The Cribb's Little Corner of the World

Hospital agaIn

2012-02-12T21:39:00.002-05:00

I'm posting from my phone so this will be short. Kendyl is back in the hospital and will be there until Tuesday at least. Diagnosis is RSV, getting oxygen but so far has been able to avoid the IV as she continues to eat enough and keep it down to avoid dehydration. Heather is sick with a cold too. Thank you for your prayers.

Sickies...

2012-02-07T19:56:00.002-05:00

Kendyl is doing better; Kaleb is running a fever. The doc says ear infection and sinus infection. If you have children, do you remember those days? I remember thinking I would never go a week without a visit to the pediatrician when my kids were small. My heart hurts for Heather but she is wise and knows this is just a season.

Heather's birthday is tomorrow. Can't believe my baby will be 28 years old and has two babies of her own. I'm one blessed mama...and grammy...and wife...and friend.

Little scare

2012-02-05T11:50:00.003-05:00

Kendyl was hospitalized this past week for a fever spike and lethargy. After about 36 hours of tests, fluids, and meds, she was released yesterday and seems to be rebounding well; all indications are it was a virus. We are thankful.

It's amazing how focus completely changes with the entrance of an emergency into your life. Again, it reminded me how very thankful I am that we are close and could help out with Kaleb as well as be able to support Keith and Heather. Kendyl's dedication was scheduled for today and has been postponed but every day we dedicate our children and grandchildren to God and continue to pray for them.

Make it a great week.

So much

2012-01-31T20:00:00.003-05:00

It seems the days come and go and I think of "you" often. Little miss priss Kendyl is now six weeks old and is plump as can be. We hold her all we can because it seems she grows by the second. Her mommy is back to running, preparing for a 1/2 marathon. Kaleb is a great big brother and doesn't seem to mind that his little sister has rocked his world. He has taken it in stride. Keith is a wonderful daddy and has learned what all parents of more than one child knows...two children more than double the work, attention needed, time spent, etc. And he nor Heather can remember life before this sweet baby girl.

Henry and I are starting a new venture in that we are going to be hosting a small group at our church. It's our first "diving in" since we left Tarpon and we are both very, very excited. We've prayed and continue to pray for direction and look forward to building relationships with new people in our new church.

It has been almost eight months since my dad died. My mom is doing amazingly well, all things considered. She is one of the strongest women I know and I pray for her as she raises Kristina's two girls, ages 4 and 7 (they both recently had birthdays). The entire drug situation has zapped our family and I continue to pray my mom will remain strong against all that drug addicts bring to our family dynamics so that she and the girls can live their best lives.

I pray you are strong in the faith as you live your best life. The pastor at Grace preached on "fresh starts" the last four weeks and his focus was on creating margin (space) in our lives for those things that are most important. I pray you are able to find margin to make sure you have enough time/energy/stamina to stay focused on what God wants you to do as you take your next step toward Him.

Make it a great rest of the week.

Kendyl Paige Bielski, December 16, 2011

2011-12-20T07:59:00.003-05:00

Heather delivered Kendyl via c-section on Friday morning at 10:57am. Kendyl was breech and although the doctor tried to turn her, her little feet were so wrapped around her head there was no way. Heather is doing great, even went home a little over 48 hours after delivery! Yesterday I went over to pick up Kaleb for a couple of hours and they were out for a walk!

Things are a little crazy and it brings back memories of how much more two little ones are...way more than just double the time/stuff/energy needed, etc. Henry and I are feeling very blessed this Christmas season and so thankful she came at the beginning of our Christmas break so that we can help as much as possible while enjoying every minute of the little ones as well.

I'll post some more pictures later because we've got to head to Toys R Us and do some Christmas shopping!!!

PS - If you read this post, will you please pop me off an email at cribbplace@yahoo.com just to let me know who got the message and who I need to inform of our newest arrival?!? THANKS!

Kendyl Paige Bielski has arrived!

2011-12-16T21:10:00.002-05:00

I will blog more later and include pictures. For now, we will say "Thank you, God" for this blessing. Got to get back to Kaleb now. More in the next few days.

October Ramblings...

2011-10-14T20:16:00.003-04:00

Henry was voted Teacher of the Year at Winter Park Tech! How very exciting! I couldn't be more proud. Just looking at all the congratulation postings on Facebook is a snapshot of how many people this man's life has touched. The list includes people from all of our former churches, friends in other states as well as local, family near and far, as well as past and present co-workers. God is good.
We were at Adam Jameson's wedding last weekend and it was a blessing to be there. This weekend includes a blessing in that it is Laura and Ross's wedding! While we will celebrate with them, our dear friends from Macclenny, Bobby and Dana, will be watch their daughter Melanie walk down the aisle to the love of her life. Next weekend, it's Kenny and Heather's wedding. What a fun month of love and weddings!
Keith, Heather, and Kaleb are on their "babymoon" which means a last family vacation as the three of them. Next vaca will include baby girl Kendyl who will be here in December.

God is good and His grace is sufficient. Tonight I'm requesting special prayers for my friend, Melissa, who is teaching in inner city LA. I have no doubt that she is doing an amazing job but the job is tough...very tough... very, very tough. I thank you now for your prayers for her.

September thinkins...

2011-09-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

It's Friday and that's a good thing. Here's some of the things on my mind lately:

I hate drugs. I'm so exhausted from trying to protect my mom from the druggies in my family. I've gotten a good lesson in how you can't control others...not just druggies but those who love them. (Don't laugh. I still struggle with control issues. As always, God's working on me about that!)
Being a non-drinker puts us in a category that is practically non-existent. When you go to the doctor and he/she asks you how many alcoholic beverages you consume in a day/week/month and you say zero, he/she asks again because he/she is certain he/she didn't hear correctly...and then asks one more time just to be certain.
When you wait until you are in your 50's to take care of yourself and your health, you have a lot of catching up to do. Enough said.
October is THE wedding month of 2011. We have four weddings in three weekends. How cool is that?
Good friends are like gold. With work, there's not enough time to stay connected like I would like to but I think of them (you) every day.
I'm blessed to be a Grammy. Kaleb is the ultimate stress reliever. Love that boy!

Praying for a great weekend for you.

Good stuff

2011-09-06T18:03:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday, as we were leaving worship, I could Henry behind me talking to someone (nothing new about that). However, when I turned around I was delighted to see it was a family who had attended our Apopka church but have called Grace their home for the last few years! How wonderful it was to see "family" and to catch up as their children have grown so much. What kind words they shared and I couldn't help but thank God for the way He places certain people in our path at the most opportune moments.

We had the whole gang over for Labor Day swimming and dinner yesterday. Chicken on the grill, steamed veggies, and Henry's dee-licious baked beans. Kaleb being silly with Pop Pop and Uncle Chad were the favorite moments of the day. He loves being thrown up into the air as well as jumping into the pool. Yesterday he decided it would be fun to jump in backwards! Pop Pop was close by to make sure he didn't skin his nose by jumping in too close.

We are deep into the back to school mode and I have to say it is much better having students than what I did during the summer months. I miss the students when they aren't there. Henry continues to love what he is doing and his students love him. No surprise there, huh?

I'll post again soon.

August 6 - Graduation, Anniversary and New Baby on the Way!

2011-08-27T10:04:00.002-04:00

August 6 was a big day for our family. Henry and I celebrated 34 years together as husband and wife. Heather graduated from UCF with her Master's in Educational Leadership (4.0gpa!). Heather and Keith revealed they are having a little GIRL in December!

Keith, Chad, Uncle Jerry and Aunt Jan, Henry and I attended the graduation then came home to more family and friends for lunch, including my mom who made the trip here BY HERSELF(very proud of her). Danielle had made UCF cupcakes... so for dessert, everyone bit into the cupcakes at the same time to reveal a PINK strawberry mousse inside! Kendyl Paige or Kendal Paige or Kendall Paige (who knows how they will spell it) will be on the scene sometime around Christmas. FUN! After family and friends left, we hit the pool and had a blast with Kaleb-man swimming like crazy. I tried to upload a video but need to research that a little more before I can make it happen.

It was a great day in the Cribb household. Just wanted to share...

American Idol

2011-08-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

After many years of people telling Chad he should audition for American Idol, he is actually in Houston and has registered to audition. There are no guarantees that he will get a shot but I'm praying he does. He's in a really good place with this experience and he's a blessed boy to get to make a memory with this process.

Friday is audition day and he plans to be in line very, very early. This mom asks that you join in praying for her boy.

Thanks.

Here we go.

2011-08-20T07:37:00.002-04:00

It's been over 3 1/2 months since the last post. Since May 3 when I posted last, Daddy now resides with Jesus, Mom is learning a whole new world, Henry and I have spent approximately one million dollars in gas (it feels that way!) going back and forth to Trenton, and we learned a granddaughter is arriving in December!

I've missed blogging. Although I'm still unsure if anyone reads this or if it has any value for anyone else, I've found it's good for me. Since I'm working hard to learn to take care of myself, I'm going to get back to blogging.

If you were one of the many who sent a card, email, or made a phone call during Daddy's illness or since his death, THANK YOU. We all miss him and it's painful watching mom adjust to life on this earth without him. Honestly, there are days when she can't see life without him. For those times, we just encourage her to look up and take it one minute, hour, day at a time. She's been so strong and is my inspiration in so many ways.

You did read it right earlier. Heather and Keith are having another baby...a girl! They blessed me by asking me to go to the ultrasound with them when they found out the gender; Henry babysat Kaleb. That was Friday, August 5. On Saturday, August 6, Heather graduated from UCF that morning with her masters (4.0 gpa!) and then we had a celebration lunch with family. Danielle, Chad's girlfriend, made UCF cupcakes but had "stuffed" them with strawberry mousse so we had a "REVEAL" where everyone bit into the cupcakes at the same time to reveal that the inside was PINK...and that they were having a girl! It was so much fun! She is due to arrive December 29.

Glad to be back and I'll post again soon.

Caringbridge site

2011-05-03T19:07:00.002-04:00

Since my last posting, Daddy went into the hospital with kidney failure. He had a procedure done today that will help.

I have created a Caringbridge site to help friends and family stay abreast of what is going on with him. It is all a balancing act of trying to take care of ourselves and our parents, along with the four grands/great-grands living with them. Thank GOD for my sister, Peggy. Don't know what I would do without her.

In light of everything, and keeping in line with our ongoing efforts to take care of ourselves, I'll probably not be posting a personal blog for a while but feel free to visit Daddy's Caringbridge site any time you want. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wilburbush

In the meantime, please email (cribbplace@yahoo.com) or call (321.972.3604) any time. We love hearing from you.

Class of 1952

2011-04-30T20:35:00.002-04:00

I took my parents to my dad's 59th high school class reunion today. He didn't feel like going but he made himself go. He was glad he went but exhausted when he got home. His football coach was a guest and it was amazing to see the connection these men had. I learned that the school allowed my dad to drive one of the county cars to transport himself and three other boys to school and back so that they could play football. They lived a long way from the school and would not have been able to stay after for football practice without that transportation. My dad was the driver. Ironically, after high school he served in the army, stationed in Germany, where his duty was to drive the General! I guess he has always been considered trustworthy.

Thank you for continued prayers for him and my mom. My niece was arrested again this week so they have constant custody of her three and six year old in addition to the older boys already living with them. All I can say is I hate drugs.

Looking forward to worship tomorrow at Grace Orlando. As always, there will be a moment when I say a prayer of thanks for every person, event, and experience that has brought us to this point. We are thankful.

Have a blessed week.

Kaleb and Update

2011-04-20T20:47:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed a family dinner on Saturday to celebrate Kaleb's second birthday. He had watermelon instead of cake. We laughed that one day he will ask Heather and Keith what they were thinking when they gave him watermelon instead of cake. Kaleb is all into Toy Story now so Chad and Danielle surprised him by dressing as Woody and Jessie. I don't know who enjoyed it more...Kaleb or the rest of us!

Update on my dad: As we learned more about a new pain management drug and after a bone scan, it was decided to radiate some areas in his back. Hopefully, the radiation will help with the pain and help him hold on, hopefully, in time for the new chemo pill to come in that the doc has been waiting on for about two months now. He is very weak and the radiation doesn't help that but it's what has to happen right now. So far, it's two days down and eight to go. I continue to pray for my mom's health and stamina.

Our church moves to its new sanctuary this Sunday. I'm thankful we have been brought to this church family and I look forward to seeing the next steps God has for us. God has been speaking loudly to me through our pastor. He's been preaching from Genesis and the story of Joseph. Wow. I want to be like Joseph. I continue to be thankful for God's grace and forgiveness.

Happy Easter to you. May you be focused on what it is really all about.

Doc

2011-04-13T21:29:00.003-04:00

Took the day off and went to the doctor with my parents. Met the doctor I've heard so much about and could tell that he loves my dad. He's in good hands. We're looking at a new pain management drug while we continue to wait for a new chemo pill that he's hoping to get any day. Had lunch with my mom while daddy got chemo (old kind) and talked about hard stuff.

