The Denver White House

Purification

2010-08-26T22:40:00.002-06:00

Purification

Lord Jesus,
I sin---- Grant that I may never cease grieving because of it,
never be content with myself,
never think I can reach a point of perfection.
Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self.
Give me grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, peaceable,
to live for thee and not for self,
to copy Thy words, acts, spirit,
to be transformed into They likeness,
to be consecrated wholly to Thee,
to live entirely to Thy glory.
Deliver me from attachment to things unclean,
from wrong associations,
from the predominance of evil passions,
from the sugar of sin as well as its gall,
that with self-loathing, deep contrition, earnest heart searching
I may come to Thee, cast myself on Thee, trust in Thee, cry to Thee, be delivered by Thee.
O God, the Eternal All, help me to know that
all things are shadows, but Thou are substance,
all things are quicksands, but Thou art mountain,
all things are shifting, but Thou art anchor,
all things are ignorance, but Thou art wisdom.
If my life is to be a crucible amid burning heat,
so be it,
but do Thou sit at the furnace mouth
to watch the ore that nothing be lost.
If I sin willfully, grievously, tormentedly,
in grace take away my mourning and give me music;
remove my sackcloth and clothe me with beauty;
still my sighs and fill my mouth with song,
then give me summer weather as a Christian.

39 Years of Marital Bliss!!! - Saturday, July 24, 2010

2010-07-26T00:04:00.000-06:00

Lynda & Diana were my bridesmaids....

Wayne and Harold were the groomsmen...

....off to Colorado!!

(was that a foreshadowing of future events??)

Many People Enduring Difficulties and Trials - be encouraged!

2010-03-17T00:50:00.000-06:00

When your faith endures many conflicts and your spirit sinks low, do not condemn yourself. It was David in haste who said, "I am cut off from before your eyes" (Ps. 31:22). Yet there is David now in the blessed heavenly choir, for even here on earth he was a man after God's own Heart. (Sam. 13:14) There is a reason for your season of heaviness. Great soldiers are not made without war. Skillful sailors are not trained on the shore. It appears that if you are to become a great believer, you will be greatly tested. If you are to be a great helper to others, you must pass through their trials. If you are to be instructed in the things of the kingdom, you must learn from experience. The uncut diamond has little brilliance, the unthreshed corn feeds no one, and the untried believer is of little use or beauty. There are great benefits to come from your trials and depression. Many people have a comparatively smooth path through life, but their position is not the equal of the tested believer. The one who is much plowed and often harrowed will thank God if the result is a larger harvest to the praise and glory of God by Jesus Christ. If your face is now covered with sorrow, the time will come when you will bless God for that sorrow. The day will come when you will see great gain from your losses, your crosses, your troubles, and your afflictions:
From all your affliction His glory shall spring,
And the deeper your sorrows, the louder you'll sing.

~"Beside Still Waters", by C. H. Spurgeon

Presley's 6th Birthday - January 4th

2010-01-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Presley turned 6 years old January 4th!

We gave him a "Cowboy" Party and

this poster was on the front door!

Instead of cake he got two pies:

Chocolate and Coconut!

(and we sang to him twice too!)

Opening gifts~

Better be careful of that

Cowboy, Presley!

christmas memories

2010-01-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of Texas visitors Christmas Day:

Lavan Watts, Chandler & I,

Mark & Amy Wyche and their

girls, Natalie & Ruth.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this is the last late-night-wrapping-marathon before Christmas!!!

Spurgeon

2009-12-08T23:25:00.001-07:00

When your faith endures many conflicts and your spirit sinks low, do not condemn yourself. It was David in haste who said, "I am cut off from before your eyes" (Ps. 31:22). Yet there is David now in the blessed heavenly choir, for even here on earth he was a man after God's own Heart. (Sam. 13:14) There is a reason for your season of heaviness. Great soldiers are not made without war. Skillful sailors are not trained on the shore. It appears that if you are to become a great believer, you will be greatly tested. If you are to be a great helper to others, you must pass through their trials. If you are to be instructed in the things of the kingdom, you must learn from experience. The uncut diamond has little brilliance, the unthreshed corn feeds no one, and the untried believer is of little use or beauty. There are great benefits to come from your trials and depression. Many people have a comparatively smooth path through life, but their position is not the equal of the tested believer. The one who is much plowed and often harrowed will thank God if the result is a larger harvest to the praise and glory of God by Jesus Christ. If your face is now covered with sorrow, the time will come when you will bless God for that sorrow. The day will come when you will see great gain from your losses, your crosses, your troubles, and your afflictions: From all your affliction His glory shall spring,
And the deeper your sorrows, the louder you'll sing.

~"Beside Still Waters", by C. H. Spurgeon

A Day in the Kitchen

2009-12-06T15:03:00.001-07:00

Evidently I'm not the only one spending the day in the kitchen today!!

Josiah is coming over to have dinner with us tonight.

(Isn't it wonderful to have a son-in-law who wants to

spend time with you even when your daughter

is out of town?!!)

OH.....OR MAYBE HE JUST WANTS DINNER!

Nonetheless.....it's snowing outside. The tree lights are on.

Christmas music & candles.....and I'm cooking

yummy stuff!

Here is Laz with his friend, Finley, in Washington,

Georgia........cooking?????

2009-11-27T08:08:00.008-07:00

Judith Ann, Thomas & Sierra

hosted the 2009

Evans Thanksgiving Day Dinner

We had family there that....well, we're not even sure

they were all kin!!! So far the count is at 43 but we probably had

a few stragglers sneak in before sunset.

And the food??? Wow! The best viddles

in all of Texas!

Rosemary-Lou, Larry, Tracy, Bennie Ruth

Presley, Kellen, Laz, Hannah, Tarin, Ethan

(Tiffany's boys & Nathan's girl)

Chandler & Ann

Nathan, Courtney, Hannah & Rylee

(Ann's son)

Sierra

(the hostess with the mostess!)

Greg, Judith, Marilyn

Barney, Fred, Joel
Chandler
Presley, Jeff

Tiffany & Tarin, Chandler & Laz,
Nathan, Kellen, Courtney & Hannah

Barney---with that dang video camera!!!

Two sweethearts:
Aunt Polly & Judith Ann

Elizabeth & Baby
Jeffrey Caden

Christina & Sierra
(Chandler, Greg & Judith

Shirley, Liz & Caden

(Jeff---if you are reading this, it's Jeffrey!!)

Judith Ann, Christina, Marilyn, Liz, Judith

Tarin, Presley, Ethan & Ethan

Ethan & Evan

Larry & Shirley

Daisy says, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear??"

Family

2009-11-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is just PART of my Texas family taken recently in Ft. Worth.

This week we will be taking more photos as about 30 of us

meet at my cousin, Judith Ann's, house for Thanksgiving Dinner!

More later~

Some of my Sweethearts!

2009-10-08T22:31:00.001-06:00

Nathan & Courtney's Hannah Grace Their Rylee

Tiffany's Presley (5)

Winter Park with the Cope Family~

2009-07-16T23:57:00.006-06:00

Our first house guests in our 'new' home were the Cope's!
John (the dad pictured below) was in my 9th Grade
class when I taught at Smithfield Jr. High in Texas
YEARS ago!
Their family has always been a blessing to me....and I
finally talked them into coming for a visit at
The Denver White House!!

Here we be:
Cameron, John, Beth, Ann, Tanner, Cassidy

The Copes
Cassidy, Tanner, Beth, Cameron, John

Tanner

Cameron

Cassidy

the guys - biking in Winter Park
(Tanner & Cameron)

Cassidy on the Gyro

Summer Fun at the Playground!

2009-06-18T23:31:00.004-06:00

Laugh Out Loud!

2009-05-05T23:20:00.003-06:00

Last week I worked my first event for Forte' Events...
it was a fundraiser called "Laugh Out Loud"
and this is our team:
Kristen, Kristy, Sherry, me, & our boss,
Tami!
We had a great time!

2009-04-30T08:56:00.001-06:00

For anyone interested in really delicious, clean water....
you will want to check out the Berkey water filter system!
I've had my eye on this for almost 10 years
and finally decided to become a dealer.
Finally, we won't have to haul those 5 gallon
bottles to the store for refills anymore!
You can see they come in different sizes....
and we're buying the "Royal" - which is the middle one (see arrow).
It's made of stainless steel, uses no electricity, and
looks really nice in the kitchen!
Please give me a call or email and I will answer
any question you may have and be glad to
take an order.
Here's more info:

The versatile Royal Berkey^® system is the ideal system for use at home with large families, travel, outdoor activities or during unexpected emergencies.

This powerful system purifies both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for outdoor activities and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available.

The Royal Berkey^®system removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.

Constructed of highly polished 304 stainless steel, the system comes complete with two purification elements and utilizes the latest technological advances. This system has a storage capacity of about 3.25 gallons (12.3 liters) and when in use it stands 23” in height with a diameter of 9.5”. The upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for transport and stands only 15.25” in height.

Configured with two Black Berkey^® purification elements the system will purify up to 4 Gallons (15.1 liters) per hour*. This system can be expanded to use four purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 8 Gallons (30.3 liters) per hour*.

* Flow rate calculated with upper chamber full to top. Flow rate decreases as water level declines

Only $275

With 2 Black Berkey^® purification elements

Bath Time!

2009-04-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

It doesn't get any cuter than this!!

April 7th --- A Red Letter Day!!

