Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 13

 You've Got Mail! 

These Valentine's Day packages have been mailed to Tennessee.  A package for Morgan and Gus, and a package to Morgan from her Dad.

And this package was mailed to Morgantown.  A Valentine's Day package for Trevor.  None of the packages were to be opened until Valentine's Day on Monday - we shall see. 

On to today's happenings.......Jim and I went to church this morning.  Maci went to Maranatha with Molli and Tyler.  Before Sunday School Jim and I went through McDonald's for oatmeal and coffee.  I made heart shaped cookies for Sunday School and Jim and I wore our red shirts.  I think that I need someplace else to channel all my holiday festivities - ha!  After church, Jim and I went to Pt. Pleasant to visit Jim's Pop, and then we went to Poncho's for dinner.  Jim is in the kitchen preparing our Valentine's Day supper for tomorrow evening, and I'm getting off of the computer to prepare my heart shaped cookies, and iron my Valentine's Day shirt for work tomorrow - ha!

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  Psalms 34:17

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 12

Oh my gosh!  I could just eat them up!!  This was Valentine's Day, February 1996.  It was before Molli's first grade and Morgan's kindergarten Valentine's Day parties.  Molli was already seven years old, Morgan was six, and Maci was two.  Maci is, once again, in the Valentine's Day dress that Mom made.  They all have on their homemade Valentine's Day bows, and Molli and Morgan have on their Valentine's Day socks.  Oh my gosh, I had so much fun with them!!

On to today's happenings......Molli, Maci, and I went to a Thirty-one party at Paula's.  Tarah was the hostess.  Of course, I bought some more goodies (and what I bought at the last party hasn't even come in yet).  Maci and Andrew just came in and are going to watch a movie.  I am making Valentine's Day cookies to take to our Sunday School class tomorrow, and Jim is reliving a blast from the past.......listening and dancing to a Rolling Stones CD.  It's a good evening!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  Galatians 5:22

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 11

 This cute little face, in this paper heart, was a craft project that Maci made, in church, one Valentine's Day!  Isn't she just the cutest?

On to today's happenings......I went to work today and when I came home guess what had come in the mail?  More Valentine's Day cards, and.......

 Camp Cowen information!  Maci will be thrilled!!!!  Morgan went to Camp Cowen every year for 13 years (the last year as staff), and some years she went more than once.  Maci had gone to Camp Cowen every year for eight years (and some years for more than one camp), but last year was not able to go.  There were many, many tears shed throughout the summer.  She had band camp/practice the week that was her camp and the camp that all her friends would be attending.  But, this year, she is hoping to go as a counselor so she doesn't just have the option of attending for one particular week.  I am sure that the schedule will be closely studied, filled out, check written, and mailed in very soon.

 Also, Molli, Tyler, and Gidgy Goo came over this evening.  She has on her personalized Valentine's Day collar.

On another note, furnace repairman, Sam was here this evening.  It's not fixed yet, but closer than before.  And, Jim has the house all warm and toasty with the fireplace and kerosene heater.    So happy it's the weekend!

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 10

 I LOVE cards!  I love to give them and I love to get them.  I keep just about all the cards that I receive.  Valentine's Day cards are no exception!  Above are a few of the Valentine's Day cards that the girls have received, over the years, from their grandparents.  Below, is a sampling, of Valentine's Day cards I have received from my friends.

 Below are a couple of Valentine's Day cards that the girls have gotten for their Dad.

 These are just a few of the Valentine's Day cards I have gotten from my Sweetheart.

 And, this is how all my cards, Valentine's Day, birthday, anniversary, simple I love you cards, letters, etc. that I receive from my Sweetheart are signed.........

....... James F. Oiler! 

Cards and letters, that I have, that Fred has given to Mom, the neighbors, myself are signed Fred Hall.  Is this a man thing? 

 Anyway, it always makes me smile, and my heart warm,  when I receive something, anything, from a very special person, signed James F. Oiler.

On to today's happenings.....  I stayed home from work today because I was still feeling a little under the weather.  Maci isn't feeling great either, so she slept in this morning and went in to school a little late.

