Slow Fade

Turning 40 has caused me to evaluate a few things in my life. More on that later, but for now, this song has been speaking to me . . . in that the little things that we allow to slip back into our lives that push us away from God are allowed by US. When I accepted Jesus in 1991, I quit cussing. It took me a while, but I did. Period, end of story. This was not a behavior that I thought was becoming to me as a Christian or as a woman. Surely, points could be made without profanity.

Then we start to fade. Our world becomes hectic, raising kids becomes more of a challenge then we ever anticipated, work demands increase, and the day to day becomes heavy, and we slowly allow ourselves to fade away from the one True God who can sustain us, carry us, and comfort us through all the trials. I swore the other day, in anger. I allowed myself to slowly fade, I've allowed myself to slowly fade for several years now. Beliefs that I've had, convictions that I felt passionate about have slowly become less important. Isn't that just how satan works! One tiny little piece at a time.

Think on this a while . . .where have you faded?

Blessings ~
P.

Gotcha Girlfriend!

We interrupt Paula’s blog to bring you an important announcement…

Sunday, October 26th, Paula is turning 40!!

While she may not look a day over 24, records indicate the rodeo beauty queen is saying goodbye to her youth and entering into a new and unknown territory. Please be in prayer for our ageing beauty as she faces a lifetime of wrinkle creams, sore joints, and hundreds of dollars in anti-aging concoctions.

Paula is known to all as a good friend, cowgirl extraordinaire, energetic ball of fire, and hysterical conversationalist. Her youth will be missed by all.

Please help us wish Paula a fantastic birthday by leaving her a comment.

This message has been brought to you from the Center for Aging Rodeo Queens and two gals who love her!!

We now return to Paula’s regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.

Happy Birthday to my much older friend!!
Love you lots - Karma
(With encouragement from Pat!!)

Oh, this is not good!

The torture of being held accountable to my bloggin' gals with a recipe is killing me! I am so not a good "cookin' from scratch" cook! But . . . here goes!

2 pounds browned ground BEEF
2 cans red kidney beans
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 package McCormick Chili Seasoning
Shred up some cheddar cheese
Get a bag of Fritos
And a big tub of sour cream

Get to doctorin' your chili as you see fit!

Yummilish!

(You can add the goods like onions, peppers, and anything else that might burn your gut - But since my DH is allergic to onions, all the other stuff gets left out too!)

Blessings!
~P.

Taking a break . . .

Okay - I don't have anything important, funny, or even remotely "adorable" to post, just thought I would stop my crazy life for a moment and post a few pictures . . .

Rick, Bo, and our friend Wes, got some "dummy" time in before they headed to Pawhuska, OK on Saturday.




Getting set to rope!


Chillin' while he watches the runs...




Now . . . have you ever had a mess like this? Before - when I couldn't figure out why my internet wouldn't work!
After - and still no internet! Finally, my hero came home and plugged the internet cord into the correct phone jack! Thank goodness! I was having blogging withdrawl!



And Finally - My Friend, Les wanted to know what everyone likes to cook on a chilly day . . . what else but Chili! This is Chili, Broken Y style! Lots of Fritos, Lots of Cheese, Lots of Sour Cream! YUMMILISH!

Swept Off My Feet . . .

We've had a busy weekend - Rick, Bailey, and Bo went to a team roping in Pawhuska, OK - I stayed home and did about 7 loads of laundry and cleaned house and then on Sunday we had a Fall Baseball double header.

I took Bo and the K's to his first game while Rick and Bailey went to church. They then met us at the second game and brought the K's their trusted stick horses, "Brownie" and "Blue". Now, the K's love their horses - they run through the house, all around the yard, and up to the barn - anywhere their little legs will run those horses.

So, while we are watching the ballgame, I see the K's take off - after a squirrel! Up the tree the squirrel went and around the tree the K's circled. Just waiting for that squirrel to come down. A couple dads were standing around just laughing and watching the K's so I went over and we waited patiently for that squirrel. It then heads down the back of the tree while the K's aren't paying attention. They stop and look at the tree and that little squirrel looks around at them, they scream, the squirrel takes off and so do the K's. All the dads started laughing as we took off on the trusted stick horses, herding the squirrel back out of the ball field area.

The K's decide they aren't going to be able to catch that critter so we decide to have a good old fashioned horse race back to Bo's ball field! Mom is racing too, but without a stick horse. Ready, set, GO - I hadn't taken two steps and found myself on all fours! Klay's stick literally swept under my feet and took me right down! Scrapped knees and hands, I looked over and the dads are just looking at me! I said, "Did you see that?" Not a word was said but the heads nodded with big smiles on their faces. I said, "Welcome to my world, gentlemen!"

More Pictures!

I thought you might like to see some pictures from the K's arrival!

My trusted companion by my side! I was pretty nervous but my DH has always been a rock solid force, holding everything together!

I'm just waiting for paperwork to be processed, etc. before I head in for a C-section! Get a look at that belly - I stopped asking my measurement at about 30 weeks!






