this...the daughter who is about to become a mother! She got the email from her mother-in-law.
Both men & women, sons & daughters - need to read this
BEING A MOTHER...After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to
take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.'
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years,but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
'What's wrong, aren't you well,' she asked?
My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend sometime with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.'She thought about it for a moment, and then said,'I would like that very much.'
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. 'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said,as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting.'
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching upon recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed.
'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home. 'Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife.You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.'
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.'
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, 'normal' is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct .. somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring ....somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.
Somebody said if you're a 'good' mother, your child will 'turn out good'.... somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said 'good' mothers never raise their voices .... somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first .... somebody doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books....somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery (or going through a long adoption process).... somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten ... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back..somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.
Pass this along to all the 'mothers' in your life and to everyone who ever had a mother. This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your life while you have them....no matter who that person is.
Both men & women, sons & daughters - need to read this
BEING A MOTHER...After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to
take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.'
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years,but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.
'What's wrong, aren't you well,' she asked?
My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.
'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend sometime with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.'She thought about it for a moment, and then said,'I would like that very much.'
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. 'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said,as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting.'
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation- -nothing extraordinary but catching upon recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed.
'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home. 'Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife.You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.'
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.'
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, 'normal' is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct .. somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring ....somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.
Somebody said if you're a 'good' mother, your child will 'turn out good'.... somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said 'good' mothers never raise their voices .... somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first .... somebody doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books....somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery (or going through a long adoption process).... somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten ... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back..somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.
Pass this along to all the 'mothers' in your life and to everyone who ever had a mother. This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your life while you have them....no matter who that person is.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
What is a Grandparent?
This was emailed to me from one of my children.
What is a grandparent?
(taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her
own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man grandmother.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come
to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is
good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters for us.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty
leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also
why we shouldn't step on "cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up."
Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How
come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for
the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't
have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to
spend time with us.
They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say
prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
What is a grandparent?
(taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her
own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man grandmother.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come
to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is
good if they drive us to the store and have lots of quarters for us.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty
leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also
why we shouldn't step on "cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up."
Usually grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How
come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for
the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't
have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to
spend time with us.
They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say
prayers with us every time, and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Witty Sayings
I have always been attracted to witty sayings...phrases that make you think! I will give you a few with the authors (if I know them!) I don't claim ownership of any of these. Please send me your favorites!
Lie low and peep high!
Homer Morris for those times when trouble comes.
Get all you can and can all you get.
Homer Morris
They will go with you where the bears are.
Homer Morris describing friends through thick or thin.
Never play "chicken" with someone who has less to lose than you do.
Never send a girl to do a man's job.
Books are your friends.
Always be thinking.
Joe Crocker
Never wrestle with a pig. Both of you will get nasty, but the pig likes it. John McCain
Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated. FDR
A long road to a little house. Kenny Thompson
You can observe a lot by watching.
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
The future ain't what it used to be.
If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up someplace else.
Yogi Berra
Never go to a gun fight with a knife. Jon Harper
Feeling like a ground floor tenant in a two-story outhouse.
Torture like going into a lion's den wearing pork-chop britches.
Kenny Thompson
Never argue with a fool...a passerby may not know which one is the fool! Richard Munn
Behind every successful man is a supportive wife...and a surprised mother-in-law!
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill
The ablest man I ever met is the man you think you are.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the cornfield.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.
Abraham Lincoln
Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there's nothing you can do.
Golda Meir
All men are equal before fish; fish make no distinction between presidents and garbage collectors.
Herbert Hoover
Lie low and peep high!
Homer Morris for those times when trouble comes.
Get all you can and can all you get.
Homer Morris
They will go with you where the bears are.
Homer Morris describing friends through thick or thin.
Never play "chicken" with someone who has less to lose than you do.
Never send a girl to do a man's job.
Books are your friends.
Always be thinking.
Joe Crocker
Never wrestle with a pig. Both of you will get nasty, but the pig likes it. John McCain
Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated. FDR
A long road to a little house. Kenny Thompson
You can observe a lot by watching.
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
The future ain't what it used to be.
If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up someplace else.
Yogi Berra
Never go to a gun fight with a knife. Jon Harper
Feeling like a ground floor tenant in a two-story outhouse.
Torture like going into a lion's den wearing pork-chop britches.
Kenny Thompson
Never argue with a fool...a passerby may not know which one is the fool! Richard Munn
Behind every successful man is a supportive wife...and a surprised mother-in-law!
I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill
The ablest man I ever met is the man you think you are.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the cornfield.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.
Abraham Lincoln
Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you're aboard, there's nothing you can do.
Golda Meir
All men are equal before fish; fish make no distinction between presidents and garbage collectors.
Herbert Hoover
Friday, March 7, 2008
Why God Created Children
This was emailed to me from one of my own children......
WHY GOD CREATED CHILDREN
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether
they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or
students...here is something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take
comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did
not extend to His own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and
Eve. And the first thing he said was, "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden
fruit!!!!!"
"No Way!"
"Yes way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering
why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few
minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He
was ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.
"Uh-huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!"
"Did, too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that
Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern
was set and it has never changed.
BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY!
If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children
wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If
God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would
be a piece of cake for you?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!
1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to
walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to
sit down and be quiet.
2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.
3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.
4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat
word for word what you shouldn't have said.
5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind
yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
6. We child-proofed our home, but they are still getting in.
ADVICE FOR THE DAY!
Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home.
AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE,
DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:
"TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"
WHY GOD CREATED CHILDREN
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether
they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or
students...here is something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take
comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did
not extend to His own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and
Eve. And the first thing he said was, "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve...we have forbidden
fruit!!!!!"
"No Way!"
"Yes way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, wondering
why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few
minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He
was ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.
"Uh-huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!"
"Did, too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that
Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern
was set and it has never changed.
BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY!
If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children
wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If
God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would
be a piece of cake for you?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!
1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to
walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to
sit down and be quiet.
2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.
3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.
4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat
word for word what you shouldn't have said.
5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind
yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
6. We child-proofed our home, but they are still getting in.
ADVICE FOR THE DAY!
Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home.
AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE,
DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:
"TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"
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