2009-04-14T20:56:00.008-06:00

Rylee Chandler White
April 7th, 2009
9 lb. 3 oz.
22" long
Born to Nathan & Courtney White
(on Chandler's birthday!!)

Can you believe it?
This young lady (my sweet daughter-in-law, Courtney)
just gave birth about 2 hours before
this picture was taken!
(at home, all natural, and, yes, in the pool!!)
Our Lord was SO GRACIOUS for answered
prayer during that long night of labor!

Everyone cast their ballots.... now time to weigh-in...
and Nathan won, guessing the birth weight of
this little "chunk"!!!

Daddy...dressing his baby boy for the first time!

Rylee --- being taken care of by his
big sister, Hannah (she's two!)

(and she had to have her toes photographed too!!)

Proud Grandparents: Jeff & Teresa

Proud Aunt "Tiffy"

Just hanging with his new friends~

What's all the hoop-la....we cousins just wanna play!!!

Sweeeeeeeeeet!

I spent almost a month in Georgia with my
sweet friends...waiting for that precious
baby---and party-ing while I waited!
MANY THANKS to my birthday group and everyone...
(Above: Lynn, Jan, Pam, Andi, Dana, Ann, Sheila)
....Sandra for the use of her vehicle!
...Jan & Mary Jo, Nate & Courtney for the overnights!
Teresa & Jeff for dinner and all the fun times together!
...and many others (Barb, Bob, Margo, Nancy E, Klay, Pat, Linda)
for lunches, dinners, and great fellowship!
I am so grateful for the many treasured memories!
I love you all!!!

HAPPY DAY!!!

2009-02-28T20:47:00.002-07:00

It's my Hannah's SECOND birthday!!!!
Today was her party even though tomorrow is her actual birthday!
She had a Curious George party---since he's her favorite!

What a precious family!!

2009-02-11T22:46:00.004-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

The best love note ever written was several thousand years ago
from Jehovah God to His children
in Isaiah 43:
"You are precious in my sight ... and I love you."

Okay.... everyone wants an update on our situation...
> josiah is looking daily for jobs. His last day is the 20th (next week).
He gets a couple month's severance pay.
> chandler's work has been steady...but is never a sure thing.
(like, he has no inspections for tomorrow)
> i will be doing weddings with Forte' Events----but we have none as of yet.
> I'm applying to substitute teach in a local Christian school
....but they may be overflowing with subs.
>> march 15th tiffany, the boys & i are going to georgia for about 3 weeks
to be with nathan & courtney for the birth....so i can't exactly get a real job yet.
> again, with so many people out of work i'm not sure there are
any part-time jobs available.
> housing:
- our rent house goes on Auction March 25th
- then there is a 10 day "grace period"
- then the paper work takes 30 days
- sometime during that time they will give us the specific date we need to be out.
> we are hoping it won't be before May 1st.....
so there's no point in finding something now because we can live here FREE until then!

I have my good days and not-so-good days. We are trying not to worry...but nonetheless feel a great deal of stress and pressure not knowing exactly what to do. I think those are the times we are to be very still and wait until the Lord opens up a door ...so we won't go in the wrong direction.

Thank you so much for your concern and prayers. It's our friends who are holding us up to the Lord that means so much.

In the olden days you could always go to the "poor farm"---but i've yet to locate that on a map in 2009!!!
Maybe Mr. Obama will send us a check.

New News

2009-01-28T00:26:00.004-07:00

I am convinced that 2009 is going to be a great year....it just depends on how you define "great". It started out January 1st with a stomach virus like I've never had before in my life. It was horrible. Then my best friend of 25 years moved to heaven January 8th. See....it's already better because she is with our Lord Jesus ("for me to live is Christ and to die is GAIN."). But the rest of us are stuck down here with Obama and the Depression of '09.
Last Thursday I was laid-off from my Castle job. The Lord has given me His grace and peace....and strength to bear-up under the news of losing a job I dearly loved. The office workers are still wondering how I accepted the news so easily.
Yesterday Josiah was laid-off as well from the "bathroom-remodeling" division of Home Depot. In the kitchen tonight Tiffany remarked, "You two are the only people on the face of the earth...who when you lose your jobs you are happy and ready to celebrate!"
Chandler was relieved when the Castle gave me my marching orders. He didn't like me working as much as I had been working there.....but when he heard Josiah's news he was rather upset. After all....Josiah is the only person in our home with a real, full-time job. (Or was.) Immediately I told him, "Why are you so upset? You were willing to trust the Lord when I lost MY job......how is this any different? Is God suddenly not trustworthy because this is a bigger 'problem' for Him?"
God is supplying.....
> Josiah can stay on until February 20th....then he gets a couple of months severance pay.
> I am starting up my wedding business. My website will soon be finished: www.AnnWhiteWeddings.com.
> I will also be working with Forte' Events in Colorado Springs....doing weddings for them as we get bridal inquiries.
> Dear friends sent us a sweet note of encouragement....and some gift cards to Safeway!!! (and that was even before Josiah lost his job!)

So....see, I really do believe it will be a great year. We will all stay on our knees praying....and stand watching the deliverance of the Lord and the provision for His children. We aren't in this alone. Many, many families all over our nation are in the same boat (and some in much more desperate situations)....and I pray they will also learn to trust Him more.

You can join in His provision by praying....
- for increased work (inspections) for Chandler
- for new work for Josiah (he has applied for State Trooper Academy and is awaiting their reply)
- for brides, brides, brides for me!!! (I need wisdom as I try to design my website by myself!)
- the rent house we all live in is going into foreclosure and we will be asked to move soon. We need direction as to where to move...and we need jobs in order to qualify to Landlords.
- we need to know how to be an encouragement to others who don't share our hope in Jesus Christ.
- we need His grace and strength to be witnesses of the hope that lies within us...and not to be hypocritical when things are tough.

Soup anyone??

2009-01-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

"When the corn is nearly ripe it bows the head and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying...Paul had one foot in heaven when he called himself the chiefest of sinners and least of saints."
---John Flavell

Wanda Marie Watts

2009-01-13T22:50:00.005-07:00

Heaven is sweeter today because an angel was

sent to gather Wanda Watts in his
arms and carry her to our Lord Jesus
last Thursday evening.
She suffered greatly from bone cancer for
10 months while her husband and daughters
cared for her in her home in Lufkin, Texas.
Now she is in her real home, delivered from
the pain and face-to-face with her Saviour.

Wanda & Lavan

Many years ago...
Amanda (grandaughter), Aran, Amy, Ana,
Wanda & Lavan

My Wanda~

2009 Kicks off with Presley's 5th Birthday!

2009-01-04T15:10:00.003-07:00

THE BIRTHDAY BOY
PRESLEY SOLOMON FLAMM
Born January 4, 2004

(Lookin' Cool!)

Presley's "Dave Ramsey" gift.....to start
those "Baby Steps" in saving!!!

Sheriff Presley ~

The Hulk birthday cake~

....sittin' on top of the world!
Happy Birthday, Pres!!!

CHRISTMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

2008-12-25T22:34:00.005-07:00

BEFORE ^

AFTER v

(those are Courtney's new 'slipper socks' that Hannah
stole and won't give up!)

Now Hannah has her own kitchen!

...and, of course, a cell phone came with the kitchen!
What would a kitchen be without a cell phone??
She calls "the boys" (Tiffany's boys) on her cell phone
and jabbers away!
Perfect contentment!

...the most handsome guy on the block!
We gathered at Courtney's mom's house for
Christmas dinner!

Courtney, Nathan, Clay (Courtney's grandfather), Chandler
....and ME (behind the camera, as usual!).
Teresa & Jeff with friends, Lori & Lauren.

Jeff gave Courtney & Nathan
a "gift certificate" for some remodeling work
to be done in their dining room!

Christmas FUN!!!

2008-12-25T18:16:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas
from Tiffany's family:
Presley, Kellen, Josiah,
Laz, Ethan, Tiffany & Tarin!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T21:33:00.003-07:00

Christmas Eve activities included having
Hannah "paint" a reindeer on kitchen towels
for gifts! Her foot was the reindeer face,
her hands were the antlers, then Courtney
filled-in the eyes, nose and lettering!
What a fun project (that keeps on giving
year after year!)

Painting her hand so she could paint the
reindeer face!

Tuesday night my birthday group had
dinner together at Jan's.
What a wonderful time we had
'catching-up'----but we missed
our Sheila who couldn't make it!

Nathan, Courtney and the "new baby"!!!
(due at the end of March)

Linda (center) had Pat & I over for
afternoon tea!
It's been such a blessing visiting with so many friends!

OUR CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE

2008-12-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Our first stop on our 2008 Christmas Adventure...
is in Texas for
MEXICAN FOOD!!!
Here we are at El Fenix with Mom & Dad,
Johnny, Marilyn & Joel.
Yummmmmmm!!!!

Christmas is here!

2008-12-14T23:30:00.004-07:00

Since Chandler & I are traveling to Texas
and then to Georgia to spend Christmas
with Nathan, Courtney & Hannah,
we decided to open presents here with
Tiffany, Josiah & the boys tonight.
We started the evening by taking the boys
to "A Walk Thru Behtlehem" at a local church
where they got to experience what it might have
been like as Mary & Joseph traveled to Bethlehem
many years ago.....
Then we came home and had a wonderful Mexican dinner
prepared by Tiffany!
Finally, it was time to open gifts....

