Mare-Mare's World

Getting Back to Blogging

2012-01-26T15:23:00.001-06:00

Okay, after an almost 3 year break...I'm back to blogging! Be watching. I might accidentally post something interesting.

More Moudy Family Vacation

2009-07-18T08:00:00.008-05:00

Mr. Energy!

The Lane Family

Linda and Dan

Mr. Handsome

Trouble x 4

Hey Mare-Mare, take my pic!

Pops, Nan and the Grands

Brooks, Josh, Pax and Mandy

Matt, Jenny, Meg and Jake

The Moudy Clan

Mandy and Mare-Mare

Mr. Cool (on his pink floatie!)

Lovin' on Nan

Wipeout!

Fun in the sun!

Pax and Nan

Jake flying high

Double wipe-out!

Mandy and Josh

Mare-Mare and the kids

Priceless

Priceless...again

Rockstar with her daddy!

The whole fam-damily

Aren't "grands" grand?

One of just a few happy moments together!!!!

Wuz up?????

I wonder where these boys get their good looks?

Mare's Moudy Family Vacation

2009-07-18T07:48:00.007-05:00

Josh, Brooks and Mandy

Two studs!

Ask Jenny how many shrimp she got to eat!

The Lane family

Paxton, Mare and Brooks

Paxton, Mandy, Brooks and Josh

Jake, Jenny, Meg and Matt

Jake and Matt

Brooks, Josh and Pax

Meg, the superstar!!!

Mare-Mare's Brooks!

Paxton's first taste of the ocean!

Watching the Moudy Family video with Nan!

Brooks and his momma!

Brooks and Paxton are modeling the crap shirts and swim trunks Mare-Mare bought them.

Paxton Lane!

For the 3rd year in a row, the Loudy-Rowdy-Moudy's invited me to spend a week with them in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, at the Adagio. It was hard to pick pictures for the blog... so I picked a lot! It was a great week!

Williams Family at the Beach

2009-06-28T15:27:00.003-05:00

Ricky, Cindy, John Paul, Elissa, Clayton, Libby, Macy, Brooks and I went to the dunes between Ft. Walton and Destin Friday night. We had a great time taking pictures!

Week 1 of the Beach 2009

2009-06-28T14:31:00.000-05:00

Hughes Family

2009-06-12T19:32:00.002-05:00

Last night I went to Russellville to see Jonathan play ball. The three adult Hughes children were all there together! Amy, Matt and Mary Alice!
Pics to come!

The Death of the White Van

2009-03-28T11:30:00.003-05:00

It was bound to happen... but I dreaded the day. In an unfortunate turn of events, my 1999 Plymouth Voyager was involved in an accident Wednesday night. My friend Janice had just picked it up and was driving down one of the service roads here in NLR when a lady pulled out right in front of her. The airbags deployed and Janice suffered a fractured arm and broken left ring finger. She, of course, has been really sore from the impact. But thankfully, she was not seriously hurt.

The van, I believe, is history. I am waiting to hear from the other drivers insurance company so we can make the settlement. I will then have to say goodbye to a big part of myself!!!!! You know how I become attached to my vans!!!

In August, I hope to buy another van or a Tahoe. Then, the silver bullet will become the 2nd vehicle and I can once again continue my "Mare's Bed, No-Breakfast, and Van Rental"!

Hibachi Happiness!

2009-03-25T07:30:00.003-05:00

Nothing is more fun to Mare-Mare than spending dinner with a bunch of friends! So last night was great! Janice, Eric, Tanya, Cindy, John Paul, Elissa, Josh, Mandy, Brooks, Paxton and Mare-Mare squeezed in around an Hibachi table at Benihana and let the fun begin! I know you wish you could have been there!!!

Paxton was up and down and in and out of the high chair. He is a man on the move!

John Paul (bottom right) gave his heart to Jesus last week! That was part of our celebration!

Yep, Paxton is as full of it as he looks!

Belated B'day Wishes

2009-03-17T22:31:00.002-05:00

It was 5 years ago yesterday (March 16) that Caleb Thomas Hughes entered the world! I am convinced that Ken Hughes will live on through the life of my nephew! Caleb walks like his papa, stands like his papa and has an awful lot of his papa's mannerisms. But the thing that absolutely makes you melt is his giggle! The kid loves to laugh!