My precious Klay - As you can see - I look like I've been wrung out! But in my eyes, I see my Grandma Margaret!
My precious Kash wrapped and wired! My friend, Brenda Basgall was his nurse the minute he arrived! She was waiting in the wings because she knew we were there! What a blessing to have someone you trust taking care of your precious baby!
Klay and Kash ready to head home! 5 pounds 2 ounces and 5 pounds 4 ounces. This is like the great American fish story for Rick - their weight gets less each time he tells the story! It's fun to listen to him!



Big Sis and Big Bo - ready for the adventure!

Klay Don & Kash Richard are 4 today!

Kash Richard

Klay Don

When Rick and I decided to have another baby, I prayed - Lord, if you give 'em to me in multiples, I'll get my four kids with only three pregnancies! That was about three months before I got pregnant! But when I did get pregnant, and at three months looked like I was six months, I knew that I had twins. Rick still didn't think so until the sonogram confirmed it.

He and Bo were out in the arena when I got home - we just thought I was confirming a due date so the guys didn't go along - I hollered at them to come look at the pictures. I remember Rick clearly saying, "Come on Bo, lets go look at the baby!"

I showed him the most obvious picture right away - he said, "Well, there looks like there are two in there!" Of course, I started jumping around and screaming!

He says that I exagerate this part - but I AM NOT - he put his hand on his heart and said, "I need to go sit down." He was in the chair making phone calls the rest of the day!

I picked Bailey up at school - shared the pictures with her - of course she was excited but most concerned with what they were - she clearly wanted girls!

Life went on and babies grew, bigger, and bigger, and bigger! I had an official melt down at 33 weeks because I just knew I should be having these babies any time. But no, they were breach - snuggled in their nice and warm and they were not going to come out! At 38 weeks, my wonderful Dr. decided to do a C-section because they were not turning and I was not showing any signs of progression.

Klay, a.k.a. Baby A or Chevy was born at 1:30pm and Kash, a.k.a. Baby B or Dodge was born at 1:32pm. Kash was rushed to intensive care right away for lung issues. Klay went right to Dad. While in recovery, I hemmoraged and then experienced a blood pressure spike which caused some chaos and turmoil for about 2 hours - all the while, Rick was running back and forth checking on baby, checking on mommy, checking on baby, checking on mommy - It was crazy.

Finally, at 10:00pm that night, I still had not gotten to hold my baby Kash and I was upset - Rick told the nurses that he didn't care how they got me over there, but "This woman needs to see her baby!" We got to NICU and Kash was just screaming his head off. Rick was holding Klay and the nurse reached down and picked Kash up and layed him in my arms - I said, "Kash, I'm here" - he stopped crying - looked right into my eyes and all was right with the world! I looked at Rick, and my precious husband was crying.

We've been blessed beyond measure - there are days I feel younger, there are days I feel older - but all in all - the Lord heard my prayer and blessed me!

These brothers can fight like no bodies business but when it comes to lovin' - they sure love each other a bunch! Happy Birthday Boys!

Therapy . . .

Ever since my DH started working at a mental health and counseling center, I tease him about needing to be evaluated! We could all probably stand to be evaluated! Even though, Rick runs the financial end of this clinic, he does occasionally get opportunities to visit with people who have benefited from the services the clinic offers. Please keep in mind, this is a full-scale clinic - offering counseling to children placed in foster care, to men and women facing addiction (which has been very real in our family), to multiple personalities (schizophrenia), to crisis care such as suicide and domestic violence.

The clinic even provides a crisis house - a fully stocked home ready to accommodate the needs of someone who has to leave a crisis situation. This clinic has counselors who offer to help people gain healing and hope.

Where are the people of God?

I guess this is my post of repentance, confessing that I would just as soon avoid someone else's chaos and crisis because there is a residual affect on my own personal being and quite frankly, I'm sick of other people not having it together! I'm sick of people I consider friends, only calling me when their life is in crisis.

THEN, I realize that I don't have it together either. Did I yell at my children anytime this week? YES. Have I plunged into food for comfort? YES. Have I prayed a righteous prayer but lived an unrighteous life? YES. Did I share the love and hope that is found through salvation in Christ with ANYONE? NOPE!

Thank God our tax dollars go to clinics like the Cowley County Mental Health and Counseling Center, because I, as a Christian, have shirked my responsibility to God's people - the weirdo at Wal-Mart, the neighbor who shoots semi-automatic weapons at night, the other neighbor who has enough junk in his front yard to start a salvage yard, the other neighbor who strongly dislikes me, the four neighbors I've not even gone to introduce myself to and I've live here two years, the sister-n-law who has battled drug addition for years, the friend who's life is unraveling before my eyes, the two different clients I have whose marriages are completely done.

James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

If we as believers have been adopted into God's family through the salvation of Jesus, then those who have not are orphans - no spiritual home.

Lord, please forgive me for my self-righteous attitude that says that my world, life and relationships are just fine, better then most, but are simply too busy to allow someone else's life to invade my sanctified and holy space. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Thank you, friends! God's word says, that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, there He will be also - in today's modern technology, I believe that includes blogs!

Blessings ~

P.