the Blackley Home

It's time...

2010-11-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's time for a new post. In fact, a new post is long overdue. Stay tuned!

A Little Christmas Mystery

2010-02-03T22:44:00.010-06:00

Over Christmas this year I brought a little “treat” candy dish and a small fiber-optic tree to work for the corner of my desk and a couple bags of Hershey’s kisses for the candy dish.

It wasn’t long before we had a bit of a mystery. Several mornings I opened my office to find a neat little pile of foil pieces on the floor next to the wall. I was sure someone was messing with me... the little pile was so neat and in such an odd place.

This mystery continued for several weeks. We batted around different theories of who or what could be getting into the chocolate. Daryl was in my office very early one morning and realized that my phone cord had been chewed through! There was indeed a small pile of little foil pieces from the kisses between my desk and the wall where the phone cord was strung so were sure that at the very least, we had a mouse.

Now I was feeling (a little) bad that I had accused certain (suspicious) people of leaving the trash from their kisses behind, and even though the phone cord HAD been chewed through I wasn’t completely convinced the little piles were from a mouse. That seemed to be way too “neat” - besides, we hadn’t found any mouse poop which is ALWAYS a tell-tale

sign.

Daryl set a line of glue traps between my desk and the wall, baited with kisses. One morning he opened my door to find that one of the traps had been drug to the MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR leaving a clump of hair but the mouse had gotten free. He then set out the old-fashioned completely reliable spring traps, again baited with kisses and covered the suspect areas well - 3 traps in a row! We only caught 1 but are pretty sure the one that got away probably died under the floor later on; the odor was unmistakable.

A few weeks ago I was in a cleaning and organizing mood and decided to hook up one of the old printer/scanners that had been on the floor in my office for a couple months. I picked the newer of the 2, installed it, but received an error message saying I needed to clear the ink carriage path. I was blown away by what I found when I opened the cover!

It’s kind of hard to tell in these pictures (taken with my phone), but when I opened the printer it was full of kisses! Some were completely wrapped, some were unwrapped and partially eaten, and there were little bits of foil and the Hershey flags EVERYwhere! It was so funny - they were lined up on the rail behind the ink carriage as if someone very carefully set them there!

Over the next several days we took the printer apart and did our best to dig out chocolate, foil, paper, and even pieces of some cracker-type cookies that I'd had at one time. I would have liked nothing better than to get it working. Although I think we’d gotten out all the junk, some of the sensors were probably damaged and we eventually had to throw in the towel and admit defeat.

Isn't this a crazy amount of stuff??

Together we will mourn...

2009-11-21T08:24:00.005-06:00

I learned this morning that the Lord has another of our saints in His presence.

Known for his gentleness, sense of humor, and his godly wisdom, Paul was a big teddy bear. I am blessed beyond words for knowing him and for the opportunities I've had to serve with him. He was a rock; a voice of reason in difficult and potentially divisive situations. Because of his quiet and unassuming wisdom there was great confidence in the words he chose to share. He was the person we leaned forward to listen to when he finally spoke. In a group who would rather have Bob's Rules, Paul understood Robert's Rules and we smiled to ourselves to hear his confident, calm voice noting "point of order".

Before I knew Paul very well, I was intimidated by him. A tall, large man, his sense of humor was dry, his gaze steady, and person anything but animated. I mentioned this to a good friend of mine and his response was that Paul would be so sad to know this. It didn't take me long to come to know the teddy bear that he was.

There was a Sunday morning when, knowing I was working through a very difficult situation, Paul came to sit with me just before we were ushered up for communion and said he'd like to commune with me. To further show his support and care, he held my hand. I cried. Paul was loved and respected by so very many, including me.

When I woke up this morning Paul was already at the finish line, his body complete and whole, and I know rejoicing and praising the God whom he loves and worships. My brother in Christ... together the rest of us left will mourn deeply.

LOVE-ly things...

2009-06-06T01:45:00.002-05:00

It's very late (early) and I'm obviously still awake. I've spent some time catching up on a few of my favorite blogs and found that I missed the giveaway deadline for posting things I love on Dollie's blog.

Since I do have a rather lengthly list, I thought I'd share with you now and will post a "life update" at another time. Thank you, Dollie, for your inspiration! The idea may not have been an original one, but you took the time to initiate it for me.

I love...

... rocking and cuddling and loving my babies (when they were babies!) and now, thankfully, my grandbabies. I love the sound of their voices and the wonder in their eyes.

... spending time with my now-adult children. I thoroughly enjoy their company.

... puttering around the house - no specific must-do big job or task, but yet accomplishing a lot. I think I must have gotten this from my mom.

... driving... I relish driving on long road trips - great time to think, pray, and sing!

... thunderstorms and blizzards.

... the smells of baking bread, simmering soup, and fresh coffee.

... my husband, truly a gift from God. I love holding hands with him in the middle of the night.

