RDH Update

Written : December, 2012
Six of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

Well, I did it.  This past week I worked my first three days as a Dental Hygienist in AR.  I had many emotions going into this job.  During Sunday morning Bible Study I gave a praise report concerning getting the job.  Then, you might can guess my next prayer request?  Yep, "Help Lord with the computer portion of the job.   As I have already stated in the previous Blogs, I really am not too nervous concerning the DH part, but somewhat nervous about the Xrays & the computer.

God gave me many blessings this past week.  You might now care about all this DH detail stuff, but God knows that it is important to me.  By listing all these blessings, just keeps reminding me of God's faithfulness & it encourages my faith.
1) Before I went to work I noticed that I didn't cram with any studing.  Normally, with all my other jobs I would study & cram.  I found myself letting all that go.
2) I loved working with Laci, the other Hygienist, who didn't judge me or look down on me.  She was so helpful & I learned a lot from her.  She kept telling me that I can do this, slow down, & that I'm thinking too much.  She was awesome.
3) The computer software was pretty easy to work with due to my last job that I had in Franklin, NC over a year ago.
4) I struggled with making appointments that were due in 6 mon, but on the second day I finally sat down with Laci & wrote out some cheat notes.  After that I didn't have any problems.
5) Xrays: After a couple of times, they became ordinary.  Before I was trying to talk patients out of them.  Now, it is no big deal.
6) Jamie the receptionist was so very helpful.
7) I stayed on schedule & many times there were cancellations that helped my time schedule.
8) I couldn't believe it, but Dr. Lane paid me extra money than he told me.  Either he forgot or a bonus due to Christmas, or he changed his mind.  Whatever, I'm grateful.

I am actually looking forward to going back.  Also, there might be other days that I can work than the suggested 10 days that were suggested.

I just thank the Lord for the answer prayer & blessings for & during this first job.

Thank you Lord.  You were faithful again.

ann :)

PS-Jan 13, 2013-Asked our Bible Study to pray for 2 extra days of work.  Yesterday 1.21.13 I was asked to work for Wed. 1.23.13 due to the other RDH sub was sick.  I hated that she is sick, but I'm grateful for the extra day.  Thank you Lord. 

10.3.2016

Well, After reading all of the blogs of faith on my RDH Journey, I wanted to give a quick update.  I can't remember too long during the next year, I gave up my RDH shengle.  The jobs were not coming along, I had lost so much confidence in my knowledge ability, I wasn't enjoying it-a huge stressor,  the cost for keeping up with the expenses of three States, & 47 hr of credit every other year-- was too much on us.  I felt my real ministry was helping with the family-enjoying a lot of baby sitting at the time, plus going back & forth to check on the Mothers.

At the present time, I am still enjoying keeping & helping with the grands, but the Lord has directed me to being a Core Leader with a ministry called CommunityBible Study (CBS), which is a huge commitment.  I'm so grateful for this opportunity.

ann :)

I Can't Believe It!

Written :  12,13, 2012

Fifth of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

Anytime I see God answer prayer & see His faithfulness, it certainly blows me away.  I can hardly contain myself.  It never gets old & this situation is no exception.  I love time lines, so please be patient with me as you read this blog.

I have not felt lead to search for an RDH job this year.  I don't know if I'm putting it off due to fear or I just don't want to work.  The real truth is probably yes to both of these statements.  But, I really haven't felt lead to hunt for a job.  In fact, I thought I found the perfect job at Dr. Eiler's office which should have begun this December, but that is not looking promising at the moment.  I really was dreading job hunting due to there are so many Dentist in the Little Rock area, & I don't know where to begin or who to trust.  I did want to get into a good office that produces awesome dentistry no matter where I work.

December 6, (Thur)-I love Chat.  This is the women's ministry at Summit Church.  We meet 3-4 times during the school year for a couple of hours.  Every Chat is different, & again I love helping & being apart of it.  This Chat I got there early to help, but there was nothing for me to do.  Marty Heard was standing around.  To my surprise, she was a major part of the program.  I just thought she was there early, like me.  I met her when I attended our new church homes Women's Spring Bible Study this year.  She is a wife of a Dentist in North Little Rock.  She has been so supportive & very sympathetic as I went through the AR DH Board process.
     We usually have about 90 women to attend Chat.  So, for me to have run into Marty & had time to chat, would have been a little difficult.  Amazing how God orchestrated this interaction.
     Anyway, we were catching-up & she wanted to know where I stood with RDH.  I told her my thoughts & feelings.  (1) Marty said that they might can use me in Feb 2013 & to bring by a resume; (2) & that they (she & her husband-he meets with other Dentist in a Bible Study) would pass the word about me to help steer me in the right direction.

