Yesterday, Jeff and I took the kids to Indian Gully for a nature walk and science day. It was really cool. I realized that my husband was a nature freak to say the least. He was telling the kids his old stories of spending hours in Indian Gully with his friends and going through all the trails and such. The kids had a great time, we even took our dogs, so they could run all over.






Here is a picture of Luke and the dogs above Jeff. They were on the other side of the creek from Melanie and I. They were trying to find some arrow heads.

The trees and all the foliage was in their fall colors and there were leaves every where. I loved the different trees and their mushrooms or left over leaves that are on the trees. I think that one of these trees is a dogwood, it had these awesome thorns on them. Could you imagine those piercing your brow?

Here is Jeff, Melanie and Luke walking a head of me. They were so fast, I sometimes could not keep up with them. And of course, Jeff does not stay on the trail, he wants to explore. He was so funny. He told me after we got home, that he had a great time and he wanted to do it again soon. So I guess we will be taking more walks, that is okay with me. Have you walked in the autumn leave yet? It is fun.

I love Autumn, it is so unpredictable. Yesterday we were bundling up and cold and today we have our heat off and we have all the windows open. It is so beautiful out with all the leaves all over the place and the trees are bare. I reminds me of my life when it seems to be unscrambled or I am hurting, bare and messed up. And I go through a cold and barren season, but soon the buds come up through the ground and trees began new leaves and I am healed and refreshed. Seasons are so amazing, God just made them like our walks with Him. Each season represents the way we go through trials. He is so amazing.

I have been going through this study called "Lord Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur and it has been so awesome. Yesterdays chapter was "Total Dependence on God" as I was going through this chapter I was struggling a bit with why I do not give my life totally to God. I stopped and started to pray and then I journaled it. I started back with the study and God answered me so quickly, I have abandonment issues from my childhood, so I am really not quick to give my life to Him. I realized that I wanted God more than keeping this issues on my heart, I gave them up to Him and I am going to march forward with God. He is my only life line in this world. I felt so great after I let it go and let God.

Then today the study talked about Asking of the Lord. Here is a quote that Kay gives, "Prayer is the key to Heaven, but faith unlocks the door." Awesome!!! We need to be in prayer always and asking the Lord for help continually. I have also realized that I need to be in the word to learn all of His promises in order to know how to pray more efficiently. I really loved this book and I hope that it will really build up my prayer life. I have been so blessed lately with freedom from bondage, health, friendship, and the relationship I have with my blessed father. I am so looking forward to this season of Thankfulness and the soft reminder of a Savior born to free me from sin. My heart leaps for joy and I am so thankful for every breath I breath. God bless all of you and thank you for reading my rambling. Love Tanya

Our anniversary was on September 28Th, but with all of the activities that our family has gone through, we were not able to celebrate it. So last night Jeff's family came to our house and we celebrated our anniversary and some October birthdays. This is funny, Jeff and I were blowing out two candles. You would think this would be easy, but no, Jeff leaned over and blew out mine and left his burning. He is such a card sometimes.


I have to be honest with you, when I met Jeff in the Army, we had only known each other for a week when he proposed. I remember the night that he asked me to be his wife. I was in shock, how can I be his wife when I did not know how to be a wife. The examples of marriage for me was not exactly the best. I was so scared, but it is like faith, I knew I loved him so much and I just could not be without him. So I said yes, but I was still not sure. After he left for the states and I was still in Germany, I just felt like someone had took my heart from me, and I knew that it was Jeff that had. So I just had to marry the man who stole my heart.

Now, 19 years later, I still feel the same for Jeff. The love has really matured and I look at Jeff as being more of my best friend than my husband. We laugh more than ever and we still have our moments. But in the end, he is the one I go to for question, a shoulder and support. I am blessed in life with two best friends. My first one is my Lord and my second is my husband. How awesome is that.


This is our brother in law Jr, his birthday is in the beginning of October, so we celebrated his birthday last night. It is so amazing to me how the time has just gone by so much. I remember celebrating birthdays one at a time, but now that our families have grown up, it is hard to get together with everyone. Our kids are now almost on their own and they are producing their own lives.




This is Jeff's dad and Jr on their birthday. Next week is Halloween and then we are looking at the season of Thanksgiving. I am amazed at how this year just flew by and we are almost two months till 2010. It is so fast and my kids are so grown. I love them dearly and I am so proud of them. I cherish each and every event, moment and birthday with our family.

Time is not on our side, but we can full fill the time we have with good memories and love. I am so grateful to the Lord for showing me Love. I would never of known how to love if it was not for him. He has shown me so much and I am so grateful for it. God bless you all.

