My Memory of You

Several times over the past week, I have sit down to write my favorite memory of you. You can only imagine how many times I have backspaced and deleted this post. I chose to place my memory on here rather than the pieces of paper that I had prepared for everyone to write on and deposit in the memory jar that sit on your head table at the surprise 60th party we threw for you on Saturday. I chose to put it here, because just as I suspected you ended up reading the memories of your guest aloud in front of me. We laughed and we cried. Great memories. I choose to put my memory here because I cannot be in front of you when you read this.

My memory is not limited to just one. But two.

December 12. 2000
and
January 31, 2007

The two days I gave birth. First to B. Second to Miss K.

You were there. In the room both times. Both times with your oldest baby, me, as I gave birth and realized for the first time as I held my babies the love that only a mother can for her children. You understood the fear I felt when he wasn't allowed to cry immediately and the fear when she wouldn't cry. You understood both times when I cried from phone calls received not long after giving birth. One from a man who I longed to be a daddy and husband, the other from a screaming newborn baby girl. You fell in love with those babies as much as I did when you also first held them. What an awesome Nana you are.

My memories of those two days stand out above all other memories. Probably because you taught me everything I know about being a mother. About the sacrifices, the tears, the absolute joy of being called Moma. And hearing those words....

I love you Moma!!

Family Reunion 2013 and a new Recipe

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe. I found a new one this weekend at my family reunion. My cousin Bobbie made it. I have now made it twice this week and its only Wednesday.

Spaghetti Veggie Pasta Salad 

16 oz of spaghetti noodles boiled and chilled

1pkg broccoli & cauliflower mix (I just grabbed the bag at Wal-Mart)

3 cooked, seasoned, cubed chicken breasts. I seasoned with garlic, salt and Italian seasonings

3/4 bottle Light Zesty Italian salad dressing (more or less depending on amount of pasta & desire)

1 small onion, red preferably and optional

And now a few shots from my family reunion, my Moma's side. Thanks so much to my cousin Angela (my skinny twin) and her husband Jimmy for opening their beautiful home and yard to us- almost 100 of us gathered in Durant, OK this past weekend for food, fellowship, and lots of fun!!!

My cousin Angela, Me & cousin/BFF Tonya

Braden going up for a shot against my nephew Seth, while Kaybrie looks on and my niece Mika could care less.

Sand volleyball time. Lots of it. My Moma is in the orange.

We had a turtle race. Here the kids are getting ready.

Picking out turtles.

Daddy Crow even got in on the turtle race. He kicked it. Poor turtle.

My aunts & uncles- my Moma is in the orange. 

It was great seeing everyone. It was very refreshing swimming afterward at my cousin/BFF's wedding reception. I request that it be a must every year. Except pictures of me must continue to be behind nephews with their eyes closed. Yes, Tonya I saw the other two not so flattering ones, and am so thankful they were for family viewing purposes only. Love ya!

Braden, Chandler, Parker & Tristan playing chicken. Amazing how this can be done in a private setting at a pool. Too fun!

The best way to have a swimsuit modeling job. Behind your closed eyed nephew, with a cookie and Diet Coke in hand. 

Happy Father's Day Daddy

I snapped this picture of my Daddy last weekend while we were in his pasture in Wilson, OK feeding the cattle. I had seen a similar picture on Pinterest (probably) with this quote and LOVED it. It's funny the opportunity that IS missed because you don't get out and do that "work". I finally saw that the work of cattle is not just work to my Daddy, but something he loves. He loved showing off his herd- the cows, donkeys and horses. He loved telling what he does with them and why. He loved telling his dreams. 
This man who has been a Daddy now for 38 years, my Daddy, still dreams and plans.  I can honestly say that my Daddy hasn't missed many opportunities in life because something looked like work. Thank you Daddy for giving me the opportunity to dream, work and be the daughter and Mom I am today because of your hard work.
Happy Father's Day!!