Love, love, love my parents.

Kaleb is two!

2011-04-12T22:46:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday to Kaleb Michael Bielski who turned two years old today!

I'm asking for extra prayers for my dad and mom. On Sunday, we went to Trenton where Chad sang at my parents' church at the request of my dad. Daddy was able to go in a wheelchair but was in a lot of pain. He has declined since then and I just continue to pray for strength for both he and my mom. Tomorrow is another doctor's appointment. I'm thankful for Sunday.

Friday, April 1

2011-04-01T13:45:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, we were in St. Augustine where Henry preached and Chad sang at The Village Church in the World Golf Village community. Our friend, Alan, is one of the pastors there and we enjoyed the weekend. Worship was wonderful.

We are on Spring Break this week and it has been a full one. We spent Monday doing some "stuff" around home and then took Tuesday and Wednesday to go build a ramp for my parents so that my dad can get in and out of the house easier. Well, Henry built it and I was the helper. We got back Wednesday in time for the really bad weather to set in which included taking our gazebo over our fence! Thankfully, our damage was minimal compared to some of our neighbors. We did lose power for about 15 hours but sitting in an electric-free house and losing what was in the fridge is nothing compared to what others had to deal with.

Tonight is Relay for Life in Trenton. My dad will be able to do the survivor lap in a wheelchair and Henry's dad will be there walking in all his glory! We're thankful for both of these amazing men of God.

Make it a great weekend!

Saturday, March 19

2011-03-19T20:28:00.002-04:00

Is God working on you? He certainly is on me! There have been many times over the past couple of weeks when I recall a scripture, sermon, or thought that sounds like God whispering, "Remember to honor me." It's so easy to rely on my own emotions when dealing with "issues" instead of doing the right thing. It's a battle but one worth fighting, for sure.

I took Friday off to go visit my parents. My dad has fallen several times and I decided it was time for me to go convince him to use a walker. Evidently, my mom beat me to it because he was coming down the hall with it when I arrived! Thankfully, my mom reports he is using it faithfully. He is very, very weak and while we continue to pray for healing, the immediate prayer is for strength. Currently, taking a shower pretty much takes the energy out of him for the day. That doesn't make for a very exciting day. While in Trenton, I got to meet my newest great-niece, Kaylin as well as play some with Addison and Karlee. I can tell that all the great-grands are important in keeping Daddy's spirits up. Addison (3 1/2)played a game with him where he would try to catch her with his cane. He sat, she ran by, he reached out with the cane, you get the picture. I am so thankful that my sister, Peggy, and her children live in town so that they can visit frequently...and they do.

I gave up Facebook for Lent. I'm realizing how very much I was connected to my phone because of Facebook. It had become a way of communicating with some people I had lost touch with for years and I miss that but my mind is turned to what God sacrificed for me on a regular basis. It also is clear that I need to work harder to stay in touch with people I love. Hmm...I see a theme here. Work harder to stay in touch with people I love as well as with God, the Father. Sounds like a win-win!

Speaking of staying in touch with people, I attended a Wekiva High lacrosse game this week to see Shelbie Jo play. It was great to see her and PJ but it was also wonderful to see the Eaves who attended our Apopka church! Their daughter plays for Apopka and they saw me in the stands. What a blessing they were as they shared how much they enjoyed our time in Apopka and how Henry's sermons had blessed them. It would have been easy for them not to say anything but I'm so thankful they did.

What a beautiful day today! We got in the pool for the first time this year! Technically, I guess Kaleb was the first one in the pool this year since he fell in while playing at the edge a couple of weeks ago. He proved that he remembers how to turn over and grab the side of the pool! He also told us with his chattering lips that it was too cold. Today, it was still cold but felt great with the beautiful sunshine. I am so thankful God as blessed us with a home and we enjoy it so very much.

Prayer requests for continued healing for Angie's latest knee surgery. She returned to work part-time this past week. She's a trooper and it's hard to believe it has been almost 15 months since the ski accident.. Also, please pray for my friend from high school, Rita. She was diagnosed with hepatitis C and is taking shots for treatment that basically make her feel like she has a bad case of the flu. It's been about 16 weeks now (can you imagine 16 weeks of the flu?)...I think she has 8 more to go after this weekend. We pray for remissions. Angie and Rita - two sweet women of God that I love very much.

Looking forward to church in the morning where Mike is preaching a series called, "Never Alone." I love it! Make it a great week!

Fun weekend

2011-03-09T19:12:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, Heather and Keith had Kaleb dedicated at their church. What a wonderful celebration. We are thankful for their church family and their support of the Bielski family. I'm also thankful for our own family in that both my parents and Henry's dad and Kathy came for the weekend. With health issues on both fronts, it was special to have them here.

Although my parents came for the weekend, my dad continues to be very, very weak. He will begin a brand new chemo pill in a few weeks; he is the "guinea pig" for his doctor in that it is brand new and hasn't been fully released yet. This weekend they look forward to a "cousins reunion" at their home. I pray my dad is healthy enough to be able to enjoy it and my mom is strong enough to get everything prepared.

To our Tarpon Springs family, please pray for our friend, Angie. You remember her from visiting us when we were there; she's like our other daughter. I'm sure you remember that she had a snow skiing accident almost 15 months ago. She had another knee surgery this past week where they removed TONS of scar tissue so we would appreciate prayers for her for a full recovery.

Not much to report on the Cribb front except that we continue to be grateful for God's grace and goodness. Work keeps us focused and we continue to strive for balance. For those of you who know us well, that has been a challenge in the past and I am happy to report we are doing a much better job at that. That means we say no at times...something that didn't happen very often in the past.

Make it a great rest of the week! Remember, God is good...all the time.

Busy Week

2011-02-19T21:24:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to post an update for my dad. He actually went in to have the procedure and was asked by the doctor if he was in pain. He replied that he wasn't at the time...he had been in pain a couple of weeks before when the MRI was ordered but the pain was not there now. The doc said he would recommend waiting until he was in pain so daddy went home with nothing done. He continues to be very, very weak but he's holding off on the "cement" procedure.

Work has been very busy. I'm in the season of recruiting at local high schools for dual enrollment for next year. I love being in the high schools but that means I'm not at my schools so work backs up. That part's not fun.

We attended the wedding of Laisha and Josh (from Tarpon) last night. It was wonderful to see them finally walk down the aisle and become husband and wife. It was equally fun to see some of our FUMC Tarpon Springs family. Today we visited with John and Mary Lou Hires in Largo. John was the senior pastor at Anona UMC when Henry was associate pastor. Our children were born in Largo and John and Mary Lou were like second parents to us during that time. They have remained very special to us throughout the years and it was wonderful to catch up with them today.

Tonight we are keeping Kaleb for an overnighter. He is a doll...growing up so quickly. We look forward to waffles in the morning with him before Keith and Heather pick him up to head to church and we head to ours. Sundays are always special but even more so tomorrow with a Monday off for President's day. :)

Enjoy this beautiful weekend.

Update

2011-02-15T20:11:00.002-05:00

My dad had an MRI last week because if pain in his back. Doc called today to say he has a fracture in his spine. Will have some "concrete-like" stuff injected tomorrow. Sounds daunting but Henry said he has heard of the procedure tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers.

Happy Valentine's Day...almost

2011-02-12T21:36:00.003-05:00

The two cuties in the new picture are cousins...my sister's granddaughters. Addison, the oldest, is almost four and is expecting a new little sister at any moment. The little one, Karlee, is my nephew's (Kenny Wayne) little girl who is about five months old. Peggy will be a grandmother again when baby Kaylin arrives and I love being a great-aunt. Just wish I could see them more often.

This week was another wild one at work so I was thankful for the weekend to get here. Today was spent pulling together information for filing taxes by me and in the yard the entire day for Henry. He loves working around the house.

My dad had an MRI this past week for a new pain he is feeling. Those results should come back next week. In the meantime, he is super weak and has to be very careful how he spends his time. Getting in and out of his truck is getting more and more difficult. Stepping up into it is not an easy thing to do. Never take for granted what comes easy with good health!

Henry's grandmother turns 103 years old tomorrow! How blessed we are to have her in our lives. She is the BEST prayer warrior for our family.

Looking forward to church tomorrow. We are enjoying our new church home and continue to thank God every day for His goodness and grace.

Make it a great week!

What a week...

2011-02-05T20:21:00.002-05:00

It ended on a great note! Henry's in the process of reinstating his teaching certification and had to take the Physical Education subject area test. (His bachelor's is from UF in Physical Education.) He took the test today and PASSED! He received unofficial results immediately so we're very excited to have this phase done. Once we hear the official word from the DOE, he'll work to add math to his certification.

My sister is back at my parents' house and undergoing physical therapy. The drama continues with her and her kids but that's a way of life now. As I have said many times, I hate drugs.

My dad continues to be very weak but doesn't complain. My mom is exhausted but who wouldn't be with all she is dealing with along with her own health issues. Again, it's a way of life now.

Work is very busy right now and I'm working hard to keep a perspective on it because it can be very draining. I love my real job but there are extra pressures that add up over time. We are short an administrator (one took another job) as we try to run two campuses with three leaders. Everyone is pitching in to do extra but it is stretching each person to maximum capacity. I'm praying to keep perspective on what is really important.

All in all, we are doing fabulous. Tomorrow, we will watch the Super Bowl at Keith & Heather's along with Chad and Danielle. We are so thankful to be able to spend time with our children. They are good for our spirits and make us laugh all the time. Kaleb is a bonus! :)

Hope your day of worship is awesome-filled!

Luann update

2011-01-30T20:23:00.003-05:00

Tuesday night, Luann returned to the hospital and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. They tried to do a stress test yesterday and she couldn't get through it. They were going to try to finish it today. Haven't heard anything.

What an absolutely beautiful weekend here! It was the weekend to be outside and we took full advantage of it. Tonight, the kids were here and Henry cooked ribs. It is so good to be able to just sit and laugh together and watch Kaleb grow, practically before our very eyes! I love my kids.

The pastor said something this morning that I thought was very profound. "I would rather be where God is even if it's hard, than be where God isn't and it's easy." I say, AMEN! Thankful to have found a church where we are able to call it home.

Make it a great week this week!

Tough week

2011-01-22T16:09:00.003-05:00

Without going into very sad details, Luann left the hospital and is staying with my parents. Years of drug abuse (and current abuse) have left her mind scrambled. All three of her children and two grandchildren are living with my parents as well. Tough times but nothing out of the ordinary for families who do not face the truth of drug addiction and take the hard steps to combat it.

My dad's health is not good. Cancer is an awful disease and is a daily fight. My mom's health is not good either. I have no doubt their current living conditions are not helping at all but if I have learned nothing else about addiction, I have learned that you cannot control anyone but yourself.

Henry did another funeral last Monday for a woman who was in his Trenton church many years ago. It's interesting that the last two holidays he has had, he has done a funeral (January 1 and MLK day). Of course he was happy to do them but it takes me back to all the years in church ministry. I can't even begin to tell you how many family activities and vacations got postponed or interrupted because a church member needed help or was ill or passed away. I'm not sure how many people see that side of a pastor's family. If you are active in a church, please make a note of the sacrifices your pastor's family makes to be your leader and make sure they know you appreciate them. Acknowledging that will mean more than you know.

On the Kaleb front, he is a 21 month old delight who says new words every day and seems to grow by the minute. We got to babysit him and baby Luke (two months old) last night so the parents could enjoy time together. Luke's mommy and daddy lived across the street from Heather and Keith and were back in town for a short visit. After a really, really tough week at work, it was fun to be able to put things in perspective about what is really important in our lives.

As you move through this week, my prayer is that you have an awareness of God's goodness and grace in your life. Email or call any time. Love....

Update

2011-01-10T18:53:00.003-05:00

Luann is breathing on her own, had a stent put in and is doing better. Time will tell if this incident made any difference at all as far as her choice to abuse drugs or her children's choices to abuse as well. Statistics say it won't.

Thank you for your prayers. At times like these I am most thankful that I serve a God who has the master plan. As always, thank you for your prayers.

Prayers, please...

2011-01-09T16:55:00.002-05:00

If you have read my blog at all, you know how much I hate drugs. Family members who chose (several continue to choose) to abuse drugs have changed our family forever. Last night, my baby sister had a heart attack and is in ICU; she is 40 years old. Luann has abused prescription drugs for years and two of her children are following in her footsteps. To say her drug abuse has changed our family would be the understatement of the century. With that being said, I don't even know how to pray so I'm asking if you would help stand in the gap for my parents as I know this breaks their hearts. God knows the situation.

I'm thankful every day that Chad is recovering and clean. I know it is a day-to-day decision he makes and I'm not naive to that battle. I believe I witness both a miracle of God's grace as well as a human's decision to live out God's desire for his life as I watch Chad. He is an inspiration and a reminder of God's faithfulness and goodness.

Have I told you lately that I love my kids? All of them.