P/S I wanted to ask for prayer for a couple of things. First, I found out yesterday that a dear friend of my side of the family (Richards side) died on Thursday and she is with the Lord. But her husband who suffered a stroke some years ago is still alive and in a nursing home alone. Please pray for him and his safety. That God wraps him with protection and gives him good nurses to take care of him.

Secondly, Tasha was rushed to the hospital on Friday with contractions every three minutes. It turned out to be a false alarm. But she is really close to having the baby. She is 3.5 cm dilated and on stricked bed rest for two weeks. So just keep her in your prayers.

Thirdly, a dear friend of mine has gone through some hard time in the last week, I just ask that you pray for her and her family. The comfort of our Lord who never leaves us, and the guidance of our Lord through tough decisions. They really just need comfort right now.

And my last prayer request is for another dear friend and her husband. That the Lord would heal, protect and guide through some health and job issues. God is with them and I know they will get what God needs them to get. But just pray for them.

God bless all of you and have a wonderful week. Love Tanya

I really do not have much to say today, but I love you all and you are all in my prayers. Love Tanya

God is good all the time. I just went and seen my Doctor for a check up and I am not longer going to have to see him. I am completely healed. I can not lift anything 25pounds or heavier. But I am completely healed and on the mend. I feel so good and I can not believe how awesome God is. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and so much for God and His ultimate healing power. I love all of you and I will write more later. Love Tanya

Ever since I have left the hospital, I have been so amazed at how the Lord is working in my life. It seems that Jeff and I are closure and we are really working on our relationship. Of course it is so nice that he is now on day shift. And I am closure to Melanie and Luke and more focused this year on school. But most of all, I am seeing God more clearer. I have been getting up at five thirty in the morning and spending that time with God. I am seeing Him with such excitement and love. I really see how awesome He is and His word is awesome. I pray for the season that all of you just sit back and just bask in God's word. Notice the creation around you and the peace that fills your family. He is so awesome and so much wanting to get closure to you and me. What a beautiful day we had and I am so blessed to have blogger friends like you all. God bless you and have a wonderful evening. Love Tanya

Our women's group is doing this book called "Learn to pray in 28 days" by Kay Arthur. At first I was a little apprehensive in reading this book. I started reading it and I have just loved it. Kay talks about the Lord's Prayer, she is dissecting it and I am really looking at the prayer differently. But it was the awesome revelation that I received from doing this study. Here is what I received.

"Our Father which art in Heaven, hallow be my name. thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen"

So here is the revelation that I was given, I need to worship the Father who is in heaven, Not only his character, but His name above all. That His word does not just make promises for the coming Heaven, but also how to live on earth. The daily bread is the Father's word, debts are my unforgiveness and debtors are those that I have not forgiven. The Father will keep me from temptation and deliver me from evil. For God gave His kingdom, His power and His glory to me if I choose to claim them all through the acceptance of Jesus Christ. I have never looked at the scriptures like that and it really blessed my heart to see God's word differently.

Kay Arthur also sets up The Lord's Prayer as a guide line that we should use to pray to the Father. Worship, praise, petition, submission, praise and worship. It is awesome to see it so differently. I believe that it has caused me to look at all the prayers in the bible differently. I hope that this has not just been ramble and that you take the time to look at God's word for yourself. It is really awesome. God bless all of you and I love you from Tanya

This morning I was getting up and ready for the women's group that I attend. As I was getting ready I kept thinking I should pull out my winter coat. I put on my coat, grabbed my bible and purse and opened the door and look what I saw. I was not very happy about this, it is too early in the year for this. And it is cold, it is kind of sleeting a little out there. But it is not really slick. So, this morning I was given the book for our next bible study. We are going to do "Lord Teach Me To Pray" by Kay Arthur. I am really excited about this. I am really ready for a new study. I am also reading "The Sovereign Spirit, Discerning His Gifts" by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It has been a really good book so far.

It is really weird to see leaves falling from the trees and snow falling at the same time. I can not believe that all the leaves are not off the trees yet. Well, I hope all of you have an awesome weekend and a blessed fall. God bless you and I love ya, Tanya

For the first three days of my stay in the hospital, I had this intense headache. At first I thought it was due to the surgery. When I told the nurse about it, she said I was coming down off of caffeine and that is why I had a headache. I sat there and thought, "my land, if this is from caffeine, I must of been hooked bad." It donned on me that I had created so many bad habits for myself, so I have not drank anything with carbonation or caffeine. My stomach is not blotted anymore and I am feeling less gassy if you know what I mean. I have also tried to stay away from the artificial sweeteners. I have not craved food since I got out of the hospital and I have cooked every night. It has been awesome, but last night we went over to see family and we did not leave till about nine. Jeff said we should just pick up something. So, we went to Subway, you know it was so healthy and delicious. I also have notice that I am not eating as much as I used to. Now I have to confess, I have a candy bar every once in a while, but it is not like I used to be. I used to have to have one every day.

