Three Weeks Ago Today ...

We had waited

and waited ...

(My mom, aka "Geggy")

and waited ...

Some of us even donned special clothes

made just for the occasion ...

and finally ....

Miss Vivian Hope "hopped" into our lives

the evening of Saturday, April the 7th ...

just in time for the Easter Bunny!

Gorgeousness ...

All 8 lbs. & 6 oz. of her ...

(so far, she's the biggest of the Dial grandgirlies!)

My youngest son ("Big Daddy"), Dr. Alan Chamberlain (who has delivered all four of my grandchildren
 & is the most awesome OB ever - in the Dial Family's humble opinion), Miss Vivi & her momma.

Nana & Grammy, exhausted after being at the hospital for 24 hours with no sleep
(which I'm aware is completely evident in this photo ;)
 but with that said, I want to go on record & say that Miss Vivian was well worth the wait!

Vivi & her great-grandfather (my daddy) right before she got to go home.

I couldn't possibly publish this post without sharing this pic of my DIL, Rebecca,
 just seconds after Vivi (only minutes old) had been taken to be weighed & measured ...
looking so lovely (after being in labor for > 24- hours) ... she's amazing!



~"It's a fine thing when sisters love each other" ~
(Lornia Landvik)



 ~ Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love. ~
Author Unknown

 

Taxophobia ...

(Cue the music .. Britney Spears .... )

"Oops, I did it again!"

Yep, true to form,

(even though the tax deadline was extended by two days)

I waited until the very, very, very last minute

to gather all the bank statements & receipts

necessary to begin making my list

& checking it twice thrice at the very least

and ...

I had to LOL when "my" tax girl

Lisa Fay

(owner of H&R Block in Hamlin)

acknowledged my presence (on the 16th) by saying loudly!

"Kimberly Dial!!!"

(yeah, yeah, I heard the exasperation in her tone but chose to hear it as excitement -

after all she only gets to see me once a year ;)

As long as she's been doing our taxes, I've never,

ever, stayed in the office while she does them ...

I'm a "drop-off"

(her words, not mine! ;)

Dedicated gal that she is (and I mean that!)

I received the call, Monday at 10:02 p.m.

 (I told you she was dedicated)

with the news and, this year, I was pleased

 (proof-positive that prayer WORKS! :)

So, once again, I bid the tax season adieu ...

"parting is such sweet sorrow" ... NOT!

Please tell me, that either you or someone you

know procrastinates doing their taxes ...

Please ...

or perhaps I'm just diagnosable ...

a paralyzing fear of filing taxes ...

TAXOPHOBIA?

Monday Muse ...

 Hear;

for I will speak of excellent things;

and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

~ Proverbs 8:6 ~

Have a wonderful week!



Monday Muse ...

A new week ...

A fresh start ...

~ Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are new. ~

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

He's a God of new beginnings ...

and I, for one, am so thankful!

How about you? :)

Have a blessed week!

Monday Muse ...

~ He healeth the broken in heart and

bindeth up their wounds. ~

Psalm 147:3

D is for Delightful ...

Ladies,

you know when you find something really wonderful

like a new mascara, lipstick, moisturizer or cleanser

(whether it's for your skin or your home! ;)

& you just can't wait to share your discovery because

 it's just that awesome?

Well, this is just like that ... only different ...

it has been life altering ...

Winter has never been my fave and (admittedly) I do more than my fair share of complaining pointing out how miserably freezing cold it is,

BUT ...

this winter has been unseasonably warm,atypical,
the warmest by far since '78-79,
(my first here in West Virginia)
which left me nothing to complain about ...

EXCEPT...
I felt uncharacteristically blue, just not myself;
and while I'm no stranger to bone and joint discomfort, I was much more achy than usual and the pain had reached a level I had started to find somewhat concerning ...

SO ... FINALLY ...
I decided it was time to go to the doc ...
which is in the top five of my most unfavorite things.
(I worked in a doctor's office for 20+ years and seldom saw a doc, unless I passed one in the hallway ;)

I told her my symptoms and expressed my concerns ...
She listened and ordered bloodwork and ...
voila! ... eureka! ... surprise!

the culprit?