... my lil Mac! I tolerate my pc at work, I love my Mac at home! :)

... the 1st cup of coffee of the day.

... naps on Sunday afternoons.

... spending Saturday mornings enjoying Car Talk with my husband (always proud of the problems he solves before Tom and Ray or coming to the same conclusion).

... working in the flower garden. One would never know by looking at my yard today and writing this helps me realize that this is something I need to make time for, for my own health and sanity (and for those who love me!).

... spending time with my dad. Although not very frequent, I value my time with him.

... my 3 favorite scripture passages: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1; "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

winter storm in spring?

2009-03-28T15:09:00.005-05:00

This is amazingly odd weather. The forecast had been calling for rain, sleet, sleet/snow mix, and snow totaling from 8-12" and was supposed to start after midnight. Well, we are getting much of what they predicted though we chuckle at their timetable. It rained early this morning, by noon from freezing on the trees, and by mid-afternoon we starting getting heavy slush directly from the sky, so fast that the snowplows couldn't keep up with it on the streets.

The snow has kicked in and is coming down in sheets. I stuck my head out the front door to snap some of these pictures and felt like I was being targeted with snowballs! Stan came in a few minutes ago to report that KCI has been temporarily closed.

Meghan made some wonderful original oatmeal cookies this afternoon - so very fitting with the wintery weather. We're going to work on "projects" while Stan's watching the game, then hopefully go out for Mexican for Meghan's birthday, then play The Game of Things tonight.

Welcome Spring!

2009-03-20T21:51:00.004-05:00

Happy first day of spring!

Tomorrow is my sister Stephanie's 44th birthday and Monday is Meghan's 25th birthday. This all seems impossible! Time really does pass as quickly as a blink or a breath and has been boggling my mind lately.

No, these aren't my daffodils, but thanks to Google I can enjoy them. :-)

They're home!

2009-02-15T14:16:00.003-06:00

Edit 2/15/09, 6:20pm: Emily & Memphis got home this afternoon and are getting settled!

Thank you God for your healing hand on this young life. May we never forget the deep love and concern you have for each of us in all circumstances, whether our battles are over a young frail body or the fear that creeps in when we're faced with the unknown. Thank you for answering our prayers and bringing Emily and Memphis home together. Continue to strengthen this little body -- all to your glory. --tb

Memphis has been off oxygen since Friday night and is doing very well - is going home today! Stan and I visited them yesterday and got to spend some time holding and cuddling (yeah!) him.

2009-02-10T16:29:00.001-06:00

update...

2009-02-10T16:02:00.004-06:00

Today is Tuesday and Memphis is now 7 days old now! He's doing very well - is being weaned off his O2 and tomorrow is the last day of his antibiotic. He's eating fairly well - Emily said last night at his 11pm feeding he was very hungry and did very well nursing. She sent some pictures from her phone today and he looks like such a chunk! In person he looks very long and lean, with little itty bitty narrow feet! We went down to look in at him a little bit ago and he was sleeping soundly - only raising his eyebrows occasionally when Emily stroked his head and rubbed his back.

He is such a sweet baby. I know Emily is anxious to get them home and settled; she's doing a great job and has lots of patience for the circumstances. Pray that the next couple of days will bring about the progress Memphis' doctor is expecting to see.

welcome baby Memphis!

2009-02-04T10:03:00.003-06:00

This morning at 5:42 the world welcomed little Memphis Gene Blackley born to Emily and embraced by the whole Blackley family. When weighed and measured the scales spoke of a full 7# 11 oz! This is a beautiful baby (looks like his mamma!) and we're all aching to hold him, especially his mamma! He has some 02 available through a hood but doing very well.

Thank you, God, for the gift of this new life. Thank you for the incredible grace and protection you've granted to both Emily and Memphis. Wrap your protective arms around them both. Provide Emily with the strength and healing she needs to be able to spend time getting to know her young son. You know every cell of this baby, every hair on his head, you formed him, you created him... Father be with Memphis now and strengthen and heal his body...

surprise visit and welcome to little mac!

2009-01-19T20:52:00.005-06:00

Little Mac came to be with us on on Saturday afternoon - a sunny and warm Kansas City afternoon. He weighs just over 5 pounds (according to the website) and is pure joy! The graphics are outstanding which means our photos look incredible... music plays and sounds sooo good... and all-in-all this is easy to use and designed in such a common-sensicle way. A huge thank-you to Meghan & Stephen for all of their help in selecting this macbook and getting things set-up (personalized -- there's very little set up involved!).

This is our Little Mac - straight from the cute little box and not even powered up yet! I'm looking forward ichat-ting with Stephen & Meghan tonight by video. :)

Now we need to encourage those with our grandchildren to head the Mac direction!!

good-bye Christmas 2008...

2009-01-06T18:59:00.005-06:00

This was such an odd, surreal Christmas season... things never did seem to come together and the biggest part of me didn't care enough to make it come together. Although my emotions were genuine, my actions felt very forced and less than enthusiastic.