December 9, (Sun)-During a different Bible Study that my husband & I attends that met after the worship service, I asked for prayer concerning a RDH job.  I had already told LaRue & Dianna about my situation during our tea, & had ask them to pray for me concerning this.

December 10, (Mon)-I got dressed up, traveled about 30 min for a 5 sec meeting & left the resume at Dr. Heard's office.  Then, I got lost & it took me about 45 min to get home.  Getting lost, NEVER makes me happy, if you know what I mean.  Plus, Marty wasn't even in the office that day.  Oh well.

December 12, (Thur)-While I was keeping Haven (our 2nd grand baby), I got a phone call from Dr Heard's office to ask if they could fax my resume to Dr. Lane's office.  I was spell bound.  He also asked if he could meet me today.  I got cleaned up & was at the office for over 2 hrs.  The office & staff were great!  Here I go again, being overwhelmed with the computer responsibilities.  I was experiencing many mixed emotions: excitement, overwhelmed, & fearful.  This was obviously to me & to Dr. Lane that this was a GOD THING.  

After it was all over I had to naturally call Dave first, then Dianna, La Rue, & of course Marty who already knew.  Later the kids & Mother.  You see, this goes back to when I CAN'T HARDLY CONTAIN MYSELF, I HAVE TO TELL EVERYONE.

Lately, I have felt in my spirit the Lord taking me back to the verses to claim & declare though-out preparing for the Boards.  I believe that God wants me to keep declaring these verses, not only with my RDH skills, but also with these computer skills that I now need to learn as I work.

Ex 31:1-5
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

Prayer-Father, I just thank you for this awesome opportunity of seeing how you care for me (us), seeing You work, seeing Your faithfulness in this area of my life.  Again, You are so faithful.  Thank you for the 10 day of work & maybe more with this office.  I also want to thank you for other sub-jobs that You will bring my way.  Thank you that this job should pay us back about 2/3's of what we owe ourselves in RDH.  In Jesus Name, Amen

      ann :) 

Update Concerning AR RDH Board

Written :  12,13, 2012

Fourth of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

I can't believe I am writing so late.  The Board was Saturday, Apr. 28, 28th, 2012. Well, here is the rest of the AR DH saga! 

The Board was given within a 3 day period.  Each day there were two different sessions that you could have been assigned to.  I was assigned the last day, & the last session to take the Board.  Nothing like giving your nerves the opportunity to have their full benifit to perform!

The day of the Board finally came.  Yes, I was nervous.  I showed up for orientation at 6:30 am.  Then I had to wait until 12:45 pm to take the exam.  Since I really could not go home between orientation and my Board, I walked, & walked to help pass the time.  I even walked to the zoo & bought our zoo passes for the year, & walked some more.  I then sat down & ended up talking with a Mom who was waiting on her daughter who was taking the exam.  My stomach was still churning.

Well, it was finally time.  My patient showed up.  Praise the Lord!  I had even bought him a Nook for him to play with during the 3 hr exam.  You do what you have to do to get your patient there.  I also had to pay him at least $100 for me to clean 1/2 of his mouth.  He was a good sport I have to say.

By the time I walked into the clinic I saw my dear instructor, Ms. Pace.  I couldn't believe it but, she had my entire opertory prepared, which saved a lot of time.  I took my time doing my perio probing & calculus detection.  I knew I would take a hit with not meeting the Board's criteria & also calculus detection portion.  Now, this was my fourth state exam that I had taken.  It never gets any easier, but I couldn't believe what was happening within myself during this exam.  I was actually enjoying working on my patient's mouth.  I couldn't believe it.  I enjoyed it & had PEACE & JOY :) just like I prayed for.  

Again, God was faithful!!!

I did pass the Board with the exact grade I thought I would make!  God, You are so good.