Make it a great day and thanks in advance for your prayers.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T21:27:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! We have just returned from an overnight trip to Macclenny where Henry did the funeral for Gary, a friend who was in our congregation there. He died suddenly this week. What a gift to be able to minister to his family as well as reconnect with many of the people who attended our church back then. I was also awed as I watched Henry in the role of pastor again. Too many emotions to spill them out onto paper but, wow, what a blessing I received from just sitting back and watching today.

We got to visit with Wade, the first teenager to live with us as family. Even though we don't get to visit very often, it was like we picked up right where we left off. We love that "boy" (he now has a 16 year old of his own). We spent the night with the Lane's who were our best friends back then. We did snowskiing trips together back in the day and had more fun just being together hanging out. Through the years, our lives have gone their separate ways and while we touched based periodically, we didn't stay connected the way we should have. Thankfully, we also picked up right where we left off and it was like a warm blanket to be with them and just get caught up on life. The Fraser family was just as warm and loving as they were back in the day too and thanked Henry over and over for his ministry back in the 80's and at this very sad time of their family life.

There's a myth that whatever you are doing the first day of the new year you will continue to do throughout that year. Some people might say that it looks like a lot of funerals are in our future. However, what we feel is that a lot of friend reconnections are in our future as well as opportunities to minister to others through our new church family.

May God bless you as you look toward 2011. It's going to be an exciting year! As always, please email or call any time! We would love to hear from you!

Pam

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T17:16:00.002-05:00

My dad's scan came back as we expected. The cancer has spread and the chemo he is undergoing currently is not working as the doctor had hoped. He has three more chemo treatments and then we continue to pray for a new medication. He is very weak but in good spirits most of the time.

This week we spent three days in Pennsylvania as Henry conducted the graveside for the burial of Russ's ashes. It was good to be there with Darlene. Russ's brothers and their families were warm and welcoming. The weather was highs in the 20's and snow on the ground. It was beautiful.

Spent a couple of hours with Donna Frede last night (from the Tarpon church). How fun it was to catch up with her! She is in town spending Christmas with her son.

Christmas this year is fun with Kaleb. He is so full of life now and we enjoy every minute we get with him. Actually, we're heading to their house now so I'll just wish you a merry Christmas! Give us a call or drop a line any time you can. We'd love to hear from you.

My Dad

2010-12-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted and today will be short. My dad is having a PET scan today to better determine where the cancer is. Will you please pray for peace for him through this process? It starts around noon. Results will be given on Wednesday when he goes for the next chemo treatment. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your prayers for Wilbur Bush.

End of November

2010-11-28T17:35:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it is already the end of November? Too crazy. Since my last post, my girlfriends came to visit and it was a wonderful weekend. We have also enjoyed this past week of Thanksgiving, doing lots of work around our house. Our garage is now organized and Henry's workbench is set up. Three closets have been repainted and new shelving went in that doubled the storage. The shed in the backyard has been organized. We received a visit from Rex Clonts, his fiance, Tracy and Barbara Grace! Our citrus trees are already doing better after Henry followed Rex's advice for them. We celebrated thanksgiving with our family and enjoyed time with Henry's dad and Kathy. The house is decorated for Christmas with the exception of our tree. Yes, it has been a productive week!

Please continue to pray for two things. My parents took my nephew to a Christian rehab facility in North Carolina this weekend. Last night was Brandon's first night there. Please pray for him as he does the hard work of getting clean and staying clean. He has been doing hard drugs for years so we are all praying hard. Also, please pray for my dad. He goes for a PET scan on December 6 but the cancer seems to be on the move. We'll know more on December 8. He is very weak but keeps going. Like I said, he and my mom made the trip to North Carolina so go figure.

I hope your thanksgiving was wonderful and now, as we turn toward Christmas, I pray you are able to stay focused on what is important...God, family, friends. That's my goal.

Weekend

2010-11-06T13:32:00.002-04:00

This weekend we have a fundraiser for the Foundation for Winter Park Tech and Henry is preaching a homecoming at his very first church. He was 18 when he pastored the church. Crazy to think he is returning to that same pulpit as a grandfather. Can we really be that old?

Later this week, a high school friend I haven't seen in many, many, many years flies in from Minnesota. Next weekend, a few of my gal pal high school classmates are coming for an old fashioned slumber party at my house! A few I haven't seen since we graduated from high school in 1977! Needless to say, I am excited as can be about that. Yes, Henry and Chad are vacating for the slumber party. :)

Looking forward to all of it.

Chad's birthday and Daddy update

2010-11-02T21:00:00.003-04:00

Chad turned 28 on Saturday! We celebrated with chicken phillies and family fun. Then Danielle took him to nice restaurant for dinner. When Chad turned one, I had written a letter to him and sealed it so, finally, on this birthday I got out the baby book and found it in the back. Chad read it and it was really cool to hear my dreams and thoughts to him from way back when. Then I found one I wrote on his second and fourth birthday. The characteristics that I saw in him then are things he continues to have today...a gentle spirit and a love for music. We are amazing creatures made by a glorious God. I'm thankful for my boy.

My dad continues his battle with fatigue as he undergoes his chemo treatments. He is on meds for the blood clot and is watched constantly by a myriad of doctors. He was able to go vote today, just by sheer will, but mostly he is in his chair under a blanket. A constant low-grade fever is with him quite often as well.
During this, they continue to care for my niece'e 2 and 5 year old, as well as my sister's 16 year old son that they have had custody of for a long time. Don't even get me started on how much I hate drugs and what the consequences are for those around drug addict famiy members. I continue to pray for a breakthrough with my sister, niece and nephew.

I'm hoping to post a couple of Kaleb pics soon. He is growing up so fast and looks like a little boy now. Too, too cute.

Make it a great day!

Catching up a little...

2010-10-21T21:49:00.002-04:00

Snapshot of lately:

-We are doing great, just working lots. OCPS tech centers have launched a new student management system that is replacing an antiquated one. The potential is wonderful; the immediate transition is painful. Thankfully, it's just computer "stuff" that is the pain. The fun of the students continues.

-I was voted Teacher of the Year by my school! How cool is that! Pretty humbling, for sure.

-My dad has a blood clot in his leg. All they said tonight is that it is big and deep. Another shot tomorrow in order to break it up, move it on, or whatever shots do to blood clots.

-We've started working in our backyard. The jungle has disappeared on one side of the yard. Hope to get to the rest within the next couple of weeks. We are enjoying being homeowners!

-We have many friends and family who are going through major life interruptions. We continue to pray.

-We would love to hear from you. Please call any time, 321-972-3604, or email us at cribbplace@yahoo.com.

God is good, all the time; All the time, God is good.

So long...

2010-09-27T20:54:00.002-04:00

Wow. I just pulled up the blog and couldn't believe how long it's been since I've posted an update. That should give you a clue about our lives right now. It's all good though! No complaining on this end! Just full and busy.

We have been preparing for an accreditation visit (COE) at work for the past 15 months or so. The last five weeks have been nonstop and every weekend. Tonight was the kickoff with the team visit. The next two days will be them going through all of our documentation to see if we will be reaccredited. Tonight's event was wonderful, held at the Winter Park Welcome Center. Char-Don catered it (it was FABULOUS!) and Chad provided background music (also FABULOUS)! To say I was a proud mom would be a huge understatement. I look forward to the next two days and will also be thankful when we wave goodbye to them on Thursday. :-)

Another great-niece was born. My "little" nephew and his sweet wife had Karlee Keeling on 9/20. Hard to believe little Kenny Wayne is a daddy. My niece, Kendra, is also expecting her second little one in February and will find out the sex next week. My sister will be a grandmother three times! She just can't be that old because I'm not!

Kaleb got his first "big boy" haircut. He looks like he grew up overnight. Have I said lately how much we enjoy this little guy? He is a light and is SO much fun to be around. He and Heather went with us back home to a church where Henry preached for the pastor who was on vacation. Keith has taught Kaleb how to hold out his hand to shake when someone says, "Nice to meet ya." He was precious as he shook every hand who offered it. He's also a little swimmer everywhere now and jumps in every chance he gets. So, so, so fun.

Been thinking a lot about "old" times. If you are reading this, you are a part of at least one of our "old" times. Know you are loved. Write any time. cribbplace@yahoo.com.

Ava

2010-08-31T20:31:00.002-04:00

Follow this link to the blog of Ava's daddy. Please continue to pray for this family and this precious little girl.

Ava's daddy's blog

Aaahhh....

2010-08-29T19:28:00.002-04:00

Today is Henry's last day with Home Depot! He is now full time at Winter Park Tech and we are thankful. It's been a crazy first week of school with students. Our school is also undergoing our accreditation (every 5 years) so we have a power packed month until the team visit. In all things, we are thankful.

Hope things are going well in your corner of the world. We are looking forward to this new change in our life and are looking forward to figuring out our "new normal".

I have a prayer request for you. There is a little girl here in Orlando who has been diagnosed with GBM, the same kind of cancer Russ McConnell battled. She was just diagnosed in July and her parents have now been told that she has three months at the most. Her name is Ava and she's about 5. Her uncle is Isaac Hunter, pastor of Summit Church in Orlando. (Heather and Keith attend Summit Waterford, a branch campus of Summit.) Her grandfather is Joel Hunter, pastor of Northland Church. Ava's parents and family are strong people of faith. Even with this latest news, Ava's parents continue to seek help and have found a doctor in New Jersey they are working with, if they can get her there in time. Please pray for this situation.

Update on my dad: His latest CAT scan shows more and larger tumors in the chest and pelvic area. He has started on a new chemo that has just been approved for use in the USA. He is the first patient his doctor has tried it on. Thank you for so many prayers over the years and hope you will continue to do so!

Make it a great week!

Quick Update

2010-08-13T18:48:00.002-04:00

Work is crazy busy. Thankful in all things.

I'm a year older. My birthday came and went this week, as it should at this age. :)

Fun thing to look forward to in the future? A mini-reunion of some of my high school girlfriends here at my house! There were 44 TOTAL graduates of the THS class of 77 so we were all pretty close but have lost touch throughout the years. We have reunited on Facebook and I look forward to a teenager-like sleepover. It will be fun to reconnect.

Speaking of reconnecting...thanks to those of you who have done just that with us. Either stayed connected or reconnected. We appreciate you!

Love and a GREAT WEEKEND to you!

Pam

Kaleb Marathon and more

2010-08-08T14:52:00.003-04:00

You can see I have updated the blog with a new look. No more "changing times" for the Cribb's. We are settled down in our little corner of the world and intend to stay that way. Oh, I'm sure there will be changes but nothing compared to the last several years, and I am perfectly okay with that.

Heather and Keith have been vacationing in the Keys this weekend so we have had Kaleb since Thursday. We have loved every minute of it. He is a bundle of sweetness (most of the time) and love (all of the time). We have played, watched "Handy Manny", swam in the pool (Kaleb is swimming now!), and pretty much done whatever we wanted to whenever Kaleb wanted to do it! We had planned to keep him tonight but the kids are working as hard as they can to get back home today before he goes to bed. It seems they have missed him. :)

Chad is vacationing as well in North Carolina's Outer Banks with Danielle and her family. He's been working doubles for the last several weeks and was looking forward to some relaxation before school kicks back in. We're thankful Danielle's family loves him as much as he loves them.

This week we celebrated 33 years together. We can both remember that day like it was yesterday. Henry had to fix the a/c at the church (go figure) and we have laughed that I did my own hair, makeup, and nails for the occasion and didn't give it one thought! I remember how much I thought I loved Henry that day. To think about it now, it was the tip of the iceburg. With everything the last 33 years have brought, we have weathered it all and I love him more than I could have ever imagined.

Several of you have asked about my dad. His oncologist is working on getting a new drug from him, one that was just recently approved in this country. Please pray for wisdom and direction for the doctor and my parents. Daddy's PSA is shooting up again...way up. He'll have another MRI done in the next couple of weeks.

Henry is working on his second online course this summer in an effort to reinstate his Professional Certification in Education. It is one thing to go back to school after 30 years and quite another to do it online! I'm really proud of how he has just tackled it and met it head on! I know he will be glad to be done in a couple of weeks. There will be a couple of state exams after that but it will be awesome when he is done!

Henry had to work today so I took Kaleb to church. Can I just say I have no idea how I ever got me and two little ones to church like I did? What a trip! We made it but let's just say Grammy did not look her best! Thankfully, the sermon challenged us to be more like Jesus and to be less of ourselves. For some reason, as I sat in worship, I was thankful that we serve a God who accepts us where we are and loves us no matter what.

Have a good week. Pam

Vacation...aahhhh

2010-08-01T18:54:00.003-04:00

It has been a relaxing week of doing some "stuff" around the house to get a little more settled along with a lot of just doing nothing. We've seen three movies...that has to be a record....and swam at 10:30 at night just because we could. It has been wonderful.

I'm back to work tomorrow. It will be crazy for the next two months but I'm looking forward to it now that I've rejuvinated a little. Next weekend we get to keep Kaleb so that Heather and Keith can enjoy a weekend away with their friends. We will look forward to that as well.

