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