Now, I beginning a new journey in finding part-time jobs.  I do enjoy the Dental Hygiene work, but going into a new office everytime to sub, is becoming very difficult for me, especially mentally & emotionally.  Every office has a different computer system.  This always freaks me out to some degree.  Why can't I just clean the patient's teeth :-/

AGAIN, as I begin this new job on Monday, 12.17.2012, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness; plus He took me back to the two sisters, Mary & Martha, that I wrote about in my last entry, Where is My Focus?  God is good!

            ann :)

Marinade vs Faith? Part Two

Written : March, 2012
Second of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

continuation...
I had the opportunity to take a wonderful 2 1/2 weeks trip in March of this year (2012), to go back to Highlands, NC then to Valdosta, GA & on to Atlanta.  I hadn't been back to Highlands since we moved the end of Sept. 2011.  It was great spending time with my Mom but, it was also a bitter sweet time because it was my first time back at home since my Dad past away this past Jan (2012).  The Dental Conference in Atlanta is always fun.  I learn a lot of information, got many CE credits, & I had so much fun being with Dr. Dyer's office.  Along the way I got to visit with many wonderful friends, & went to a wonderful Women's Retreat.

While in Valdosta I got to visit with one of my dearest friends named Gaye.  We went out to lunch, driving in style with her new Jaguar.  Boy, did I give her a grief about that.  After talking about the families & all our girlie stuff, I began to talk about the woes of taking the Dental Hygiene Boards, again.  The bottom line of that conversation, was the Lord was with me through the NC boards, He will be with me through the AR boards.

Then, I began telling her after the joy of passing this AR DH board, I now get to pay over a $1000 to take a course for a week about Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia.  In other words, I've got to learn how to give shots!!!  Not only do I have to learn how to give a shot, I get to be a guinea pig for someone else for five days for someone else to practice on.  :( :( :(  

Now, the Dentist & Hygienist AR love doing this.  I am the person who HATES shots with a purple passion.  I have hated them since I was a very small child.  I can't even watch someone else on TV with a knife or an animal attacking another animal on the Discovery Channel.  I can dig in your mouth & get all that gunk out, but forget a shot.

As I was telling Gaye all this, we started dieing laughing.  The more expressive I got, the more we laughed.  About the end of this conversation, it was time for us to depart.  Right before I got out of her car to get into mine Gaye then came up with this great illustration.  "Ann, just think of those mouths as being a chicken!  As you are giving those shots, you are marinating a chicken.  Just imagine that medicine spreading out like marinade all through the mouth."  By this time we were roaring with laughter.  Laughing tears were flowing down my cheeks--one of those belly laughs.  In fact, I am laughing all over again while writing this story.  

Well, I must admit, that if I ever take the course I might kill over laughing with the shot in my hand & never make it to the patients mouth.  At this point in my journey in preparing to take the AR Dental Hygiene Boards, I don't have a patient & my board is Apr 28th.  That seems like a long time away, but really I have about 1 1/2 weeks to find a patient or maybe I need to withdraw from the exam & give up practicing DH.  If I don't get my license, then I don't have to take the course.  Hey!! :)

Some anchor concepts of faith that I have really hung onto are: 
-that God is good no matter what;  
-He loves me & He wants the best for me & my family; 
-& He is faithful no matter what!  
-He hasn't failed me, 
-& I haven't failed myself through this process.  
-If I take the board or not, if I pass or not; He is still a good Father.
  
Again, these concepts keep me grounded in my life.  Other faith steps through this journey have been clinging to the verses that God has given me; not giving up; studying for the course before I pass the boards (I have to pass the boards to take the course).

Well back to the marinade.  Shots or no shots, God wants to marinade me in His Word & in His goodness everyday.  Don't you love that?!  Also, don't you love dear friends that help you keep life in perspective?!  I do.

                                 ann :)

Marinade vs Faith? Part One

Written : March, 2012
First of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

Almost two and a half years ago I completed an up & down journey that involved renewing my GA RDH license & earning my NC RDH license.  This was one of the most stressful journeys that I have ever lived through in a very, Very, VERY long time.

This season of my life began when Dave mentioned to me one random day, that if something happened to him, it might be a good idea for me to renew my GA RDH license.  We lived in Highlands, NC at the time; a tiny mountain town which was only about 30 minutes from the GA State line.  This idea led to me having carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand in Dec of 2008.  Then in Jan. 2009, after filling out all the paper work for the GA Board, I was now part of the waiting game.  To make a long story short, I received my license in December of 2009.

