Reminiscing...our handmade doll house from a Christmas long ago~

Several years ago I drove out to my parents house while they were away and took several
snapshots of the dollhouse that my parents made for my sister and I one Christmas. I'm guessing
it was made in the 60's. We adored that dollhouse and as I got older I could really appreciate the love
and care that went into making it. It was so special to us!

My mom used a large cardboard box and her attention to detail was amazing! Dad made the wood
items, but she created all the rest of it.

It has seen better days, but I will always love it.  After all it is decades old, but it still stands.  My
daughter played with it when she was small along with several nieces of mine and I am pretty sure
that my granddaughters may have played with it as well. I will have to check that out.

I just love this little wooden candle-holder that my daddy made!

Mom even added a picture above the fireplace that I am guessing was from a
Christmas card. She didn't leave out any details for sure.

Girls just HAVE to have a mirror. (smile) Poor little chest of drawers is showing it's age, but
that's ok. I am too! ha!

My mom  used a round oatmeal container for the chair and even added a ruffle. 

The curtains with rick rack...can you say PRECIOUS? 

My dads attention to detail on these beds was a sign of the wonderful cabinet maker he would
become in the years that followed.

A crocheted rug...or knitted? I'm not sure, but mom sure made it special!

Mom added wallpaper along with "wood" floors and "bricks" on the fireplace with a black marker.

Not just any old pillow, but a lace edged pillow for her girls. 

I am so very thankful for my parents and their love for us all through our lives!! Dad is almost 87
and mom is almost 82 and I am so thankful that they are still with us. They were the most loving
parents a child could have and instilled in us right from wrong and brought us up to
know and love Jesus. What a legacy!!

Merry Christmas to each one of you!!
Blessings~

I pleaded with God today...{update}

to take away  my mothers pain...

to bring healing to her body...

peace to her mind...

and comfort through it all.



She has served You faithfully

throughout her whole life

with her whole heart.

She loves You so very much

and she puts her trust in You

so please God...


EMS was called early this morning to take my lovely mother to the hospital
because of unbearable pain from sciatica. She is home now and is taking very
potent drugs to ease the unbearable pain. They say it is too risky to operate.
Probably caused from a bulging/herniated disc in her spine.

Today was her grandsons wedding...my sisters baby of the family
 and she so wanted to be there.
{him and his fiance are pictured above with mom and dad}

I think there is a reason why our car had problems and we decided not
to go to PA for the wedding or we would not have been here for mom and
 dad today when they needed us. God works in mysterious ways and
I know His ways are always best...but I am still pleading with Him.
Would you please pray with me?

UPDATE{sunday morning}: the EMS was called again last night to
 transport my mom back to the hospital because of so much pain. 
Please pray that God will give the doctors wisdom. Thank you so 
much for all your prayers!! It means so much to me and our family!!

Happy Fathers Day!

...to the best father in the whole wide world...

Mine!

Blessings~

There's a man out there...

who is my hero.

From the time he was little, God knew he would be my dad.

and God also knew that he would be the

best father ever to this little gal.

{and my siblings as well}

He knew that he would love us, and comfort us,

teach us right from wrong, and show us who God is.

He has always been everything a father should be

and more.

I am so glad that God chose that Father to be mine!

I think of all the children out there who didn't have a

father who loves them and I know how very fortunate

I am. I thank God every day for a loving, caring

father who I love dearly and who has always been

my hero.

Thank you dad for everything

and Happy Father's Day!

{snapped this photo of my father and youngest great grandson

last night when they were visiting}

You may have thought I didn’t see, or that I hadn’t heard,

Life lessons that you taught to me, but I got every word.

Perhaps you thought I missed it all, and that we’d grow apart,

But Dad, I picked up everything, it’s written on my heart.

Without you, Dad, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today;

You built a strong foundation, no one can take away.

I’ve grown up with your values, and I’m very glad I did;

So here’s to you, dear father, from your forever grateful kid

-author unknown

Blessings-

Lovely find and update on my dad...

Don't you just love this display mirror?

it even has beveled edges

price...$5.00 !

I know in my last post I told you that my dad is

doing so much better and he is, but he

still needs your prayers.

We thought he would be coming

home today, but now it has been changed

until next week sometime.

His heart doctor wants to implant an ICD

{implantable cardioverter-defibrillator }

Dad was not too keen on the idea,

but after discussing it with my mom

and us kids he has decided to go ahead with it.

He may not be home now until Tuesday

or Wednesday.

He is in very good spirits and we have a

wonderful time when we visit, but it is still

a scary thing whenI realize that it is

my dad's heart

that we are talking about.

Praying that the Lord will guide the doctor's

hands and that all will go well.

Blessings~

Another late night phone call

Just once I want someone to call me

late at night and say: we have really good news...

but it doesn't happen that way does it?

I received another phone call from my mother last night

at 11:30 pm and she told me they had taken my father

to the hospital again by EMS .

He was having severe breathing problems.