We are unsure about how things are going to turn out for Henry and full-time employment. It's looking a little like it's not going to work out and he will continue part-time but that's okay too. We know God has brought us this far and it's all in his hands. We continue to be thankful for provisions in a mighty and powerful way.

My dad goes back to the doctor tomorrow and another round of chemo. The stent surgery went well but he continues to have "issues" so I'm asking for continued prayers. Cancer just sucks. I know that's a bad word because my mom told me that all my life but, honestly, there's not a nicer word to describe it. More drama continues with the drug addict niece so my parents have her girls as well. Drug addiction also sucks.

On a nicer note, have a GREAT week.

What a week...

2010-07-24T20:50:00.003-04:00

It went by very quickly. Time spent at work, Henry working on the class he's taking and babysitting for Kaleb so that Heather could take care of some work issues, Chad working doubles, visiting some with Darlene, Mom and Dad here for an overnight visit, and the week is done! Today was spent with my parents and then yardwork and a long swim in the pool...just me and Henry. I love it.

You know, it's very weird. With all that we have been through the last few years, it is still true that we just couldn't be in a better place than we are now...personally I mean. I can't even begin to describe how God has blessed us and provided a peace and fulfillment that only comes from Him. I've got some stuff on my mind and will share more of that later. Danielle just came in and we are all getting ready to have a grilled chicken salad. Gotta run! :)

Updates...

2010-07-16T21:43:00.003-04:00

Russ took his last breath at 7:13pm on 7/13. What a testimony Russ and Darlene are. Please continue to pray for Darlene and the children as they transition into life on this earth without their husband/father.

My dad did GREAT with the stent surgery. His psa is super high again and he meets with the radioncologist on Monday to see what additional plans there are to continue the battle against the cancer.

Pete had bypass surgery and is now at home. We haven't spoken with him yet but keep up with his progress through his son's facebook postings. Prayers are continued.

My nephew was arrested...again...this past week. More proof that addiction is a horrible thing. Thank you for continued prayers.

We continue to pray for full-time employment for Henry and look forward to a wonderful weekend of working in the yard together. Ahhhh...life is good.

Happy birthday to my daddy!

2010-07-11T19:56:00.004-04:00

My dad turns 77 today. He and mom just returned from visiting Williamsburg, VA with my aunt and uncle...just for fun. I'm so glad they got a chance to do that. This week, he has chemo on Monday and a stint put in his bladder on Wednesday. Tumors are making it difficult for the bladder to work properly so....they're doing a "workaround." Thank you for your prayers.

This week brought several visits with good, good friends. We are thankful for them all.

We went to see Russ and Darlene yesterday. Please continue to pray for this family. It is heartbreaking to see brain cancer in action. Darlene amazes me with her strength for, as well as goodness, and kindness to her husband. Only prayers will see her through this. If you want, please feel free to meet Russ and Darlene via this link for their Caringbridge site.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/russmcconnell

Our good friend in North Carolina, Pete, had unexpected bypass surgery this week. We welcome prayers for his recovery as well.

We are thankful to be homeowners. Our praise this week is that we came home Saturday night and I heard water running in the laundry room...where there was no water running. We were able to detect a water leak in the pipes and Henry was able to fix it before things got too messy. There is no doubt that we need plumbing advice (know a good plumber?) but, for the time being, he was able to put a stop to it. I'm thankful he is multi-talented.

What about Kaleb you ask? He is understanding so much now and does his best to actually communicate. He says bye bye and takes direction so that you know he understands what you are saying. That directions means that sometimes he chooses to obey and sometimes he chooses to give you the option of knowing if that's is what you really mean. :) This is the first weekend in a very long time that we didn't have him in the pool but the kids dropped him off while they went to flag football practice so I got a couple of hours of Kaleb sugar tonight. I'm feeling bad for Grandpa that he was at work but, hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

Make it a fabulous week!

Working, working, working...

2010-06-30T20:26:00.002-04:00

That's what we've been doing! We continue to be thankful for our jobs and continue to pray for full-time employment for Henry. Please join us in "stepped up" prayers for this as we look for direction regarding the new school year that starts in August.

Henry is now taking an online class in the process of getting his professional educator certificate reinstated. I'm really proud of him because he is grasping the whole "online" experience very well. I'm not sure I would do as well as he is.

Kaleb is taking swimming lessons near where I work so I went to see him "in action" last week. He did great...cried through the lesson...but he did great. Grammy didn't do so well. I shed a few tears. Heather asked me when was the last time I saw a swim lesson. I had to remind her it had been over 25 years ago and I didn't cry back then when it was her and Chad! For some reason, it was more painful to watch the grandchild unhappy. I just kept reminding myself that he didn't know what was best for him and that the teacher did actually know what she was doing. :)

Our friend, Russ, continues to decline as he continues the fight with brain cancer. Please, please, please pray for Russ, Darlene, and their children. Russ is often disoriented and Darlene is exhausted. If there was another word that meant 100 times exhausted I would have used that word instead to describe where she is.

Henry's dad is now retired! His party (thrown by the church) was great and he admitted he was feeling some relief as his last Sunday approached. We only hope we can get him to come visit more often now!

My parents continue to take one day at a time. They have put up lots of vegetables from their garden and are getting ready to take a road trip to Williamsburg, Virginia...just because they want to. Daddy will have a procedure in mid-July that I hope will help with some current issues he is having. I'm really happy that they are making the choice to "get out of Dodge" for a short vacation. No one deserves it more.

We have been blessed by wonderful, wonderful, wonderful (did I say wonderful?) friends. Thank you to those of you who have emailed, phoned, or sent cards. You are a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and goodness.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T11:31:00.002-04:00

In typical fashion, Henry is working today! :) Starting at the Lee Road store and then heading to New Smyrna Beach store to do a temporary duty to help out someone there. I'm going with him and will hang out either on the beach or in a bookstore, depending upon the weather. Hey, it's a rough job but someone has to do it!

We spent a few hours with my parents at the beach. Also, we had a visit last night from one of our favorite Tarpon families. It was SO great to see them and catch up. With it could have lasted longer.

Henry's dad is going to be retiring for good as of next Sunday. Please pray for him. This is a very emotional time as he leaves the pulpit. We feel certain he will enjoy it once it is done but, right now, he's unsure of what retirement will look like. We will go celebrate with his church family as they send him off in style on Saturday. For those of you that may not know, Henry's dad is serving the same church in my hometown that Henry served when we started dating many years ago. (I went to the Baptist church; Henry served the Methodist church.) Some of the same people are still there so it's a little like homecoming for us when we go visit.

Please continue to pray for Russ, Darlene, and their children. Thank you.

Please call any time (321.972.3604) or drop us an email (cribbplace@yahoo.com) to let us know how you are doing in your corner of the world.

Stuff

2010-06-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

School is over and summer school starts tomorrow. Both of us will be working. We're thankful.

Kaleb is awesome. We had an overnighter with him this past Friday. He was sweet enough to give me, Henry, and Chad some cuddle time so we all felt pretty special. He's usually a "go guy" so when he stops and sits and snuggles for more than 10 minutes, we know it's a gift. The kids are over quite often on the weekends for swim time and we love every minute of it. We are s.l.o.w.l.y working on the yard and it is s.l.o.w.l.y coming around. Maybe within the year it will be ship-shape.

My parents continue their health battles with the latest round of tests on my dad coming back not-so-good. The lymph nodes in the chest area have shrunk a little bit and everything else has stayed the same. In addition, one kidney is being blocked by lymph nodes in the abdomen area so he is debating about having a stint put in in a couple of weeks. The doctor said it was his choice but, in reality, there really seems to be no choice. Throughout this health battle, they continue to keep the two and five year olds because of consequences of my niece's drug addiction. Remember, they were already raising a grandson, Tyler (15). Honestly, I'm not quite sure how they do it. Only with God's help.

We have lots of friends who are going through anxious times with health issues as well as family deaths. We continue to pray for each one. Our Apopka church family already knows this but for our Tarpon church family, our friend Russ who has battled brain cancer for 4 1/2 years, has now been put under Hospice care. Please pray for Russ, Darlene, and their children as they face uncertain days ahead.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Make it a great week!

Catching up...

2010-05-30T18:14:00.003-04:00

I realized today that it has been two weeks since I posted anything. I've been glued to my computer a lot at work and don't do as well getting on my own computer when I get home.

Henry did a great job with Aunt Shirley's funeral. I'm sure she was smiling from above. It was a good time with his cousins and other family members.
My dad has had an ongoing fever for two weeks. He did have chemo last week (postponed by the fever one week earlier) and continues to battle some back pain and the fever. He has had a few good days here and there and has managed to gather vegetables from the garden as he can. My mom's shingles are doing so much better. Some pain here and there but she feels blessed to have come through it as easily as she has. She continues to ask for prayers for my dad.
We've had some times with friends over the past couple of weeks. It's always good to catch up. Dinner with some, lunch with others, and just plain phone visiting for others. I'm so thankful for friends.
This past Friday night, I went to the Zellwood Corn Festival with Tricia and Melissa. We ran into the Boyette's as well as got to hug Louise Dixon and Kathy Hopper. It was good to see them all. As for Tricia and Melissa, it couldn't have been a better "girls night out" because it was all about just chatting and laughing and relaxing. The music of Josh Wilson and Mark Shultz was wonderful background music for time together. I did sit there and remember the "good ole days" of collecting the garbage on the hill. Colonel Symolen from the high school was driving the tractor that night. I could "see" Bob Caldwell perched there from days of old.

For this Memorial Day weekend, I'm so thankful to live in this country. As we get to do nothing tomorrow, or have the privilege of working, or cooking a barbeque, or whatever it is you get to do, I pray you will stop and thank God for those who have given their lives for our blessings.

Pam

This week...

2010-05-16T18:48:00.002-04:00

What an emotional one as our boss at Winter Park Tech said good-bye. She is taking another job in Lake County. What an amazing woman of God she is. Way back when, she was the Business Technology Supervisor of all the business teachers with OCPS. That's how I met her as she was my district support. She's the one whose place I took when I went to the district office; she had gotten a promotion. She actually became the director of WPT while I was still at the district office and we have stayed good friends. I've been thinking a lot about why her move has been so hard for me personally. I know this is a good move for her so I've been wondering why I couldn't just be happy and be a big girl about it! I have come to realize that what I'm feeling is simply grief. You see, Diane has been with us through our kids growing up and going off to college, the rehab phase for Chad, and she was the first one I called when I knew I was going to have to find a job back here. We've shared grandmother experiences and lots of friend times. There are many more examples of how God has used this special woman to touch our lives at specific times. I will miss her and am thankful for the friendship that didn't end when she walked out of Winter Park Tech Friday afternoon.

My dad has chemo again tomorrow. Thank you for continued prayers for both my parents. They have been busy this past week putting up vegetables from their garden. Daddy calls going to the garden, "going to therapy." As far as I know, they still have the two little ones in their custody.

Henry's birthday was this week! He had to work all day but students and co-workers made it a good day. The "boys" played golf on Saturday...Henry's first time of playing golf since we lived in Tarpon! He did great! Maybe his best game ever! He said he was so relaxed. After golf, the kids came over and hung out all afternoon by/in the pool. We are enjoying being so close to them.

Henry's sweet Aunt Shirley passed away last week. He will be conducting her memorial service. Please pray that for calmness and wisdom. I can only imagine there will be a few nerves and emotions as he works with his cousins to make this final service special.

We also continue to pray for full-time employment for Henry. Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support.

God bless you as you go through this week.

Pam

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T22:55:00.003-04:00

This past work week was full...I worked three nights and had an event one other night. Kind of gave me a perspective on what Henry does every week. :) One thing I know for sure, I'm not cut out to go from morning til night. I'm one that needs my rest.

Kaleb developed an ear infection this week so Heather and Keith got their first experience of high fevers that come on quickly. Thankfully, he is on an antibiotic now and Heather said he was moving back toward his happy boy self today. So glad!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I look forward to some time with the entire family before the boys (Henry and Chad) head off to work. (If you want somewhere special for Mother's Day, head to Sam Snead's and see Chad!) As always, my heart is hurting for so many kids and grownups whose mom is not available. Sometimes they have died and aren't around and sometimes they are on this earth but just not being a mom to their kids. For some women, they want to be a mom so badly they can hardly stand it but, for whatever reason, it hasn't happened for them. Please know that Mother's Day is one of the most painful holidays for many, many people. Be sensitive to those around you and be thankful if you are in a good place.

My parents are holding their own...very tired from having my great nieces staying with them full-time now (ages 2 and 5) but taking it one day at a time. Of course they are still raising my 15 year old nephew so it is a full house. Chemo will happen again week after next.

Make it a great day tomorrow, hug your family close, know you are loved and appreciated.

Pam

Family and stuff...

2010-05-03T19:48:00.002-04:00

My parents were able to go to my dad's 58th high school class reunion on Saturday. The class meets every year now! They had such a great time! Mom's pain from the shingles still comes and goes but it was "gone" so that she could attend with Daddy. Daddy's white blood count stayed up, thanks to the help of a shot that he received Thursday and Friday so they had a great time.

