New Home

We have moved!

We decided last Christmas that we really did need a new home - one that had a room big enough for all of us to gather in comfortably! And of course one that had a master bedroom on the first floor - along with an office for me! We started the look through the internet with the help of our realtor, Rick. We saw 5 or 6 homes and decided on this one. Made the offer expecting to have a counter-offer and instead our offer was accepted. We closed in early March, got possession a week later and began the work we needed to do before moving in - like removing all evidence of dogs/cats due to extreme allergies! So all new carpeting, new window coverings (well, they are still arriving!), new paint, wood floors refinished, furnace/ductwork cleaned...and the list goes on! We did actually move into the house in early May - but sadly, we have still not totally moved out of the old house yet! Need to finish that along with a few rooms to be painted and re-carpeted before we can list that one to sell!

The new house has come with some getting used to! We have 2 little fish ponds in front of the house with about 15 fish - or did have! Beautiful white egret decided they looked good enough to eat! The ducks decided to enjoy the pool before it was opened - what a mess to clean that cover! Then after the pool was opened - they decided it looked good enough to swim in! Yuk - what a mess that was to clean up! They seem to be gone now! Had a nice bird nest with 3 or 4 baby robins - til another bird decided they looked good! Found the squatter sitting in the nest! Then the chipmunk found its way into the house! Now that was something I don't want to repeat!! They are quite plentiful here - so will have to do something to get rid of them!

So thankful for our new place!

Tried to post a picture - but it is not letting me right now!

Not a Good Day!

Had such high hopes for my day today!

Was going to change the light bulb in my

office. Was going to dump all the potted plants

outside today - winter is coming. Was going

to clean some of the house! Was going to do

a lot of things - things that really do not much

matter in the whole scheme of things.

Instead I answered the phone call that changed

everything - again.

My step-mom Karen was found this morning in her

car - apparent heart attack that probably

happened yesterday early afternoon.

This was totally unexpected. So hard with

unexpected deaths - so hard to expect death

and watch it happen. Death is just hard for those

of us left behind. But for the one who just

breathed their last - it is not so hard if you know

that you know that you know. And Karen did.

I know that she is in Heaven now - I know

that she has met our Savior - I know that

both Roger and my Dad met her at the gates -

I know that she is in a much better place.

I will be in FL tomorrow with my sister and brother

and we will reminisce about the good times

and the bad and then we will forget the bad

and move on. Just like we had to do when our mom

passed on and when our dad passed on.

Karen is in a good place - and we will all

see her again someday.

We loved you Karen - warts and all -

just as you loved all of us - warts and all!

September babble....

September has started out as busy as August ended!

We enjoyed celebrating Sydney's birthday today - a fun time was had by all at the Bounce House. Sydney had her first day "alone" at preschool on Friday - Megan will have her first day alone tomorrow. Both gals are so excited about going to school! Praying that they both will settle in and do well - both already know their letters and many sounds and can write their names - in all caps and while they write the letters in order - they could be anywhere on the page. It's a start! ;-)

Charlotte is walking a little farther each day - and we know when she decides to go - we will be in big trouble! The more they "can" do the more they "will" do!!

I had hoped to get Karsten into a Library story time - I know he would like to be in school too! His birthday falls at a time that will put him a year behind the girls. Looks like those classes fall on "babysitter" days though. We will think of something else to keep him interested and knowing that he is special too! At 3 1/2 he recognizes all of his numbers - thanks to his obsession with Thomas the Train! And the vocabulary - who in the world says "I am cross"!! You would if you watched Thomas enough!

Kaitlyn will be back in her speech therapy soon. We have seen a marked improvement in her talking - but as Sydney says, Why doesn't she speak English?? She says Om (mom) Dad, Gama, Ah-ee (Sydney), meow, oof (what a dog says), more, thank you, eese (please) and baby.