In the meantime while waiting on my GA license, I really felt lead within my spirit to go after my NC license since I lived in NC.  Makes sense, huh!  This is where the stress of my journey really began.  I had to find a patient who would consent for me to take him to the Board exam & clean a portion of his mouth.  This was not an easy feat since I was not in a school setting anymore.  It seems that this wouldn't be all that hard.  Who wouldn't want a free cleaning, Xrays, all expenses paid trip to Greenville, NC, & money on the side.   It doesn't work that way.  The Dental Board has a very specific criteria for you to follow.  God provided for my every need in many miraculous ways along this journey especially a patient, & I passed the Board in Oct, 2009 with "flying colors."  One of the greatest lessons I learned through this process was overcoming my battle with fear.  Another thing I learned was I NEVER WANTED TO GO THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.

If you have been reading my Life's A Season blog; beginning 9-6-11; you would have learned that we have just been through a major move from Highlands, NC to Maumelle, AR the end of Sept 2011.  Guess what that means?  Yep!!  If I am to practice Dental Hygiene, I am going to have to take the Clinical EXAM all over again! :(  Yes, I have to find the perfect patient to meet the AR Boards' criteria to take to the exam.  At least this time I can take the exam here in town, & I have the Dental Hygiene School to help me in many ways.  So here I go again putting fliers all over town, in hospitals, & visiting churches, plus putting it out there on Face Book to find that perfect patient.

God has given me the neatest verses to carry me along this journey-Ex 31:1-5
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

Well this fits me to the TEE.  I am like Bezalel.  He was the only a blue collar worker that God put His Spirit into.  He was not a leader or a prophet.  I am God's child & I have His Spirit in me. 

I have prayed that God would fill me not only with His Spirit, but also in wisdom,  understanding, knowledge, & in all manner of workmanship to do the work I need to do in Dental Hygiene.  Bezalel, had to do his job perfectly the first time.  I need to do that (sort of) with the Boards.  He also worked well under authority.  I need this also in working with my instructors.

I hate long blogs, so I will continue the story later....

                                        ann :)

Where Is My Focus?

Written :  4, 23, 2012
Third of Six Blogs on God's Faithfulness concerning my AR RDH Boards 

As I have been thinking back, I can't believe that about the last 1 1/2 yrs; (beginning June 2011 until the present); it has been very busy to say the least.  Here is a little of what we have been through part of this year alone: preparing for a move, buying a house, moving (& all the emotion that goes with it), setting up into a new home, enjoying all our children (who live close by), holidays, death of my Daddy, making several long trips & preparing for my AR Dental Hygiene Board.  With all this said, it reminds me of two sisters in the Bible that I can identify with: Mary & Martha.

Martha is the busy one, looking to the needs of everyone.  We always find Mary at Jesus' feet drawing from Him.  Well, I have to admit that with all this going on I feel I have been a mixture of these two women.

Since my Daddy's death in January, these last 3 months I have thrown myself into a full-time commitment & totally focused on preparing for THE BOARD.  Trying to find a patient that meets the perfect criteria to take to the Board Exam can blow your mind.  I am very grateful that in preparing for this exam, I have had the opportunity to have the Dental Hygiene School at UAMS to guide me.  I didn't have this advantage when I took the NC Board 2 1/2 yrs ago.

At the beginning of this Board season of my life, again!; I felt that God gave me Ex. 31:1-5.  (If interested, read my blogs: Marinate or Faith? Part 1 & 2 to get the entire picture!)  Not only have I been claiming these verses, but I have also been bombarding the Throne of Grace with Ps 61:2 & 8; and Zech 4:6-7, especially on my clinic days.

Ps 1:2-From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

       When my heart is overwhelmed (I am overwhelmed by this situation);
       Lead me to the rock (Jesus, who) that is higher than I.
    :8-So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
        That I may daily perform my vows (service).

Zech 4:6-So he answered and said to me:
             “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (me-Ann):
             ‘Not by (your) might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
             Says the Lord of hosts.
           7-‘Who are you, O great mountain (Board Exam)?
              Before Zerubbabel (Ann) you (it) shall become a plain!
              And he shall bring forth the capstone
              With shouts of “Grace, grace to (over) it!”’”

[PS Statement-These verses were taught at my Women's Retreat this Spring.  If you don't go to Women Retreats.....GO...!!!]