Kellen, Presley, Josiah, Tarin, Ethan, Tiffany, & Laz
(who will be One Year Old on Christmas Day!).

Their first gifts were "snuggle blankets" they can
use when watching TV.

Presley got a Batman Cave!

Tarin got "Transformers".

Kellen got a Nerf gun!

Ethan got a ski helmet and a "circuit
board project" (which he LOVES working with!).

....the aftermath!

We wish you all a wonderful, healthy and worshipful
Christmas season~
Love, Chandler & Ann

A Homecoming Celebration!

2008-12-03T21:29:00.002-07:00

There was an unseen Celebration today~
the Homecoming of our
Margie
as she slipped quietly through those
celestial gates
into the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ!

We will forever miss your glowing smile,
your warm southern charm,
your encouragement and generosity,
and your wonderful laughter!

Whenever Margie saw you she would say, "Hey, Dar-lin!"
...as she smothered you with hugs
and celebrated YOU

as if you were the person who just made her day!

"Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of His saints."
Psalm 116:15
....precious, indeed.

Tis the Season

2008-12-02T22:47:00.003-07:00

Our outdoor tree in last weekend's snow!

My parents came for Thanksgiving....here is Mom
with Laz and Tarin.
We are planning to go to Atlanta to have Christmas
with Nathan, Courtney & Hannah!

Laz in Grammy's new chair!

Fall Fell

2008-11-02T16:32:00.003-07:00

So...today was "let's take our Fall group pictures outside
in the piles of leaves on the deck!"
Well...it doesn't always go so easily as you can see!

Kellen

Presley

Let's just EAT the leaves!!!!

2008-11-01T20:13:00.004-06:00

October 30....."Daily Readings from the Life of Christ"....by John MacArthur

John the Baptist and His Doubt

“Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?’”

That John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to Jesus testifies to his genuine faith. John was not seeking more information about Christ but confirmation. In essence, he asked, “Even though I firmly believed You are the Messiah, could I have been wrong?” It was the same attitude as the father of the boy the Lord had cleansed of an evil spirit----“I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

After being in prison for months, unable to minister and interact with the outside world except through periodic visits by his disciples, John had many doubts and uncertainties about Jesus. Those misgivings settled on his mind even though he had announced, baptized, and declared Jesus to be the Messiah.

……There was no mistaking the fact that John wanted to know for sure if Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

October 31st.

John the Baptist was a true saint and prophet of God, unreserved in His divine service. He had ministered precisely according to God’s will, but now he couldn’t help wondering why he was imprisoned and enduring other hardships.

He knew the Old Testament and maybe asked where the God of comfort (Ps. 119:50, Isa. 51:12) was at that time. Where was the promise that Messiah would “bind up the brokenhearted…proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners” (Isa. 61:1)?

Paul was also imprisoned, likely in Rome, when he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let you gently spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).

John knew where to find answers, even in the midst of doubt. That’s why he sent his disciples to Jesus to plead, “Lord, please help me!” And Christ was glad to respond, performing miracles for John’s sake and promising spiritual blessing if he remained steady.

Difficult circumstances can be stressful and painful, but our attitude and response should be like John’s---and Paul’s---trusting in the Lord to calm our doubts, anxieties, and fears (James 1:2-12).

Ask Yourself……
What causes some to be secure and steadfast no matter their circumstances, while others really struggle to keep their faith front and center? How are you preparing you heart to stay strong in the inevitable seasons of conflict to come??

Difficut Days

2008-09-09T23:44:00.000-06:00

Below is an email I received from Lavan...Wanda's husband. She was in the middle of Round #2 of Radiation....when it caused her throat to swell shut. She could neither eat nor drink...and became dehydrated. She was hospitalized for 4 days and grew weaker and weaker. After being released to go home, she took herself off the morphine and for 3+ weeks she did much better. She went to a grandaughter's birthday "tea", to the beauty salon, and enjoyed having good days. Gradually, the pain in her back returned and she is now back on morphine. I want to go visit her...just have not been able to at this time. Read below:

Wanda is sleeping right now, Ann. The mornings are quite painful and the
nausea is lasting longer. We had to get back on morphine Saturday. Her home
health nurse is concerned about her getting anemic so they will draw blood
and check that out. We need to get iron into her somehow.

She has been doing so good up until late last week. We have no other avenue
for her but to walk the path of trust that the Lord does all things well,
that she is cared for by Him who knows all things. We are trusting and
claiming her healing until the Lord says stop. A friend of ours made the
statement that we will beat the door of heaven down until we get an answer.
Sounds good but I do want to be careful. There is a parable about being
insistent and getting what we came for. We are trying to do that.

Please ask the Lord on Wanda's behalf to restore her strength, remove the
nausea and remove the cancer. Our faith gets thin more often than I like to
admit these days. The Lord seems to be silent on these bigger issues of
healing. He is faithful to get us through the little things one at a time. I
just don't want to fail her in this hour or bring shame on the Name of the
Lord by getting weak kneed. The answer is somewhere. We must wait for it.

Breckenridge Break

2008-08-16T00:54:00.004-06:00

My dear friend of 30 years (can you believe it?), Dianne,
invited me to join her and her sister for a few days
in Breckenridge.
We stayed in her Valdoro timeshare and it was lovely!!

Allison & I huddled under the umbrella while eating
lunch at an outside cafe!
(it was just a few sprinkles!)

Dianne & Allison

Here comes the rain....and the COLD FRONT!
BURRRRrrrrrr....the temp dropped 20 degrees!

We went to Vail for the day on Friday and it
was sunny, then rainy, then sunny....

Hats off to Annieeeeeee!
Buenos Dias!

My favorite...a Colorado stream!
(brings back memories from my childhood of
wadding in the ice cold Colorado streams on vacation!)

We had lunch at Fatty's on Saturday.
The owner grows the flowers in a hothouse out back.

Some of the beautiful scenery.

More of the beautiful scenery!!!!
:)

Okay....I hate to torture those of you in Texas and Georgia...
but this is what the Lord gave us today!!!

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!!!!!!

Guess Who's Over the Hill??????

2008-08-10T23:36:00.006-06:00

Yes. It's true. Tiffany has made the Grand Exit of her Twenties....and entered the world of "middle-age" (or at least we can tell her that's where she is!!).
We celebrated in several different ways: Josiah took her to breakfast (alone) today. I took her to lunch (alone). The boys took her to play "lazar tag" this afternoon; then she came home and took a nap.
Tonight we brought out carrot cake and ice cream....and watched the American men's swim team win the Gold! What a fun day!!!
Here is the family....with Thirty-Year-Old parents!!!
L to R below:
Josiah, Presley (4), Ethan (11), Kellen (8), Tiff (well, you know), Laz (8 mos.) and Tarin (7).

A Sneak Preview of Fall!!!

2008-08-10T23:30:00.003-06:00

After 19+ days of over 90 degree weather, we finally had a preview of fall....and here is Laz sporting his new snow hat!
Yes, the heat was...well, HOT. But in Denver it cools off at night so it is fairly tolerable.
I'm looking forward to cooler days though~

Anniversary Trip

2008-08-10T23:24:00.005-06:00

A Return to Pike's Peak....

Thirty-seven years after our Honeymoon trip to Pike's Peak, we decided to visit the "fourteen-er" once again! (for all you southerners, a "fourteen-er" is a mountain 14,000 feet tall. Many people take pride in climbing 14-ers...but I've yet to master that skill!) So, here we are...and I'm sure we still as young as we did at 20 and 26 years of age! We had a nice trip~

More Summer Adventures

2008-06-24T09:36:00.003-06:00

At the Castle.....with our Knight in Shining Armor, "Bob"

L to R: Tarin, Tiffany, Kellen, Ethan & Laz, Maggie, Brenna, Presley,
John & Finley, and Noelle

Summer 2008

2008-06-16T22:48:00.002-06:00

We kicked off the summer with a visit from my
parents, Nathan, Courtney & Hannah (already asleep!).

There she is!
Isn't she the most precious little girl in the world??

It's now our family tradition to drive over to
Daniel's Park and take pictures at sunset.
Neat, huh??

Oh my goodness, is Laz not the cutest thing in the
whole wide world???

A Texas Reunion

2008-05-11T23:24:00.001-06:00

A walk down memory lane.....
Here is the house we built in Lufkin back in the 80's!

Chandler & I decided to make a quick trip to Texas recently....for several reasons. I have been contemplating opening a booth in a local antique mall and wanted to go raid my mom's garage for "goodies" (which we did!).....plus, we wanted to go to Lufkin and visit with Lavan and Wanda since her recent cancer diagnosis. As an added treat, we were able to stay a while at mom and dad's and visit with them too.....something that Chandler has been wanting to do for a while now.
Here are a few photos I took while at Wanda's. She was beginning to feel a little better since her radiation treatments...and should slowly regain her strength. The weather was wonderful....we got to "play" on the farm (Chandler rode the tractor and mowed two fields!), and I got to cook all kinds of goodies to freeze for them to eat later.....and we had a wonderful TEXAS Bar-B-Que dinner with their daughter Amy and her family!

We took Kellen with us and he was in 'heaven' driving all over the farm in the golf cart...with his new friend, Natalie (Amy's daughter). They were instant buddies and had a great time together.

sad news. . . .