We finally put up our Christmas tree and decorated 4 days before Christmas (3 before Christmas Eve!) and although it was fun, the gray matter and physical effort that it took hardly seemed worth it. Erika and Stan did a wonderful job of helping and interacting with them was the real enjoyable part. I do very much like the tree, and the lights, and the decorations... it's just so much work for little reward but for that of "tradition".

I feel as though I did a horrible job of finding meaningful gifts for each person and we actually resorted to cash gifts this year. Although it fit very well with our deliberate decision to not purchase "a something" but rather to give each offspring something he/she could use as it best fit into their life, cash to me is very impersonal. I wanted to scream and beg forgiveness as I curled within myself, even while giving it. I was very glad to hear that Jason & Dollie intend to use it to help fund their "dates" which right now is so very important in their life as new parents.

Throughout this Christmas season I was reminded again and again how thankful I am, deep in my heart, that how I feel and what I do does not determine for me what Christmas is and what it means. I found myself breathing a little easier each time I came back to that knowledge, understanding that Christmas is always and only a celebration of what God has done for me... for us... in spite of our failings and our shortcomings.

I found myself incredibly blessed in ways I could not have anticipated nor expected this year- certainly not from being organized at home, caught up at work, able to prepare an abundance of delicious food, or finding the perfect gifts and having them wrapped well in advance (although I strived to do all of that and, as you know, fell pathetically short!).

The blessings I received came in the precious sharing of time and conversation with Jason & Dollie; enjoying Micah and marveling at his growth in just a few short weeks, watching his eyes light up as he saw his mommy or daddy or heard their voices, and certainly with cuddling and holding him.

The blessings came in witnessing the interactions between Erika and Shawn with Micah, and knowing their desire to not just see him on holidays but to be part of his life as he grows. The blessings were in the helpful hands and loving attitudes of Dollie, Jason, and Emily on Christmas Eve day as we worked to prepare food, although we learned that one recipe at a time, we lacked most ingredients that were needed. It was in the assuring realization that I could walk away from the house with Erika to go to church early with the crock pots still turned on and things still needing to be done, and not only would Jason, Dollie, and Emily take care of them, but do so (and did!) willingly and joyfully. I left the house Christmas Eve afternoon with a quarter-sized hole and wide run in my tights, terribly typical of the day... dropped Erika off and headed to the drug store for new tights.

Erika played a beautiful french horn solo of "What Child is This?" during the Christmas Eve service; Emily, Jason, Dollie & Micah were with us, and Stan participated in the reader's drama in the service (I've always loved the sound of his voice!). Erika's grandpa & grandma came to our church for Christmas Eve to hear her play (that's the kind of grandparents we want to be!) which brings tears to my eyes and a large throat-lump even now. The church service was full and rich in every sense imaginable.

Shawn and Hollie had to work but were both home when we got back from church. Jeremy & Jen joined us and we ended up with a very relaxing evening spending time playing games, eating, and enjoying each others company. The blessings came to me, not in what I did to prepare for this holiday, but in what God did for me in giving me a place in this world where I belong and with people that I very much enjoy spending time with.

I desperately missed Meghan & Stephen being home this year. Even with all the people here and the activity, there was a gaping hole. I tried again and again to understand in my mind that its "fair" that they take turns with families on holidays, but it didn't make my heart feel any better. We planned to spend New Year's Eve & Day with them and was so very glad for that-it quickly became something really big to look forward to. Our visit with them was extremely enjoyable. It helped to be able to see where Stephen works, their apartment, and some of their community. Their new apartment is cozy, comfortable, and so perfect for them-Meghan has done a beautiful job of creating a home! I'm glad (and envious) that Erika was able to spend several extra days with Meghan & Stephen over her break.

All of that said, we are now living in year of 2009. I sense these next 12 months will bring some very big changes and quite surprisingly, I'm looking forward to what those will be. We will certainly witness the birth of our 2nd grandchild and look forward to meeting Memphis in just a few short weeks. Carol and John will give birth to their 1st child together and I can't wait to hit the road for grandchild #3! We pray for protection for both of these babies and their mothers as they continue to grow and develop until God is ready for them to enter this world.

Erika and Hollie will graduate from high school in the spring and move on to the next phase in their lives. Shawn is planning to finish at Longview then attend NW in Maryville in the fall. Meghan and Stephen will probably move again within the next 12 months (statistics would point us toward that) and if that happens I hope much closer to KC. These are rather predictable, albeit major, changes. What else the Lord has for us only He knows.

lefse-making 101

2008-12-14T20:20:00.009-06:00

Erika & I had our 1st lesson this weekend in lefse-making from my Aunt Lois, chronicled here!

celebrating you!

2008-12-14T18:46:00.006-06:00

Here's to all of you very special people who celebrate the anniversary of your birth this month! You are incredibly special and very loved!