My brother and sister-in-law have blessed me with two nieces and two nephews. And I wouldn't trade them for the world!

What's In A Day?

2009-03-09T23:50:00.001-05:00

People are amazing. After working since 5am this morning, I am finally close to going to bed. Problem is, my mind is still racing! So, I thought I would share with all of you about my day!
$600,000 man wasn’t worth the drive to Marion! Egotistical. Arrogant. Snob. Know-it-all… whatever you want to say. Let’s just say that in my 30 minutes with him, I know how much money he has, how smart his Harvard grad children are, how much his extensive Elvis collection is worth (millions), etc. He wasn’t the least bit interested in what I had to say. I think he just wanted to brag. Linda and I got out of there as quickly as possible.
Five minutes later, I am in the Carter’s driveway for a surprise visit. I love Herbert and V.J.! They are the exact opposite of $600,000 man! V.J. quickly gets the coffee perking, finds two different kinds of cookies, and makes Linda and me feel like we are the best thing since sliced bread. We enjoyed a great visit with them…. And may even get a couple of new business applications from them!
39 people showed up for the workshop. Kind of disappointing since 51 signed up. Oh well. I think I pissed one man off by saying a blessing. Oh well… it’s my workshop! 38 or the 39 were fine with it… in fact, they were glad I did it. Why do we let the one bother us???????? He never did get happy. At one point, I wanted to stop what I was doing and say, “Sir, the door is back there. Why don’t you walk through it and take your happy butt with you!” But, I didn’t. I killed him with kindness!!!!
I visited with a lot of people after the meeting. One lady hung around until everyone was gone. I quickly realized she just needed someone to talk to. We talked about her life.. and it is sad. We talked about her step-children… they are bad-words. We talked about her going through the deaths of two husbands. One when she was 38 and the other just recently. It was so obvious that she is about to lose it and Linda and I really hurt for her.
Then to Joy Mountain. If you don’t know where that is, it is between Searcy and Rose Bud on Hwy 36. Walked into a home with that “old person” smell and look. There sat 3 ladies and a man. Here it is 8:40pm and they are all gathered to meet me! The hostess had quite a spread on the table and Linda and I gladly dug in! We then sat in this living room with our chairs in a sort-of circle. Before long, the hostess started telling me “her story”. Again, another client who just needed to talk.
Finally, at 10:10pm, we got up to leave. The man and his wife had just gone home. It was the hostess, her friend, Linda and me. As I headed towards the door, the hostess said, “May I pray for you before you leave?” 15 years in the business and I have never had someone ask if they could pray for me! The four of us stood there in the middle of the room, held hands, and she prayed the sweetest prayer thanking God for Linda and me and asking for traveling safety.
Tomorrow, friends will ask, “How was your day? Did you sell anything?” And when I say, “no”, they will ask, “why not?”
You know, life is more than money. Life is relationships. Life is being there for someone who needs you. Life is caring enough about the other person that you will stop what you are doing and listen… really listen. Life is hugs, tears, prayers, laughter and helping our fellow man carry his/her burdens.
I didn’t make a penny today. I definitely spent some (food/gas/workshop dinner). But tonight, I feel rich!

An Afternoon with Little Hughes'

2009-03-08T09:23:00.003-05:00

Sarah Maulden must be rubbing off on me! I haven't blogged in a while!

Thursday, I drove to Russellville and we had "Matt's family + Aunt Mary" pictures made. Matt and I have signed a one year lease on a billboard and we wanted to make sure his wife and kids get bird-pooped-on too!

I love my nieces and nephews more than words can say. And my Jonathan, who will be 10 in just a few days, is the sweetest, most compassionate little boy. He hugged me and told me he loved me at least 10 times in the 2 hours we were together! (Maybe he knows I have drawn up a will?!!!)

All the kids are growing too fast. By the middle of May they will be 12, 10, 5 and 1. WOW!

Brooks-A-Million and Paxy-Waxy

2009-02-28T16:28:00.004-06:00

After spending the night in Hot Springs with 13 teenagers and two other adults ... and getting very little sleep... and spending the morning singing praise songs and listening to a speaker ... and having a great "coke visit" with my friend Lisa ... instead of going home to nap, I stopped by and spent 2.5 hours with Brooks and Paxton! My man Pax is hilarious! You can barely see it in the picture, but he has on his two-sizes-too-big rain shoes and is playing basketball ... in the garage! Pax doesn't say much but he has "MARE-MARE" down pat!