When we arrived at the hospital an EMT told us that

he given them quite a scare. They had to radio ahead

and meet someone part way and get them on board

to administer meds to him.

His breathing appeared very labored and he

told me it was much better than it had been.

I can't imagine.

From the ER doctor we heard words like:

congestive heart failure

fluid on the lungs

you need to get

reacquainted with your heart doctor

We will find out what today brings.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Blessings~

Thank you!

Me and my daddy ~

(Man I have a big head! LOL)

I will be headed to the hospital again soon so I don't have time to go to each and every blog and thank you personally so this is the next best thing.

THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...

everyone ~

I am overwhelmed at the kindness and prayers

of all my blogging friends. So many of you praying for my father...

It is a

*very good thing*

and I know that our God hears and answers prayer.

We spent the day with him yesterday and

there is no other place I would have rather been.

My brother is coming home from his vacation early which they just headed

out to on Sunday. He has been in constant contact via cell phones and he has called the hospital and talked to the nurses. My sister was planning on coming home from PA this Friday for a visit and she is coming home early too.

Mom has been a rock throughout this ordeal , but I know this is hard on her too, so please say a prayer for her as well.

We all love him so much...he is the best ever~ Blessings~

911 Call -

This photo is my daddy whom I love very much.

(at my niece's wedding three years ago) ~

Got that dreaded phone call at 11 pm from mom

last night telling me that she had called 911

because my father was very sick.

They only live about 8 miles away so of course we flew out there.

Watched them load my precious father in the EMS unit ~

We got home from the hospital at 4:30 this morning.

He had a heart attack.

They put three stents in one artery and removed

part of a clot.

He looked so much better and was talking to us

before we left. He even was laughing and told us

to go home and sleep.

Thank God for doctors and their gifts of a healing touch.

I am not ready to lose my father.

He is my hero, my rock and I love him so much! Please say a prayer for him today~

Blessings~

Dads Birthday Gift ~

I wracked my brain about what to give my dad for his birthday this year. What do you give someone who doesn't really *NEED* anything. He is always thankful for anything, but I wanted to do something special. He got into flying RC airplanes a few years ago and absolutely loves it. Thus followed my hubby, son, brother, nephew...all getting RC Planes and going out to dads house and flying them. It is fun to watch them...except when they crash and moan and groan...LOL This is the outside of the box. I printed "Dad" in Beyond Wonderland font on the computer and cut it out with my scallop cutter ~ Added brown paper shred inside along with a note ~

The gift...drum roll...TA DA...paper airplanes made out of money! It was a big hit and he loved it! Had I thought of this sooner I would have picked up a bunch of one dollar bills and he could have had a whole fleet of airplanes!

I tried folding different styles of paper airplanes, but I always came back to the simplest folded airplane around... Have a blessed day~

Happy Birthday Dad ~

1933...what a year!! It was the year my father was born. I have wondered many times what I ever did to deserve such a wonderful dad. He has been my rock in hard times and the best father a daughter could ever have! I used to tell him when I was young that when I grew up I was going to marry him! LOL This is his picture as a youngster ~ You're in the army now ~

My father today~

I grew up in a wonderful Christian home where we always knew we were loved. It was shown to us every day and told to us over and over as well and I thank God every day for that. We weren't ruled with an iron rod, but with the utmost care, love and discipline that a lot of families don't have. My father is my hero and a true treasure to everyone who knows him. Happy Birthday Dad from your DD ~ I love you so much!

52 Years of Love ~ Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

My parents 52nd Anniversary is today and I took a trip down memory lane back to their 50th anniversary party that we held for them two years ago. I did all the planning, decorations and I also made the invitations and favors. Please take a moment and reminisce with me... Aren't they just the cutest couple ever?? This is their cake that I ordered...the best cake ever!!!! There is a local gal who makes the most delicious and moist cakes ever and we call it "Kristy cake" because her name is Kristy. We go to events around here and say ," Is that Kristy cake"...seriously....I have never had any better. She can make any design also. I just took her a picture and she made this gorgeous cake!

More pictures of the cake and decor...I am looking at this picture now and thinking we should have used real silverware and not plastic, but at the time we thought it was a good idea.

The invitations that I made...I don't have photo shop or anything so just made these in word processor and believe me it took me many hours and days to get them just right, but it was worth every minute I spent. I love the saying on it, "Your love is a treasured gift...we request no other"....

A photo board I put together of old pictures....sorry for the glare. The card in the middle is very pretty and has 50th anniversary printed on it...I believe I got it at Hallmark.

More decorations....we had moms wedding dress and her shoes displayed as well.

I had a lot of old pictures copied in sepia tones and did them like scrapbook pages and had these sitting on the round tables for the centerpieces.

My daughter and son-in-law also made a dvd of hundreds of pictures through the years and they were all done in sepia tones as well. They made a gorgeous cover and also the dvd was amazing. Maybe I can find pictures of that and add it later. My parents mean so much to me and I thank God every day for their lives and for bringing me up in a Christian home. Have a blessed day!