Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

....to get packed.  Tomorrow we leave for Israel.  So I will try to read ya'll tomorrow, but I am not sure if I can keep up with you while I am gone.  Packing is a challenge.  We will be gone 11 days.  So when we get back I will need to take a few days to catch up................on my sleep!!!!    Just kidding!  I guess we get to sleep on the plane.  It is pretty warm over there right now.  Supposed to be 91 degrees on Friday.    I will hopefully have lots of pictures to share when I get back.  If there is anything you want a picture of, in particular, just let me know before tomorrow at noon and I will do my darnest to get it for you.

PS  I have had a complaint about cutting off the Elizabeth video before she tore up the cake... so here is part II.

And if this isn't enough, below is part III.

I stole this picture from Shemax's xanga page... cause this is my favorite of the professional one-year pictures of Lizzy.

Lizzy And Her Cake!  Plus Video Below

In less than one minute her emotions change to the extreme!

 No children were injured in the making of this video! 

This is Aunt Christy playing with Joseph!  Wheeeee

God answered, "Yes, Heaven is very beautiful....  but not without you!"    

Doesn't that just sound like something our Lord would say?  He is sooooo special.  I love Him majorly.

Annie, today, with new haircut given by her sister, Lucy, without Mom's permission... modeling rabbit ears.  What a cutie!!!

We received the definitive news that we are gonna be grandparents again in July. Shemax is with child.  Yes our little girl is momma for the 5th time. 

Shemax, on her birthday November 25th, 2007.

And the whole family last Christmas.

Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl... what will it be this time?

    The highlight of our trip for me was getting to sit on the bed of a 91 year old woman with her, (yes the one in the red nighty who kissed me right on the lips a few months back... and yes, the one with the purple stripe in her hair.) 

     She said to me, "I am ugly, but you see that picture up there on the wall?  Well, that's me when I was a baby and I was cute back then."  She was tearing up and her voice was a bit emotional.  I didn't write here all my words back to her about being beautiful on the inside even though the outside is fading away, etc." 

    She showed me a picture her dad had sketched on a napkin.  It was a picture of Jesus done expertly.  She was saying no one would want that picture when she is gone.  And I said, I sure would, it is an amazing sketch with tremendous detail.  She said I could have it when she dies.  (Later she told her daughter I said I wanted that picture when she dies.) 

    Anyway, she told me many tails (or should it be "tales"?) all linked to different items in her very fully accessorized room.  It was a special time, I won't forget.  I think she is beautiful.  She has a wonderful lively spirit.  She sure helped lift my spirits when I was there.  Thanks Lord for Shirley.

    There has been a delay.  We could not get a flight out of here on Thursday evening so we fly out a little before noon on Friday instead.  It will actually work out better, I think.  Thanks again Lord!!!  He is always doing little favors etc for us.  Don't get me wrong, we get our share (sometimes seems like more than our fair share) of trials and heartaches... but even still we are made more than conquers through Him who loved us. 

I love this picture taken at 70 mph through a car window.

..... has almost been a whole week since I have posted here.  Gosh!!! 

     Have been very busy with work, but got a lot finished up yesterday.  Tomorrow we fly off to Sacramento and drive to Napa again.  This trip I am not looking forward to very much.  May I be very surprised with what the Lord is doing!  This time we are going down so the men can decided where Uncle Doug will move.... here or Arizona.  I have adjusted to the fact that he may not be moving here with his blood relations, of whom there are many here in Washington state. (pause, take a deep breath AuntieKathy)  But regardless we plan to at least bring him home for a look/see and a visit with everyone.  The plan is to have a big birthday bash for his 85th Birthday in April.  Everyone will come and we will have fun.  This plan really helps me feel better about possibly not being able to care for him myself or at least have him closeby so we can include him in other family stuff.  I still don't think it is best for him to be in Arizona... but who am I???? 

     Ok, I have been such a lame brain lately.  We had fourteen people here last weekend for a concert in town.  Thad & Jen, Jack, Hannah, Dru plus another couple of couples and kids... well anyway, it was such a fun time having everyone.  I LOVED IT!  It was fun listening to the couples visit, joke around, etc., while I was making latte's etc.  Thad drove a big van down from Spokane with all those people inside.  Duh, I didn't even think about getting my camera out... until they were gone!   

     Yesterday, I went to the PO to mail 20 packages.  When I got there... I saw Jen & kids, plus Joseph, minus Claire & Annie.  They were there for a field trip tour of the Post Office.  Then a whole bunch of young moms and kids started arriving.  Many of these young moms I knew when they were still kids, but I don't ever see them.  It is amazing how fast their kids are growing up.  BUT, did I get my camera out..... oh no... didn't even think of it.... till afterwards.  So Sorry!   

     Therefore you are stuck with words on a page... and no pictures which "are worth a thousand words"!  I will do better next time.    Pray for us and Uncle Doug, if you would please?  Thanks