Brooks, of course, talked Mare-Mare into a trip to Sonic for peach tea, chicken nuggets, honey mustard and tater-tots. This is the "snack" of choice! He and I discussed the summer beach trip in route and while there. He is convinced that Meg, Jake and he will sleep with Pops and Nan! He has said that Pax can sleep with Mare-Mare!

We also talked about the fact that keeping up with Pax will be a fulltime job at the beach! He is EVERYWHERE! I mentioned to Mandy that we may want to make out a "Paxton Watch" schedule and make sure everyone gets equal time!

Play Day

2009-02-25T21:50:00.002-06:00

My schedule will most likely be packed for the next 2+ months so I took this afternoon off. I picked up Molly and Olivia from Ms Jackie's and off to Sonic we went for 2 M&M Blasts! then, we went to the park on Martin St. where they enjoyed about 30 minutes of playing! We would have stayed longer, but there were a lot of big kids hogging the slides and other equipment.

Molly and Olivia are quite entertaining! And Miss Mary loves them!

Beach Bound

2009-02-21T13:00:00.005-06:00

The Moudy clan has once again invited me to share a week with them in Florida. I can't wait! Those weeks are great fun and full of laughter. Again this year, they will be staying at the Adagio. Dan, Linda, Matt, Jenny, Jake, Meg, Josh, Mandy, Brooks and Pax. Keeping up with Pax should be great fun!!!! The kid is everywhere and into everything! (The picture of the 3 pools above is The Adagio.)

Cindy, Ricky, Libby and Clayton are taking their kids and going to Ft. Walton Beach June 20-27. I have rented a condo in the building next door (Waters Edge Resort) and will be sharing it with Lisa and her crew! (Other two pics are of Waters Edge.) That means I will be in Florida for two straight weeks with some of the best friends a person could ask for!

I asked Matt if his family would like to go with me. Being the party-poopers they are, they declined the invitation! Oh well... their loss!!!

I am now pumped about working hard the next 3.5 months so I can be stress-free for 2 weeks!

2009-02-14T22:35:00.004-06:00

For Valentines Day, I sent Jonathan, Caleb and Sarah some money for a trip to Sonic and milkshakes! As you can see, Sarah really loves milkshakes! Just think, when Sarah is Anna's age and comes to spend the weekend with Aunt Mary... Aunt Mary will be 52 years old!

I thought about that last night while Lisa was helping Haley. I'm sure we will be the most "hip" mom and Aunt Mary in the world!!!!

Benefits of Being A Mare-Mare

2009-02-14T11:00:00.004-06:00

This weekend, I am enjoying having my niece (aka...Mary Alice, Jr.) stay with me. Last night, she once again asked me if I was ever going to get married. My response was, "If I got married, I couldn't do all the things I do with you and other kids!"
Last night was another great example of how much fun it is to be a Mare-Mare! Haley Hickingbotham (Lisa's daughter) was voted in as 9th grade basketball homecoming maid. Let me just tell you... she looked mahhhveloussss!
As Lisa was helping Haley get dressed, all I could think of was "we are getting old!" I am sure that Lisa's mind was overwhelmed with memories of HER mom doing the same thing 23+ years ago.
Growing older isn't all that bad. Growing fat, on the other hand, and having the aches that go with age, is what bothers me!
Click on the link below to see pics of Miss Beautiful!

http://picasaweb.google.com/MaryHughes3916/HaleyHomecoming2009?feat=directlink

You Know I Like My Chicken Fried...

2009-02-11T21:46:00.002-06:00

Wow! I have the world's best neighbors and friends! Tonight, with the help of Linda and Janice, I fried chicken for 11 people! We had the best time... Fried chicken, mashed pototoes, gravy (homemade chicken gravy), green beans, biscuits and b'day cake! Neil, Karen (b'day girl), Mike, Beth, Stan, Linda, Aaron, Mathew, Janice, Chuck, and I had dinner together and it was great!
I am so blessed to live where I live. My neighbors are the best and we all share a great relationship! The Smith's and Valley's just added to the fun!