Now, I have not had a good day in clinic since this journey has begun.  On top of all this, every patient that I have examined for this exam, have not totally met the criteria.  Even the Dentist in clinic said, "I could write a book of this subject."  

Through God's grace & faithfulness, I am grateful to write that I do have a patient to take to the exam.  God gave him to me at the very last moment.  I already know that he doesn't meet the requirements for the exam, so I know I will take a hit going into the exam.  In other words, points are already taken off before I even begin the exam.  I will have to take the exam & be perfect.

The exam is Saturday (Apr. 28th, 2012).  This past weekend I had time to regroup.  During these last couple of weeks I have really had a chance to be in God's Word.  Interesting enough Mt 6:25-34 has been coming at me from all sides, even on a beautiful mug that some dear friends gave me months ago.  

In this passage, Jesus mentioned 3 times- DO NOT WORRY about...   Well, it finally occurred to me I better take heed.  What really spoke to me was in verse

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  

What is the kingdom of God you ask?  

Romans 14:17
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Reality Check!!!

Where God wants me to put my focus is own His righteousness, peace & joy in the Holy Spirit during any situation.

It is time for peace & joy.  He wants me to go into this exam with peace & joy; not after the Board & no matter if I pass or not. 

One thing I have learned through this preparation is becoming aware of where is where am I getting my significance; my identity.  Knowing Who is my identity & Where my significance comes from gives me peace & joy.

                                   ann :)

Fresh Pair of Eyes

Last year I wrote a blog named Bridge & Sisterhood on 9.21.11.  I was leaving Highlands, NC & was moving to Maumelle, AR at the time.  I wrote about my dear friends that I played bridge with every week.  There were five of us at the time, but now there are four because Charlene pasted away this past November.  I wrote about Charlene 12.9.12.

These ladies are so dear to me.  These friends are the ones that I try to keep in touch with quite frequently, & many times every day on Face Book.  I still call them for prayer, encouragement & advice.

When I left they gave me this beautiful hand cut necklace & earrings.  They wanted me to have something special to remember them by & Highlands, like I could ever forget.  Each stone is hand-cut  made out of picture jasper, spotted jasper, agate & Italian foil glass.  The store where they bought it makes each necklace difference.  So what I'm trying to say is that my necklace was created with care, love & was made unique.

I guess you might see where I'm going with this.  Just like God created each of us in
Ps 139: 13-14.
For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

I want to go back to friendship.  I see each of their friendships as unique.  They each have a fresh ideas & experiences just like each hand-cut stone in the necklace.

I had several situations that have come up this year.  Besides prayer & searching the scriptures, God has given me friends throughout my life to share with.  Each one has a different mind-set that has fresh perspectives from their own life experiences.  They know the Lord & what He wants for each of us.  I appreciate friends who know me, & won't judge me.  Friends that I can identity with & speak honestly with.

Besides these dear friends that I turn to, I also have a dear childhood friend named Kay Wiggins Adham. Our lives have seemed to run parallel since we were born, & even more so since our fathers died three weeks apart at the end of last year & beginning of this year.  Since then we have been in contact pretty frequently.

One day I had a light-bulb moment.  I was traveling home, & I had so much on my mind.  It dawned on me, instead of just calling my friends, telling them all about my situation, talking it out with them, & asking for prayer; 

what about a fresh pair of eyes to help me truly change my heart. 

Yes, I told Kay all about the situation; yes, we talked it all out; & yes, I asked for prayer; but this time I truly wanted God to change my feelings, to change my heart.  I just didn't want my feelings validated that time.  I wanted to see my wrong, if I was wrong.  From that point on I could tell I was different.  I wanted to be different at the beginning of the conversation.  In fact, the purpose of the conversation was I desired God to change me & to use my friendships as a fresh pair of eyes, heart, & mind to help me see what God wanted me to see in my situation.

I'm grateful.

ann :)

       

Some of My Favorite Words

Most everyone knows the song sung by Julie Andrews in the movie "Sound of Music"- "My Favorite Things."  Well, I'm not Julie Andrews & you won't see me singing this song on YouTube & I'm not Oprah giving away her favorite things, but I did come across some of my favorite words that I would love to share with you.
                                            ABOUT
     
                                                        ALMOST

                                                                       MIGHT 

                                                                                  APPROXIMATE 

                                                                                                                MAYBE

Why you might ask?
                 It is very simple; these words are not final.  You don't have to be concerned about saying it perfectly.  These words give me allowances  & I don't have to be definite.  I love that.  Some people have to be very detailed in what they say.  This way, I guess I can get off the hook a little bit.  I call it GRACE.