Just Color Us Crazy

During Spring Break my family and I participated in Ardmore’s first annual Color Me Crazy Run hosted by the H.F.V. Wilson Community Center. The run consisted of a 1 mile fun run and a 5K. My Moma had put together a team of 13 family members, leaving me the job of choosing a team name. I chose “Run or Dye Trying”. Some of us ran and we all definitely got dyed trying.
For the rest of this story you will have to go to Oklahoma Women Bloggers where the theme this month is Going Green/Great Outdoors. 

Run Kaybrie Run!

My cousin and BFF Tonya and I sneak in a colorful pic!

Our entire TEAM!! 

My babies and I. We were so bundled up. Under Armour, Sweatshirts and T-shirts!!

They were too happy to get messy!

My beautiful Moma who encouraged us to  participate in this event! So fun!

Be sure to go read me today at Oklahoma Women Bloggers, and leave a comment!!

Mission Trip to Malawi

I am in tears once again as I sit to share this letter from my brother. God is so good. My brother, not only has answered the call as a pastor, but now he and his wife will be stepping into the foreign mission field. They have answered a call to go to Malawi this Summer. As most of us know these calls do not come without expenses. As you read his letter, I ask you to PRAY for my little brother and my sister in law! If you feel led to contribute the links are also below. God Bless and thank you for all your prayers and support my friends and family!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

God has called Liz and I to do something this summer that we know will transform our lives. We will be participating in a short-term mission trip to Lilongwe, Malawi with a Mission Team from Trinity Baptist Church, Ardmore, OK. The dates include June 12 through June 25, 2013. We will be planting and working through existing Churches that have been recently started. We will be working in conjunction with national pastors affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

While on this journey, our time and energy will be spent sharing the gospel house to house in schools, prisons, orphanages, and anywhere we will be allowed to speak. In Malawi there are opportunities to share the gospel freely in almost all public places. As a team, we plan to take advantage of all of this time possible while in Malawi. We will also be assisting in church planting activities and other outreach opportunities.

Liz and I want to invite you to be a part of this experience in our life by becoming one of our partners. We need friends who will commit to pray for us as we prepare for this trip and while we are in Malawi. We will also need those who will commit to support us in this trip financially. The total cost of the trip is $7340 and includes all expenses such as airfare, accommodations, food and training. We will be making some personal sacrifices for the next couple of months as We try to raise the money for this trip, but we cannot do this alone. We need your assistance to help cover part of the cost for the trip. Would you consider investing in our lives and in the lives of those to whom we will be ministering by giving financially toward this trip?

We are confident that this experience will be a marker in our spiritual life, and we thank you for considering being a part of it. We know that God will build our faith by providing the money for this trip and that He will stretch my faith as I make Him known to those who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to help us financially, We have set up an account with our church in Coleman, Coleman Baptist Church. You can make your check payable to CBC. All contributions are tax deductible. $800 was due January 29th, $4440.00 is due on April 10th for the airplane tickets, the remaining $2100.00 will be do before we leave for Africa. Should a miracle happen and I receive more money then the cost of the trip, it will be applied to Bibles.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please feel free to contact Liz or I via email or phone if you have any questions regarding my trip to Africa. Thank you for your prayers and concerns for me and my ministry.

His Servants,
Jason and Liz Williams

pastor@colemanbaptist.com

You can make contributions by clicking this link. Thank you once again for keeping my brother and his family in your prayers. He and Liz have five children. He is pastor at Coleman Baptist Church in Coleman, OK.

Today's Post...

...is at The RHOK!

Today I am writing as Mrs. Hart at The RHOK. This picture was captured by my aunt and cousin over the weekend of Kaybrie and myself. When I saw it the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" came to mind. So I am letting my readers at The RHOK be RHOK Stars for Today and caption the photo!

Won't you go and write along?

Shampoo Warning. Please Share with All of Your Friends!

I don't know WHY I didn't figure this out sooner!!!!!

I use shampoo in the shower!

When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my entire body.

Printed very clearly on the shampoo label is this warning,

"FOR EXTRA VOLUME AND BODY."

No wonder I have been gaining weight!!!

Well! I have gotten rid of that shampoo and

I am going to start using Dawn dish soap instead.

Its label reads,

"DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE."

Problem solved!