To Erik who celebrated the beginning of his 15th year on Friday, 12/12 (isn't that a cool date?)... seems like yesterday that he slept on the ottoman tightly swaddled. It's astonishing how quickly he's growing up... not a little boy anymore...

To Stephen who is celebrating the end of his 26th year today - yeah Stephen! You are an important part of our family and an awesome SIL (and yes, your halo tilt a bit now & then). We enjoy your company, your insight, and your wisdom and I'm so grateful my daughter has you to work shoulder-to-shoulder with. God brought us all a wonderful gift in you.

My mom would have celebrated her 74th birthday today... I wish she could have known the family we are today and met Stan and Stephen... I look forward to seeing her again after this lifetime.

My husband (I still love the sound of that!) and very best friend will enjoy his birthday on Tuesday, the 16th. Stan & I are planning to celebrate with a Neil Diamond concert tomorrow night (yes, I'm a little nervous) and selfishly look forward to having him to myself for a few hours. Tuesday is Belton's "winter" band concert so we'll celebrate all day (and all week!). He is truly an answer to my prayers and I thank God everyday for him.

Erin celebrates her 34th birthday on New Year's Eve. Wow... I remember the night she was born - I waited very impatienly for that phone call and was bouncing when it finally came. It was late at night, I was babysitting, the tv stations were either off the air or soon off the air (the days before cable!) and I had nothing to do. I bonded with her very quickly as I spent a lot of time with them when she was little. So many memories all packed into the blink of my eye.

weather update...

2008-12-09T22:05:00.003-06:00

I'm very jealous... just received this text alert:
"No School Dec. 10 due to inclement weather."

winter storms & warm food

2008-12-09T20:56:00.006-06:00

We got our 1st winter storm today and what a doozy... Ice followed by icy snow followed by snow all mixed with a cold, blustery, north wind - a typical Missouri storm. We didn't get a lot of accumulation, maybe a couple of inches, but what we have has drifted up to several inches in some places.

I had a terrible time driving... my little truck slid all over the roads and parking lots with just the slightest bit of acceleration. I drove mostly in 2nd gear and seldom over 20 or 25 mph. The roads in Belton were in far better shape than in Raymore and very apparent to anyone traveling on 58.

When I left to get Shawn for work I had to scrape and chip at the ice that covered the window of my door. I dropped Shawn off then made it to Home Depot for tube sand, barely without incident. When I left work tonight I think it must have taken me about 15 minutes to find a way out of the parking lot then up to the highway - every way I tried I was literally met with ice and absolutely no traction. There is something to be said for the donut technique of blowing through a parking lot or street - it gets you where you need to be in the end!

Perhaps in an effort to balance out the stress of the day, I had the desire to cook (anyone that knows me well knows that's rare!) and fixed a pot of noodle soup to finish off the remains of our weekend turkey. It turned out hearty and very tasty. The oatmeal-peanut butter-choc chip cookies were all but gone so mixed up another batch and just took the last tray from the oven. It's cozy here in the kitchen-warm because of the busy oven and smelling wonderful.

Erika is confident school will be cancelled tomorrow, Stan & I aren't as much. I think if we have a snow day it needs to be bad enough out where no one can go to school or work and we all get a snow day. :-)

Here's a couple of pics that were taken around noon when it'd been blowing and snowing for a couple of hours.

and the weekend...

2008-12-06T21:15:00.007-06:00

It's after 9pm and I'm very ready for bed, but wanted to share a few pics from the weekend.

1 - Ok... does Stan look innocent to you? (not!!!)
2 - Saturday morning with Micah (very happy guy!)
3 - Shawn enjoying Micah's company & Micah enjoying Shawn's!
4 - Emily & Micah

More later!

Micah's 1st visit to KC

2008-12-04T22:49:00.006-06:00

Jason, Dollie, & Micah got in last evening after a very long day traveling. It took them over 7 hours to drive from Iowa City to Des Moines as they were caught in a very heavy snowfall... 5" during that time! They said Micah was a champ in the car - did very well! He had a busy night last night-ate a LOT, then a full day today. When they got here tonight Micah was very ready to get out of his car seat and stretch. We gave him a bath which was so much fun! I can't believe how incredibly tolerant he is!! He loved having his momma rub lotion into him and he smelled so very good! I hope he sleeps well so mom & dad can, too. I'm so looking forward to Saturday, when we'll be home and hanging out with them. What an awesome little boy!

Thanksgiving & other stories...

2008-12-02T22:01:00.006-06:00

We had such a good Thanksgiving! I'm so very thankful for family and friends, for the memories we have and the memories we are making.

Meghan & Stephen were here for the weekend and it was a quality time. Even in the busyness of cooking and getting dinner ready Friday night (our big gathering) it was relaxed and easy. Both Meghan & Stephen were a huge help and offered their hands to get butter from the frig, pour water, stir this, hold that... At one time we easily had all 8 of our hands busy and working together.