Three months before my surgery a friend came into the center and she was reading this health book. It was telling of the dangers of artificial sweeteners. It was saying that artificial sweeteners has caused people to crave food. Not to mention the embalming fluid that is in them. I have also realized that the gifts from God have to be acted on, like lets take joy for a moment, we can pray and pray and pray about receiving joy. But bottom line is you just know you have it from God, you have to pull it out of yourself and then just keep praising God for the joy that He has given you. I have found this with Self Control, He has given it to me, I can not just sit there and keep praying to Him for it or I need to act on it. Since I have come to that revelation, I am not afraid of food anymore, and I know I can with God's help, break the fear of the thirty pounds. The fear is that when I hit thirty pounds, I will stop and gain it all back plus some. It does not exist anymore, With God I can do all things through Him that Strengthens me. I am free, and you can too. He has given you the gift in Galatians 5:22-23 and in Ephesians 6 He has given you the offense and defense to protect the gifts that He has given you. He is so prepared for us, we just have to grab it. It is so awesome to be free. I sit here fifteen pounds lighter and I plan to keep going. I feel great and I am blessed. I love all of you and God bless you, from Tanya.

Wow, I can not believe that this year is going so fast. It is already the 5Th of October. I have not been posting because Jeff's aunt decided that it was time to go to the Nursing home, so Jeff and his family have been cleaning her apartment. I have been here trying to support Jeff and making sure that he has his supper and things set up when he comes home. He has been really tired. This is such a big decision, not just for Jeff's aunt, but for his mom also. She has been dealing with things, just pray for her. I have been feeling so good, so good in fact, I have moved furniture, changed curtains and looking at some painting projects. It is driving Jeff crazy that I will not stay down. I have to say, I have felt awesome. I have also been back into my bible, I am currently reading 2 Chronicles and I am loving it. I love the fact that Solomon asked for wisdom instead of riches or more territory. It is so awesome. The word of God is so fulfilling and I am seeing so much from it. I hope to keep going and soon read straight through the bible. I have taken some bunny trails, but I think I needed to. I hope that all of you are having a wonderful Autumn and enjoying this crisp air. It is so refreshing. Have an awesome evening and days to come, love ya from Tanya

Well, I had another doctor's appointment Tuesday and all is going great. All the staples are out and I am on the mend. God is so good, the doctor keeps making comments like "On normal cases where the women is large, I would of had to open her up at least two times now and re staple her." or "I can not believe how healthy you look and how well you are healing."
Well, Dr Grass, it is God!!!!! All the way with him, ya know. I am feeling so good, I asked Jeff to take a walk around the block with me yesterday. It was so good. I felt so good. It can be dangerous to feel so good, because it makes me want to get up and do lots of work. The house needs help. And I know that my family is doing what they can to keep it clean, but it is not up to what I want. So, I keep getting up and trying to do things. Not good when Jeff is home.

I have been sitting here, reading some of my favorite blogs and really seeing what God is doing in lots of peoples lives. I am impressed by Susan's blog this week that talks about Character building and life skills. This is really important and I am glad to be reminded of that. I read Nana's blog about Joy and happiness, and yes, we have to reach for it and come out of ourselves to help people around us. And then I read Lori's blog about the growth of her daughters and how they are becoming independent and wanting to blaze their trails in this world. Awesome, I am so impressed by the different paths that we are all on. Parsley, I love your blog and it is such a wonderful reminder of activities and family, healing and love. And of course Papa and Mama's blog, you are so in my prayers this week and God is surrounding you during this time of uncertainty. I am so blessed by the people that I am surrounded by and I hope and pray that during your journeys, there will be growth, love, peace, patients and joy. God bless all of you and thanks for inviting me on your journey. Love ya, from Tanya

Yesterday was Jeff and my 19th wedding anniversary. We did not do anything. I am kind of down right now physically and some mentally. I guess I am trying to rush healing a little bit. But, I have to say that I do feel so much better than I have in a long time. I find myself being more aware of my bodies needs and I think this has made me realize the destruction that I had given this temple of Gods. But I am well and I am thankful to be able to share another year with Jeff and the kids. Most of all, I want to be in tip top shape for the trip to Georgia in November for the arrival of my new great Nephew Jeffery Jay. I am so excited for this and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my sister and family. I have not spend a holiday with any of my family for some time. I think the last Thanksgiving with Charlene was when we were little. I can not remember. I did get to spend Christmas with my mother in 1999. That was my last holiday with her. I am so excited though and I just want to be on the mend. So thanks for those prayers and I hope all of you have an awesome week. Love Tanya