2008-04-10T23:36:00.004-06:00

On my recent trip to Texas we had

dinner at Red Lobster....(me), Dad, Mom, Wanda, Lavan

Sunday, April 6th, 2008.
it's been a really hard day.
my friend, Wanda...(from texas)....called today to tell me that she was diagnosed with cancer last night. She will undergo radiation for a couple of weeks and then they will decide what the next step should be.
Please pray for all of them: Husband, Lavan, 3 daughters: Anna, Amy, Aran; lots of grandkids.
Her mother is still alive and lives next door to them also.

Cuteness!

2008-03-30T23:59:00.002-06:00

Laz - at 3 months!

He is Risen, Indeed!

2008-03-24T10:24:00.004-06:00

The boys----celebrating Easter with a friend, Ryan!
(on the right)

For some reason we didn't get a family
photo around the table...
but we did get Tiff & Josiah!

Oh my goodness

2008-03-16T20:55:00.004-06:00

Okay. So I've been in Texas for two weeks. And what does my husband do to fill the emptiness of his heart while his Bride is away????
He got a job rebuilding MUSCLE CARS!!!!!! It's just part-time...and with flexible hours he will be able to continue doing any inspection assignments he may get. In the meantime, I'm sure he is smiling all the way to work!

Mom's Second Treatment

2008-03-14T23:31:00.000-06:00

Mom had her second treatment yesterday and did very well. Even though she had some of the same side-effects during the treatment, it took much less time and she was strong enough to go out to lunch afterwards! Her doctor talked with her before starting the IV, examined the small tumors on her scalp....and reported that they were beginning to clear-up and disappear! It's neat that we are beginning to see positive results already! She had a good night's sleep---which is a first all week---so that was great!

Today she had an elevated heart rate, some dizziness, and weakness...but spent the day just resting. Tonight she was able to go to dinner to celebrate my aunt Marilyn's birthday!
She is still a little dizzy....and fears the return of the strange "headache"---which starts on the back and side of her head and goes down her neck. It's more like 'pressure' than a typical headache. It scares her because she fears having a stroke.

Thank you for your prayers for her during this time. We praise the Lord for His grace and mercy on her behalf!

2008-03-11T22:57:00.001-06:00

I came to Texas to be with mom for her first two Retuxin treatments for her Lymphoma. She was very hesitant to take them, but finally decided to just go ahead with the doctor's recommendation. During the treatment (which lasted about 5 hours), she had low-back pain (which suggests that the kidneys were not processing the medicine very efficiently), shaking, weakness, fever, her scalp itching, and an all-over aching. They would slow the IV and even stopped it at one point, treat the symptoms with steroids or whatever, then start it up again.

Since the treatments, she has been weak, has had a headache, has a "choking" feeling in her throat, her neck hurts a great deal, and sometimes she just hurts all over. This has not been easy for her and I know she dreads returning for the second treatment----which will be a stronger "dose" of the Retuxin....this Thursday.

MOVE OVER, PLEASE!

2008-02-26T04:39:00.003-07:00

so........we have sold the house we were all living in and moved to a rent house. The move was to take place last Saturday.....and wouldn't you know it, I got sick with the flu and was in bed all day Friday. No opportunity to pack all those "immediate-use" things so you will know where to find your toothbrush the next morning, etc.
Saturday dawned, and feeling better, I arose determined to "lay-low" and not over-do it. Strangers----literally----from our church appeared at the door ready to help....and did so for about 7 hours!
At one point I was feeling so poorly that I melted in tears when I could not find my 'medications' (herbs)....so Chandler just said, "Here, go buy more!" My dear friend, Suzanne, put me in the car and ushered me to the Vitamin Store and then to lunch. (what are good friends for??----praise the Lord for her!)
Late in the afternoon neighbors began to gather outside to meet us and we found out that the former tenant had THREE CATS and a dog! Well, if you know me at all you know that I am highly allergic to cats.....
I had suspicioned this a couple of days before when I would come over to the house to paint...and go home with a runny nose....but nothing could have prepared me for the evening that was ahead. By nightfall I was itching and sneezing and coughing.......and by Sunday I was worse than I had been on Friday. The cat dander had exacerbated the flu and it all returned with a vengeance! Chills, fever, coughing, aching, headache.....and now I can't breathe. I sent Chandler out for Benedril and that proved to be the worst thing ever! Now....not only am I miserable, but I'm drowsy (even though I only took the children's Benedril). "Oh," but you say, "at least you could sleep." -----but sleep was my enemy since my head was now so dried up that that every pain was magnified!
Okay. So I survived Sunday (barely). On Monday I was coughing more and still experiencing that "cat-dander-I-can't-breathe" syndrome.....so I had Chandler take me back to Vitamin Cottage to get "Bio-Allers" for cat dander allergies. Let me insert another note here: Tiffany had been called out Sunday night to do a birth (she's a Doula = birth coach).....and was gone all night and didn't arrive back home until 6:00 am Monday morning.....at which point she went to bed. Josiah left early for work. Chandler left early for work. So when I got up around 8:00, I made my way upstairs to the kitchen and found that a Tornado had ripped thru the place. Picture this: boxes from the move EVERYWHERE. paper plates, cups, pizza boxes, left-over noodle casserole, etc....and the list goes on. I could barely walk from being so weak but I decided that the least I could do was gather the trash. I GATHERED THREE BAGS OF TRASH!!!---just out of the kitchen alone! I scooted boxes to the side and literally made a path where we could walk! We couldn't find the coffee pot, the blender (for my morning protein shake).....still can't find any dish detergent. Josiah's mom came later in the morning and took the boys home with her to give us some relief. I thought I would sleep most of the day but began to sift through some boxes looking for 'treasures'---like coffee pots and blenders1 (I finally found them too!!) When Chandler came home he suddenly needed his office set up so he could do his reports for work.....so we accomplished carving out a small spot in our 'basement apartment' for him. By the time we made that trip to Vitamin Cottage around 6:00 I was so weak I didn't know if I were going to be able to make it through the store! (he said he could carry me---he had carried furniture and boxes that weighed more than me over the weekend!)

It's 4:23 A.M. - Tuesday.
I awoke at 2:00 A.M.-----all stopped-up again. Can't sleep. Can't breathe.....and wondering what today will hold. A new adventure, I'm sure.

2008-02-18T09:25:00.002-07:00

Malachi 3:3 says:
'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out theprocess of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered,'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

2008-02-14T08:50:00.002-07:00

...from out family to yours~

Laz - 6 weeks old

Hannah - 11 months old!
(she looks like a teenager!!)

are you in "mid-air" yet?

2008-02-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

BROKENNESS.....we don't hear much preaching from the pulpits across our nation about that. "What does that mean?", you may ask......well, let me borrow a definition from a friend's email:

"...learning to live with Christ as life only comes through brokenness. Brokenness is not only an event but a process. It’s an event when we realize that certain events or circumstances is God’s doing to bring us to the end of ourselves. It’s a process when we realize that every disappointment, discouragement, failure, depression is from God. We must get so frustrated with performance based Christianity that we become desperate for only HIM. The real question God is asking us is this: Is Christ and His life in you enough?

Many never get there because they think the secret “is doing more for God”. It never dawns on us that “being firmly planted in mid-air” is the best place we could possibly be. Not until we get out of control can Christ get in control.

When you have knowledge of Christ as life – even though it may not be a full understanding – and you pray a prayer of “Lord I want you to be my life” then that starts a process of brokenness in your life. The more you understand about knowing Christ the more God responds with little brokennesses in our life. God want the life of Christ in us to be manifested throughout every area of our life. Picture a pie sliced into 8 slices. That is a picture of our life. There may be eight areas of our life that is inconsistent with who we are in Christ. So the Lord in his mercy and love sends brokenness in that area of our life until we surrender, let go or confess our inability to handle that area on our own. When brokenness has yielded its fruit in that area then He moves to the next slice and sends a little brokenness. He continues till every slice of inconsistency is abandoned to Him. That’s the reason I said that brokenness is an event and then a process. The brokenness event is usually a dramatic struggle and the brokenness process are little struggles that you surrender.

You see, brokenness is the vehicle that God uses to bring us to the real goal which is abandonment. His ultimate goal for us is total abandonment. Brokenness is not an “Oh no not again” event but rather a “OK Lord show me where I am not surrendered” .

Madam Guyon writes about brokenness and abandonment:

Become abandoned by simply resigning yourself to what the Lord wants, in all things, no matter what they are, where they come from, or how they affect your life. Remember you must never blame man for anything. No matter what happens, it was neither man nor circumstances that brought it. You must accept everything (except of course your own sinfulness) as having come from the Lord. Surrender not only what the Lord does to you, but surrender your reaction to what he does.”

An illustration I heard long ago went something like this:

Picture yourself as an ancient piece of pottery....a vase, if you will. God puts the light (a candle) of Jesus inside but as a lamp, it is very dim. It's not until the vase is broken that the light begins to shine for the world to see.

Are you in mid-air yet?

2008-02-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of your who have sent sweet notes in response to the below prayer requests! One dear friend wrote about the difficulties of life "at our age"-----which for some reason we didn't expect! My sweet sister-in-law always says, "This isn't the cruise I signed up for!!"....but Joyce put it this way and I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

Didn’t you think by now, we would just sit around piously, in our own paid-for homes helping those struggling younger Christians? Or that we would be mentors to them? Or, …. that we would be so “established” in a ministry that we could just sprinkle our ‘fairy dust’ over it, and miracles would happen?