For instance: ABOUT, instead of I am, are.

                     ALMOST, instead of I will, it is.

                     MIGHT, instead of again, I will or am or for sure.

                     APPROXIMATE, instead of exact, or correct.

                     MAYBE, instead of for sure.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love having a plan & definitely knowing the facts or details.  In fact, I usually can't function without an organized plan & schedule.  But, when I speak, that is a different matter.  Sometimes, not every time;  Oh, Oh, another general word; here I go again-general; I'm on a roll.  When I don't speak precisely it can get me in trouble at times.  I like having the freedom to use general terms.  Again, I call it GRACE.

Well, this might not make sense to you, but it makes some sense to me.

I'm grateful that God uses GRACE with me.  

Even though He calls me to be like Christ & to be holy 

because He is holy; He covers me with His GRACE.  

Thank you Lord.

ann :)

Dear Haven

Dear Haven Joy,

I can't believe that you are already 5 1/2 months old.  Time has certainly flown quickly since you have been born.  What can I say?  You are too precious for words.


I won't ever forget the day we met.  When I saw you for the first time you were asleep on Mama's chest.  You loved that skin to skin touch.
As I got that first glimpse of you I thought you looked a little like me when I was a baby.  You had dark curly hair & big cheeks.  Looking like me did past by pretty quickly.  You definitely look like your Daddy & lately you have started to look like Lauren; but mostly you look like Haven.

We were all pretty shocked to see your dark hair & so much of it.  We all thought if you had hair it would be very blonde.  It was very curly your first day, but no curls since then.  I think we should put moose on your hair to bring those curls back.  :)  Also, you had so much hair that it stuck up on one side toward the back.  Around Thanksgiving your hair all of a sudden laid down & it is so long that it goes down your back.

You definitely didn't like your first bath.  I think I can still hear you crying, very loudly I might add, as I watched on.  Poor Lauren was very concerned about you.  It took a lot of convincing that you were just fine & not hurting.  You were ready to get warm & meet your family.

Something else your parents noticed about your little personality within the first few hours of your life was that you were & are still sensitive.  You didn't like big movements.  You had & still have the most pitiful bottom lip that I have ever seen when you get your feelings hurt.

The first time I held you was pretty soon after you were born.  I first took a ton of pictures of you, Mama & Daddy, then Mama gave you to me.  I was charmed.  You didn't want to open your eyes because the lights were so bright in the room.  About that time the nurses needed to take care of Mama for a minute, so you & I went behind the curtain where it was dark.  We then had some one on one time.  You opened your beautiful blue eyes & smiled.  I don't think I have ever seen a baby smile the way you did on your first day of life.  First, I introduced myself to you.  I said that I was your Nanna & that I loved you.  I also said that God loves you, & then I went down the list of everyone else who loved you.   You were & are so precious.

I love the name Haven Joy.  

It seems that Mama & Daddy have named you correctly.  

You really are an easy baby.  You smile as soon as someone speaks 

softly too you.  You seem to be a baby of rest & full of joy.  

You definitely have brought so much joy to me & everyone else.  

Your birth verse is: 

Gen 7:16-So those that entered, male & female of all flesh 

went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.   

I don't know exactly how this might apply to you, 

but right now I see God was Noah's shelter, a Safe Haven, 

in the midst of the storm.  I pray that God will be your 

Safe Haven, & a Shelter all of your life.

Another special moment the day you were born was witnessing Lauren holding you for the first time.  That was too precious for words.  She took her "Big Sister" job very seriously.  You were great as you just rested in Lauren's arms.  Lauren held you for at least 30 minutes without moving a muscle, including her head.  Only her eyes would go back & forth.  The pink monkey is what you gave Lauren the first time Lauren met you.

I love to tickle you.  I can put one finger under your arm & you will tilt your body in that direction & just giggle out loud.  You sound just like Lauren when you laugh.  Also, I have to get some sugar kisses every time I hold you from those sweet cheeks of yours.