Ok, I will digress, but for only a moment... I get so charged when I'm reminded of the body of Christ and how we are gifted to work together for the good of the body [of believers] and to bring glory to God. We can't all be the hands, or the feet, or the eyes, or the ears of the body (that would look like a freakish body and would get nothing done!)... we each have been given our own special gifts for a reason. It's together that we can glorify God and build up the body of believers when we are each operating within our giftedness. So cool! I remain in awe of how God created us... He gave us the physical structure He did which just happened to provide the perfect picture of His relationship with us and ours with each other. Anyone who knows me well knows that this is something I get very excited about. (Thank you, God, for creating us the way You did. Thank You for giving us a marvelous picture of Your people working together and how we use our gifts in concert with each other to strengthen Your Church. Thank You for teaching us through Your Sprirt!)

I realized I don't have any pics from Thanksgiving -- I figured I'd get dups of what Meghan took! You'll have to visit her post in order to see them. My Partylite order from Carol arrived on Friday and the timing was perfect! We used the leaf tealight holders on the table and it worked really well! Hollie & Allen were here, as was Emily (who is looking soooo good!), Erika, and of course Meghan & Stephen. I was very sad that Shawn was working... we saved him a plate but I know it wasn't the same (for me or for him).

On Saturday we went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra which was incredible and a true treat! I had heard their "show" was amazing and that is such an understatement. I hope to be able to go next year, too, and there are people that I would love to have come with us next time - Hollie, Shawn, and Emily to name a few. Here is a very small sampling of what we enjoyed (yes, I broke the rule and used my camera)... Watch closely in the video - they used fire in several of their sets and even as far away from the stage as we were, we could feel the heat as it would "blast" on and off. I can't imagine what the performers must have felt! This really is a talented group of people - physically and musically.

Jason, Dollie, and Micah will be in town this weekend and we are counting down the days. Stan talked with Jason today and he could hear Micah cooing! Our camera battery is charged and ready to go, the grocery list is made, and the kids have been (I hope) sufficiently "encouraged" to get their things put away and cleaned up.

packing and loving...

2008-11-24T10:52:00.003-06:00

NOTE: Actually posted Sunday evening, 11/23, at 10:35pm!

This is an end to a very long week yet a productive weekend. I had high hopes and determined plans to not only stay caught up with everything at work and at home, but to work ahead into next week and the week after. Instead, I woke up last Monday morning achy and with swollen glands and quickly went downhill. My sinuses were so very painful... eye sockets, teeth, forehead, cheeks, nose, and temples... like the bones in my face were all broken. I'm thankful for amoxyl!

I've thought of little Micah all week, remembering when my kids were babies and how they felt and acted when they were sick. I'm glad he is doing better... let us big people deal with the sinus infections and colds. We can understand what's happening and swallow even though it doesn't feel good and can blow our noses to clear out the junk. We can arrange our pillows until it feels better... put on a sweatshirt and layer blankets when we're cold, then take them all off a few minutes later when we're too hot.

We all went different directions this weekend. Erika went hunting with her dad (no deer); Shawn and Hollie both had to work so made sure the house was still standing and Isabelle was fed; Stan drove to NE to spend some time with Stephen; and I went to Pella to help Meghan pack.

I didn't feel quite as confident and comfortable as Meghan about how much we were able to get accomplished, though 1 more productive day should take care of it. A week from today is their moving day and this is a busy week for Meghan... she has much on her plate but is doing a great job at prioritizing and focusing on her assignments.

It was a fun weekend: I experienced first hand the infamous newspaper ritual (quirky Knittel fact #1) of the Knittel home (I appreciated the paper we used to wrap and stuff household items in a way I never have before. If you've not read Meghan's post, you're missing out!) I enjoyed Howie (who slept by my feet most of the night) and Zoe and think they know me and are comfortable with me. I enjoyed Meghan's company very much, and we even managed to find time for pizza, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and "the Other Sister" an excellent movie!

The drive home was really fun... Stan and I quickly realized that while I left Meghan's quite a while before he left Stephen's, we traveled at almost the same rate/pace toward KC, he on I-29 and me on I-35. We compared "miles left" often, and were amazed that it stayed so consistent-- he pulled into the driveway about 10 minutes after I did! I missed being "with" him this weekend but we were together the whole time. I am incredibly blessed in so many ways...

Gearing up for a short and very busy week as we officially enter the holiday season... although I'm excited and look forward to seeing the kids and enjoying their company, I find myself dreading the workload, and am sad about my gut response of "argh!".

She did it!

2008-11-16T22:55:00.006-06:00

Erika got her 1st deer - an 8pt buck! You rock, Erika!!

Getting to know you...