I personally think those type of 'feelings' are the result of the "health and wealth" preaching that permeates our society....even if we don't go to churches that preach that!!! It's everywhere! Just do this or just have enough faith or just b-e-l-i-e-v-e .....or maybe worse, "this is happening to you because you were negative or you didn't have enough faith or you don't 'believe' strongly enough." Where are the preachers who are preaching what Jesus said in scripture: you will be hated, you will be persecuted, you will have trials, you will have tribulation??...but don't be surprised! don't faint! don't despair!....He is faithful and will carry us through! (or meet us on the other side!!!)

2008-02-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

A great many people do not pray because they do not feel any sense of need. THE SIGN THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN US IS THAT WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE EMPTY, NOT THAT WE ARE FULL. We have a sense of absolute need. We come across people who try us, circumstances that are difficult, conditions that are perplexing, and all these things awaken a dumb sense of need, which is a sign that the Holy spirit is there. If we are ever free from the sense of need, it is not because the Holy Spirit has satisfied us, but because we have been satisfied with as much as we have. "A man's reach should exceed his grasp." A sense of need is one of the greatest benedictions because it keeps our life rightly related to Jesus Christ.---Oswald Chambers

In the infancy of this new year, we are experiencing stresses on many fronts that has awakened in us a greater need for prayer. Chandler's job has become almost non-existant....and we are NOT prepared to retire yet! I am working at the Castle part-time...which provides some support but doesn't pay the bills! Tiffany & Josiah have just recently sold the house we are all living in....therefore we will soon be sending out our new mailing address (which is still in the Highlands Ranch area of Denver). The house we found to rent is a 4 bedroom over a full, finished basement. They will be in the top half and we will occupy the basement. I hope you are not picturing an "efficiency" type apartment in this basement because it's far from that! There is a bedroom "area" (no doors), bath with shower, and storage...fully carpeted. That's what is called a "finished" basement here! We will begin moving around the 15th of this month.

If you wish to join us in prayer, here are some of our needs:
> work for Chandler (new job? more work in his present inspection job?)
> the sale of a couple of properties here: our lot, the Larkspur house (spec house), the Talons Reach lot.
> my mother's health (she has Leukemia and has recently been diagnosed with Lymphoma)
>>> wisdom in all these areas.

The Lord has been abundantly gracious and faithful to us and we are assured of His hand in all these areas of trial. We are also reminded of the admonitions in James that we should not be at all surprised "at the firey trials" which we experience.

We would love to hear from you.....your verses of encouragement, prayer requests for your families, etc. May the Lord greatly bless you~

Please hope with us~

2008-01-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Elijah was a man who hoped perfectly; hoped against hope until the abundant answer came. He continued, in the very face of darkness and perplexity, to expect, because the very God of hope lived in him and expected through him. And he was not ashamed, for it came to pass the seventh time his servant said, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea about the size of a man’s hand,” and in a little while the heaven was black with clouds and there was a great rain!

Can you count God faithful when only the still small voice speaks? When there is neither wind, earthquake, nor fire? Can you start when you see the cloud no bigger than a man’s hand? Can you say, “There is nothing.’ But I wait on Thee, My mind is particularly in the dark regarding the way I am to take, but Thou knowest. Unto Thee do I look up!”

Happy New Year

2008-01-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

...the western skyline on my way home from the Castle.

As we embark on a New Year have you considered where the path leads? Will it be the prosperity of living The Great American Dream?....or more like the sinking of the Titanic? Who will travel with you, or will you go alone? Will there be beds of fragrant roses or terror on every side?
Let me share with you some thoughts from "Springs in the Valley".....that will give you hope and peace along the way.....

JESUS never sends a man ahead alone. "Follow Me, let's go on together, you and I." He has been everywhere that we are called to go. His feet have trodden down a smooth path through every experience that comes to us. He knows each road, and knows it well; the valley road of disappointment with its dark shadows; the steep path of temptation down through the rocky ravines and slippery gullies; the narrow path of pain, with the brambly thorn bushes so close on each side, with their slash and sting; the dizzy road along the heights of victory; the old beaten road of commonplace daily routine. Everyday paths He has trodden and glorified, and will walk anew with each of us. The only safe way to travel is with Him alongside and in control. --S.D. Gordon

As you look out ahead and attempt to SEE what is around the next corner, please be reminded that God often works "in the dark".....He doesn't often let us SEE what is ahead. Remember also that FAITH is NOT sight....in fact, they are rarely friends! But in all things, remember that He will never leave nor forsake us. Go back to the basics of what you know about our Lord Jesus....and know that you are not alone in 2008! You are held in the mighty Hands of the One Who created you, loves you, died for you, and will sustain you....until we see Him face to face in glory!

Praise His Wonderful Name!~

The Best Christmas Present Ever...

2007-12-26T10:43:00.001-07:00

Lazarus Jude Flamm
Born Christmas Day
December 25, 2007
6:00 a.m.
9 lb. 10 oz.
21 3/4 inches
....smiling!

The Cell Phone Saga....

2007-12-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was the final Performing Arts Series concert at the Castle. It was crazy. Snow started falling around noon so by the time I drove (slid) to the Castle, the ground and streets were covered. Soon we learned that all the roads leading to our area were at a stand-still with traffic and mishaps. The guests were late (but we had over 75 people come anyway!), and the caterer was also late due to traffic. That put our whole schedule behind.
We finally just started the concert and passed appetizers until the buffet was ready. Everyone seemed to enjoy every minute of the Christmas music and atmosphere....despite the difficult weather conditions.
Well, the drive home was an adventure all in itself. Chandler has been out of town and was on his way back from Georgia. He had left his car for me to drive but the heater had quit working so I borrowed Tiffany's van to drive to the Castle. On my way home "slush" from the freeway covered my windshield but I had no water in the washers to clean it off. It finally covered the windshield so much that I missed my exit and had to pull over to try and clean it. Upon jumping out of the van to throw the 2 oz. of water I found in a cup on the windshield, I must have dropped my cell phone which had been in my lap.....but I didn't discover it until I was down the road a ways and there was no way to go back to try and find it. What should have been a 20 minute trip took me about an hour......but I arrived safely at home....somewhat shaken and very angry over the phone and the whole deal.
Chandler also arrived home safely today and went to look for my phone but has not yet found it. :(
Holiday Updates:
> my parents are here from Texas! Mom seems to be doing pretty well if you discount her bouts with her stomach. (she can't eat much at all) Dad seems to be enjoying the Christmas season with all the kids!!
> Noelle----Tiff's friend---is here from Georgia for the BIRTH!!!.....but, so far, no baby yet! She flies back home tomorrow and Tiff is beside herself wanting the baby to come before then.
> We will be taking food over to Dawn's parent's house (my nephew's wife's parents) for Christmas dinner on Tuesday. It will nice to all be together.....but we will truly miss the rest of the family: Nathan, Courtney, Hannah, my brother, Noy & Lynda and the rest of their family.

So the holiday is somewhat bittersweet......as life changes and it becomes more and more impossible to have family all under the same roof for special occasions.

Merry Christmas to you and yours~ Ann

Just Another Day in Paradise!

2007-12-11T22:13:00.001-07:00

This was the Castle on Sunday...with just a couple of inches of snow! Today, we had about 6 inches on the ground when I arrived at the Castle...and it snowed all day!
It's a winter wonderland..........!

2007-11-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Georgia Trip Perks!

2007-11-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Just so you can enjoy our little Georgia family!......

Courtney's grandad, Clay~

2007-11-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

This week I'm back in Georgia....on a "working vacation".
That means I'm working (directing a wedding!)
and vacating!
Well, I've found time to do a few other things too...
like getting together with my Birthday Group
to celebrate Andi's birthday!
Here they are...all except Lynn (who came in later)
and me (I'm holding the camera!).

Here's Lynn and Dana (before she fell asleep!).

Sheila & Pam

Okay, we can see them better now!

OOps! Who stole my camera?

Jan

Andi (the Birthday Girl!)

Sheila

Pam

Dana

A Day at the Castle

2007-10-25T22:25:00.001-06:00

Okay....the afternoon "Tea" is over, dishes washed,
we're all in our offices WORKING....
when someone says, "Everyone meet in Greta's
office for leftovers!"
So...that's a silver tray of chocolate strawberries
and fruit tarts we are all enjoying!
Of course, our BOSS was out of the office
for the afternoon!....so we blurred
the photo to protect the identity of the innocent.
(or guilty??)
I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!!

IT'S COMING!!!!!

2007-10-21T14:45:00.001-06:00

Looking west we could see the winter storm
coming over the mountains last night at sunset.

This is what it left us with this morning!

Cancel School---it's a SNOW DAY!!!

2007-10-21T14:34:00.001-06:00

oh, i forgot: it's Sunday, not a school day!
But cancel it anyway....even though it will
all be melted by tomorrow!!!

a very mischievous schoolboy!

one of my cute snow-bunnies!
(Kellen)

all the kids in the neighborhood~

two more snow-bunnies
(above and below)

the August visit

2007-10-21T10:20:00.000-06:00

In August when Nate & Courtney
(and of course, Miss Hannah!)
came to visit us, we drove over to
Daniel's Park---just minutes from our house---
and took some sunset photos!

And this is Miss Hannah up close!

"Sisters"

2007-10-17T22:34:00.000-06:00

This is the latest picture of our
Hannah Grace...
saying "hi" to her Faith-doggie!

Here comes Winter!!!