We spent the weekend working in the yard, having dinner with friends (thanks Pete and Zona!), and then enjoyed time with the kids at our house on Sunday afternoon. Kaleb was a little out of sorts and we didn't know exactly why but he is definitely sick today. Heather and Keith are a little under the weather too so please pray for quick recovery.

One lesson I learned from Kaleb yesterday. He loves the water but, like I said, he was a little out of sorts so he chose to play with a standing water/sand play table we got him for his birthday. He was walking over to it from the pool and just stopped all of a sudden. The stop was followed by a scream. He had walked onto a "hot spot" on the pool deck and just froze when his feet got hot. Heather scooped him up and put him right in the pool and he calmed down, Chad hosed off the "hot spot" and cooled it off for him, but I got to thinking about it. How many times do we hit a "hot spot" in life and we just freeze...and scream...and wait for someone, or God, to come along and scoop us up and rescue us? The truth is Kaleb is one and doesn't know that all he had to do was keep walking quickly and he would have gotten to a cool spot almost immediately. We, however, are more "mature" and should know that if we keep walking, and trusting, that we will hit the "cool spot" soon. Just something to think about...

Thank you for continued prayers for full-time employment for Henry. We continue to wait and pray.

Have a blessed week.

Pam

Update to the update...

2010-04-26T19:57:00.003-04:00

Praise! My mom was able to attend church yesterday! The pain comes and goes in various degrees but she was able to worship with her church family yesterday so I know that was good for her.

My dad had another chemo treatment today and, I assume, will get a shot tomorrow to boost the white blood cells. His plan is to work in his garden tomorrow too so we'll see... :)

Prayer request: Please pray for the family of Danny Mayer who died very unexpectedly last week. His service is Thursday. Danny was the maintenance guy at our Tarpon church when we were there and would have been 48 in May. We are in shock; it is so sad.

Have a great week and hug on your family if they are close. You are blessed.

Update

2010-04-21T18:55:00.003-04:00

We had a good time with Kaleb's first birthday party. Heather had to wake him from a nap so it took him a little while to figure out why all those people were at his house and staring at him. He gravitated to his Grandpa and stayed there quite a bit throughout the party. Heather made his cake and it took him a little while to figure out what to do with it but once he did, he dug in pretty quickly! I'm so proud of Heather and Keith and all they do to parent this little guy.

Saturday he was crawling everywhere and doing a little walking. Sunday, he decided crawling was old school and is now walking everywhere! We think that maybe Josiah, Gwen's son who is two weeks older than him and walking everywhere, showed him how to do it! :)

As you can see from the picture, my dad was able to come to the party. My mom stayed home because she was in the contagious stage of shingles. She is in pain that comes and goes; we continue to pray for her recovery. As for my dad, he gets another round of chemo on Monday and we pray his white blood count will stay strong. Medication that will be administered earlier than last time will be given as a precaution.

We are in another state of change in that our boss, the school director, is leaving Orange County for another job opportunity. She is not only a fabulous boss but a long-time friend so we will miss the daily interaction with her. Another administrator, a good friend as well, is being moved within OCPS so it's a good thing we've had so much practice with "rolling with it" because here we go again! We continue to pray for full-time employment for Henry and are thankful that God has provided in the meantime. We work hard and are thankful for a place called home where we can rest. Yes, you heard it right. The Cribb's are learning to rest.

For our Apopka family, please pray for Bernie Dibble. Kathy and Bernie were the ushers at the early service in Tarpon for many years. They were church volunteers and gave countless hours to the Lord in a variety of ways, including a card ministry that Kathy did. They were also leads for the Thanksgiving Day meal that the church prepares every year for whomever wants to eat. Hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds each year. Kathy passed away from breast cancer and her funeral was today. I can't imagine Bernie without Kathy but he has to figure it out now. I pray God will help him with the void that he must feel. As I'm typing this, I'm trying to remember if I ever saw one without the other. I think the answer is no.

Hug your loved ones close and remember that our time on this earth is short. Thank you for praying for our family and for keeping in touch. Come to see us any time. :)

Parent Update

2010-04-15T21:44:00.002-04:00

My dad came home last night around 9pm. Many breathing treatments, many shots to bring up the white blood count, several tests for pneumonia, etc., some blood to boost his circulation, etc. and he made it home. My mom has had continued pain since her release from the hospital and it had started to shift, change, etc., so her visit to the doctor today revealed shingles. I asked her if she knew that shingles can be triggered by stress. She admitted someone had told her that....

I'm at a loss as to how to help my parents. There is so much more to this than just stress from health issues. Let me just say, I hate drugs and I hate addiction and I get really frustrated with enablers. Been there, done that. Learned a lot. Thankful for those who work hard at recovery.

Thank you for continued prayers for my parents.

Pam

Parents

2010-04-12T21:50:00.003-04:00

I received a phone call from my sister early Sunday morning letting me know that both of my parents had been admitted to the hospital. Needless to say, I headed to Gainesville.

Mom had taken Daddy to the hospital because he had developed a high fever. While in the emergency room with him, she started having chest pains. They did a stress test on her, determined it was probably more muscle related from trying to help Daddy up to come to the hospital. She is still in some pain but nothing she can't handle. :)

Daddy's on chemo again and his white blood count had gone way, way done. He developed a fever from some kind of infection and they are giving him antibiotics. They did a chest xray today to see if he has pneumonia as well. No results yet. He's resting pretty good.

I'm asking for prayers for them and especially my dad. A close friend who had worked for my parents at the tractor dealership for 30ish years passed away on Friday. Her funeral is tomorrow and my dad is very, very sad that he can't be there. All of the people who worked for him throughout the years were like family. He feels a huge loss.

Thank you for your prayers. We feel them as a family.

Pam

PS - Happy birthday, Kaleb! :)

So many memories...

2010-04-10T21:35:00.002-04:00

Memories: I started my project of unpacking "memorabilia" boxes during spring break and, frankly, ran out of time. Today, I decided to tackle that job again. What started out as an overwhelming task turned into a trip down memory lane.

A lot of what I unpacked today were awards, plaques, and memories from our years in ministry. It brought back specific pictures in my mind of so many things and, honestly, it felt good. I was also reminded of the amazing man I am married to and how much he gave to God's work through the communities we lived in as well as our church families. ~~~I have now written and erased many words over and over again because I don't want to say the wrong thing in written word so I'll just say I'm very proud of our years in ministry...every single one of them. They weren't perfect because we aren't perfect, but they were good times and I'm thankful for every minute of them...every single minute. Would we change some things? You betcha! Would we change the heart behind the ministry? No way.

I've got LOTS more to unpack, figure out what to do with it, etc. I look forward to the memories.

Family: Last Saturday, Heather asked Henry if he would help her build a storage bench she could use out by her pool. They did it! I've attached some pictures. It was such a great day of family. They were proud of their finished product and that's what matters!

Friday afternoon, Henry had to go straight to Job #2 (Home Depot) from Job #1 (teaching) so I hung out with Heather and Kaleb for a little while. What a joy. Love it, love it, love it. Did I say I love it?

Kaleb will be one on Monday. Time goes fast. We hug him lots because he changes every day.

Be blessed, Pam

April 6

2010-04-08T21:48:00.002-04:00

I got to keep Kaleb on Tuesday because of a babysitter issue and it was wonderful. Because I was home, I was also blessed to have a visit from Angie and her mom as well. It was so awesome to just sit with good friends and just be. I love being near my kids but I miss my friends. Henry and I had gotten to see Russ and Darlene for a short while on Sunday. That was good too. It just feels like "home" to be with friends.

The week has flown by with work and more unpacking at home but I just wanted to check in quickly. And...I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite pictures of my boy.

God bless.

Trip success!

2010-04-01T22:15:00.003-04:00

Thank you for your prayers because our trip was fabulous! Two days, fourteen-fifteen hours of driving, less than two hours of sleep for Kaleb in the car TOTAL, and things couldn't have gone any better. We enjoyed our time with Henry's mom and made it back safely. Kaleb was wonderful, loved all the animals, and basically charmed his great-grandmother...naturally.

South Carolina was a new experience for Kaleb. Henry's mom is an animal lover and has always had dogs, cats, and horses as long as I have known her. She even had a petting zoo for several years at one point! Although she has lots of cats and a great dog, Julie, she now has only one horse, Shiloh, and he was great with Kaleb. I've included a few pictures from the trip. It seems like only yesterday that my kids were riding "Billy Bob" with Henry leading with the reins. They were bouncing along on top just like Kaleb did on this trip. My, how time flies. The difference? There was another mommy keeping a close eye on this horse ride! Heather was great, though, and didn't hover too much. For some reason, she trusts her daddy! :)

We have enjoyed a little time off with this week being Spring Break and are catching up on some of the "to do" list that has been waiting until we had the time. Honestly, it's been nice to just wake up without an alarm. The week is speeding by quickly so we will appreciate it while we have it.

Just wanted to say thanks for the prayers for safe travel. We are grateful!

Perspective...

2010-03-28T16:30:00.003-04:00

It's Spring Break and we continue to do a little here and a little there to improve our home. Yesterday, Henry put up a new fan in the family room. The one there when we moved in had "issues" so the replacement was necessary. We have one more that has to be replaced out on the back porch but that will come a little later. We spent some time in the yard cutting limbs and pulling weeds as well. It's coming along...a little at a time.

I got to thinking about something today. Perspective. Here's what I mean.

We weeded the area underneath our orange tree and it looks so much better. However, if you hadn't seen the "before," you wouldn't necessarily appreciate the "after" because it still needs some work...new mulch, leaves raked out, etc. How much are we like that when we look at others? God sees the before and after of our lives and knows the improvement that has been made. To others, we may still look like a mess. I think it's awesome that we don't have to worry about what others think but, instead, we only have to please God.

My prayer request for today is for traveling mercies for tomorrow and Tuesday. We are making a quick trip to South Carolina to introduce Kaleb to Henry's mom. Heather is going with us and we are praying for peace for Kaleb as he settles into 6-7 hours of carseat for the ride. Two days in a row may be crazy but it's what we have to do.

Make this a great week where you work hard to see others the way God sees them.

Thankful for life, Pam

Beautiful day...

2010-03-23T20:26:00.002-04:00

Today has been just beautiful. It's also been a great week so far! Here are some Cribb highlights!

Henry received an "Allstar" award from Home Depot. Voted by the managers as one of the top 15 customer service associates in his store (he was #8)! Pretty good for a part-timer, huh?
Heather was selected as "Teacher of the Month" for her school for March. Go Heather! She's teaching varying exceptionalities this year and enjoying seeing the progress her kids are making.
In his program at school, Chad received the highest score on the test he took today! Go Chad! He's loving school! Work and school....a winning combination for him.
Our (WPT) Exit Option kids found out today that they passed the GED test! If they continue to do as well as they have been in the rest of the program at Winter Park Tech, they will be able to graduate with their class in June!

Just wanted to share....

Another week...

2010-03-20T21:34:00.003-04:00

Happy Saturday night!

What a beautiful Saturday it was today! Just had to say...it doesn't get much better than today.

Update to last week's blog...Daddy got his garden planted with the help of my nephew. I knew he would. He is struggling physically though. I've started to type "specifics" and it just looks too harsh to see on the page so I'll just ask you to pray. There are many emotions with this ride and I just continue to push mom and dad to remain positive. If you would include that in your prayers for them, I would appreciate it.

Kaleb is taking some steps now! It's amazing to experience the joy this little one brings to our lives. He's busy and all boy...just the kind of son Heather and Keith should have! :) Big smiles and arms reaching out...doesn't get much better than that.

Heard from friends that the OC came down at the Tarpon church this week. (For our Apopka family, the OC was the two-story building used for youth ministry and the Cold Night Shelter, among other things.) It has been fun to follow postings on Facebook of memories different people had in that building. Lots of people came to know Jesus within those walls! For health and safety reasons, it was time for it to go but it's always hard watching an old friend take a fall.

Prayer Requests:
For Kevin Boyette, who was just diagnosed this week with prostate cancer.
For Russ McConnell, who continues to battle brain cancer....and Darlene and Anthony.
For Angie Sanders who continues the very long and slow road to recovery for her knee, injured in a skiing accident back in December.
For my niece, Kristina, who is just a mess due to a major drug addiction. She has a very important court day on Monday and needs to choose rehab. All indications have been that she won't. She has a two- and five-year old little girl who need a mommy. My parents are keeping the girls too much but feel they have no choice.

Thank you for checking in to my blog. Please take a minute to drop us a line via email sooner or later! We LOVE hearing from our friends!

Make it a blessed week and enjoy this beautiful weather!

We're back...

2010-03-16T20:48:00.002-04:00

We made it home from Trenton/South Carolina around 11pm Sunday night...just in time to hit the bed before starting our weekly schedule Monday morning! Thank you for your prayers for safe travel. They worked!