Megan and Charlotte spent the night on Saturday. Charlotte had some problems - maybe teeth?? - and was up most of the night. It didn't help that they were working on the freeway behind us and there was noise all night. We did make it up for church this morning though! Megan enjoyed going into her class - she colored a picture and brought home a paper about the story they learned today. On the way to the class - somehow she walked into a door jam and got a nice goose egg! We iced it at home and she is good to go now! Charlotte was not sure about enjoying her class - but she did just fine! When I returned to get her she was playing on the mat with some toys! And grandma - after being up most of the night - didn't think about the infant car seat and put her in the toddler one. Charlotte enjoyed sitting up and facing forward! She was so proud of herself!

We wanted to get a video of Charlotte dancing - she used to just move her fanny around - and now she has some shoulder action going! Quite comical! And she will begin dancing as soon as any music begins! The video has been uploading to this blop for 20 minutes now - looks like it is not going to work!! Michelle and Dee add videos - have no idea why I have problems. Next time!

I will leave on Saturday morning to take Karen back to FL. We pray for safe travel! And I look forward to getting to meet our new great-nephew Aiden in FL. Hope he is ready for some Aunt Karla hugs!!

As always - we count our blessings! God has been so good to us and to our family. Yes we have food allergies - but we all have our arms and legs!

Until next time - don't forget to make a difference!!

Summer slipping away!

Don't know where the time is going -

but August is slipping away!

We have enjoyed watching Charlotte,

our youngest grandchild,

turn 1. And then 3

weeks later to see Megan,

our oldest grandchild, turn 4!

Sydney will be next in about 3 weeks and she

too will be 4!

We will begin seeing our little ones begin pre-school

this year too! Megan will attend

St. Mary's in St. Clair and Sydney

will be at Peace in Shelby Twp.

Another step in their lives! How exciting!

We look forward to the news that

our first great-nephew will be born

soon also. This will happen in FL to

Jeff and Nicole sometime in the next

few weeks.

We were surprised to see that Erica, our friend and

babysitter had a healthy baby boy. Surprised

because he will be coming home to a

pink room - he was supposed to

be a she according to all

the ultra-sounds. So little Chloe is now

little Cody!

That shows us again

that HE is in charge!

Our church now has north and south campus'

and a new name to go with that change.

Community Wesleyan Church is now

Stoney Creek Community Church.

We continue to be blessed by a loving

congregation that truly loves the Lord

and works toward the great commission.

I am enjoying Facebook - and seem to

neglect the blogging. I am going

to try to get better at that!

Enjoy life!!

Missing My Dad

What a great day this was -

Father's Day 2006!

Kids gave him this fish - he thought it

was so cool!

Sadly, he passed away just a

couple of weeks after this photo

was taken. We were building a

ramp on the back of our house

so he could get in and out by

himself in the hoverround chair.

He cherished his independence!!

Missing him and remembering

all the good times!

Charlie Lee Teague

1928 - 2007

Happy Birthday Hazel Wooten Teague

Hard to believe but my mother

would have been 80 years old

today, June 30, 2009!

Miss her so much - still think

of things that I would like to tell her.

She would love being a great-grandma

as much as she did being a grandma!

She would say that I was spoiling

the kiddies - but then say isn't

it fun to do!

She always got on my case (nicely of course!)

about putting water on the glass

pans as I took them from the oven -

I'm always in a hurry to get the

pans soaking!

One day I had been praying about

just wanting to feel closer to her that day.

That evening I took a glass pan out

of the oven - and didn't even get a

chance to put it in the sink. Just sat it on

the cold granite countertop and

crack - the pan broke! Immediately

there is the gravy going everywhere!

Instead of being upset and working to

clean everything up - I just said

Thank you God - I do feel close to my mom today!

I just felt like she was letting me know that

she was still there for me!

She was a great inspiration of how to

be a good mom/mother-in-law to adult children.

She always showed her love and

encouragement for everything.

I thank God for giving me such a great mom!

We all love you mom - just in case you are

reading over my shoulder!!

Hazel Marie Wooten Teague

June 30, 1929 - April 12, 1999

Happy Birthday's to Kari & Rich

Happy 29 Birthday to Kari on June 3

and

Happy 31 Birthday to Rich today, June 9.

Time flies - and I am being slow in updating - Sorry!

This picture was taken as they were going to a wedding last summer.