2008-11-15T22:16:00.004-06:00

We've been anticipating this day for a full month, literally! Micah is 4 weeks old today and it's amazing how much he has changed. His body has filled out so well, he's very alert listening and following voices and movement. Stan & I have had a wonderful day getting to know him and spending time with Jason & Dollie. We've taken some really good pictures and I'll post just a few here.

I love this 1st one... grandpa was burping Micah and humming very deeply. I think he really liked the vibration - was very quiet and still, almost as if he were listening carefully.

Jason, Dollie, and Micah will be in KC in 3 weeks for Dollie's baby shower/open house/meet 'n greet Micah. We know he'll change so much in that short period of time. At 7 weeks he'll probably be cooing and smiling. He's already concentrating very hard on what we say and wanting to talk.

Loving Micah

2008-11-10T20:42:00.004-06:00

We're so excited! We heard from Jason & Dollie and this next weekend works for us to visit. We're leaving for Iowa City on Friday to see Micah on Saturday. (Oh, yeah, Jason & Dollie, too... j/k guys! We're very excited to see you, too!)

We're planning to go as far as Des Moines Friday night which will make for much less driving Saturday. I love to drive and get my 2nd wind at night so it works perfect for me to be the late night-er.

Needless to say, we're very much looking forward to this trip! The camera battery will be charged and packed and that's really all we need. Well, ok, we'll bring toothbrushes, too. And hairbrushes, we need a brush. And a change of clothes, we'll need clean clothes...

mac yearning

2008-11-08T10:10:00.007-06:00

Ok... I thought I was doing alright without the laptop and I'm really not. I want all my stuff and I want it portable. I heard from James at the end of the week - he thinks the problem with our Dell may be with the logic board (you can tell he's a mac user) after all and not the DC-in, though I'm sure that was a problem, too, along with several others. If it's the motherboard we might as well plan to unload everything and sell it for parts (tears well quickly).

I briefly looked at the Apple website and MacBooks start at $1300 (ouch!). I don't debate the value, but when you can only afford a Kia you don't buy a Honda...

Check out this totally awesome computer though!

Did I mention that this particular one starts at $2700??

I voted yes!

2008-11-04T18:59:00.005-06:00

I exercised my constitutional right and responsibility today! :-)

(Now I'm stuck on watching the polling results.) --tb

Vote, baby, vote!

2008-11-03T21:21:00.005-06:00

Ok, I admit it openly, I'm very nervous about the election tomorrow. It seems that people make assumptions based on how smooth someone speaks, how well he or she presents him or herself rather than by the substance of the person. Doesn't character seem to matter? Do people even ask questions of the candidates to help them sort out what he or she stands for?

Is this person trustworthy?
Has he demonstrated good judgment in the past?
How does he make his decisions and why?
What has he fought for and why?

I'm also surprised that messages are apparently delivered from a pulpit, not of our responsibilities as a Christian voter, but directly saying who to vote for. Hello?? Although I may not agree with your choice and who you plan to vote for, voting for or against a particular person just because someone encourages or directs you does not demonstrate your faith. It does show how easily people can be swayed and how little they think for themselves.

So... vote your conscience. Vote because you've studied the issues. Vote for the candidate you believe in.

I thank God our salvation is not determined by our political leaders but by our faith in our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

my baby is growing up...

2008-11-02T21:15:00.007-06:00

Happy 18th birthday, Erika!

Yes, she can legally vote, buy cigarettes, and get tattoos. Yes, she is registered to vote and plans to in just two short days; no, she doesn't smoke; and yes, she wants to (someday) get a tattoo.

We went out to eat this evening and she and Hollie are topping off the night by watching "Blair Thumb". Woohoo! :-)

This has been an incredibly full day and I'm heading to bed. Words are not sufficient to describe my thoughts and feelings.

fall back

2008-11-02T02:21:00.002-06:00

It's 2:22 am and I think I've already used up my precious extra hour this year. I can think of a myriad of other ways to do so -- sleep is definately at the top of the list!

It's a chain-reaction... Erika came in late and decided to take a shower; Isabelle whines because she misses Erika who's behind a closed door. Her whines is so high pitched, though not necessarily loud, that it wakes me up from a dead sleep and a deep dream.

I get up, let her outside to potty, which she is very anxious to do. While I'm laying on the couch dozing & waiting for her to do her thing I realize the clothes dryer is running. Strange (or maybe not!) I had put a load in the dryer at 10:00 and that would have been finished well before now...

Isabelle comes in and we head to the basement. Sure enough, my load, now dry, is crammed inside a small laundry basket-jeans & towels and the denim skirt I'm wearing to church in the morning. (Oh, yeah, this is morning!)

I'd started a huge load of perm press before I went to bed (the 1st time) which has been moved to the dryer! Argh! Erika's "extra-small" load, now in the washer, took my place.

So back to the couch to doze (oh, and E is still showering) and I realize my nose is bleeding. In the dark I thought just one side of it was running very steady till I realized the icky feeling in the back of my throat.