My dad started his chemo yesterday (Monday) and is feeling pretty good. His goal is to plant his garden this week and he's been preparing the soil. I think tomorrow is THE day according to the Farmer's Almanac so we'll see if he gets the garden planted. If I were a betting woman, I would put my money on my dad because this garden is his therapy.

God continues to bring people into our lives who remind us of our purpose and how blessed we are to have our jobs. We know that we work for our Lord but are thankful to have meaningful jobs to put food on the table. Times are very hard for so many people who walk through the doors, and classrooms, of our school. It would be hard to NOT see where God has placed us.

I pray you know your purpose and, if not, that you are continuing to trust God to show you your purpose. Be blessed and make it a great rest of the week.

Travel weekend. Would appreciate prayers.

2010-03-12T19:53:00.002-05:00

We are both heading out of town this weekend. As a matter of fact, we leave this evening after Henry gets off work at Home Depot. We're going to Trenton for the night. I'm staying with my parents over the weekend while Henry drives his dad to South Carolina to visit his sister for her birthday. They will come home on Sunday after church and a birthday lunch for her. It will be a late night getting back home but I'm sure worth the effort. His dad likes to go every year but it's getting more difficult for him to make the trip by himself. This is the second year Henry will have driven him. Please pray for safe travels for them.

My dad's chemo treatment was put off until Monday. (Gotta love insurance issues.) He is very weak but doesn't complain, just sits under a blanket a lot. Says he doesn't hurt, that he just feels like being lazy. My dad's been a lot of things but lazy isn't one of them. He really, really wants to plant a garden tomorrow so we'll see. We tease that when he goes to his garden he is going to therapy. He simply loves it and it lifts his spirits but it's a new year and time so we'll see. The problem is he doesn't plant a small garden; he plants a garden that can feed a small city. Again, he sees it as therapy so time will tell what he is able to do.

Chad is in full swing with his new job while going to school fulltime. Thankful? YES! Tired? YES! But it's a good tired and God is good...all the time. The timing of this job is another chapter in the book we are going to write one day! :)

Please pray for our friends Russ, Darlene and Anthony. Russ's brain cancer is aggressive. Enough said. Darlene did tell me that she gave him the assignment of praying for my dad and he asks her often if she has heard from me to update her on Dad's progress. That's Russ. Doing what he can. That's Darlene. Helping Russ help others.

Our little man Kaleb is 11 months old today. Hard to believe. He changes daily and we are so thankful to see him as often as we do. There is nothing like walking through the door only to have him look up, flash his huge grin, and reach that hand out to be picked up. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! Keith and Heather are amazing parents and I am so proud of them.

Wow, I have rambled on tonight. I better get ready to head out to pick up Henry for our traveling weekend. Thank you for your prayers and continued communications. We love you and pray for you as well.

Cribb's

2010-03-06T17:06:00.003-05:00

My dad has met with another oncologist who is more aggressive in his treatment. He has confirmed enlarged nodes in the chest, stomach, and pelvic area. Monday, we meet with the radioncologist and the treatment will be confirmed. Thank you for your prayers. We knew this day could come one day; it's here.

Henry had his first Saturday off today in many, many weeks. He's been working seven days a week for a long time. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to rest if we wanted to. We did a little of that along with babysitting Kaleb for a few hours so that Keith and Heather could attend a baseball game. While babysitting, the three of us took down a dead tree in our front yard! Well, actually, Henry sawed, I pulled, and Kaleb sat in awe and then cheered! It was so cool! The quote from one company to take it down was $150 so I guess you could say we made some money today!

We continue to remain amazed at God's goodness through our daily lives. Chad has started a new job and feels certain he will do well there. He's going to school fulltime then going to work straight from school. His days are long and full. He feels a sense of purpose and hope that has been missing for a long time. Thank you for your many prayers for him and we ask that you continue. In recovery doesn't mean you're done. Every day is a new day for a new choice. We are very proud of Chad.

Take care of yourselves and drop us an email when you can. We love hearing from you and feeling the connection.

Blessings, Pam

Daddy

2010-03-02T21:02:00.002-05:00

I posted a few days ago that my dad's cancer is active again. A CT scan today revealed "growing lymph nodes" in his chest as well as a lesion on his spine. Tomorrow, they find out the next steps for treatment. Please pray for peace for my parents. The radioncologist (I think that's what she's called) is amazing and has been wonderful. Other doctors...not so much. I pray that my parents will be their own advocates as they take on this next phase of treatment. Things with my niece and nephew who are drug addicts have escalated and my parents are in the middle of that as well. They are caught in the swirl that addiction brings to families and I continue to pray that they can see the truth and have the strength to say no for many reasons.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Fun and Thankful

2010-02-28T20:46:00.003-05:00

We went to the Central Florida Fair today. It was a little chilly but beautiful to be together. We even saw Amanda and her family from Apopka. The last time we saw her and her family was on April 12 when she had her son at the same hospital on the same day Kaleb was born! How cool was it to see these two little boys with the same birthday! Her little one is walking everywhere while Kaleb was content in his stroller. Kaleb is walking around furniture and behind walking toys but no major steps on his own yet. We think that will be any day.

Praise the Lord! Chad starts a new job on Tuesday! Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for him as he transitions back into the workplace. He is going to do his best to remain in school full-time while working. I have no doubt he'll be able to do it. God has provided mightily.

My dad has a scan on Tuesday and they will determine the next treatment for his cancer. Thank you for your prayers.

Remember to hug on your family and friends! God is good...all the time; all the time...God is good!

Make it a great week!

Pam

Health Issues...family and friends

2010-02-23T19:25:00.002-05:00

My parents were here this past weekend. It was wonderful to have them all to ourselves. The day was beautiful on Saturday and we sat outside for a lot of the day. Heather and Keith came over and, of course, Kaleb and they seemed to enjoy every minute of him. (Duh!)

My dad's cancer is active again so they are in the middle of finding out what that means. Tomorrow (Wednesday) they will get a report about the next phase of treatment. We pray for wisdom and discernment for the group of doctors working with him and I pray for strength and assertiveness for my parents to have the courage to be proactive with everything. My dad has a hard time hearing and doesn't always speak up to get clarification on what he is being told. My mom is not always with him at appointments so I just have to pray them through some times! :)

For our Tarpon family, we have a friend in Apopka who has been battling brain cancer for several years. He and his wife found out today that the cancer is growing again aggressively. Will you please pray for Russ and Darlene? Darlene, as the caregiver and wife of this sweet man, is exhausted and needs to be strong through this next phase in order to do the same thing as my parents...be proactive and have discernment and wisdom about what to do. They also have children who need to be lifted up during this time as well. I thank you now for your prayers.

Angie continues therapy on her knee but please continue to pray for her as well. She has to get it to a certain point before they can do the next surgery. Her ski accident happened eight weeks ago so she is ready to get on with the next phase but is learning that patience is a virtue! :)

Have a blessed rest of the week and hug your family often.

What a week of wonder...

2010-02-13T13:27:00.003-05:00

This week we had two interesting things happen.

1. A worm virus hit my computer and sent an inappropriate email to everyone in my contact list. (You probably got one.) The cool thing about it? I "spoke" with people I haven't talked to in months and, in some cases, years! How awesome that something potentially rotten can turn into something so fun!

2. Henry had a student tell him how wonderful he is as a teacher. She reminded him that you reap what you sow and gave him a gift of bananas. Sounds a little odd, huh? The cool thing is that it was raining during lunch one day this week so Henry volunteered to stay in the classroom and eat his lunch there so that any student who wanted to do the same could. In doing so, he shared a banana with one of the students. Another student left the classroom and returned in a little while, pulled a chair up to talk with Henry and proceeded to tell him how thankful she was to have him as a teacher. She said she had never had a teacher who cared about the students like he does, not just academically, but as whole persons. She said, "the Bible says you will reap what you sow. I brought you some bananas because you gave that student a banana." What a wonderful reminder of the opportunity to do ministry wherever you are.

Tonight we celebrate Heather's birthday. She turned 26 on February 8th. Hard to believe.

Blessings to you, Pam

Grandma's Birthday

2010-02-06T20:35:00.002-05:00

We went to Trenton today to celebrate Henry's grandmother's birthday. She'll be 102 next Saturday! Of course, she had on her makeup and jewelry and carried on conversation with us like she was younger than me! :) I'll post some pictures later.

Prayers for our friends who are struggling with health issues. You know who you are! ;)

Blessings for a wonderful week, Pam

Kids...

2010-02-03T19:04:00.002-05:00

My job is in its "busy season" right now as I try to balance recruiting students for next year with keeping the ones we have this year still encouraged and coming to school. I have had the unique opportunity to have some one-on-one conversation with a couple of young men who are simply lost right now, trying to navigate this last year of high school. In our world today, sometimes I wonder who is raising whom? parents raising kids or kids raising parents? For sure, I am thankful to be where I am and know that God has provided a ministry for me. If you are looking for someone to pray for, take my list straight from the real lives of my students.

One of my students who lives in a homeless shelter with a parent
One of my students who is homeless and has no parents
One of my students who is pregnant and has been kicked out of her house by her parents
One of my students who needs medication but doesn't have the funds to purchase it anymore
One of my students who I just found out lives in her car
One of my students who needs to see a doctor but has no insurance

And the list could go on and on. These are every day, normal teenagers...not a special population of an "at risk" school. Just every day kids living their lives every day.

I am thankful to work in a school that gives kids a chance to get a head start on a career while still in high school. I thank God for the courage of these kids and pray that those adults who cross their paths will recognize their potential and be a beacon of hope that shows them they can be whatever they choose to be.

What a week!

2010-01-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday evening, I awoke in the middle of the night to an upset stomach. It seems Kaleb shared his bug with me. I made it through the next two days with help from Henry and Chad and even Kaleb. Heather and Keith arrived home safely late Tuesday night and the week continued for all of us as we adjusted back to our "norms." I wouldn't exchange a single second with this precious child but know why God gave the world parents...and grandparents. We all have our roles and I'm happy to be the latter right now. They came for dinner tonight and I enjoyed getting some "Kaleb sugar" all evening while his bleary-eyed parents talked about how he didn't sleep much last night which means they didn't sleep much last night! :)

Chad started school this week and absolutely loves the program. He is learning about the digital audio recording world and had a very productive week. It is a little weird to have him in the kitchen with me at 6:30am at first but, again, we have adjusted to a new norm for us. Please continue to pray for employment for him. He is going to school full time so he needs an afternoon/evening job. I have no doubt God will provide.

My dad has been having some health issues again and had a full body bone scan done this past week. Praise God the test results came back negative for cancer lesions in the bone. He now sees another doctor to continue some testing but we all have breathed a sigh of relief as we thanked God for these latest results.

This week we have been reminded of God's faithfulness to us through the love of friends. We are thankful for our jobs and continue to pray for full-time employment for Henry while we pray for any-time employment for Chad. :)

Know you are loved and prayed for,

Pam

Quick, because I'm pooped...

2010-01-23T20:53:00.003-05:00

We are in Grammy and Grandpa heaven as we babysit Kaleb while Heather and Keith are skiing. Kaleb knows something is going on and continues to look for his mommy and daddy so he is hanging close to us. He was up at 5am this morning and Henry had to be at work at 5:45 so we are heading to bed early this evening. However, I wanted to just touch base and ask that you please continue to pray for employment for Chad...AND for safety for Heather and Keith. We all want them to come back home healthy. :)

To those of you who have called or emailed, thank you. I'll make a decision soon about whether or not I'll keep up the blog. It's a great way to put up pictures and give you a glimpse into our world but it can get "lonely" when it's just a one-sided conversation! :) I would love to know what's going on in your world too!

Love you so much and praying blessings on you!

Pam

Do you read this?

2010-01-17T11:34:00.001-05:00

If you read this blog, would you please send me an email at cribbplace@yahoo.com? I am trying to decide if I should keep the blog or set up an email group. I WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH! Just trying to figure out the best way to do that.

Love you! Pam

PS - We continue to thank you for your prayers for employment for Chad! :)

Hey there!

2010-01-11T19:26:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't been as good about posting regularly. With my job, I'm on the computer so much that when I come home I just don't think about it as often. However, I do think about YOU and wonder how YOU are doing.

Our adventures have slowed down with the purchase of our own home. After living six places over the past year, we live quite a boring (but very exciting) life now. We are slowly getting more and more settled in our house. With the cold weather, business was slow so all part-time help was sent home early on Saturday from Home Depot so it was a gift for me! We got so much done and had a ball doing it!

For our Tarpon friends, will you please pray for my friend Angie? She is like another daughter of ours and hurt her knee very badly skiing. She is facing surgery in a couple of weeks and all that goes with that.

