Well I have figured out I am not that great of a blogger lately. I just can't get inspired to blog a lot lately. I am too busy reading everybody else's blogs, ha! Fall is my favorite time of year. It's been a busy one so far and here's a glimpse of what's been going on with us in the month of September.
This week it has been 10 years since I told my mom goodbye. October 3, 1999, Hortencia Clifton left this earth, and I am sure was welcomed into heaven. She received a new body and all sickness and pain was gone forevermore. Wonderful for her, but since she left there is a part of my heart that is missing. The wave of grief ebbs and flows, and today is one of those days when it is painful.
She was my hero, even though it wasn't until after I became an adult that I realized this. She did not receive much education, but she was very savvy about the things that really mattered. She never had much in the way of belongings, but what she had she worked hard for. She didn't have much family; her own mother died when she was only a child, but she knew how to make others feel special.
She sacrificed so much for me to have a better life. She worked very hard so that I could have much more than she ever had. It was very important to her that I have a good education, and I only wish she would have been here to see me graduate from college (even if it was a long time coming).
She set an example for me of what it is to be a giver. Even though she didn't have much, she was always giving to others. It usually wasn't much--a trinket, clothes, a homemade gift, or food--but she did it with love. She taught me about the love of God.
We didn't always see eye to eye, and I didn't always appreciate everything she did. But I loved her and respected her, and I hope that I am passing her legacy on to my children and grandchildren. I miss her so much and look forward to the day when I will see her again.
Oh my where has the time gone, it's almost been two months since my last post. The month of August was very busy and is almost a blur now...
Freddie & I attended my 30th high school class reunion last month. Wow where has the time flown? It only seems like a few years ago that we walked across that stage and received our high school diplomas. Our futures lay before us and we had dreams and plans for what we were going to accomplish. As for me, my life turned out somewhat different than what I had planned, but God has certainly blessed me along the way. It was great to see some of my classmates that I had not seen since we graduated!
I also celebrated my birthday, yes I still celebrate it. Everyday that I am alive is a gift. I have learned that life is but a brief span of time and we can either make the most of it or just watch it pass us by. Not sure whose quote this is but I really think it is true:
The purpose of life is to have a life of purpose.
Anyway when I opened my gift from my hubby, I thought I was in chocolate heaven.
I received a beautiful frame from Gabe & his family and some great shoes from Danita & her family.
And I also got myself a new purse at a little online botique called LuKels Botique. I have received many compliments on it.
Thanks to everybody for making my birthday very special!
Happy Father's Day to my dear husband. He is a good husband, dad, and grandfather. He has always been a good provider for our family and put his family's needs and wants before his own. He loves to tease his kids and grandkids and has a unique sense of humor! He is such a big kid at heart and we love him so much!!
We celebrated Saturday by going to Mineral Wells to meet Gabe & his family for dinner. Danita and her kids went with us--Joshua was on call and couldn't go. We ate at Pulido's, and it was great Mexican food. And then we stopped at the old Baker Hotel to explore, since Gabe & Ryan had done a little research on it just last week. It is such a great building even though it is dilapadated--if only the walls could talk! All in all, it was a delightful evening and just another reminder about how blessed we are.
Happy Father's Day to my son and my son-in-law too. They are both great dads who do an awesome job of taking care of their families. And they have given us the best gifts of all--four beautiful grandchildren. We love you Gabe & Joshua!!
The hubby and I had a good weekend celebrating our 28th anniversary. Seems like we have been married forever, but we look forward to many more blessed years together.
Friday we both took off early from work and headed to the Metroplex. We went to my highly anticipated concert at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie.
Surprisingly, the opening act was none other than:
Josh Turner. That man has the most beautiful voice, and he sang one of our favorites, "Me and God." He really is a wonderful performer and put on a good act.
Then came THE man of the night:
His performance was everything I hoped for, and it made for an unforgettable night!! The only bad thing is that my camera would not take a good picture from where we were sitting. I am definitely going to have to invest in a better camera soon!
Then Saturday, we did a little shopping and headed to Graham for Brie's dance recital. It's amazing what a difference a year can make. Last year, she was so bashful and would not dance. This year she danced and seemed to know all of the routine. She performed amazingly and made us so proud!
It was a blessed day for me. Knowing that my kids and grandkids are healthy and happy made for a wonderful Mother's Day.
At Cowboy church, I received a couple of adorable cards from Brie and Brodie. Then I received a phone call from my step-son, Josh Lewis. It was so good to hear from him. And then Gabe called, and the cutest thing was when Dane got on the phone and said, "Happy Hunny's Day!" My own special day, how much better than that can it get?
Brie loves going to her little preschool. She often calls me to tell me about what letter they have studied or a special activity they did. Last week she called me and told me that the ambulance came to their school. She said they took their blood pressure, and hers was 99 cents.
We had a birthday celebration for our grandson, Brodie Clifton Hagle who turned 2 this weekend. He is such a sweet, loving, comical little guy who gets his middle name from his great grandpa, Dane Clifton. He has big blue eyes that say much more than his words do sometimes.
