Happy Anniversary to Us

Doyle and I will celebrate 13 years of marriage on the 17th of this month. I wanted to take this opportunity to give tribute to the man of my life that has made me the happiest woman in the world. When we look at our lives, it truly is a miracle that we ever met. I have never doubted that he was the man for me. He loves me so much, and tells me every day that I am beautiful. I told him that I might start to believe him pretty soon. I admire his close walk with God. He usually gets up and goes to church to pray before I wake up. He provides for us and loves his children.
We had a Christmas wedding and left for our honeymoon in a hot air balloon. When we watch the video of our balloon floating away, Johnny Mathis song "Give Me Your Love for Christmas" is playing softly. It is one of my favorite songs. When I first met Doyle, I asked God to let me get to know this man. I will forever be grateful to God for allowing him to become my husband and best friend.

An Early Family Christmas

Our family celebrated an early Christmas Tuesday night. Since we will be with other family members on Christmas day, we gave them some of their gifts while we are here in FL. All 4 had asked for bikes, and they were beyond excitement waiting for their dreams to become reality. I cooked homemade noodles with chicken for supper, and we had a nice time together. Of course, they were itching to ride their bikes, and we let them--even though it was dark outside when we finished opening gifts. Merry Christmas to all my family and friends in blog land.

The Singing Christmas Tree

Last week was the Singing Tree production put on by our church and other ministries. If you have not seen this event, it is hard to put into words all that actually happens on these 4 evenings. Everyone is pretty tired when it is all said and done. There are hundreds involved in the activity and this year the crowds were huge. The traffic was backed up for blocks. I somehow was talked into walking down the aisle with all these cute little elves and waving at everyone as I wore a big red hat. Lydia was dressed as one of the snow girls and walked behind the sleigh. Julianna wore Christmas colors and carried a gift as she went through the crowds. Julianna, Samuel, and Lydia all sang in the children's choir. When they ran down the aisles to sing, Joseph was dressed as a horse and joined the manger crew. One of the songs the kids sang was,"Come and See What's Happening at the Barn." It had a country flavor complete with guitars, sting bass, and fiddles. During the tree numbers, Doyle directed the prelude number and jumped in the orchestra to play whatever instrument needed to be covered. He never saw the rest of us do our thing, so I videoed some of the last night. I thought it was necessary for him to see what really happened at the barn. There was the "horse" giving straw to the "sheep." He was also making some crazy faces and singing right along with the rest of the kids. It was quite interesting.
Dr. Peak and his crew did an excellent job this year and I am so excited about the number of people who heard the gospel.

Christmas Parade

On Saturday our town had the privilege of having our annual Christmas parade. This event is one that the Marching Band participates in, which means that my husband keeps pretty busy preparing for. It is unbelievable what has to be done to get this many kids outfitted and ready to go. We had 65 kids marching this year so we had to make sure that there was a uniform for everyone and, of course, that they had their music memorized. Two other moms and I ironed at least 65 skirts and pants the night before. We had hoped for a cool day, but did not get it. We absolutely baked during the parade. I was not able to get pictures of the band during the parade because I was on the float with three of our kids--Julianna was in the band playing the cymbals. Mary Ellen was able to get a video clip as they marched by, so I am thankful to her for making this available to me. My heart swells with pride when I see our school so well represented in the community. The float was a patriotic theme. The banner on the side said, "True Freedom was born on Christmas." Huge packages were wrapped in red, white, and blue. The packages were down the center of the float with people sitting on either side. There were angels and a manger on one end, and military personnel on the other end.(This included little people dressed up as military). First, there was a school banner, followed by two big banners which proclaimed, "Jesus is King of Kings" and "Jesus is Lord of Lords." Next, was the band followed by the float. I feel so blessed to be a part of the exciting things that are happening at our church and school. Doyle had lots of drinks ready for the group when they nearly collapsed after marching all the way. I know it is hard for some of my northern friends to believe that it was that hot Saturday, but if you had been there to help the kids change out of their sweaty uniforms, you would have believed it. We have had a break in the weather, and we are so thankful. Our Singing Christmas Tree started last night and it was packed out. This is a huge event that puts on 4 nights of performances that all of us are involved in. I will post more about that next.

Happy Birthday Samuel!!!

