this is the part where i stop to be thankful and then maybe, perhaps a bit creative???

I'm feeling yucky- sinus crud again.

I'm very hurt and disappointed with myself and with others.

I need to take a moment (or more) to be thankful.

Thank You Father for Your unending love. I don't know why You love me but You do. For that I will ever be grateful.

Thank You Father for a family's love. They also put up with me when I'm not worth the time. I cannot say how much this means to me or how appreciative of this I am. I see so many who do not have this love and support, and I am reminded often through work, through seeing or talking to a homeless person just how big a gift this is.

Thank You Father for three wonderful children, for a good husband, for parents, a sister and brother (Scott, I'm claiming you- sorry you don't get off that easy!), for my mother-in-law too, for Regina and my other cousins with whom I can give and get love and share good memories, encourage and get encouragement.

Thank You Father for memories that, yes sometimes are hard and cause pain but also bring warm remembrances of joy, laughter, love, acceptance. I cherish those memories with cousins playing in the yard, aunts and uncles who loved me, catching lightning bugs, playing in the woods or in the creek, riding my bike up and down the street, climbing trees, going fishing, taking trips to Arkansas, watching an evergreen tree grow in the yard each year, playing games, talking, and so many many more.

Thank You Father for all your provision- food, clothes, a warm place in the winter & cool place in the summer's heat, a car, a job, lives to love and touch for You.

Thank You for the beauty of the world You created- the rolling land of the plains where a person can see for miles, acres of corn fields, a storm building in the sky and the beauty of a storm, the wind to cool us, snow falling quietly and gently at midnight, the wonder of the ocean and its power and sound and awesome power, the majesty & the beauty of the mountains. You created all these and they each in their own way point to You and Your characteristics, who You are and Your great love. Thank You.

Father, I "follow" a few people and their prayer needs via blogs, and I've met a few of the "least of these" who don't even have a home let alone a blog. Let me remember them tonight. Will You remember them tonight and meet their needs? Theirs are so much more than my petty hurts and worries. They need You so much right now. I do too Father, but don't let me get so burdened down with myself that I forget You.

Please be with:
Keith in the Quad Cities
Pop's Keith
Some kids I know whose first initial I'll use here. You know who they are (F, S, D, Z, "D," O & S)
Michael
Odell
Chris
Tanya
Kate
Stellan
Summer
Noah
Tara and her children
Bonnie and her children

Thanks God for everything. I'm so undeserving and so very grateful.

Now I'll get back to my feeble attempt at being creative. :)

Kittens

The kittens have sure grown this past month. They were five weeks old last Friday! Just a few more weeks until we have to let them go. Praying we can find homes for them all. We had one person come by to take a look at the litter the other day and pick one out so that's great! She spent a while here playing with the kittens, watching them, talking to them, so I'm sure that our little guy will be in a great home!
This was just last week when they started venturing out of the laundry room to explore a little. It always seems there's one that stays in the box; they take turns but we often find four out and about and one sleeping away in the box. :)

Our dog, Samson (also called Sam or Sammy) LOVES LOVES LOVES the kittens! He watches them, gives them baths, plays with them, snuggles with them, sits with them.... The kittens will follow him around the house too, which is just adorable! In this photo, Sam had gone out for his bedtime bathroom break and first thing he did when he came in was come in to "check" on the kittens. He climbed in the box and bathed them all before going to lay down. He's just a sweetheart of a dog!

Barbara is definitely a cat person!

Here is our cat, Cinnamon, the "daddy" of the litter. He has been pretty timid and stayed away from the kittens in these past few weeks, but all the sudden this week, he's decided to play a little and help give them baths. The kittens LOVE his tail- an automatic play toy.

I call this kitten Tigger. It has more distinct striping than the other cats and is more orange too. It is the most curious and brave of the litter and will venture out further than the rest of the gang. It also likes to climb and explore- here it is with Rob's slipper, which for some reason she finds fascinating.

July 4th Fun

This is a picture heavy post as I just got my computer back! :) The photos are in backwards order of the day's events.

I proposed for the 4th of July that we all go out for a picnic together for lunch since Rob, Robert, & Barbara would all have to work that afternoon/evening and we couldn't all be together that evening. So we picked up some Subway and took off. We went to the Revolutionary war site here in Guilford County (Guilford Courthouse National Military Park) and found a place without any people to throw our blanket and eat- which was a major feat as it was PACKED!

We were our usual silly selves, wise-cracking, making faces, taking silly photos, laughing at ourselves and each other. It was nice. I sat and thought about the soldiers that fought on the very ground we might be sitting on or near and the sacrifices the people of that time made. Now 200+ years later, here we sit enjoying such lavish freedoms because of them and so many others who have given up so much. God help me not to take it for granted, ever!

We ended up watching some reenactors demonstrating how the cannons of that era were fired off. Pretty neat!

That evening was Matthew & I at home while the rest of the family worked at the ballpark and restaurant. Matthew grilled us some hamburgers and made us a delicious salad and we had berries & apples too! YUMMY! Robert got off early (WOW!) for a change and we were able to watch two fireworks shows from the car before heading home to light off some little firecrackers Matthew & I bought for him.

Barbara's New Do

Someone wanted to die her hair- for a looooong time now. I finally decided to let her since she is 18, she is a high school graduate, she is a wonderful daughter........ I mean it's not like it's weird body piercings or large tattoos or something totally weird or rebellious. :) And she is 18 and still asking her parents after all.

So without further ado- here is Barbara's new hair (I was surprised at how it turned out- not bad & I think she looks pretty good with black hair). She sure is a beautiful young lady- no matter the hair color- well maybe not if it was purple or orange, I don't know :) !!!

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for this little girl, Kate McRae. She is a five year old little girl who went to the dr. having tremors in one hand. They found a massive, aggressive, terrible brain tumor. It is very bad. I don't know this family at all, but I know they need our prayers.



Here is the family's webpage.



Thanks!

Rebekah