TV and Stuff

2009-02-03T14:59:00.002-06:00

Well, I was up spending quality time in the bathroom from 4:30am - 7:30am this morning. Since then, my body has ached, I've been cold (yes... I have been cold) and all I have eaten is crackers. I sure hope this is only a 24 hour thing!

Dinner and Friends!

2009-01-31T09:42:00.002-06:00

I guess the love-for-entertaining-friends gene was passed on from both parents straight to me. Last week it was BHS girlfriends. Tonight, it is 15-19 FBC Sherwood friends. The menu is:

Appetizers

Salad

Filet Mignon

Potatoe Casserole

Something green

Sister Shubert rolls

Dessert

Yes, it will be good food, good times and good friends! What a great combination!!

Going West... It's A Goal!

2009-01-29T23:04:00.002-06:00

I was not the least bit surprised when my Benton Bible study girls all said "no" to a trip out west. Oh well. One of the negatives of being single is that it is hard for my married friends and single mom friends to get away. One of the positives of being single is that I can get away whenever I want to!!!!

So, I have decided that I'm going to Wyoming by myself. Karen across the street may go and see a friend of hers. But I'm not taking anyone else. I'll have to decide between now and then if I am going to drive or fly and rent a car. Of course, I'll take my camera and probably four 4-GB memory cards. (Yes, I get a little crazy with the camera. But I love taking pics and then weeding out the bad ones.) If I play my cards right, I can be gone at least 10 days.

"Go West Young (Wo)man!"

2009-01-29T06:59:00.002-06:00

I have decided what motivates me to work. I used to think it was the competition... the challenge to win...to get the application and claim victory. I have decided that competition is the 2nd most motivating thing for me.

Number one on the list is "travel"!

I love to travel. And my new obsession is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And I hope that my Bible study buds from Benton can join me for this trip. (If others want to go, we can take two vehicles or rent a passenger van. The more, the merrier!)

My new goal, as of last night, is to be in Wyoming by October 12. I can fly (roundtrip) to Denver for a little more than $200. I can rent a car/small SUV/mini-van for less than $400 for a week. Teton Lodge in Jackson Hole is only $119 a night in October! And hopefully, gas will stay less than $2.50/gallon.

The Jackson Hole Golf Course is closed after October 15. If I get there on the 12th, I can play golf at least once and enjoy a day or two in Yellowstone. (Golf is $95/round in October.)

So, I guess I better get busy and work!!!!

New Motto

2009-01-27T21:18:00.001-06:00

Just saw Wynona on the Alli commercial. Thus, my new motto:
I AM SO MUCH MORE THAN A NUMBER ON A SCALE!!!!

Of course, my football spouse was quick to tell me that there aren't enough numbers on my scale! Can you believe I put up with him?!!!!

"You Know I Like My Chicken Fried..."

2009-01-26T20:40:00.003-06:00

Sunday night, I made a quick trip up to Fayetteville to see Allison, Baxter, Ryan and Sarah. And as you can tell by the picture, Sarah learned how to fry chicken! Ryan Green will

now be a very camper for the rest of his life!!! Sarah was a bit freaked out when she discovered that you use the leftover grease for the gravy... but she got over it.

We also had fun watching the Duggar Wedding and reading the Duggar Family House Rules and Jim Bob's marriage tips online. I have decided that there will probably be 2 raptures... One for the Duggar's and the rest for all of us!!!

Al, Baxter, Ryan, Sarah and Nelson-poo... thanks for sharing a few hours, some good food and a comfy bed with Mare! I love you!!!!

My BHS Peeps and ME

2009-01-25T11:52:00.004-06:00

Last night, Shelly, Holly, Sheila, Melissa, Whitney, Jill and Lisa came over for a few hours just to eat (of course) and catch up on what's happening. You know, you gotta love 21st century get-togethers! Sheila had her iPhone out and the rest of us passed around my two laptops as we checked our Facebook accounts and asked "who is so-and-so?"!

I will tell you this... I have some of the best "lifetime" friends in the world!

Friday Night at Mare-Mare's House

2009-01-24T09:16:00.003-06:00

Wonderful chaos.
That's the best way I know how to describe Friday night at Mare-Mare's house. First it was a quick and enjoyable visit with Patti. Then, Lisa, Haley, Brandon, Bobby, Makenzie, Cindy Ball, and Eric were here and it was so much fun! How blessed I am with wonderful friends who are like family to me!!!