2007-10-17T21:40:00.000-06:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been since August since I've posted any Denver White House news! I guess it was all those weddings I had to do every weekend...but now my wedding season is over until next Spring! I will still work at the Castle doing various other events and holiday parties! But here are some pictures for you to enjoy ~

Tiffany & I drove to Texas to visit friends and family back in
August....and this was my cousin's talented doggie, Daisy,
in their pool!

In September I drove down to Florence, Colorado
(just outside of Colorado Springs)
to visit my dear friend, Luann. She teaches music
in an elementary school there and I spent the
day with her in class. Of course, the next day
we spent all day going to antique shops!

Flowers from Florence, Colorado....and
a sunset I captured while driving home
from the Castle one day.
It's sooo beautiful here!

A Friend Visits!

2007-08-15T20:25:00.001-06:00

My Atlanta friend, Barb, had a two hour lay-over in Denver
so I met her at the airport and we hounded the waiter
for lunch (thank you, Barb!), dessert,
extra water and anything else we
could think of in order to
keep our table
and visit!
WONDER WHO WILL BE THE NEXT FRIEND
---FROM ATLANTA---
TO VISIT ME?????

Hannah's Visit!

2007-08-08T22:45:00.000-06:00

We had the privilege of having
Nathan, Courtney, and Hannah
visit us this past week!
It was such fun....
see for yourself!

Hannah at 5 months!

The Blessed "Dad" and "Grandad"!

Oh my goodness---what fun the boys had playing with her!
Here's Kellen holding her.

Doesn't Courtney look great?

Daddy's Girl!

Summer "Fun"???

2007-07-28T21:39:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it has been June since I have updated my blog....but you will see that life has interrupted the 'normal' flow of activities and brought some surprises our way! After my last hike with The Foxes and our four grandsons, I left for Gerogia to visit Nathan, Courtney, and Hannah
...and attend a friend's wedding.
Okay...isn't she cute?

Miss Hannah Grace White!
How can you not LOVE this precious face?

On just the second night in Georgia I had a freak accident falling out of bed and breaking my right wrist. (I am typing----and doing everything else---mostly lefthanded.) Nathan & I spent all night in Kennestone's ER (it took four hours before I was seen by a doctor!) =OUCH!!! You would think it could have been some exciting accident like being attacked by a bear while hiking the mountains, or sky diving, or mud-wrestling...but I really just fell off the bed backwards while moving the pillows!...and this is what my 'temporary' cast looked like:

Three days later I visited an orthopedic doctor and got a PINK cast! Here I am a week later when my Birthday Group threw a group birthday party for Pam, Jan and me.

(note my pink cast!)

When I returned to Denver my hand was burning and hurting quite a bit. I found a doctor here and x-rays showed that the set bone had shifted. The following Monday I had surgery and they put in a plate and screws (double ouch). I no longer have to wear a cast...only a splint...but I have very limited motion and usage of my arm. I have started physical therapy but it will take up to 6 months or more for healing. It still hurts very much.

Just before I had surgery I was hired at Cherokee Ranch and Castle to be their Wedding Coordinator! I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the team and you can see from these photos how beautiful it is there!
Just beyond the ceremony site is a beautiful view of Pike's Peak.

From the Terrace guests enjoy a breath-taking view of the Front Range.

It is situated up on a bluff overlooking its 3,200 + acres as a wildlife reserve with 40+ head of cattle---obtained from the King Ranch in Texas---elk, bear, mountain lions....and my favorite: Rattlesnakes!
(I've personally seen one in the parking lot and hope it's the last one I ever see!!)

Sunset at The Castle.
Come visit and I will personally give you a tour of the castle, its tourrets, the terrace
and the breath-taking views!!

Please continue to pray for my arm, our jobs, our house (which we still haven't even broken ground on because of red tape in Colorado!), and the whole White clan!!!
Blessings on you as you pray~

2007-06-19T18:59:00.001-06:00

Well, I did the unthinkable . . .
I took the boys on my hike last Thursday!
Believe it or not, they did very well!
My group, " the Foxes," are the ones who deserve
a metal for their kindness and patience with us!

We did everything as usual....drove to Meyer Park,
took our backpacks with lots of snacks and water,
and set out to climb the mountain and see the wildflowers!

Here is Tarin beside one of the wildflowers!

Kellen, (who is an accident waiting to happen!),
shows his war-wound....a skinned knee....
from slipping as we were going down the mountain!
(or maybe he was just playing around and fell down??)

Remember: FOOD is always of ultimate importance
with these four!

Snack time!

Suzanne ended the day with us at a place called, "Tiny Town".....
where we found a train to ride!

All in all, we hiked about 2+ hours (which was over
2 miles UPHILL!).
THEY ALL DID GREAT!
----even Presley----
(who ended the walk by saying, "I can't walk anymore!")
...and that's alot of walking for a 3 year old!!

The Beatles in Concert!!!

2007-06-03T22:37:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we went to an outdoor 'concert' at Hudson Gardens called,
Gigs in the Gardens!
The group playing was called "The Fab Four"
and they played all Beatles music.
(I loved it, of course!)
Josiah's mother, Stephanie, is here visiting so it was a great
outing for the whole family.
The weather was that perfect Colorado summer's night...
when you need a sweater after 5:00...
and even a blanket as you will see!

The Fox Expedition

2007-05-24T23:20:00.000-06:00

Once again The Foxes hit the trail for our weekly

EXPEDITION.
(isn't that an exciting word??)
We headed up to El Dorado Park which is just
above (or west) of Boulder, Colorado.
We had several new experiences.......
and a new friend, Anne, who just moved
here from Conneticut!
(two Ann's in the same state??) oh, my!
We were met with a busload of 5th graders
on a hiking field trip!

Nancy helped us identify over 100 different
wildflowers!
(This is blue flax)
The hills were painted with patches of blue and yellow.
We saw our first wild "beasts" today...
a small water (non-poisonous) snake,
and the deer, above, sitting in the field.

This rock out-cropping is called,
"The Devil's Thumb".

Another unusual rock out-cropping.

Our walk today was the longest (about 6 miles,
and about 4 hours long), and the steepest.
It featured wide paths that were pretty steep,
changing to small, narrow paths with many steps.
It had soft meadows as well as the above
tree-covered walk ways.

When we reached the peak, we discovered magnificent views
looking east towards Denver. We could see
Loveland (to the north), and the Denver airport
on the east horizon, to downtown Denver.

And for all my Georgia friends.....
we discovered wild Dogwood trees in bloom!!!!
Fiddle-lee-dee!

El Dorado Park featured a 100 year old stone
house still standing.
(wish we could see inside!)

The park ranger we passed said that both a bear
and a mountain lion had been spotted
today in the general area.
(not really near where we were - but exciting to hear!)

We finished around 2:00 and headed to Boulder
to have lunch at "The Sink" and hit
a couple of shops before heading home!

Mountain Views

2007-05-22T18:48:00.001-06:00

On my way home from work I saw the most unusual
cloud formations....laying just below the
mountain tops.
Enjoy~

My Card from Tiffany

2007-05-20T12:13:00.001-06:00

"I made you somthing special, Mom."

(open the card)

"No, wait,
you made ME something special.
Thanks, Mom."

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T23:38:00.000-06:00

I hope this post finds you happy and rested after a wonderful Mother's Day!
I wanted to share some trivia I learned at our Mother's Day Tea
yesterday at our Denver church.....enjoy~

Are we different from men?
A woman uses 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.

A Russian sociologist by the name of Dr. Karpov claims that
women have approximately
17 meaningful relationships in a lifetime whereas men average 2-3.

A woman spends 4 times as long as a man getting ready to leave the house.

A woman spends 3 times as long as a man worrying.

A woman cries 5 times more frequently than a man
(although it has been said that she will not cry alone
unless she knows her husband can hear her!)

Statistics say a woman will make three right hand turns to
avoid making a left hand turn.

Women will be mortified at a party if they are seen wearing the same dress, but a man would never say, "Oh no! there are at least 20 other men here in a black tux!"

Women take off their shirts differently.
When is the last time you grabbed at the back of your shirt
and pulled it over your head??

88% of laundry is done by women, totaling 330 loads of laundry
and 5,300 articles of clothing a year.

They say the only reason women haven't been to the moon is that
it hasn't been determined to be dirty enough yet!

Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for many restaurants.

Retailers report that Mother's Day is the second highest gift-giving holiday
in the US-----second only to Christmas.

Mothers average 7,300 diaper changes by the baby's 2nd. birthday!

It takes her only 2 minutes, 5 seconds to change a diaper...
which adds up to 3 forty-hour work weeks each year!

Most kids:

Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev of Russia gave birth to 69 children
between 1725 and 1765.
She had 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quads!
Our of her 69 children, 67 survived infancy.

Mrs. Mary Jonas (who died in 1899) had 15 sets of twins...
all were boy/girl!

Oldest Mom:
Rosanna Dalla gave birth to a baby boy when she was
63 years old in Italy in 1994.

Middle income families will spend on average of $242,070 to
raise a child to the age of 18.
This does NOT include college and $7000 will be spent
before the child even arrives!

The U.S. Government considers stay-at-home mothers "unemployeed," and therefore
ineligible to accumulate Social Security credits.
Yet stay-at-home mothers work an average 14 hours a day, and they're on call
all night---far longer than most government employees work.
Plus, they are responsible for most management, human resources,
labor relations, transportation, purchasing, logistics, health care and waste
disposal functions for the facilities they run!