Update

Well, yesterday Jeff took me to see the surgeon who had done the procedure last week. When I left the hospital on Friday, Dr. Grass had told me that when I seen him on Tuesday, he would probably have to open up the wound at the bottom and clean it out from the infection and re staple it. So, yesterday, Jeff and I went to the doctor and he came in and looked at the wound. He started to press on my belly and got gauze and long q tips. After a while and four gaze pieces later, he looked at me and said, wow, that was not what I had expected. He then had the nurse pull out ever other stable and he said it looked good. He did not have to reopen it or re staple. He wants to see me next week, but he is really impressed about how healthy it looks. It is God, he has healed me and I tell ya, I have not felt so good in my life. I am eating well, I get to walk around the block today and I am up cleaning my house. I even got to sleep in my bed last night. I have been sleeping on the over sized chair in our living room. I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful group of people around me. I have talked to my dad every day and my sister every other day. Plus, Jeff's family has been so awesome. I have been healed and now that I look upon the last two years of health problems, I wonder if this was part of God's plan. He needed to rid my body of this infection. I really believe there were lots of signs, right side pain every once in a while, bowl problems, an over sized uterus, etc. I am now healed and I am looking at some different roads to take. I have been praying for guidance and I have seen things different. Thanks for your prayers and I am so glad that I am here to write this to you. ha ha. Love Tanya

The Climb

I really prayed about this before I posted it, but I have to tell ya that I believe in my heart that God uses many people to talk to me. This is no exception, Melanie and I watched this movie, which I believe has a really great message. But it was this song that really brought tears to my eyes. I assure you that Miley does not talk about God, but as I was hearing this song, I was visualizing my walk with God. And one thing that is stated is that it is not about what is on the other side, it has everything to do with the climb. I believe that in all paths that I have taken, it was that I find it all joy through my trials, James 1:7. As I was going through that trial or path, I was growing closure to God, letting Him change my life. The refiners fire as it is put so many times in the word. And He is my only hope to see the other side, but I guarantee you, that I will not be the same person on this side of that climb as I am on that other side. It was just an awesome song and although I am not a big Hannah Montana fan, I find it interesting that we are all seeking something and if we look hard enough and just except the journey we will realize that all road will lead to God.

What a week I had

Well, I have to tell ya, I never know what life will throw at me and this is a dossier. Early Sunday morning of last week, I think that was the thirteenth. I woke up with aching stomach mussel's and vomiting. I thought at first twenty four hour flu or maybe I pulled stomach mussels from the lifting the boxes of books the day before. I stayed down all day and I had a heating pad on. I also noticed that I was running a low grade temp. It was not until Monday when it all would come to a head, I woke up Monday with sharp right pain. I did a few things and the pain become more intense. About eleven o'clock in the morning the pain was so intense that it caused me to be light headed, sweaty and I threw up everywhere and the the pain shot to my right side to the back area. After this moment the pain dulled down and I took a bath and went and layed down on a heading pad. Periodically, I took my temperature because I felt so cold. It would read, 99.3, 99.5 then it shot to the 100's. By six o'clock it was 101.3. I decided that it was time to do something so I called Jeff's mom and dad and they took me to the ER. Well, I had an acute appendix attack and later on I found out that it had burst, that eleven o'clock time was when it happened. So they rushed me in to surgery and found out that my whole abdomen area was infected and my right side ovaries and Fallopian tube. They kept everything except the bursted appendix and cleaned me out. I have to tell you this may sound so intense, but the whole time my constant was God and he showed me every step of the way that he was with me. One of the ER nurses was my old boss, the nurse that took me to surgery was a dear friend Lori Lewis and she was with me the whole time. The very next day God gave me strength to get out of bed right away and start walking around and doing my own tasks. He gave me nourishment even though I was just eating ice chips for two day and he got me out of the hospital sooner than the doctor had anticipated. He was the one who held me up and he even spoke to me while I was in the hospital. He told me things before they happened and it helped to take away discouragement. This was a busy week and I am so glad to be home with my family. I have been home since Friday, but today was the first time I felt comfortable enough to type. I have also been babysat extremely hard to not bend and clean house. What can I say, it is hard not to do things around the house. God is good and I am on the mend, I feel even better than I did before I went in. I think I have been sick more than I know, I am more energetic and I feel stronger now.