My Day

2009-01-22T19:41:00.002-06:00

My day wasn't the greatest. As a matter of fact, it was really stressful. But thankfully, I have Linda at the office and Karen across the street! Linda let me "vent" this afternoon and Karen cooked me dinner and listened. (Neil just kept saying, "don't listen to her, Mary Allie!)

So anyway, I am thankful for Linda, Karen, Lisa, Cindy, Patti..... you know... the list is sooooo long! But I am so thankful for all of you!

Thanks Sarah!

2009-01-20T19:55:00.002-06:00

For some reason, I couldn't get the background of this blog to change. But hey.. Sarah Maulden to the rescue!!!!

Thanks, Sarah, for making my blog look so good!!!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T05:34:00.000-06:00

When Patches woke me up this morning, my first thought was, “what TIME is it?” (The answer to that question was 4:45am.) As I put my feet on the floor, I thought about George and Laura Bush.

Political views and opinions aside, there is a sense of sadness this morning for George and Laura Bush. I remember having the same feelings the day Bush took office and Bill and Hillary had to leave.

Today is a day of change for the United States of America. It is a day filled with pomp and circumstance. It is a day that we celebrate our democracy… our freedom…our right to vote.

It is believed that over 2 million people will be in Washington D.C. this morning for the inauguration and festivities that will follow. And all eyes will be on our new commander and chief, Barack Hussein Obama. And even though I didn’t vote for him, I will have to admit that I will be DVRing the events of the day and will watch a few hours of TV tonight. Regardless of how we cast our vote, we celebrate the fact that we live in a country where we CAN have change.

For us as Christians, today doesn’t change our mode of operation. Our charge from God is clear:

“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.” I Timothy 2:1-3 (The Message)

God knew that there would always be a left side and a right side. He knew there would be Democrats and Republicans. As a matter of fact, God isn’t the least bit surprised by what is going on in the U.S. of A today.

He has given us all a free will. He has given us all the ability to make choices. And today, as every day of our lives, we will each choose who we will serve. As for me, I will serve my God. And that means, I will pray for my new president and his cabinet. He needs our prayers now more than ever in his life. And it is God’s desire that we lift this administration up to Him… and leave the results to Him, too.

Don’t worry…. HE can handle it! He’s God!

Makenzie

2009-01-18T13:11:00.003-06:00

Today was an exciting day for Makenzie Hope Sikes! Last week, Makenzie made a profession of faith in Jesus and asked Him to be Lord and Savior of her life. Today, Bro. Paul McClung, pastor of First Baptist Church of Sherwood, baptized Makenzie!

Makenzie is afraid of going under the water, so Bro. Paul handled it perfectly. He presented her to the church and then gently turned her around where the congregation couldn't see her, and did a mini-dunk!

After the service, Makenzie's daddy brought her up to the balcony to see her Mare-Mare. I got a quick hug and an "I love you" before she went back downstairs to sit with her mother and rest of the family.

Makenzie and I are now forever bonded in the family of Christ! That makes a Mare-Mare so happy... even to the point of good tears. I sure do love my Makenzie!

Paint Day

2009-01-17T16:05:00.005-06:00

A couple of years ago, I had a paint party and we painted the hallway. I was never happy with the color. So this week, I decided it was time to paint it... again. Lisa and Elise Bamburg were the only two friends of mine brave enough to come over!

Many of you may be thinking, "Why does Mary Alice always have to have someone(s) come over when she paints?" Well, I can only explain it this way: I don't like being alone for long periods of time.

As I told Elise and Lisa... it doesn't matter if you paint or not. The thing that matters to me is that you are here and I have someone(s) to talk to.

I guess I'm a bit high maintenance in that way. Oh well. At least I don't enjoy plumbing and sewer work!

Thanks Lisa and Elise for a fun day!

The Frustration of Computers

2009-01-16T22:55:00.003-06:00

After a fun evening with Lisa and her kids, I thought I'd come home and quickly change the background of my blog.
Wrong.
Now, I am totally frustrated and going to bed.
As Scarlet would say... "I'll do that tomorrow!"

3 Down

2009-01-15T11:45:00.001-06:00

Down 3 pounds since January 5!

I am on my way to the new and improved Mare-Mare!