Samuel celebrated his 9th birthday Saturday, December 1st. Since both of our boys' birthdays are within 6 days of each other, we do not have big birthday bashes each year for both of them. This was Samuel's year to have a family birthday. I took cupcakes to his classroom on Friday and gave him a football he had been wanting. Joseph went shopping with me the day before, and he decided to share the football news before it was time. Samuel thought this was great--he said that Joseph was fun to have around. Somehow we started a tradition of putting streamers on the birthday kid's door before they get up. I made sure that Samuel's door was decorated Saturday morning. We gave Samuel another gift in the a.m.--a Mr. Potato Head Transformer. He enjoyed playing with this until it was time to load into the van to go to the parade. Because we were on the school float, he spent some of his birthday sweating and waving to people along the route. When we had said "Merry Christmas" a thousand times, we came back home and prepared to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for supper--this is how Samuel wanted to spend the rest of his birthday. We had a lot of fun eating pizza and playing games. We then came back home, had cake and ice cream, opened up his last gift (a nerf gun), and fell into bed. All of my kids are special, but Samuel was born the same month I lost my Dad. Every time I remember my loss, I also remember my gift from God in the form of a precious son.

The Boys' Cowboy Room

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to work in my boys' room. I cleaned and organized a few weeks ago, and I had not posted the pictures yet. I think that is because I got busy preparing for company and doing all sorts of baking and such. So, this is my Cowboy Room-the last room I will deep clean before Christmas. A couple of years ago we redecorated in this theme and it has been fun finding western treasures. The lariat on the wall is a real one used by a rancher in our area. I was excited to get it. I bought the bedspread first, and then tried to match the border. It took me awhile to get what I wanted, but I was very pleased to find this print. I wanted to tell you about the drum. Although it is not a cowboy theme item, I used it because of the family history. Doyle was cleaning out the instrument storage closet at school and found this drum. He remembered that it belonged to his brother years ago. He asked if he wanted it because it was no longer useful. His brother did not and said that it also had been used by his dad. It was going to get thrown away, but I rescued it, torn off the top, and use it for storing the toy instruments. There are all kinds of stories about various things in the room, but most of all I like the 2 cowboys that park their boots here after being on the trail all day long.

Holiday Memories

We were privileged to have some of Doyle's family in for Thanksgiving. There are 7 in the Bozone clan, and 4 of them were here. We also were able to spend some time with Joy's kids; Bruce is now 20 and Bethany is 17. It is hard to believe that they are grown up. They were just little children at our wedding 13 years ago. We went to the beach after our meal on Thanksgiving. I thought they were going to just look at the water, but I should have known. When we returned home, I could have filled a sandbox with the beach we brought back to the house. Joel decided to dig a hole and build some sort of fort-the kids enjoyed helping him. Daryl and Bruce were entertaining people on the beach by doing flips into the water on their skim boards and acting crazy. While Joy gathered shells, Dale and Betsy watched it all happen.
I got up on Friday and went shopping by myself. Although I did not stay out long, I did find some good deals for Christmas. Joy loves photography. Since she brought her nice camera, I asked her to do some shots of our family for our Christmas card. She captured some fun moments.
Saturday we had Joseph's party, and then we went to Joel's house for a cookout in the evening. We all took lots of pictures of our time together and made more memories as a family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH

Joseph became a big 4 year old on Sunday. We had his main celebration on Saturday with little friends coming over for a Diego-themed rescue party. It really turned out nice. Doyle and I kept things moving with lots of games. I hid paw prints in different places and the kids had to follow the clues to the lost lion cub. They seemed to enjoy the activities. After we had lunch, opened the gifts, and had cake and ice cream, Doyle made animal balloons for them. We declared it a good time as we watched the guests leaving with their party bags and balloons. Joseph thoroughly enjoyed himself.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

