~*~*Countdowns, Marathons, Plans, and Broken Toe Nails~*~*

We’ve almost reaching the “midway” point to the month of November and I can hardly believe how fast time is flying by!!!

At our house, we’ve begun our countdown till this beauty….arrives home!

I know I’m partical..but isn’t she adorable????? I can’t wait to see her and smooch her sweet face!!!! 🙂 33 more days until her feet land in MN and my head is swirling with all the things I want to have ready!

I’m planning/hoping to have all our of Christmas shopping, house decorated, and Christmas baking done by Dec. 14th, so that when we pick Ash up at the airport on the 15th..we’ll have 8 full days with her, (minus the last minute Christmas hustle) before we gather back home to celebrate Christmas with my family.

Ashley will also be turing 20 on Dec. 18th…so we’ll need to be thinking “Happy Birthday” too!!

Recently, Ashley ran a Marthon…(10K) and to say we were proud of her is a HUGE understatement. This, from a girl who doesn’t like to run or sweat!! (lol)

She was SO excited about her accomplishment that she even called her brother to impress him! 🙂 You go girl…I knew you could do it.

Last night I received a voicemail that NO Mom EVER wants to receive…especially at 11:30 at night! The message was from Ash…and she said,

“Mom, you need to call me right away, this is an emergency.”

By the time I picked my heart up off of the floor and called her back, here’s what her emergency was:

“Mom, I dropped something on one of my toes…and my toe nail is bleeding and I think it’s going to fall off.”

I, calmly talked her in, off of the ledge..and explained that she’d be ok.

Then, without missing a beat she said,

“Mom, what am I going to do if I loose a toe nail? You know how important my toes are to me and how I keep them painted for when I wear my flip-flops!”

Then, before I could respond she said this,

“Mom, STOP rollin’ your eye’s at me, cause I know you are!! This is serious!”

(Boy does she know her Mother or what?!?!? lol)

Oh Ash…whatever am I going to do with you!??!?

Thankfully this was a MINOR (at least to me) emergency. 🙂 I proceeded to give her a few pointers on what to do (especially because we DO NOT want her to get another staph infection), and as we said our good-byes she said,

Oh, I left my emergency message on Dad’s cell phone too, so please let him know I’m ok so he doesn’t panic in the morning when he hears my message!”

What a girl….can you tell I miss her!?!?!?

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Veterans Day

Today, as we Honor those who have, and continue to serve our great country; may we remember how “BLESSED” we are, to live in a free country.

I found this story about our flag, and couldn’t help but pass it along.

God Bless America…and ALL of our Veterans and Heros!!

THE FIRST FOLD OF OUR FLAG IS THE SYMBOL OF LIFE.

THE SECOND FOLD IS A SYMBOL OF OUR BELIEF IN THE ETERNAL LIFE.

THE THIRD IS MADE IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF THE VETERAN DEPARTING OUR RANKS, WHO GAVE A PORTION OF LIFE FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY AND TO ATTAIN PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

THE FOURTH FOLD REPRESENTS OUR WEAKER NATURE; FOR, AS AMERICAN CITIZENS TRUSTING IN GOD, IT IS IN HIM WE TURN TO IN TIMES OF PEACE AS WELL AS IN TIMES OF WAR FOR HIS DIVINE GUIDANCE.

THE FIFTH FOLD IS A TRIBUTE TO OUR COUNTRY, FOR IN THE WORDS OF STEPHEN DECATUR, “OUR COUNTRY, IN DEALING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, MAY SHE ALWAYS BE RIGHT; BUT IT STILL IS OUR COUNTRY; RIGHT OR WRONG.”

THE SIXTH FOLD REMINDS US OF THE SIXTH BATTLE-WEARY FIGHTERS WHO VIGILANTLY STRUGGLED TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNT SURIBACHE ON IWO JIMA DURING WORLD WAR II. ONCE THERE, THEY PROUDLY RAISED ABOVE THE BATTLE. OUR FLAG, THE SYMBOL “THAT WE ALL HOLD DEAR,” THE SYMBOL OF “FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE.” IT IS OUR DUTY TO DEFEND THE FLAG WHICH STANDS FOR THEM ALL.

THE SEVENTH FOLD IS FOR WHERE OUR HEARTS LIE. IT IS WITH OUR HEARTS THAT WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH THE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THE EIGHTH FOLD IS A TRIBUTE TO THE ONE WHO ENTERED INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, THAT WE MIGHT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, AND TO HONOR MOTHER, FOR WHOM IT FLIES ON MOTHER’S DAY.

THE NINTH FOLD IS A TRIBUTE TO WOMANHOOD; FOR IT HAS BEEN THROUGH THEIR FAITH, LOVE, LOYALTY, AND DEVOTION THAT THE CHARACTER OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT HAVE BEEN MOLDED.

THE TENTH FOLD IS A TRIBUTE TO FATHER, FOR HE, TOO, HAS GIVEN HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY SINCE HE OR SHE WAS FIRST BORN.

THE ELEVENTH FOLD, IN THE EYES OF A HEBREW CITIZEN, REPRESENTS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SEAL OF KING DAVID AND KING SOLOMON AND GLORIFIES, IN THEIR EYES, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB.

THE TWELFTH FOLD, IN THE EYES OF A CHRISTIAN CITIZEN, REPRESENTS AN EMBLEM OF ETERNITY AND GLORIFIES, IN THEIR EYES, GOD THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST.
WHEN THE FLAG IS COMPLETELY FOLDED, THE STARS ARE UPPERMOST, REMINDING US OF OUR NATIONAL MOTTO, “IN GOD WE TRUST.”

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