This past few days we have been celebrating Christmas.  All of a sudden you started doing some special tricks: you love standing up, if we hold you of course; rolling over consistently; almost sitting up by yourself; enjoying this bouncy jumper thing; wanting a sippie cup; & loved the Christmas wrapping paper-everything goes in the mouth.

I have enjoyed keeping you many Wednesday mornings lately while Mama has some appointments.  It has been a great time for you & me.  I didn't think we have had too much special time until then.  It has been a great time for us to get to know one another better.  Also, on Thur. nights Grandpa & I baby-sit while Mama & Daddy work.  Here, we have learned you are definitely a Mama's girl.  When it comes to night time, all you want is her.  You change from your sweet, smiling self to a huge crying melt down.  I usually can console you, but that last Thurs. we kept y'all, no one could make you happy but Mama.  When she walked in the door & could see the look on our faces, she knew that it had been a hard last hour.  She quietly calmed you down in your bedroom & all of a sudden it sounded like you began tattle tailing on us for trying to put you down to sleep.  Mama then brought you out & you just grinned & grinned.  You are a mess & we love you.

Well, I just didn't want to miss this opportunity to tell you how blessed we are that God gave you to us & I'm so proud that you are my Grand Daughter.  I'm looking forward to taking you to the park, zoo, making cookies, & having tea.  It will be fun to see what else we can come up with to do.

I love you.

nanna :)

Charlene

When you look in the dictionary under the word spunky, you would find a picture of this dear friend of mine, Charlene Hendricks.  

Charlene past away November 7, 2012.  It is hard for me to believe that the picture in this collage in the upper right corner was Charlene's 96th birthday which was this past February.  

 The first time I met Charlene & her husband Sam, was when I was walked into Community Bible Church for the first time.  Before I walked into the church, I thought to myself, "the first people I meet are going to end up beng very special to me in this church."  This happened to be a very true statement.

Sam & Charlene were married, I think for 62-66 yr.  They had the same birthday & they both loved bridge.  In fact it was Charlene who asked me to join her bridge group.  I wrote about them in the blog: Bridge & Sisterhood-Sept 21, 11.  Both Sam & Charlene loved their family, Joy the children's dog, their friends, their church, but most of all their LORD.  They were big prayer warriors.  They had the gift of hospitality & loved developing relationships around the kitchen table playing bridge.

Sam was quiet & love poured out of him.  Charlene, definitely loved people, but she definitely had a spunky personality that couldn't help but make you laugh.  We were meeting at Charlene's home one afternoon to play bridge.  We were doing our normal routine of catching-up, eating, laughing & playing some bridge.  Sam had a beautiful gazebo built on their property.  All of a sudden, Charlene was telling us about how this gazebo was built just for her.  Then she started telling us about how Sam put this life size stuffed man sitting out in the gazebo.  She was appauled & felt that since this was her gazebo, Sam should not have put this "man" out there.  That was all she could see looking out her kitchen window.   He was dressed really tacky & Charlene hated it.  I think Sam did it to just get her goat.  We were laughing the belly laugh as she would tell us all about the situation.  I wish I could really write how funny it truly was, but I do remember the joy we all had together discussing it.

Charlene was true to herself & her convictions.  I had the joy of studying the Bible with her many times, but one study in particular we met in my home for a season.  This is where I began to learn of Charlene's heart in a more deep matter.

I began to get to know Charlene & Sam when they were in their late 80's.  Even though Sam would drive them around, most of the time, we would meet in their home.  Their home was unique because the upstairs was totally separate from the downstairs.  Their children lived upstairs & they lived downstairs.  One of my favorite decorations in their home was a beautiful professional hand painted picture of them walking through a garden holding hands.  That was their life.  They had been married for 62 yr.  Sam died right after his 82nd birthday & Charlene pasted away at 86 yr.

Charlene moved to an assisting living facility during her last few years of life.  When you would walk into Charlene's room, her face would just glow.  She was always ready to give you a hug & kiss.
Charlene had more consistent visitors in a week than anyone could count.  People enjoyed her, & she enjoyed them.  You could talk to her about anything & she would really listen to what you needed to say.

One of the greatest lessons I learned from Charlene is how to grow old graciously.  I observed a woman who still needed to work at being married in old age; lost her soul mate of more than 60 yrs; had to move from her home to an assisted living home.  She did this with God's grace, dignity & syle. She accepted her ailments, but still did what she could & choice to choose joy throughout her days.