This is only the 2nd bloody nose I've had in my life. I learned from the 1st time, about a month ago... pinch the bridge for 10 minutes (what is 10 minutes, in the dark, in the middle of the night??), resist the temptation to "check it". Repeat if necessary.

Erika gets out of the shower, takes Isabelle, and they go to bed! (What's wrong with this picture??) I'm left pinching my nose for round 2.

I'm now waiting for my clothes to finish drying.

And how did you spend your extra hour of time this year?

remember this?

2008-10-31T22:43:00.005-05:00

Ok... the other day a childhood memory blew to the surface like a balloon that couldn't be held under water.

I walked down the hall at church toward the kitchen to refill my coffee cup. When I rounded the corner I was suddenly hit by the odor of Mercurochrome! Does anyone remember that? It was this orangish-red liquid in a tiny bottle used as an antiseptic for scrapes and cuts. It looked similar to betadine, but with a very heavy smell and a wicked sting.

Turned out the school kids were in Art class and the odor was their paints. Whew! I was afraid it was back on the market...

p-squared (sort of)

2008-10-30T23:53:00.002-05:00

I'm having such a hard time unwinding tonight so thought I'd share some peeves and praises because I just know it will make a positive difference in your life today...

Peeve:
when people don't push their chairs up to the table when they are finished; I walk in the kitchen, no one is there, yet this kitchen chair is sitting right out in the middle of the floor. I know someone sat in it, pushed themselves away from the table, stood up, then simply walked away.

Praise:
Erika has been doing an excellent job searching for scholarship money for college, completing applications, and working diligently on her essays. Yeah, Erika!

Peeve:
going through taco bell's drive-thru and I order 1 or 2 tacos and I get a handful of sauce packets! Come on, people, someone is paying for those little packets and we all know it's the consumer!

Praise:
we paid $1.95/gal for gasoline yesterday at QT! (Sad that we are happy that the price went under $2/gal.)

Happy birthday...

2008-10-30T19:53:00.010-05:00

(Warning... this has turned out to be a very long post!)

Happy birthday to Carol! I have been thinking of her all day today! It's so hard to believe she's 27 ! That's 2-7, as in years!

I've been asked many times through the years why I placed her for adoption. With some people I could almost hear them mutter under their breath "how could you even think of giving up your baby!!?" and yes, some even said it out loud. I tell my story basically the same, sharing at the level I think the receiver cares or is really paying attention, but I don't know that I've ever put it on paper before. I've found myself very easily lost in memories and thoughts as I've gone about my work for the last several days.

With Carol's pregnancy, the arrival of little Micah, year-old Madeline at church who comes to find me every day when she and her mom come to pick up sissy (Emma) from school, and Erika's preparation to flee from the nest, I find myself evaluating my life as a mom so much more. I don't know if that's because I'm transitioning from the active role of 'mom' to the more active role of 'grandma' or because I'm just working through an emotional part of my life. Either way, my life as a mother clearly begins with Carol.

My pregnancy with her was of course a surprise to me. I was not-yet-20 and very much wandering in my life. I was active duty in the AF, my way of doing something productive while trying to figure out where I belonged and what I needed and wanted to do with my life. Actually, I hoped for a genie to pop out and make me suddenly confident, smart, capable, and optimistic about my life ahead.

It goes without saying, though I guess I am, that I didn't make wise choices. Unmarried and not in a serious, stable, or even a healthy relationship, my story has become a passionate springboard for me to share why sex outside of marriage is not God's plan for us. Part of this life-lesson I understood immediately, but it would take years to fully work through, particularly the God-involved part.

So I find out that I was indeed pregnant; I remember the awareness early on that I was in no way equipped or prepared to raise a child, to be responsible for someone's life. It was like a slap in the face. As I look back it was almost like I immediately took a step back, outside of myself, and then I seemed to walk parallel with myself for several years following. I've wondered over the years if that was my way of punishing myself for the choices I made.

I made the decision for adoption early. Carol's birth father wasn't excited about that but has shared several times over the years that this was really the very best for her. I remember when I told my 1st Sgt, my supervisor's boss, SMSgt Rachel Shaw. I had a great deal of respect for her but was overwhelmingly intimidated. She was a big black woman with a gruff, direct, no-nonsense way and no one dared cross her. She had a warm, deep laugh, was extremely caring, well-spoken, and very intelligent. I wanted to be strong and smart like her, but not that intimidating!

I remember being shocked to my core when she suggested abortion (without using the "a" word) as an option-1st that she would even suggest it, but more so that anyone would. I tried not to show I was rattled and just said yes, I was aware of that option (truth? I'd never actually considered it!) but no, I'm not going to do that, I'm going to place her for adoption. She smiled, and said that was very good, she didn't think I would but had to ask. (Why did she have to ask?? I never had the nerve to find out.)