Our continue prayer is that God would provide full-time work for Henry and any-time work for Chad. If you know of someone looking for an excellent window washer, Chad is the man! In the meantime, if you hear of anyone hiring, he's the man as well! :)

Love and blessings, Pam

PS - Hard to believe I wrote this entire posting without mentioning Kaleb one time, huh! :)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T20:49:00.005-05:00

We brought in the new year very low key...Chad and Danielle were with us here at home. We had nachos and chocolate covered fruit while watching a good movie. Yum! I've continued to stay busy unpacking and Henry returned to work at Home Depot. Monday we both are back at Winter Park Tech and the crazy schedule returns. It has been a wonderful, restful two weeks.

Heather, Keith and Kaleb joined the four of us for New Year's Day as we had our black eyed peas! Football has been on the television somewhat constantly and will continue for the next few days, I'm sure.

We've been able to catch up with a couple of friends and look forward to doing some more catching up throughout the next few months. Please call or email any time! We'd love to hear from you!

As always, please continue to pray for employment for Chad. He is working hard to stay positive about the possibilities but to say these are frustrating times to find a job would be an understatement. Thank you in advance for praying!

Blessings, Pam

Christmas for the Cribb's

2009-12-26T19:33:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve was spent at Epcot's Candlelight Processional! For several years, both Chad and Heather sang in the Processional as a part of the chorus at Apopka High School. Neither had ever seen a production as an audience member so we thought that would be a great way to spend Christmas Eve. James Edward Olmos was the speaker and did a great job. Kaleb was wonderful...deciding to skip his afternoon nap and take in all the sights. He was very attentive during the production so we look forward to lots of "live" performances with him throughout the years!

Christmas Day we gathered at our home for dinner. We were blessed to have Keith's parents as well as Heather and Keith's neighbors and great friends, Adam and Lydia, with us as well. Henry's pot roast along with green bean casserole was on the menu and dessert was one of Henry's famous carrot cakes! He hadn't made one in several years but it was just as good as I remembered. What a fabulous day! It ended with us opening gifts and watching a lot of Kaleb. He is crawling everywhere now and continues to want to eat whatever is in his hand. Five teeth and counting as he continues to grow.

We pray your Christmas had you surrounded with people you love and who love you. Please visit, call, email or write any time. We would love to hear from you.

Christmas...

2009-12-12T16:31:00.004-05:00

We have our beautiful tree up in our beautiful house where we will celebrate the birth of a beautiful Savior this year.

Heather went back to work this week and loved being back with her students. Please continue to pray for her and Keith as they deal with everything that goes with a loss.

I am in the midst of "Phase 2" of the move-in. That basically means I am starting to unpack more boxes again in hopes of being able to get the dining room and our bedroom straightened up and looking like it is supposed to look instead of like a box bomb went off in the middle of it! It is fun and I am in the process of pitching stuff right and left. It's interesting...we moved all this "stuff" only for me to go through all this "stuff" and get rid of it! It's ironic at best.

How many of you use facebook? For those of you who may not know, facebook is an internet social networking website. I have had such a good time reconnecting with students and youth we have worked with in the past. Their words to me are like smooth hot chocolate... soothing and yummy! Same with reconnecting with old high school friends. We had a very small class (44) so everyone literally knew everyone else so it's really awesome to be able to reconnect after 30+ years!

I don't really have any new news for us except that we are continuing to get settled into our new home, work our jobs, and enjoy our family. Chad continues to look for a job and Henry continues to look for full-time employment. We covet your prayers for both of these things.

I know the Tarpon choir is having their Christmas musical presentation this weekend so I've been praying for that ministry. I love this group of people and miss them greatly!

Please let us hear from you at some point during the Christmas season. Mail is 8787 Belter Drive, Orlando, FL 32817. Phone is 321.972.3604. Email is cribbplace@yahoo.com or henry.cribb@yahoo.com.

We look forward to "talking" with you!

Pam (and Henry too)

Tough week...

2009-12-04T20:52:00.003-05:00

Without going into lots of details, Heather and Keith have made it through a very difficult week which included a procedure on Wednesday for Heather. (Actually, the procedure was probably the easiest thing she had to go through this week!) She has been resting at home, not able to lift Kaleb, but she should be able to return to work on Monday. The range of emotions have been just that, a range, but they are looking to the future instead of to the past. Losing a night of sleep earlier this week has caught up with me tonight and I remain amazed that God saw to it that I was able to complete this work week without crashing. As I say quite often, God is good...all the time.

Can I just tell you that I don't understand why things happen but I do know that I am unbelievably thankful that we are 15 minutes down the road when we received that phone call from Heather in the middle of the night. I prayed over and over a prayer of thanksgiving that I could be physically present to comfort my child. I hope to never forget this week.

Tonight, Tarpon Springs is playing Edgewater here in Orlando in high school football playoffs. I so wanted to go to the game to see some of the Tarpon kids playing but we have had rain, rain, rain. For several years, I sat in the football stands in the rain under a poncho videotaping a super cute cheerleader and/or a handsome football player. Now that they are no longer on the field, I don't have the same desire to watch the games through rain so I didn't go tonight. I'm hoping Tarpon can pull off a huge win against the Eagles.

Please pray for employment for Chad and full-time employment for Henry. We are thankful for all God has provided and know he has the plan we cannot see. We look forward to seeing how all of this unfolds.

In the meantime, know how much your prayers, cards and phone calls mean.

Love and blessings, Pam

Sad...

2009-11-29T10:37:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and time with our family on Friday. The Christmas tree is up and decorated and about half the house looks great!

So why is the title of this post, "Sad"? Yesterday, Heather had a miscarriage. I remember when I had a miscarriage and all the emotions that came with it but that pales in comparison to watching your kids feel those pains. They had known they were pregnant for several weeks but waited until this last week to tell the world and so it's very hard to now tell everyone this news. Please pray for her and Keith as they sort through all the emotions that go with this.

In the meantime, Kaleb gets lots of extra hugs as we realize how very precious his presence is.

I thank you now for your prayers for Heather and Keith.

Blessings, Pam (and Henry too)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T19:13:00.003-05:00

Henry and I have spent today settling into our home. More boxes are unpacked and the Christmas tree is up ready to be decorated. The kids come tomorrow along with our parents so that we can have our Thanksgiving together. They will decorate the tree; we will love on Kaleb. It doesn't get much better than that.

We do have some big news though. What's better than one grandchild? TWO! We have another grandchild on the way! Heather and Keith are due in June. She will be the third generation to have her children 14-15 months apart. We are excited for them and look forward to being here to love on the newest Bielski baby as much as possible! Of course, Kaleb will get his share as well!

Just wanted to let you know about the latest Cribb news. Would love to hear from you any time. See the previous post for our new address and phone number!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Getting settled...

2009-11-21T17:24:00.002-05:00

After a long week of work, we have some time off from school over the next week. Henry has been at work (at Home Depot) last night and today so I have been working at home. You can now see the floor and the furniture in the family room, living room, and Chad's bedroom (Chad took care of that one)! The kitchen is finally coming around.

We have learned many lessons over the last year plus. One of them is that you can live with a lot less than you think you can. For sure there are basics that you need to survive. Everything else beyond that is just stuff. We never really put much emphasis on "stuff" but, somehow, we accumulated as if we did. We are in the process of minimizing. Getting rid of stuff. And it feels good. Tiring...but good.

Another lesson we have learned is the importance of family and true friends. Some of the people who have stood by us are those we have known for many, many years. Some are people we met less than two years ago when we moved to Tarpon. For whatever reason, God has seen to it that we are blessed with people who love us unconditionally and He has used each and every one to bless us at just the right moment.

We are so thankful for those who helped us move throughout the last year. From Tarpon friends to Apopka friends to friends of our kids. We have lived six different places since last October. It is a little odd that we are unpacking to stay, but it is a good odd. :)

I'm thankful as I watch our house turn into a home. From the moment we stepped in the door, we felt this was our house. Each day confirms that God has, once again, provided in a way bigger than we could have ever imagined.

Please make a note of our new address: 8787 Belter Drive, Orlando, FL 32817. Our new phone: 321-972-3604. Give us a call or drop us a line any time. We would love to chat.

Blessings, Pam and Henry

Moving done!

2009-11-15T20:06:00.002-05:00

We're pooped but everything is under one roof after over a year. Too much stuff... We'll take care of it along and along.

Thanks for your prayers. We ask that you continue. More to come later.

Love and Blessings, Pam

Moving continued...

2009-11-10T19:32:00.003-05:00

The move on Saturday/Sunday went SO smooth, thanks to good friends! We loaded in about two hours and unloaded in less than one. God provided two absolutely be-au-ti-ful days and we basked in the laughter of friends.

This next weekend we go back to Tarpon for one more load of furniture and then we will have everything under one roof. The fun will continue then as I weed out what we will keep and what we will give away. This past year has taught us how very little you need to be happy and to make it. There is no doubt...we have too much stuff that doesn't matter or count for anything.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us to find the right house. We believe God has provided in a mighty way and we are humbled and grateful.

Our continued prayer request is that Henry would gain full-time employment. We are so thankful for the provisions God has provided and know He has us cradled in His arms as He does you! We are blessed.

Please stay in touch. Your emails/cards mean so very much.

Blessings, Pam and Henry

Home!

2009-11-01T22:29:00.003-05:00

We are in our new home! It looks a little in disarray right now but it's ours! We have moved most everything we have in this local area (our stuff is quite scattered) and are now staying in the new house. Next weekend, we will move most of the stuff we have in Tarpon...lots of boxes and garage stuff. The large furniture will come later. As for now, we are cleaning, painting, and cleaning some more. It is fun though!

Thank you to those who have volunteered to help load or unload. We are still looking for a few more people in Tarpon so if you can, here are the times we need help. Just let us know if you are available.

Saturday, November 7, 9am - Load in Tarpon. Lots of boxes mostly and not-so-heavy stuff. Just need several people to help make the trips from the house to the truck.

Sunday, November 8, 2pm - Unload in Orlando.

If you can help, just email me (cribbplace@ocps.net) and I will send you the directions.

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts and love. Blessings, Pam and Henry

McCall's Chapel

2009-10-28T20:25:00.002-04:00

We had a great time this past weekend with family. Saturday night we had dinner with my parents and Henry's dad and his sister. It was great to gather around the table together again. It's been a very long time.

Sunday morning, Henry preached the homecoming service at McCall's Chapel, a little country church he served way back when we were dating, 1974-1976. It is also the church where some of my extended family attended and still attends. My dad went there as a little boy. On Sunday morning, we had about 20 friends and family members go! The church was packed! Chad sang a couple of songs during the service and it was just a beautiful day. Kaleb was excellent through the service as well as Addison, my niece's daughter. I'm posting a picture of her with Kaleb as I haven't posted a new picture of her in a while. She is growing so fast, just like they all do. One thing I learned is that McCall's Chapel is where Henry dedicated his life to full-time Christian ministry! He attended a youth event at that little church, knelt at the altar, and said yes to God. It was a very emotional Sunday for many reasons and we were refreshed by it all.

We are now back to packing up here and getting ready to move into the new house. In the meantime, we are having carpets cleaned, tile cleaned, and beginning the painting process. This weekend we will move our local stuff in and begin to live there. Next weekend, is the big move from Tarpon Springs. At least most of our stuff will be moved. I'm sure we will have to go back to complete the move one more weekend. We are working around...well, work...so our time is limited but so far, everything has worked out. Why am I not surprised?!? :)

I'll post again before too long. If you can help with the big move on the weekend of November 7-8, please let me know. It's mostly boxes...

Thanks so much!

Pam

Homeowners...

2009-10-23T18:26:00.003-04:00

Thanks for all the prayers! As of this afternoon, we are homeowners! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be cleaning and painting and moving our local stuff in. We have to move around our work schedules so it will take a little longer to make it happen.
The big move will come the weekend of November 7 and 8. Many of you have asked how you can help so we are making a shoutout to anyone who can help. We have opportunities for both Tarpon friends and Apopka friends.

Here's the plan:

November 7 (Saturday) - 9am in Tarpon. We will load lots of boxes and bins and whatever else we can get into a big U-Haul truck. It will take people who have strong backs and are patient because it will take cooperative effort to get things loaded so that it makes it over to Orlando.
If you can help, please email me (cribbplace@yahoo.com) or call so that I can put your name on the list and know how many hands we will have to load.

November 8 (Sunday) - 2pm in Orlando. We will unload all the boxes and etc. into the house/garage/whatever is ready. Again, it will take people with strong backs and patience as we work together to get everything unloaded.
If you can help, please email me (cribbplace@yahoo.com) or call so that I can put your name on the list and know how many hands we will have to unload.

If you can't help with either, please know that we ask for your continued prayers as we continue through this process. It is what has gotten us to this point.

This weekend. We are going to Trenton for the weekend where Henry will be preaching at a homecoming service at one of the small churches he served back when we were dating! Some of my extended family have attended this church for years (including my Grandpa Bush's baby sister, Aunt Toopie!) and are so excited that Henry is going to be there! My parents and Henry's dad and a plethora of other family members will be there so it will be a great day personally as well as spiritually. There may even be a singing Chad in the mix somewhere!