The average pre-schooler requires his or her mother's attention every four minutes!
About 210 times a day----and about 50 times as often as they'll call Mom
in a year after they've grown up and moved away!!!

But the scripture says that the woman who loves the Lord....
"Her children will rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
'Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.'"

And here are all the reasons I like Mother's Day:

Hannah Grace

"The Boys: Ethan, Presley, Tarin, Kellen"
Josiah = the dad!

Josiah & Tiffany

Nathan & Courtney

Again....Happy Mother's Day!

Note....

2007-05-09T21:25:00.000-06:00

Just below you will find my latest journal of this week's hike...but I would also encourage you to look once again below that to our hike of last week. Some of the photos did not publish....even though I republished them several times. I think I have finally gotten it to work and you will see all our photos! Enjoy~

Mount Falcon Park

2007-05-09T19:26:00.000-06:00

So, today's hike was thru just a portion of
Mount Falcon Park.
Again, we walked 3 hours
---which was 6000 steps!
(we have a counter!)

Parmalee Trail is just ONE of the paths in
Mt. Falcon Park.

If you want to feel wimpish....you should know that
we were joined by Phyllis today.
She has been hiking these trails for over 25 years...
and she is over 70 years old....fit and trim...
energetic and very knowledgable about the forest.

Pretty soon and I'll be an ol' Pro!!!

Nancy

Pamela (who wasn't with us this week)
calls this a "water feature"!!!

Sometimes it's good to consult a map of the area!
Not that we are lost...it just tells us where we
are and how much farther we have to go!

On this mountain ---even though we felt completely away
from civilization---
we found houses all throughout the woods!

Here is a view of the highway we took to get here.
(it's Hwy. 285 ---just like the one in Atlanta!)

Phyllis, Me, Suzanne

This house was right on the very top of a mountain!

Near the end, our trail turned into a "meadow".

Again, we always seem to find majestic views of
Mt. Evans!!
One day we will be hiking near there
...but not until it opens!
(it's closed for the snow season!)

I don't know how much of this you can read, but it
tells about a forest fire that took place
in 1989.
Now look at what it looks like years later....

The forest still has not recovered in the burned area.

Photogenic Phyllis!!

We found this "perch" at the top of the mountain.

It has a nice rock walkway~

~and a picnic shelter!

Hike is over.....hunger is raging......lunch at
The Country Road Cafe in Kittridge, Colorado!!
yummmmm!!!
(can you find it on a map?)

The Fearless Four!!
OH....I forgot to tell you what our group name is:
FOX = Friends Out Exploring!

I will leave you with one of the last 'sights' we saw today.
It was when I ventured off the path about 20 feet to look just
over a ridge.
Hmmm....what do YOU think this is??

The "FOX" group strikes again!

2007-05-02T20:11:00.001-06:00

Our hiking trail today was:
Lair O' the Bear Park!
Let me begin the story by telling you a story of my
nephew & his wife this past weekend.
Noy & Dawn were on a 4-wheeler near Vail, Colorado,
when Dawn saw a HORSE!
....except that when the horse turned around it
was actually a BEAR!
Well....the bear lumbered across the path and up into the mountains...
but Dawn & Noy proceeded to "discuss" whether
to FOLLOW the bear (Noy's idea!),
or TURN AROUND and get back to civilization
(Dawn's idea!)
Being that Dawn is 3 months pregnant....she won!

Our hiking plan.
(No, we didn't hike the entire park!---only about
3 hours worth!)

The path began beside a wonderful, roaring stream.
It was full from melting snow.
Would have been great for white water rafting!

burrrrr......

This was the wildest beast we saw today!

Actually, we were walking (and talking) along the path when
I heard some rustling noise in the woods...
and out ran two BLACK SQUIRRELS!
If you have never seen a black squirrel before (like me),
they are about the size of a large house cat
with long black hair!
Kinda wild looking!
(glad that was the only thing rustling in the forrest!)

Way down the path we came upon private property just
over the fence of the park property...
and there was a Castle!
It's actually a private home!

Look behind the small tree in the center of
this photo and you will
see a Water-wheel!
(I wonder if there's a moat?)
:)

My favorite picture!

The trails lead you through such beautiful scenery!
We often comment that we can't believe people can just come
to Denver to live and never really take advantage of
the beauty of the mountains---firsthand!

A....bear cave???

Here I am. (brown hair this week!)
Time for a short rest, an apple or protein bar,
take some photos....and head back down the mountain.

This is my Nancy friend.
She's the hiking PRO....knows all the trails, all the flowers, all the
bear paw-prints on the path,
(well....not really. But she can name most of the animals
by their prints or their skat.*
If you don't know what skat is....see last week's blog below this one!)
Anyway....I wouldn't leave home without her!
:)

This is my Suzie friend.....Suzanne, actually.....but she let's ME call her Suzie!
We attend the same church, both love antiques, both have daughters
(well, hers is her daughter-in-law)
who are pregnant with their FIFTH child!
We have LOTS in common!
OH....AND WE'RE BOTH FROM TEXAS!!!!!

I took this picture specifically to show that we are not the only ones
hiking the mountains! We have met groups of ladies twice now
on our hikes! It must be THE thing to do in Colorado!

Of course, we found this warning sign
AT THE END
of our hike!!!
(we especially do #2 = make lots of noise while hiking!)

Our trail this week was just outside the small town of
Morrison, Colorado.
When we come down from the mountain, we
often reward ourselves by visiting the
local restaurants and antique shops!!!

With something like 67 degrees and no humidity
(Georgians----eat your heart out!)
we ended our mountain hike at the
Morrison Grill
(which serves Mexican food!)
and enjoyed it on the outdoor patio!

Nancy tackled this Taco Mountain like she tackles
the mountains of Colorado....
like a pro!!!

"I can't believe I ate the whole thang!"
(she's a good Texan----loves Mexican food!)

Okay....who found the bit of family news in today's blog??
:) :) :) :) :)
Okay....who will come hike with us next week??

Coming Attraction: next week I will tell you what "FOX" stands for
.....which is the name of our group!

2007-04-29T22:58:00.000-06:00

"In the end it will be apparent that fleeting moments of turmoil, celebration, or tranquility were all merely different opportunities to come under the rule of the Lord of lords Himself."

Spring??

2007-04-25T00:11:00.000-06:00

While our friends in Atlanta (Texas, Florida & elsewhere) are

baking.....
we are enjoying a beautiful spring
SNOW!!!
We got about 10 inches today (and some surrounding
places enjoyed a whole 17 inches!!)
with more promised tonight.
Of course, it will all melt tomorrow....
and it is predicted to be
80 degrees on Saturday!

(this is one of the "Christmas" trees in the backyard!)
So, we've had to cancel our Wednesday Group Hike. Most of the
high trails are closed in this kind of weather.
(and some of our interstates were closed today too)
So Suzanne & I are going "hiking" tomorrow
through the Antique Shops in Old Littleton!!!!
:)

"Climb Every Mountain"

2007-04-19T22:29:00.000-06:00

If you have had a tough week and just need a laugh....read on!

Okay.....so while chatting with ladies from church I said, "The mountains here are so beautiful...they are CALLING ME! I'm just dieing to go to the mountains!", to which one lady, Suzanne, replied, "I'm a member of a walking group, come walk with us!"
Wow, to finally be meeting people and making friends here is a real answer to prayer. I mean, I only have one friend here, Judy, and she probably thinks I need to be sent to the funny-farm. She's been so patient with me. She invited me to a prayer group so I could meet more ladies from church.
(She probably paid them to take me on!)
That's where I met Suzanne.
Well....Suzanne is so sweet (you'd almost think she's from the south, but actually, she's a TEXAN!---and Texans are very sweet!)....Suzanne exaggerated somewhat when she called it a 'walking group'. What picture does that bring to your mind? Putting on your cute little running shoes and capris....maybe walking in a neighborhood?.....or meeting at the local high school track?.....NO!, no, she really meant HIKING GROUP! but since I didn't know that, I told her I would join them for their weekly Wednesday walk. Next thing I know she is giving me a list of what to bring. (bring??? like to a Pot Luck??) Okay....so here's the list: backpack with at least two bottles of water, fruit, snacks, ear muffs, hiking boots, and a walking stick. And what is our destination??
Mt. Galbraith!!!
A MOUNTAIN?????
Naively, I borrowed Josiah's backpack (I've NEVER worn a backpack!), as well as his ear muffs...packed all my water and snacks and substituted running shoes for hiking boots (yes, I really need hiking boots after all!---that's my next shopping trip!)
and borrowed a walking stick from Suzanne.
We met at 8:30 in the morning (the early bird gets the worm I guess) at a shopping center parking lot. I knew I was going to meet the other members of the group...probably professional walk-ers, real "Colorado granola girls".
...and I couldn't resist getting out of the car and announcing,
"I CAN'T GO!"
Surprise and curiosity crossed their faces and
they all inquired, "Why not? What's happened?"....to which I replied,
"I FORGOT MY EARRINGS!"
and then listened to them howl!!!!
(they were probably thinking, "what kind of prissy thing is she?----a real southern belle!)
But they let me go with them anyway!

Here are a few pictures from our adventure.....enjoy!
Nancy, me, Pamela....gearing up.
(suzanne is behind the camera)
the beginning....before we ever took a step!