(or lack thereof ...)
a "hideously low" (her words, not mine) Vitamin D level ...
and resultant anemia
(apparently, left unchecked, the two go hand in hand)

I was pleased and surprised.
Simple enough to fix, right?
Thankfully ... Yes!

A prescription for Vitamin D (a gazillion units ;) for eight weeks which will (fingers crossed!) elevate my level to the point where a daily OTC supplement of 1000 IU will do the trick
(that along with a women's multi-vitamin with iron to correct the mild anemia :)

So ...
I said all that to say this ...

If you happen to find yourself not feeling like yourself,
it just may be that you need to go see your friendly neighborhood MD, DO, PA or FNP

and have your Vitamin D level checked ...

It's been nearly four weeks and I'm feeling better.
At first I thought that maybe it was my imagination ...
Surely I couldn't be telling a difference so soon but I'm certain ...  It's true ...

I'm making a comeback ...

I'm starting to feel like me again!

YAY!

Vitamin D ...

DELIGHTFUL!!!!

Color Me Happy ...

If you know me at all

you'll understand that I'm really, REALLY thinking

outside of the box (well, MY box anyway)

I generally don't do color.

I like color & can appreciate it in the

homes of others but I stick to the basics in mine.

Neutrals reign supreme in my home.

I like it like that, well I did, until recently ...

but things are about to change around here.

I've made an executive decision.

Color is coming ... slowly at first ...

I have a plan. A colorful plan.

I can't wait to get started

and share it with you ...

:)



Growing up Bellflower ...

I was an adult, working with the youth
before I ever realized the effort & love these people
had invested in my young life.

Diana Hancher (she's my cousin as well as a huge influence!), Millie Benefield & Sonjia Milner.

I balanced toddlers on my hips as I taught
because I had seen it done.


I've had patience with teenagers when others
simply thought of them as lost causes
but I'd already seen it done.

Bill & Sharon Cox, I loved to listen to them sing & play music.  In additional to their musical talent they were always fun, loving, patient & kind. Our trips to Magic Mountain with the Sunday School class are part of my most treasured childhood memories.

Bill & Alice Chamberlain were my best friend's parents. Hospitality reigned supreme in the Chamberlain home and I loved them both  very much. Their influence was monumental although I didn't come to realized most of it until I was a grown woman with children of my own.  Bro. Chamberlain has gone home to be with Jesus.

E.W. & Nancy Farr, when I think of them I think of stability and love. He had a heart for missions like nobody I've ever met. She was the Sunday School Superintendent for the Jr./Sr. High Dept. when I was a teen.  Always the same, loving but firm and kind. I loved and respected them both. Bro. Farr has gone on to be with Jesus too.

Sis. Johnnie Plyburn's words to a teary-eyed girl (me) outside a nursing home have stuck with me all these years. I couldn't have been any older than eleven. The smiling faces of the home's residents was too much for my young heart to bear. As tears filled my eyes, she gently explained how happy our visit and singing would make them and that I should try to focus on that instead of how sad it made me feel. Teary eyes dried, I was able to go on singing. I've never forgotten.

Of course there are many others ...

Bro. Bobby Benefield,

Joe Hancher,

Jim & Bonnie Flores,

Chuck Milner,

Terry Alongi,

(who has also gone on to be with the Lord)

Clara Llewellyn

(& Thomas Chai, who has gone on & I hope to see in Heaven)

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".

Philippians 1:3-6



February Lay - zzzzzz - day



It's the first weekend of February,

better known as Super Bowl Weekend

(can I get a woohoo? WooHoo! :)

The weather has been grey, dreary, damp ...

Perfect for:

 laying around and

catching some zzzzzzzzz

The hubs has been home this weekend

(which I love!)

and we've had grandgirlies #1 & #3

 while their daddy & momma went away for a few days

(before the birth of grandgirlie #4).