We are just so very thankful for all the prayers, love and support we have received over the past years and most especially, this past year. God has provided in a mighty way and we have learned so much about Him and each other. I'm heading over to our new house now to start the process of making it our home. I look forward to hosting every single one of you who wants to come visit!

Of course, you have to get a Kaleb picture for the week! I have gotten to babysit a couple of times this week and love every minute of it.

Please write or call any time! Blessings, Pam and Henry

Parents are here...

2009-10-17T22:19:00.002-04:00

My mom and dad actually came into town for the weekend! With all the moving around we have done, that hasn't happened in over a year. Of course, they are staying with Heather and Keith tonight so that they have a bed to sleep in. :) It is so much fun to watch them with Kaleb. They haven't seen him in about four months so they enjoyed every minute of him!

One of the kids from our youth group "way back when" was hospitalized this week. His parents were out of state on vacation. When I received the call, I understood the helplessness felt by his parents as they were so far away and their son was so ill. Eric went home from the hospital today. Thank God! There are still some unknowns as to what caused his problem but we are thankful that he is home and continue to pray for the wisdom of doctors to locate the problem.

We continue to move closer to home ownership. We are grateful and continue to stand in awe of God's faithfulness. If you think you might be able to help either loading in Tarpon or unloading in Orlando, let me know! We're going to be looking for help with the move and would appreciate anyone willing to carry a box! :)

Have a great Sunday! We will attend church tomorrow with our entire family PLUS Nana and Papa! How fun!

For God so loved the world...

2009-10-09T20:53:00.002-04:00

Thank you for your prayers for us. We continue to move toward purchasing our own house and I have to admit that I have been through many nights of not sleeping as I thought of all the "what if's". Interestingly enough, just last weekend, I was told specifically by a friend to not do the "what if's" because there's no point. It was very surreal as that is exactly what I had been doing. I had to smile. Once again, God had delivered a very specific instruction through a very special friend.

Speaking of special friends... I have to say we are blessed by friends who are willing to be inconvenienced in order to reach out. God used a couple of amazing families and guys this week to touch our family in a very specific way. We are humbled, grateful, and blessed. Thanks guys.

Thank you for prayers for my dad. He continues on meds for the cellulitis. He is not 100% in the clear but is home and fighting a low-grade fever. With all the chemo he takes, his immune system is compromised so it just takes longer to heal sometimes.

Tarpon family - will you please pray for our Apopka church family who lost a 101-year-old dear, sweet man named Dale this week. He was the coolest guy! You all would have loved him! He passed away earlier this week and his funeral is this weekend.

Apopka family - will you please pray for the Tarpon church's minister of music's family as his dad passed away this week as well. Mr. Drick was in his 80's and such a blessing to his family. I know Tom will miss him terribly. Mr. Drick's funeral is also this weekend.

Thanks for those of you who email and call. We love hearing from you! Please stay in touch.

Blessings, Pam (and Henry)

Jesus and fear can't live in the same place...

2009-10-02T21:27:00.003-04:00

I've been reminded of something my friend said to me over a year ago. "Jesus and fear can't live in the same place. Who do you want with you?" What a powerful statement of what God wants for us. The opposite of fear.

Making big decisions, or even every day decisions sometimes, requires that we conquer the fear that comes with this world. I'm working on that on a daily basis. With the purchase of our first home on the horizon, it is so exciting...and so very scary. I've had ample opportunity to make the decision, "Jesus or fear", over and over.

Maybe you are facing some scary stuff too. If so, maybe my friend's words will help you keep it real and in the moment. "Jesus and fear can't live in the same place. Who do you want with you?"

Prayer Requests: My dad was in the hospital this week with cellulitis (spelling?). He returned home today and is doing much better. My niece for whom I asked for prayer is spiraling more and more. Please pray for wisdom and strength for my parents as they work so very hard to do what they can to help, and to let go with what they can't. Kristina has two little girls who are being swirled through this drug addiction lifestyle and we continue to pray that God will protect them through this ugly time until their mom asks for help.

Thank you for continued phone calls, emails, and prayers. We are blessed, Pam (and Henry too)

This Week...

2009-09-26T20:00:00.003-04:00

It has been a week of very little sleep on my part. Things are moving on "our" house but it has taken a turn. Keep praying! We look forward to seeing how this all comes out.

We got to babysit again last night. Kaleb can now reach out and take his pacifier and move it in the direction of his mouth. Occasionally, he hits the target! It is amazing to see how much he has grown in 5 1/2 months.

We're just rolling along and staying busy with work. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Blessings, Pam

This Week...

2009-09-20T08:39:00.002-04:00

What a busy week! Things are finally moving on "our" house and we are moving closer to having a home of our own! Thanks for your prayers and keep them coming!

Henry got to babysit Kaleb on Friday evening because both Heather and Keith had plans and so did I. He is an awesome babysitter and Kaleb loves his Grandpa. I got to keep Kaleb on Saturday as Heather hosted a bridal shower for a friend and Henry had to work. Again, it just doesn't get any better than hanging out with this little guy. He is a happy little guy and it's hard to be anything but smiley when he's in the room.

Things continue to move along with my niece and nephew. Both are facing dire consequences of their choices to use drugs but we are thankful for any movement of any kind. Sometimes the night is darkest before the dawn and we continue to pray that they will be able to come out of this whole. With God, all things are possible. We see that every day in Chad, ourselves, and many other "real" examples of people like you.

We received a phone call yesterday from a lady from our Apopka church who had moved out of state several years ago! We haven't talked to her in years but she said she had been thinking of us and decided to call. I didn't ask how she got our number; I was just so humbled that she did! How sweet were her words, "I miss you." We are blessed beyond words that this sweet lady took the time to find us and then make the call to let us know how she felt. I want to follow her example and follow through to let those I love know! So many times, I think about it and don't do the follow through part. I'll do my best to remember Mrs. Ruby's example and do what God wants me to do.

Have a great Sunday! Henry is working today and Keith is out of town so guess who I'm going to church with?!?

Love and blessings for you, Pam

It's Friday!!!

2009-09-11T05:37:00.002-04:00

Last Friday, we drove over to see Kaleb's new teeth; this Friday we are driving over to pick him up for a night with Grammy and Grandpa! Heather and Keith celebrated their four year anniversary yesterday, September 10. Our gift to them is keeping Kaleb overnight so they can celebrate with no baby responsibilities. (Is this our gift to them or their gift to us?!?)

The picture I posted is from Labor Day when Kaleb helped his mommy make Rice Krispie treats for the first time. I'm telling you, this kid is talented! :)

No new word on "our" house...please continue to pray.

Please continue to pray for my niece and nephew. Big day today for both of them in different ways. It's tough but we know God's power over addiction and we are just claiming it for this situation.

Make it a great day, weekend, week. Love and blessings, Pam

New stuff...

2009-09-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

After drooling like crazy for a while, Kaleb had two bottom teeth that broke through on Friday. What a way to end the second week of school...driving over to catch a glimpse of the latest proof that he is growing up way too fast. We love being so close to him. It just can't be any better than this.

Our family is so blessed. When I think of all the "stuff" we have been through over the past seven years, it's so surreal to be where we are now. Just yesterday I was talking with a friend who was asking for advice pertaining to someone she knew with addiction issues. It's amazing how God has used our experiences (all of them) to minister to others...and how He has used others to minister to us. Isn't it just the coolest thing to be a part of God's family?

We are hearing about some movement on "our" house but still haven't been able to sign any paperwork yet to make it official. Please pray urgently that we will hear this week and be able to move forward on making the purchase so that we can settle into our own home.

I'm asking that you pray for my family as well. My niece and nephew are involved heavily in serious drug use and it is impacting our extended family very negatively. They both have children so the complications are many and the situation is getting worse every day. Please pray for wisdom and discernment on the part of my parents.

God continues to bless the Cribb family. To our Tarpon Springs church family, thank you for all you have done to love and support Chad (and us, of course). I pray he will make you proud as well as our Apopka Church family, as he takes these next steps.

Please call or write anytime. Love and blessings, Pam

Catching up...

2009-08-29T10:08:00.005-04:00

I have internet for a while as I am at Heather and Keith's babysitting this morning. Kaleb is napping so thought I would take advantage of the computer connection and blog a little.

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated the big 5-0 and the kids surprised me with a weekend at the beach, courtesy of good friends who own the condo. It was a perfect weekend complete with all of us being together in the same place and under the same roof. I posted a couple of pictures from that time away. It was also what we needed before school kicked back in again. Heather and I have just made it through our first week with students and it was brutal but so much fun!

This may sound redundant but please continue to pray for "our" house as well as for the next steps for Henry's employment. We are working at being patient (okay, I'm working at being patient) as we take it day-by-day. In the meantime, Home Depot is a natural fit for him.

Know you are thought of often and loved so very much. As always, thank you for unexpected phone calls and cards.

Have an internet connection...for a few minutes.

2009-08-26T17:46:00.002-04:00

As you could probably tell by my last post, I made an attempt to blog from my iphone. Not sure what happened but all I could get was the title!

We're doing fine, still waiting to hear on "our" house. Please continue to pray for our housing situation.

Work is wonderful for me. I love my students. It is crazy but should calm down in a couple of weeks. Henry continues at Home Depot and we continue to pray for next, or additional, steps. He enjoys his time there and certainly has a chance to minister as well.

Know you are loved and prayed for. We so enjoy receiving the unexpected phone calls and cards. We are blessed.

From my phone

2009-08-23T06:10:00.000-04:00

Catching up a little...

2009-08-16T13:54:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting in Panera catching up a little on things we need to take care of via the internet. Technology is something I have come to take for granted but we are being reminded that nothing should be taken for granted. Everything on this earth is temporary and not too important in the big scheme of things.

We spent the day with Henry's dad yesterday. He turns 80 this week. It was so much fun to sit around with his sisters and the whole family and just laugh. They even got an impromptu concert from Chad as he sang a few of the songs he has written! It was the first time some of them had heard his work.

Please join us as we pray for progress on "our" house. We are hoping to hear something soon so that we can move forward and get settled into our own home. We continue to be thankful for God's provision of a place to stay while we wait for word on our house.

School officially starts tomorrow for teachers. Heather goes back to work. She has found a wonderful sitter for Kaleb but I know her emotions will be very mixed as she spends her first day at work without Kaleb. (He's been going to work with her as she has been getting her room ready for children.)

Henry continues to work at Home Depot as we pray for his employment. I love my job as I am now working with high school students (juniors/seniors) on our adult campus. We both enjoy the time we get with Kaleb and have loved watching him grow. There is no doubt that he loves his Grandpa! The two of them looking at each other make both of them break out in smiles!

Our mailing address continues to be the same: PO Box 2425, Winter Park, FL 32790. Please drop us a note any time! Our phone numbers are the same as well!

Offline for a little while...

2009-08-12T19:50:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. We have been moving to a temporary location and have no internet for a little while. Will catch up before too long.

Quick update:

The weekend with Kaleb was perfect.
Had a surprise weekend for my 50th birthday. Thanks to friends who shared their beautiful home and to my kids who shared their beautiful selves! Hubby's not bad either! :)
Thankful to friends who provided a place for us to stay for the past several months.
Work is crazy but loving every minute of talking with high school kids.
We continue to pray for career employment for Henry.
We continue to pray for our house.
Thankful to God for His unfailing love and grace.

Make it a great day!

Weekend with Kaleb

2009-07-24T21:41:00.002-04:00

We are so looking forward to a weekend with Kaleb. Heather and Keith are celebrating Keith's birthday and we get to babysit! It all starts early in the morning and we are very excited. I'm sure I'll get a picture or two to share! :)

I want to share with you about a really cool thing Riley Sanders is doing. For our Tarpon friends, Riley is going into the 7th grade and has felt the urge to do a backpack ministry for the past couple of years. I'm not sure where the idea germinated but I do know that she was in Tarpon for Operation Backpack our first summer at FUMC TS. Riley's vision, however, was to provide backpacks for middle and high schoolers since most backpack ministries seems to focus on elementary aged kids. This year, with her parents and people who have donated to her cause, her dream is becoming reality. Riley has also worked on her own to earn money she has invested into the ministry. "We've Got Your Back" ministry was born. Backpacks have been purchased and now they are working on filling them with school supplies appropriate for middle and high schoolers. If you want to donate to her cause, she will gladly accept your donation! Just make your check to Riley Sanders and send it to her at 1373 Deer Lake Circle, Apopka, FL 32712. I'll be sure to post pictures when I get some.

Please continue to pray for our housing situation. We are praying for the perfect house for us. Our family thanks you ahead of time for the prayers.

Ramblings...

2009-07-18T21:50:00.003-04:00

It's been a week of friends, work, and new decisions to be made. There have been reminders of how very blessed we are for those in our lives...friends who have stuck by through all the junk. There have been reminders of how very hard it is to be your best every day. There have been reminders of why it is so worth every minute of struggle in order to do what God wants us to do. Every day, I stand amazed at my kids (all of them) and what they continue to teach me about living life and loving God.

We are blessed.