If I don't answer phone calls, texts, tweets, Facebook messages, or respond to blog comments, you will know why- I'll be in the shower!

Ha Ha- you really thought I had a serious post going on here didn't you? 

My Aunt Gracie sent me this in an email and I modified it just a wee bit. 

It really goes along well with my current 20 in '12 Goals with the weight loss challenge, I started a Biggest Loser Challenge today at work. Yep put in $5 to hopefully be one of two with the largest % of weight loss from January 9th to March 1st. 

We will see...

My Neck of The Woods-Tushka

I think for today's edition of What's Going on in My Neck of the Woods, I have to go back to where my family roots began. You see my Moma was born and raised in Tushka, Oklahoma- just fell short of graduating there by one year when she married my Daddy in May of 1973 and moved to Wilson, OK- where she then graduated high school in 1974, the year I was born. For those of you who have watched any national weather coverage over the past few days, you know that this rural southeastern Oklahoma town of only 345 people was destroyed by an EF3 tornado on April 14, 2011. I praise God that my entire family- uncle, aunts, cousins and friends are safe. The loss of life in this town was 4. The damage to the community is unbelievable. The school completely leveled.  

My Cousin Dwayne Tomlinson posted the following picture on his Facebook page on Sunday that his girlfriend Alyssia Shores took, along with the following caption. I knew then exactly what I needed to share with my readers today. 

After almost every house was ripped from its foundation and trees that have stood more years than any of us are old were ripped from their roots and all from the ground, this is the message that people from Tushka AMERICA wants to put out; no matter how hard the wind blows or how much destruction gets thrown at us our determination and pride will conquer all. This flag stood tall after the storm. This picture was taken hours after the storm hit. Nobody put it up. It survived through the night. To all the families that lost everything stand strong, like Ole' Glory has.

Tushka is a part of My Neck of the Woods, without it I wouldn't be who I am today. I admire this community- there is no doubt the love it has for its neighbor which is a reflection of each one of their love of God. They will rebuild bigger and stronger than ever.

Thank you Dwayne and Alyssia for allowing me to repost- I love you both and I know that my readers will continue to lift this town in their prayers and if asked will do whatever need be done.

*I just realized as I type this that this will post on the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. How symbolic that Ole' Glory stands so strong. 

...One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All. Amen.

Link up today at The RHOK and tell us what is going on In Your Neck of the Woods!

In Loving Memory...

On Friday, I drove to Antlers, OK to say goodbye on Earth to a dear man. A rancher, dairyman, a hunter, a preacher, and an artillery soldier in WWII. Most of all a man who loved God, his family and his country. No, this man was not my grandfather, he belonged to my cousins- four beautiful girls.  Believe me though, they never minded sharing him! And he always had plenty of Mountain Dew and gingersnaps for all of us!

In  Loving Memory of  J.A. Fergueson

May 15, 1916-March 28, 2011

for Tonya

An Outpouring of Pink

This is a portion of the post that was written and posted  by me at The RHOK (The Real Housewives of Oklahoma) today. Typically, I will not repost on my own personal blog, but because of the sensitivity and nature of this subject, I felt it necessary to share with my reader's who receive my posts via email who might not read me at the other blog. For the complete story, click on the above link!-----ShaRhonda


Save the TaTa's. I Love Boobies. Save Second Base. No matter how you phrase it or wear it, its all about one thing: Breast Cancer Awareness

Every 69 seconds a women dies of breast cancer. Breast cancer not only affects women, but also men.

I am simply amazed at the outpouring of awareness that continues for this dreadful disease. Young and old. Male and Female. From survivors, to those who are still fighting. Professional organizations are even stepping up for the cause. The 19 teammates on my son's Broken Arrow Black 4th grade football team have also joined together and are wearing pink shoelaces donated by the local New Balance store in Tulsa. The players wore these in honor of 13 friends and family members who are survivors or have lost lives due to breast cancer. It is never to early to start supporting and educating!