Early in my pregnancy I borrowed my roommate's car and drove from San Antonio to Sioux Falls to see my family. My mother was angry that I didn't wait until my sister's high school graduation in May to come home. When I was there and told her I was pregnant, her response was "why are you doing this to me??" then later "you know how I feel about premarital sex!" I think it goes without saying that I didn't do anything to her and no, I didn't know how she felt about premarital sex. Things in life were either right or wrong, but it was "because I said so." (It should be noted and very clear that I grew to understand and appreciate my mom much better over time. I didn't hold a grudge (for too long anyway), though I did often wish her response would have been different.)

My older sister was very supportive, the person in my life who, from the beginning of time, consistently cared and listened to me as though I had something valuable to offer. Several hundred miles and now a very different world separated us.

So that's the backdrop. Through my pregnancy I felt as though I had to walk a fine line and maintain an impossible balance-I needed to be strong, determined, and sure... and not get too attached (my own guard).

My roommate was wonderful, turned out to be a very good friend. She was a med tech & had a friend who was a radiology tech. Since ultrasound was very new at this time it would never have been done routinely through a doctor's office but Jill's friend offered to do one for me (I was assured it was safe!). That was such a special gift. In that cold, quiet room on a Saturday morning, the realization that this was truly a baby hit and I just let go and loved her. We all laughed, and we all cried, and it was ok.

This life grew inside of me. She moved, she kicked, she pressed against my bladder. She was active in the night when it was just the two of us. She tumbled and tucked under my rib cage. I remember lying awake some nights... If I kept her, where could we live? I would need a crib, clothes, a stroller, a car... and tried to list all the items and where I might be able to get them. Could I do it? Sure, I could... in that breath and in the same stream of thought I knew in my heart that wasn't what was best for her. She deserved a stable home, parents who were committed to each other, an extended family that was supportive. I went through that same thought process many times, each time ending with the same quiet, understanding.

So it's late... I've rambled. That's ok, though. I may ramble on again soon as there is so much more. I'm going to go call my daughter and wish her a happy birthday. :-)

update... separation anxiety

2008-10-22T21:43:00.003-05:00

I'm so relieved... 1 email and I found someone willing to look at our laptop-it's in his hands as we speak. The good news is that he's willing and from what I understand, very competant. I believe he'll let us know if it can't be repaired or if it's something he's not able to do.

I feel rather like a spoiled brat... we have a computer that works very well, but I want the laptop. I want to have all our stuff at my fingertips and not have to search to find, reinstall, or import stuff. Argh...

In other news, if you haven't read or heard yet, Meghan & Stephen are moving - again! Their average has been about once a year since they've been married, but this time it will only have been 6 months. If they're moved by the end of the year (which they will) they will have had 3 addresses within the same year.

All that said (very lovingly I assure you) we are extremely proud of both Meghan & Stephen. They work so well together and it's a joy watching as they process their life, the goals they have set, and the steps they plan to take to reach those goals. These moves are well thought out with the pros and cons carefully weighed. Once the decision is made, they move forward very much supporting the other.

Stephen, congratulations on being selected! We are very happy for you! Great job, guys!

separation anxiety

2008-10-21T22:51:00.001-05:00

I'm having a difficult time... our laptop needs some major help. As I type this entry, all of our important stuff (pictures, finances, email, and favs) are being backed up. An amazing glue stick tube cap is now wedged under the power supply cord (that goes into the laptop), forcing the plug up and in, keeping the power on.

This has been a struggle for months and one might say "well, why don't you just take it somewhere and get it fixed?" Up until tonight I've been able to find a way to make this work with only the occassional power outage (everyone knows to not touch the laptop or move it while it's actually working!). The battery hasn't charged for months despite a brand new battery; the AC adapter was replaced with no improvement at all. I've backed up all of our data many times... first for fear that we'd actually lose it all and second in preparation for the computer to be away for repairs. Because I've been able to make it work in spite of the crippling problems, I put it off and put it off...

So, tonight's the night. I'm going to finish backing up our life-on-the-laptop and prepare to share the downstairs desktop with Erika & Hollie (shudder). Tomorrow I will send a few emails, make a few calls with the hope of finding someone trustworthy and reputable. I'll try to let go and face the real possibility that there may be no hope...

We're here!

2008-10-20T21:32:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our blog! Yes, this family has joined those living and thriving in the 21st century. Realizing how much I enjoy reading what you like to share and keeping up with your lives, I believe this can be a very workable solution for us to better keep you informed on the happenings of this Blackley home.

Our family was blessed with the birth of little Micah James on Saturday, 10/18, to Stan's oldest son, Jason & his wife Dollie. What a beautiful baby! We have once again been given the privilege of experiencing the miracle of life, now through our own children.

Thank you, God, for the gift of Micah. Continue to guard and protect him in these first few days and weeks of his life. Lay Your healing hand upon Dollie as she regains her strength and physically recovers; provide both Dollie and Jason with the wisdom, the strength, and the confidence to meet the joys and the challenges ahead.