The littlest Miss Dial, scheduled to arrive in April ...

We've watched movies ...

quite a few of them ...

(I'm not even sure if this is all of them. I'm sure I'm leaving a few out)

Sisters snuggling ...

'Trinka' snuggled up & watched movies today too ...

The hubs relaxing in the mancave ....

My Cookie Monster ... Anna Elisabeth

All this snuggling has made me miss

our sweet Floridian, grandgirlie #2 ...

My sweet Kylie Jo, doing some shopping with
her cousins, December 2011

If she'd been here with us this weekend,

as cozy & wonderful as it's been,

it would have been perfect.

Wherever you are, I hope this finds you

having a wonderful weekend with those you love.



The Irony & The Ecstasy

Irony: An outcome of events contrary to what was or might have been, expected.

I made myself a promise before the season began ... I was NOT going to spend the Winter of 2012 whining, complaining and anticipating misery.  I mean really, I was sick of listening to myself.

 I can't even imagine what those closest to me thought about my constant murmuring.

It probably went something like this:  

"Awww, enough already. UNCLE. It's Winter. It's cold. We get it. SHUT UP!" ...

(Let me be clear. No one actually spoke those words to me. Those were things I thought to myself - about myself -during my"Winter Whinery" of 2011 ;)

But, believe me, the irony of this winter's weather (thus far) and my decision to embrace all things snow and ice has not been lost on me. If I'd known embracing the wintry climate would make it go away I would've done it years ago. (I'm just kidding. I know my acceptance has nothing to do with it's disappearance. Duh! I mean, that's just silly, right? Of course, that's ridiculous. Right?  ;)

Today's temps were so awesome that Emily & I went for a long walk here on the creek before church. It was heavenly.  It's February 1st for goodness sake. This just doesn't happen.

We both loved it :)

 Looking for the horses ...

Country girl!

Nana's biggest girlie :)

This was Trinka's (chihuahua) first walk up the holler.

She didn't know what to do with herself! :)

The Retrievers, Jackson & Rosie,

loved the company and were in their glory ...

The daffodils are trying to bloom ...

I had a hard time keeping her out of the creek.

It was warm ... but not that warm.

The hills are still barren but, it's warm so I don't care  ...

I can't even express how happy the warmth makes me ...

Sooooo happy ...

Unfortunately, the unseasonably warm temperatures also bring about  things that do not make me happy. SNAKES! While I've not seen one, I have heard several reports that they are out & enjoying the warmth as well.

See that? It's a hole, in the hill, next to a tree ...

Yep, if I was a snake, I'd live there.

Very cozy and CREEPY!

Jackson walking on water ...

See that look?

I'd recognize it anywhere.

That's pure ....

Ecstasy: A state of exalted delight, joy; delight, bliss, elation.

Perfect Peace.

~Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.~

Isaiah 26:3

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Such a small price to pay for peace.

Not just peace.

Perfect.

Peace.

Perfect peace.

If I'm to believe the scriptures (and I do) then

this perfect peace, is within my grasp

(and yours!)

Philippians 4:13 says

~ I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me ~

All I have to do to obtain this perfect peace is to keep my mind on the Lord & trust Him ...

I know that I CAN do this because I can do ALL things

through Christ ...

Not only can I do it but He'll strengthen me in the process.

It's a win-win.

All right Lord, I'm in.

Roger Lee ... aka 'Bozo' ... aka 'The Hubs'
 ... the love of my life for over 33 years ...

Joshua Isaiah, my oldest son & favorite Sailor ...

USS Farragut

Philip Andrew, my youngest son ...

My precious giggling grandgirlies ... Kylie Jo, Anna Elisabeth, Emily Rae and ...

The new girl ... scheduled to arrive April 2012
(Unofficially "Miss Vivian Leigh")


Here they are Lord ...
They are my life ...
my joy ...
I give them all to You ...

I will:
~ Trust in the LORD with all my heart; and lean not unto my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) ~