I got up early to put the turkey in the oven, and couldn't go back to sleep. I decided to come to the computer and wish all of my family and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving. There are so many things to be grateful for, but I will just name a few.
-My personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It still amazes me that the God of the universe chooses to have fellowship with me.
-My incredible husband. Doyle means more to me every day. I realize how blessed I am to have him as my lifelong companion.
-My 4 wonderful children. Julianna, Samuel, Lydia, and Joseph, you mean more to me than you will ever know. People tell us to enjoy these days because they pass all too soon. Well, let me tell you that we are having the time of our lives investing in the lives of our kids.
-My extended family. I really miss you on days like this. Please remember that I love you bunches and a part of my heart is in Indiana today.
-My friends. I don't know how anyone can go through life without close friends. I truly count you as a treasure.
-My church. I really believe that I attend the best church in the world. There are so many exciting things happening at our place of worship. May God bless our entire pastoral team for their investment in the lives of others.
-My kids' school. I feel so blessed to be able to send my kids to the best school. Our principal and teachers are so dedicated to giving our children a balanced, biblical education.
-My husband's job. He loves what he does and because God has blessed his efforts, I am able to stay at home and be a full-time homemaker.
-My health. I have been so blessed to not have any major health issues.
-My difficult times in life. As strange as it may seem, I am thankful for the hard times God has brought me through. They have made me a stronger individual and have brought me closer to God.
-My house. I am so glad that God has provided a nice place for us to live. I am very happy here in my home, within walking distance from the church and school.
Well, I better go check on the turkey. Several of Doyle's family members are coming for dinner, and I think I am getting close to having everything under control.
God is good!! Remember on this Thanksgiving Day not to be grumbly hateful, but humbly grateful.

Falling Leaves and Planting Flowers

This is the time of the year when the leaves have fallen from the trees. They have been raked into piles by industrious people and kids jump into them from high places, giggling with excitement. I know you might think I am talking about the north, but no, this happens at out house. O.K., the leaves had a little help. Actually Doyle was up in the tree clipping away. This is the time that we do "cut-back." Everything in his path got a new look. I moved the van so it would not become a convertible. He trimmed the ficus trees, bougainvillea bushes, hibiscus, and anything else that grows outside. We always look forward to this time because we get to plant our flowers. During the summer months, it is too hot for most flowers to stay alive. We had a big bucket of miracle grow mixture and I told the kids to not let our dog drink any. They told me they thought she took a few laps. I was afraid she would turn into Clifford--we definitely do not want that to happen. I got a little carried away and bought lots of impatiens. We actually planted 254. I chose red and white ones (they look nice for Christmas and Valentine's Day) for the porch in hanging baskets and in the yard we planted all colors. We were exhausted when we were all done. The whole family worked on the project and had fun doing so. Now we get to watch them start to spread out and become beautiful--they will stay nice until May. I know we don't have snow down here, and I am glad I get to experience the north weather for Christmas. I will have to admit that I look forward to coming back and seeing my flowers in bloom.

Book Character Day at School

Today was Book Character day at school; the kids were to dress like a character from a book. Julianna is "Anne of Green Gables." Samuel is "Sherlock Holmes," and Lydia is "Little Red Riding Hood." I told the kids this morning while they were eating breakfast that I thought they were somewhat like the character they were portraying. Julianna is daring, smart, and likes to read like Anne. Samuel enjoys looking for clues and solving mysteries. I also thought Lydia might be the friendly girl that would talk to the wolf. As for Joseph, I am not sure he is a character out of a book, but he definitely is a character. I love this picture of the dragon taking a spin on his scooter.

2nd Room hit by Fall Fever

I posted pictures of my bathroom awhile back. I'm sure some of you thought that I had stopped cleaning. The next room to be hit by my fall fever was our bedroom. It has taken me some time to finish this room--I got bogged down in my closet. It seems like some of my clothes had shrunk from hanging in there too long. Since the band yard sale was looming, I figured this was a good time to get rid of some unneeded items. I went through my shoes and purses--we will not discuss how many I had. Joseph sat there in amazement watching me go through my purses and just had to comment. He asked, "Where did you get all of those?" I told him that I got them from different places, and then I asked him if he thought I should get rid of some of them. He said "No, you need all of them!" You have to love a kid like that.
As you can see in the pictures, I love antique things. My bed is an iron bed and I like to decorate using things that evoke memories--that is why I use my Grandma's hankies in various places. I think they look nice tucked into a teacup or used as a doily. I also found a use for those lace collars we used to wear. I started to to get rid of them and decided to drape them over a picture or put them around baskets.

I will explain the big picture. This is a portrait by Sandra Kuck; I really like her paintings. This picture took on a new meaning after we lost Miriam last year. It reminded me of her being welcomed into heaven. Doyle checked on it. After I saw the price, I knew I couldn't get it. He surprised me at Christmas with a signed, matted copy. Needless to say, I cried. I have my other children's photos around it.