When I got up from a nap this afternoon, I looked out the kitchen window and saw this......

does this mean that Spring is really on it's way?  I sure hope so.

Also, the furnace is not longer on the fritz......it has died.  I bet that I go to work tomorrow, they have heat there.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 9

These are the most delicious iced, sugar cookies in the world!  One year, many years ago, my Grandma Ruth made these cookies for her grandchildren for Valentine's Day.  I was old enough to be able to make them myself, so I don't remember exactly how old I was, but Fred and I loved them!  Since then, I've made them heart shaped for Valentine's Day, stars for the 4th of July, Christmas trees for Christmas, eggs, chicks, crosses and ducks for Easter, bats and ghosts for Halloween, snowflakes for Winter, leaves for Fall, the state of WV to mail to Morgan in Tennessee, the number 100 for the kids 100 day parties in Kindergarten, and the kids and their friends names with my letter cookie cutters.  These are Morgan's all time favorite snacks and she asks for them repeatedly.  I always say that when I icing them, it is my therapy - Ha!  Anyway, this is the first batch for Valentine's Day this year, and I'm going to have to make another batch or two before Monday gets here!

On to today's happenings........Two bummers.  One, I came home from work early because I don't feel well.  Have had a headache for three days in a row and my head is congested.  My nose is running, and I'm sneezing like crazy.  The bed sure felt comfy and warm this afternoon.  Number two, our furnace is on the fritz....big bummer!  Jim is working on it with Sam on speaker phone - ha!  Hopefully it is fixed soon and we stay warm.  Not too worried....have a fire place and a kerosene heater as backup.  If all else fails, I'll leave the stove on and dry lots of laundry - Ha!

And this is my prayer:  that your love may aboud more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,   Philippians 1:9

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 8

 This was Valentine's Day in February 1993.  Molli was four years old and Morgan was three years old.

Again, these are the dresses that Mom made for the girls (they wore them two years and then after Maci was born, she wore them for a few years, and one of her friends wore the other one).  The picture was taken before church and the girls had their valentine's for their church friends in their Miss Piggy Valentine's Day bags.  The Little Tykes basketball hoop was a Valentine's Day gift that the girls got their Dad.  He would shoot baskets for hours, across the family room and from the kitchen.  Notice that Molli and Morgan are holding hands.  Sniff.  Sniff.  Best friends!  And look at Morgie's little legs.  I'd like to hold these precious babies again.

On to other happenings.....

Sunday, after church, we went to a Super Bowl party at Vince and Stacey Riffe's.  We had such a good time.  Jim watched the game with the men, and I don't think I really looked at the TV at all.

The food was delicious!  Pizza, snacks, chips, cookies, and birthday cake for Isaiah. 

 Isaiah.

 Elijah.

 Mia and Maci.

 Maci doing some knitting, and not liking having her picture taken.

 Gorgeous Miss Mia.

Autumn and Mia.

 Aimee and Megan.

Josh and Aimee with Mia and Autumn.  Josh was a big hit with the "girls". 

We had such a good time.  Thanks for inviting us Vince and Stacey.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.  Hosea 11:4

Valentine's Day Countdown - Day 7

Every year for Valentine's Day, Jim buys the girls each a little, heart shaped, box of Valentine's Day candy.  He has done this every year since they were just teeny tiny....too little to even eat chocolate.  The boxes are nothing fancy, just plain cardboard, heart shaped, boxes of chocolates usually from the Dollar Store or Wal-Mart.  If Valentine's Day falls on a weekday, I always give them their gifts from us in the morning.  But, they are always anxiously awaiting for Jim to get home so that he can give them their heart, and kiss,  from him.  The year before last was the first year that Jim had to mail Morgan's heart to her and it about broke his heart.  And now, Morgan doesn't like chocolate so Jim has to go on the hunt for something sour or gummy in a heart shaped box.

  It always touches my heart, because no matter what their Dad and I purchase them for Valentine's Day, they act like this little box of candy, from their Dad, is worth a thousand dollars.  Actually, it is worth a lot more than that because no matter who they date, or who they marry, their Dad's heart will always belong to them.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  I John 4:12