Nancy - the "pro" - grew up in this area hiking trails all over Colorado.
She knew the names of all the flowers and plants along the way.
She was also able to recognize the various animal
prints and assure us that we were not in danger.
We saw prints of deer, elk, fox and coyote.
I also learned a new term: "skat"
which is the term for animal 'poop' of any kind!
We learned to distinguish deer poop from elk, etc. and she
would poke some of it and say, "there's hair in this one
which means it's probably coyote or fox."
(yuck)
TMI, TMI
(too much information!)

The foothills are ready to pop with spring flowers any day now.
Some are already beginning to bloom ...like this cactus flower.

Up, Up and Away!

We saw all different kinds of scenery from grassy fields to shadowy trails.

At this point we were overlooking the small town of
Golden, Colorado....
just west of Denver at the foothills of the Rockies.

This is Mt. Evans.
It is a most beautiful mountain, visible
from all over Denver.
Every day I can see Mt. Evans...except when it's too
cloudy or hazy....as I drive to the grocery store
or wherever I am going.
It's an extraordinary site that I enjoy in everyday,
ordinary ways!
We got an "up close" view on our hike!

Pamela, Nancy, & Suzanne
with Mt. Evans in the background.

There I am! I really did go on this hike!

This is Pamela. She's a real pro too!
She carries a GPS and pedometer and could tell
us how long we walked, how often we stopped,
and how many miles we had traveled....
can you believe we hiked over FOUR MILES
and we were over 7,000 feet in altitude!!!

We ended our journey and had lunch at the
Table Mountain Inn in Golden, Co.
(see www.tablemountaininn.com)
I can't believe I actually made it! No blisters even!
I guess I've been officially initiated to Colorado.
And I can't wait to hike again next Wednesday!
I will let you know our destination for next week as soon as I find out~!

Thank you, Suzanne, Nancy, & Pamela!!!
I had a wonderful time!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-07T16:40:00.000-06:00

“We are all starved for the glory of God, not self. No one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase self-esteem.
Why do we go?
Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self."

- John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

There is such healing of the soul in the splendor of what I see daily here...the mountains are so magnificient! You can be sitting at a red light and a beautiful mountain stares you in the face!!!

Wishing all of my dear friends and family Easter Blessings as we joyfully celebrate the Good News that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin...
and brings healing for our soul.

Wedding Bells Were Ringing......!

2007-03-30T16:54:00.000-06:00

Last week I traveled to Orlando to be a part of a very special event in our family ~ the wedding of my brother's middle son, Mark....to Miss Dana Boswell! I wouldn't have missed it for the world and enjoyed the entire week as we visited Disney World (see photos below this posting), helped with wedding preparations, enjoyed a family lunch at Cracker Barrel the day after the wedding, and even visited Datona Beach before returning to snowy Denver! Now I present to you......MARK & DANA!

As we arrived to help with wedding preparations
we found Mark & Dana,
"the almost Newlyweds",
sitting at the gate waiting for us!
They will be living in a house near
his place of work - Lucas Nursery and Butterfly Reserve.

THE WEDDING DAY:

Lynda bestows her blessing
and one last kiss!

The Groom and The Dad getting ready!

The Guest favors - a lily to plant
to remember Mark & Dana
on this Special Day!

The Ceremony

Deacon (Melissa's son) as Ring Bearer

The Ceremony took place in the front yard
of Mark & Dana's home.

Mark & Dana planted a Magnolia Tree
to commemorate their vows.

The Prayer Circle
Noy had everyone join hands and pray for
the new couple at the end of the ceremony.

The Newlyweds and family.

The Cake

A "Dora" Pinata for the children!

Mark's Family:
Ann, Noy iii & Bella, Dawn & Maiza,
Noy & Lynda,
MARK & DANA SPARKS,
Jan & Rick Hellewell
(Lynda's parents),
Deacon, Maddie, Melissa, Jim & Sophia.

Noy's parents, Ruby & Leon Sparks,
were unable to travel from Texas to attend
...but sent their Best Wishes
and Prayers to the Newlyweds!

The Groom...and The Director!

The Three Musketeers!

Melissa & Mark

DANA'S FAMILY:

Aunt Renee (left) and Dana's
mother, Denise (right).

Dana's brother, Kevin, his wife, Piper,
and the Flower Girl, Calley.

Dana's father, Barry, and his wife, Kim.

Mark's wonderful boss and owner of Lucas Nursery,
Mrs. Lucas.

Stealing a Kiss!

It's OFFICIAL!!!
MR. & MRS. MARK ALLEN SPARKS

Following a Honeymoon in Key West
the couple will reside in Oviedo, Florida.

Spring Sprang

2007-03-30T16:35:00.000-06:00

We have been enjoying such lovely weather here in Denver....70 degrees during the day...people in shorts & flip flops....and THEN we awoke to this sight outside our bedroom window this week:

That was yesterday....today is sunny and bright, but this afternoon---as the sun was shining---it started snowing again in huge, fluffy flakes!
Welcome to Denver!!! At least this is better than the flourescent yellow pollen that's covering all of Atlanta right now! Our snow will be melted by tomorrow (the streets were never affected)....but your pollen will......(cough, cough)........last.......(gag, sneeze)........for weeks and weeks!!!
Happy spring!

Disney with the Family~

2007-03-24T20:31:00.000-06:00

I flew to Orlando to attend/assist with my nephew, Mark's, wedding....but we made it a family "vacation" by going to Disney World with my niece, Melissa, and nephew, Noy iii, and their families. Enjoy the sights.....and wedding pictures will come next!

Bella
(Noy & Dawn's youngest)

(just to prove that I was really there!)

Deacon
(Melissa's oldest)

Deacon & Maddie

Dawn & Bella

Jim, Melissa, Deacon, Maddie and
new baby, Sophia

(is that Ann as MiniMouse?)

At Dusk the castle turns pink!

Maiza
(Noy iii's oldest)

Sophia

Maddie
(Madeline Olivia)

(L-R) Deacon, Melissa, Sophia, Noy iii, Maiza,
Dawn & Bella

The Thank You Hall of Fame

2007-03-17T23:00:00.000-06:00

Okay...it's past time for me to post the "thank you" list from our recent move. I've been in Denver a week and 2 days now....and just unpacked my suitcase tonight. (I had to dig thru boxes to find COAT HANGERS!) Tiffany's house is stuffed with all of our furniture, and the basement is a "maze" of boxes. The driveway and street are lined with cars (five in all), and the neighbors are wondering how long this "party" is going to last!

Let me begin with a big HUG and a "thank you" collectively to everyone who has been a part of this long prepartion for moving to Colorado. It started many months ago...in fact, it took five months to sell our house, one month to pack, and four days to get here! THANK YOU all for your prayers and elbow grease!

.....my "Birthday Gurlz" who have been my constant companions and encouragement for over 16 years! We have prayed together, wept together, and PARTIED TOGETHER making many, many memories that will last a lifetime! They gave me a wonderful "Going Away" surprise party! Gurlz, take a bow~

Next, I want to Thank my dear friend, Margo, for opening her home and letting me invade she and "Ilsa" (her dauchsund!) for an entire MONTH! What a brave and patient woman! Margo....are we still on speaking terms?? :) I know Ilsa still loves me!

BARBARA WELCH....you were the first to call and say, "I'm coming over to help you pack!" You didn't even ASK, you just announced! And how much I appreciated your help packing 18 BOXES of my china!!! Whew!...but the laughter made the hours fly by and it jump-started the whole moving process!
Barb is a writer (she's ready to publish her first book!) and has allowed me to read the first couple of chapters! I wonder if I'll ever be in one of her furture books?

Carol, Melissa, Amanda & Beth Ann....you were WONDERFUL to come and spend an entire Saturdy afternoon organizing and packing...and especially laughing at all the silly "keepsakes" I made you look at and vote on which ones to finally send to the garbage!

And last, but not least.....Linda Cochran and Pat Page....my crazy "sis-tahs"....who came time and again, never complaining....packing, watching "24", packing, and packing, and packing! I would NEVER have gotten it done without you!!!!!!!

Linda and her sons, Jamie and Joel, helped many, many times! THANK YOU GUYS!!!!

Thank you....ALL of you....
Especially those who called to say you were praying for us. (you know who you are!)
The Lord knows who you are and has a promise for you in His Word:

"For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."

I Love You All~

Our Precious Miracle

2007-03-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Lady Hannah Grace....born March 2, 2007,
weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz., 21 inches long, with just a little brown hair.
And now in her own words....

"Well, so this is what life's all about? My mommy (Courtney) and daddy (Nathan) have been trying to tell me. Everyone just starring at me...making faces....googling and gurgling....people are a little strange!
Okay, here's my story......after several days of major trauma on MY part, I was born just LAST NIGHT...at 7:37 p.m. Well, they pushed me and poked me and even weighed me in front of the whole world! You know, a lady never tells her age or her weight, but they published it for everyone to see: EIGHT POUNDS, TWO OUNCES! And I guess they think I'm going to be a ballerina because I'm already 21 inches tall! (not that I can stand up yet).....And now my Grammy (Ann) has me in front of the computer camera first thing this morning! Well, at least she got me all dolled-up with my new hat
and everything. I think I want my An-ya (Teresa)!!!!"

Under Construction

2007-02-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Denver White House blog! Soon you will be able to keep in touch ---personally--- with Chandler & Ann White in their new adventures in Colorado! You will see many photos of four little boys ....as well as a New Grandaughter who will be arriving soon! We will welcome your comments and feedback so we can keep in touch with you too!