I feel good about getting this room done. If I keep going at the rate I am now, I will not be finished until Easter. I must remind myself that any progress IS progress, even if it is slow. I need to keep moving and hit the next room--my boys' bedroom. Time to go through their clothes and reorganize.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

I want to wish my mother a very happy birthday! I know that I am blessed to be her daughter. Mom is a devout Christian that loves life to the fullest. She celebrates her 65th birthday this year and constantly surprises me with her enthusiasm about trying new things. She loves adventure, and her excitement is contagious.

Mom showed me that a good marriage is a valuable treasure. She and my dad were so much in love. She always had time to sit on a porch swing, drink a glass of tea, and discuss any problem I might have. I realize now how many values were transferred during these chats. She loves to laugh, and is the life of the party. She enjoys decorating and even changes her kitchen curtains to match the season. She is a good seamstress, sewing more things than I could count--this includes all of the bridesmaid dresses for my sisters and me when we got married. (We three sisters got married within 10 months time.) Because Mom always wanted to oil paint, she took classes and learned how. I have a beautiful picture in my house that reminds me to develop my God-given talents. She is currently taking college classes working on a degree. I have so many good memories of my mom and continue to make them on a daily basis. Although we are miles apart, we talk almost every day on the phone. Mom is also a wonderful mamaw to my children; our kids always look forward to seeing her.

I have watched Mom go through many difficult struggles, including the death of my father. Years after my dad's death, God allowed Mom to love again by bringing another godly man into her life. I have come to believe that she is one strong woman. Mom, I want to say, "I love you, and thank God that He allowed you to be my mother."

Band Benefit Yard Sale

For the last several years Doyle has had a band yard sale to raise funds for a
variety of things. This event has helped buy uniforms, instruments, and new chairs. I need to tell you that this is not a thrown-together sale. When you ask this community to contribute, the response is incredible. Doyle is not content to have just a yard sale--he throws all kinds of activities in on the same day. This year we had our mega sale, car wash, bake sale, hot coffee to sip while you shop, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, and drinks, and to top it off, he added a jumping house for the kids. This takes an unbelievable amount of work to organize and make happen. He has different teams in charge of various activities. Needless to say, we are all worn out when the day is done. The clean up is the hardest part. It would not happen without so many faithful workers. He makes sure the kids are rewarded with a pizza party.

The big concern this year was the possibility of rain. We had already rescheduled once and really needed to get our stuff out of the Tabernacle. It is stored here until the sale. Because it had rained all day Friday, we did some serious praying about Saturday. Would you believe that it did not rain a drop all day? It continued to rain on Sunday.

I believe that God cares about things like yard sales and kids that are trying to raise money for their band. We are all glad it is behind us and we can move on to November's events.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Saturday morning found us rising at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to leave for our zoo trip. We had been wanting to have this adventure for a long time and decided that this was the day to make it happen. We drove to West Palm to catch the Tri-rail train. This train took us to yet another train, which took us to a bus, which took us to the Miami Metro Zoo. We spent a lot of time in transit, but we made great memories. Doyle thought that I should feel privileged to see both the sunrise and sunset by train. I'm not sure "privileged" is the word that came to my mind. When the kids woke up in the morning, they put the clothes on that we had laid out for them. Lydia made us laugh by putting on her hat and sunglasses. I mentioned that she could wait until the sun came up to use the glasses. I have to mention that everything we were going to use for the day had to fit in a backpack. For those that know my packing style, you know that this is a great accomplishment for me. I was quite proud of myself. We had so much fun being together. Although I took about 200 pictures, I will show you only a few of our memories.

Hat Day

This is what my crew looked like when they left for school this morning. Today is Hat Day and we had fun putting together these silly ideas. I'm not sure if the teachers are productive in their teaching efforts on days like these. They probably just sit and laugh at each other. I know the kids enjoy this fun activity.

Julianna had a spaghetti theme. We even put real noodles on the top.


Samuel is a golfer. I sewed a plastic golf ball on the top. Doyle printed the words, "Hole in One" and we made a green for the golf ball.


Lydia is a Deputy. This hat makes me laugh. When I first saw it for a real cheap price, I knew I had to get it for my boys' cowboy theme bedroom. We personalized it for Lydia.


Joseph was not to be outdone. He came up with his own idea for hat day. We cracked up when he came into the room dressed like this. I am not sure what he is supposed to be--maybe a clown that had been swimming and decided to go to bed. He said that he was a cool dude.