Bells will be Ringing!!!

My bags are packed and tomorrow I will drive to Louisiana. I am so looking forward to seeing my kids and grandkids again. This time it will be in celebration not sadness. My son, Jason Miller, will be marrying Mandy Goldman on Saturday, April 4th. I could not be happier. I love Mandy and her Mom. I will post some pictures after I return to Arkansas. All of my bunch will be there this time. Ricky and Beth are flying in from Nevada and Ryan should be finished with training in Georgia and back home. It should be a great party. The wedding is going to be held in the New Orleans Zoo in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit. I hope the weather cooperates!
Life is Good ;-)

The Choice is up to You

This reading was included in a Sympathy Card sent by Delores Thornsbery in my Sunday School Class and I wanted to share it.



You can shed tears because she is gone,
OR you can smile because she lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
OR you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
You can be empty because you cannot see her,
OR you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
OR you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone,
OR you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry, close your mind, be empty and turn your back,
OR you can do what she would want;
Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Author unknown

Yet Another Chapter of My Story

For those of you that don't know, I buried my dear mother yesterday. For the last 57 1/2 years and even before that I had been the center of her universe. I was the baby she longed for after losing her infant daughter Janiece at 18 months. I was the miracle that happened over 10 years later. She was a wonderful mother and I tried my best to make her proud over the years. She taught me how to love one another and show compassion and so many many other things. I will always remember her smile and how loved she made me feel. I will strive to be as good a person as she was. I would not give anything for the last 9 months that I was able to spend with her. It was so hard for me to watch her become so weak and fragile. Being selfish and human, I just wanted the impossible, for her to be mom again, when the reality was that her time here on earth was drawing quickly to an end. The circle of life. There is no doubt in my mind that she is now in heaven with all of her loved ones and in no pain..with no tears. And that is how it is suppose to be. I was, and continue to be, very blessed.

I love you momma...I miss you already....see you on the other side.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Throw me somethin Mister!
Laissez les bon temps rouler....y'all

February..going.....going....go

Well I am beginning to think that I suck at this blogging thing. In the past I could think of random stuff to blog about but now it seems I just like to read other blogs. It's not that I don't have a life. Well okay...I sorta don't have a life but I'm getting better at faking it anyway...lol
So I will now go into some of the wonderful things I have done since Vegas. I got home from Ricky and Beth's house on Monday the 24th of January. I was home six days and then headed to Louisiana. I went to New Orleans and went to dinner with a friend and then on to Angie's house to help some with the kids. Keri and the boys came over on Saturday and we had a lot of fun just being together. Like we always do! and then.....the kids got sick one by one. Angie and I thought we had outrun the virus or whatever it was....but no, we both got sick too by Thursday. I ended up staying an extra few days just to make sure I was strong enough to make the drive home. It took us quite a while to completely get over it and then Ang got sick again ;-(

I've been home again now for two weeks and am chomping at the bits to head out on the road again. I have joined a new fitness center and I am going there almost every day and working out. I just want to be skinny TODAY.. I also go from there to help mom with lunch. She seems to be failing quite a bit lately and is battling an UT infection. Hopefully she will get to feeling better soon.

Viva Las Vegas!

I just flew back to Arkansas this evening after a wonderful week in sunny....warm.....Las Vegas! I spent the time spoiling the Jackson clan....Ricky, Bradley, and Ella while Beth was in DC. She and some friends went to the inauguration and were part of history being made. We took a road trip to Red Rock Mountains and the scenery was breathtaking.

We celebrated Ella's 4th birthday while I was there. Hopefully I can post a couple of the pictures.
I am pooped out tonight since Beth and I went out for a GNO last night and didn't quite get to bed until after 3:00 am. We had a Great Time and ya know....what happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas! lol
There is also that time difference thing going on with me right now. I'm sure it will hit me at 7am in the morning when I am trying to get it in gear and be at early church by 8am to robe up for choir.
Things will calm down some and for the next 10 days I will be going back to the fitness center and eating right and all that jazz.. Then on Feb 2nd I will fly to Angie's for a week....and....ssshhhhhh
don't tell, I have an actual date on the 7th in the New Orleans area. I'm so excited. He seems like such a nice guy and I feel sure we will have a good time. I am also hoping that I will get together with Mandy and her mom and do something to get ready for the wedding. Jason and Mandy are getting married on April 4th in New Orleans. Something tells me that I will be traveling back and forth to Louisiana quite a bit between now and April!

Doors

WHEN ONE DOOR OF HAPPINESS CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS; BUT OFTEN WE LOOK SO LONG AT THE CLOSED DOOR THAT WE DO NOT SEE THE ONE WHICH HAS BEEN OPENED FOR US. - Helen Keller