Highlands will never be the same for me when I visit, because she was the hub of our group.  The other four of us would come to her since she could not get out too much accept for going to church.  It is going to seem so strange not to go & visit her & spend at least one afternoon playing bridge with her.

Charlene was called "Precious" by her grandchildren.  She was a precious lady, & a precious friend.  I'll miss her friendship.

I can see Sam meeting her at heavens door, dancing their way for her to meet Jesus, then on to see other loved ones that have gone before, & then I'm sure a game of bridge is set up right around the corner for them to play.

I hate that I didn't get to tell Charlene good-bye one more time, but I know she knew I loved her & I know that she loved me.  See you soon.

ann :)

Creating Holiday Memories Scrapbook

I'm calling this blog a scrapbook because, I am going to fill this blog with pictures.  When I look back on this time, this is what I want to remember.

.10.26-28.12 fall box; mt magazine

This years traditions really began in October while we were at at Mt Magazine.  What a perfect weekend.  All of us were able to come, including Amy's friend Kim.  It was so much fun just walking into our cabin.  It was beautiful!  Lauren walked in & just glowed.  We hiked, loved the outdoor spa; building fires; roasting marshmallows; carving Ben, Jenny & Lauren's pumpkin; just relaxing, having coffee & hot chocolate.  The weather was perfect!  Lauren's excited over the spa was something else.  Oh yes, opened the fall boxes.  If you don't know what the fall boxes are, please go back & read Oct 13, 11-All This In A Week?: Part 4-Thur. Tradition.
11.1.12-November

Even though I decorate for Fall in Sept with pumpkin & harvest, when November comes around, out comes the turkeys, Pilgrims & Indians.

--We began the November festivities by attending Angela Driskills' party for the staff in Dave's office.

--The following Saturday was extra special.  I took Lauren to go get donut holes, then to see Mrs. Claus at the Holiday House.  Her eyes got so big taking it all in.  Lauren's most favorite thing was riding the escalator, not the milk & cookies, & certainly not taking a picture with Mrs. Clause.

    That afternoon the girls & I went to the Holiday House.  We did great in not buying anything until the end.  All of a sudden we hit the mother load.  It sure did make my Christmas shopping easier.








--Then I was off to Valdosta for the Batts' Thanksgiving.  It could not have been for perfect.  Mother had been working on this since Sept.  I picked up Brittany along the way to ride with me.  That was a nice change instead of me driving by myself.  The only thing that was negative was  I got a speeding ticket.  Anyway, here are some entries that I wrote in Face Book:   

Day 16- I am grateful for the belly laughs playing Phase 10 with Brittany, Corey, Mother, & Melissa until midnight as the turkey was being prepared.
Day 17-What a perfect Batts' Thanksgiving celebration. Mother did an exception job in all the preparations & planning. The meal was totally delicious, devotional time was sweet, & going through mine & John's ornaments was a special time. Added blessing was visiting with the George family. It was joyful to my soul.

--When I got back it was time for our Thanksgiving.  Ben & Jenny with the children went to Picayune. It was quiet here but very festive having Amy & Rio with us for the weekend.
--Thanksgiving was early, so I began taking down all fall & putting up all Christmas.

This past November in Face Book, a childhood friend got me started in writing what I am grateful for everyday.  This was my last entry in November that I wrote:
Day 30-I am grateful for Dec. & what it means in celebrating my Savior's birth-Jesus. Looking forward to sitting back & savoring the moments. Looking forward to special time with the family & building memories. Looking forward to having my Mom for Christmas week. I guess still being new to Little Rock, we won't be having holiday events to put added stress on this month. What I do have are planned events in creating memories with loved one. Have an awesome Christmas season

In Dec. the same childhood friend found Christmas songs each day, which I copied to my timeline.

12.2.12-December: new traditions
Dec.2-During sunday night dinner, we finished our tree.

Dec. 9-Make the Ginger Bread House

Dec. 15-Making cut-out christmas cookies

Dec. 20-27: Mother coming to enjoy christmas & the trimmings; other scenery

Peabody hotel & trolly;

hotsprings with Lavern;

church;

Christmas eve dinner at amy's;

christmas am w/B&J's; lo's red boots

snowed in;

the end

ann :)