My sister-in-law sent this letter to her loved ones and supporters exactly one year to the day that she first found the lump in her breast. The lump was a stage 2b and she did have cancer in a lymph node. She is now cancer free for two years, but has not been able to take the medicines most breast cancer patients take. Her Oncologist wanted her to take it for 10 years but she had a severe allergic reaction to one medicine and had milder reactions to the others.

9/28/09
It was September 28, 2008 when I first discovered the lump in my right breast that I would soon find out was malignant. I had seen a commercial about Breast Cancer Awareness and how important it was to do self check exams and if you were 40 or over to have a mammogram. The truth is I hadn't had a mammogram in 5 years but I had this nagging feeling to do a self check after seeing that commercial. I would schedule a mammogram and then forget about it (because they don't call and remind you of your appointment) but I did keep having that nagging feeling that I needed to get a mammogram scheduled even though I had done self checks and gone for yearly exams. I think God was trying to tell me all along but I kept putting it off. It's that time of year for Breast Cancer Awareness, please make sure you and your loved ones are checked out. The important thing is early detection, I also want to point out that it's labeled as a woman's disease but more and more men are being diagnosed with Breast Cancer each year. By the Grace of God and your support I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It's been a long journey but I am stronger and a better person for going through it. Thank you for coming along with me through this journey!

What will you do to join in the cause against breast cancer? Support? Educate? Promote awareness?

♥Mrs. Hart♥/ShaRhonda

*At 6:45 p.m. on 10/20/2010 a very dear friend's mother will be undergoing a breast biopsy to examine two lumps that were just found last week. The mother has a history of breast cancer in her family and has had her mammograms regularly. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Wordless Wednesday: Moma's Moonbeams

I just had to share these with my readers. These are my Moma's Moonbeams. She captured this shot early yesterday morning with her camera phone on her way to school. She doesn't text much, but she did text this picture to me! Very beautiful. Her labors throughout the year do not go unrecognized, her plants thrive because of her hard work!

For more Wordless Wednesday's make sure you visit The RHOK and 5M4M!

My MM Lie

If you guessed #1 in the Two Truths and A Lie about me yesterday, you are right. My brother is not a Professional Football Player,  however he does play for the Oklahoma Maddogs! The Maddogs are a Semi-Pro Oklahoma Metro Football League team out of Oklahoma City! He used to play for the Southern Oklahoma Roughnecks. He is #67. Jason Scott is 4yrs younger than me to the day, October 27, and is indeed a pastor in Southern OK! I am soooo proud of him! He and his wife are on a huge journey right now to lose weight through Medifast for health reasons. She has a blog as well and so does he. LizzyDear's Life and 100lbs in 2010 Challenge! She will be tracking their journey through her blog, so if you get a chance, follow along!

The guys from the Ardmore Area, Jason's best friend from H.S. Billy is on the bottom Left, #57

In prayer before a game!

Easter w/ The 4-Crow's

This year like most, we went to Wilson and spent Easter with my family. I am so thankful that I have a huge family and that because of our Easter traditions since I was a little girl, I learned the true meaning of Easter. Going to church and learning about the Resurrection of Christ, and knowing that Jesus died for me so that I might have eternal life, what an awesome story of truth and revelation! Family tradition means so much to me! This particular Easter Sunday, we had the privilege of a attending Marsden Baptist Church where my brother pastors, and then went back to my parents house to a wonderful prepared meal, by my Moma.  I got to visit with three aunts, two uncles, two cousins, a cousin in law, three second cousins, a close friend, seven nieces and nephews, my brother, sister, future BIL and SIL, and of course my parents. That makes 29 total including my family, what a blessing!

After lunch, my Moma and Aunt Gracie hid the Easter Eggs for the kids, below is a picture how many can you find?

Believe me, you didn't have to look that hard, LOL!

My Sister's Family- Jeff, Stephanie, Jadyn, Grady & Rowdy
 (Cody was at his Mom's)

Rowdy Zane proud of his find!

                                

 Grady Allen's First Easter!

Braden in Nana's flower bed searching for eggs!

 Kaybrie giving some attitude while filling her Easter basket!

The 4-Crow's annual Easter portrait!

Isn't my Moma's yard just beautiful?