He loves his boots and jeans. (Lately he has taken to wearing some red rubber boots.) He loves wearing sunglasses. He likes to play with cars and tractors and enjoys playing his guitar. He loves music and either bobs his head or starts dancing. He likes to chew gum and eat candy. He is acquiring his bad habits at a young age, ‘cause his favorite drink is coke! 
He’s a daddy’s boy, but when daddy is not around, he loves his mommy. He adores his big sister and wants to do everything she does. He loves his cousins, Dane and Hunter and thinks his Poppa is kinda cool too. Lately he wants to ride in Hunny’s car nearly every time I see him. He is becoming an independent and headstrong little guy, and it has been so much fun to watch him evolve from a baby into a toddler. 
Happy 2nd Birthday Brodie! I love you to the moon & back!!
I found instructions for making an Easter wreath out of plastic eggs here. I decided it looked like something that even I could do and other than the bow it was a simple project. I absolutely love the colors and the way it looks hanging on the door!
Happy Easter Y'all! ;)
I inherited a big bunch of buttons from my parents when we cleaned out their house. They are usually stored in a big mason jar and a tin container. Every now and then, Brie, Poppa, and I will get them out and play with them. There are all kinds of buttons in the collection, and we enjoy sorting them and finding unique ones that capture our attention.
I wanted to do something special with some of them but have been waiting on some inspiration on a neat way to display some of these special buttons. I finally came up with an idea when I saw a cross with buttons on it. I had one wooden cross that Freddie made for me several years ago, and he made another cross for Brie. We painted them black and began transforming the crosses into this really cool creations.
We both arranged our buttons on there just so, and I hot glued them to our wooden crosses. I have to admit the end result was just what I was hoping for. Now we just need to find a good place to display them. 
(The one on top is mine, and the one on the bottom is Brie's)
I even picked up some gems at Michaels and hot glued them to another cross that Freddie made me. This one involved no special placement and was finished in less than half an hour.
Okay this girl is doing a happy dance!!! I am so very excited!!! Even though our anniversary is not until May, we have already purchased our anniversary gift. I can hardly wait, the countdown has begun until May 15th.
On that evening, we will be seeing this man in concert.
I am over the moon excited... Thanks poppa, I love you!! ;)
Last Friday, Gabe & Ryan were moving so we picked up their boys for the weekend. Brie rode with us because she loves spending time with Dane & Hunter, and it seems to help when they see a friendly face their own size.
Hunter's feeding tube was removed, but the hole left behind was leaking. So we had to deal with bandages and yukky sticky tape that wouldn't let go of the poor boy's skin. He wasn't feeling well because of his little tummy and on top of that had a bad cold with a cough. So he would not eat or drink or play all weekend and slept nearly all day Saturday. I literally had to wake him up every 1-2 hours on Saturday night to get him to drink just a little, because I was afraid he was going to dehydrate.
Dane, Brie & I had fun playing and reading books. We learned to draw spiders and played with beads. Dane would jump on me and just hug my neck. They were so good all weekend even though it was too cold to go outside. 
Sunday when we took the boys back to Dublin, Gabe & Ryan were exhausted and had difficulties with their new home. There was no hot water for a shower, one side of the house had no electricity, and no heat in the house. We helped them move a few things and picked up an entertainment center for Danita & Josh. Poor Dane was confused and did not want to leave his old home! He especially got upset when they loaded up the four wheeler that we gave him for his birthday when he turned 2.
Anyway after we left, Gabe called and said they were taking Hunter to Cooks because he was getting worse. They thought he might have pneumonia, but wound up being more of a viral infection. They started an iv and put him on oxygen. Danita & I drove up Monday to check on him, and he still wasn't feeling better. By Wednesday, he was feeling much better and got to go home on Thursday--thank you Lord!!!
Within the last couple of weeks, both of my youngest grandsons have said words that are music to my ears.
First of all, Hunter has begun saying his first word. That in itself is a blessing, because he only has one vocal cord that functions. Because of this, he has always been a quiet baby. The doctors were not really sure what his voice would sound like or how loud it would be. Gabe called me recently and told me his first word was not momma or dada, but "bub-bba". He loves his big brother, Dane and when I got to hear this for myself it was DIVINE!!!
Then my other grandson, Brodie, has been calling me momma, daddy, and even poppa. He just couldn't or wouldn't say Hunny. Until he was in the hospital recently for the croup. He began saying "Huh---eeeeey"! He leaves out the n's, but I love it!!!
And that is music to my ears and melts my heart!!! Small blessings that make life GREAT!!
We went to visit the Dublin grandsons (and their parents too) a couple of weekends ago. We hadn't seen them since before Christmas due to the holidays and my recovery from gall bladder surgery. We were so excited to see Dane & Hunt since we usually see them at least once a month.
Ryan and Gabe had shared the great news that Hunter was gaining strength and had started crawling. We just could hardly stand the wait of getting to see our little guy sitting up & moving around on his own. It was another answer to prayer --thank you God! It was completely AMAZING!! We had a great visit and look forward to seeing them again this weekend when they come home!! Love spoiling those grandbabies!!!
Poppa & Hunter
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