The Human Toy

2009-01-14T12:18:00.003-06:00

Once a week, I have to get my Brooks and Paxton "fix". Yesterday was the day. As you can see, Paxton loves the Salad Shooter and Mare-Mare is considered a human toy!

Kids

2009-01-14T08:35:00.005-06:00

I am a huge lover of kids... and dogs. Until Patches, I thought that thelatter required less time, attention and money. All 60 lbs of him have proved me wrong!

A couple of weeks ago, Brody Parker came over to get his stocking and play football with me. It was a Sunday afternoon and he still had his Sunday clothes on. Of course, I had to pay him $2 to pose for pictures, but it was worth it!

Now, if any of you can tell me how to put the pictures exactly where I want them on this blog, I would appreciate it.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-13T14:31:00.006-06:00

Christmas morning, I was sitting in Matt's driveway at 7:15am waiting on everyone to get up and let Aunt Mary in! It was my first Christmas morning with the kids. And it was Sarah's first Christmas. We had a great morning and the Wii Aunt Mary gave the family was (and still is) a big hit!

From R'ville to Benton for a quick visit with the Moudy's. Enjoy the pics.

More to Come

2009-01-12T21:51:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have been a horrible blogger. I promise to get better. I need to go "back in time" and put Christmas and other stuff on here. Just wait... I'll get it done!

The Perfect Weekend

2009-01-12T21:18:00.004-06:00

I was informed this past weekend that I am not a very good blogger. I think it might have been put this way..."Mare, you suck at blogging!" The beautiul people you see above are the accusers. Well, I may suck at blogging. But I am darn good at having fun weekends!
Thursday, I drove up to my "home away from home", Stonewall Mountain in Eureka Springs. I enjoyed watching the Florida - Oklahoma game while hearing the crackling sounds coming from the fireplace. Finally, at 41 years of age, I am learning how to relax.
Friday, I slept until 11:30am. After making coffee, I prepared a bowl of raisin bran (with yogurt, not milk) and sat down to watch a movie. The rest of the afternoon was filled with reading and, I think, another movie! By 6:00pm, I was busy getting everything ready for Ryan and Al's favorite Mare-meal. I even baked some Nestle chocolate chip cookies. When Baxter, Allison, Sarah and Ryan arrived, I had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and sister shubert's ready to be devoured. And boy, were they devoured!
The five of us enjoyed a great 41 hours together. I watched more movies (7) from Friday to Sunday than I have watched in the last 3 years combined! We ate like kings and queens. Saturday morning's breakfast was bacon, scrambled cheese eggs, biscuits, fruit, leftover chicken left over pork chops. (Sarah doesn't eat chicken or broccoli. So far, that's the only things I have found wrong with her!) Saturday night, it was steak, potatoes, salad, and rolls.
Both nights we stood/sat around the bonfire and played the question game. Saturday night, we pulled the van down, turned on the radio, and listened as the R'backs lost. Oh well... it was bound to happen. Better now than in March!
And thankfully, none of drowned in the hot tub! We sat in it for an hour Saturday afternoon trying to see whose skin "pruned" the ugliest!
I wish there were a way to put into words how much I love Ryan and Allison and how proud I am of them. When my football spouse asked about them tonight, I told him that they were wonderful young adults. And both of them have found excellent future spouses! Sarah is beautiful. She is smart, sassy, full of life and has a great sense of humor. But most importantly, she loves Jesus and she loves my Ryan-o!
Baxter, Allison's fiance, is precious. I have about decided that the boy is brilliant! The wonderful thing is, he's not conceited! There's not an ounce of "I am better than you" in his body! He is the most polite, kind-hearted, sweetest-spirited guy I think I've ever met. Baxter loves the Lord and he loves my Big Al!
I've sat here and tried to put into words what my heart felt yesterday while the 5 of us sat around the table at Casa Colina for lunch. The four of them are special, special people.
The cabin is already booked for the same weekend next year. By then, they will be Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Green and Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Drennon. But I'm still not going to let them have the king-sized bed!!!!!!

Blessed Assurance

2008-12-01T06:16:00.001-06:00

You know, there are some things in life we just don’t like to do. For example, how many people get excited about root canals?

On my list of “things I’d rather not do” is funerals and some weddings.

I haven’t met a soul yet who enjoyed funerals. Well, maybe my Mama Cile. When she was still able to drive, she viewed them more as a social event!

Some weddings I get excited about. For instance, I will clear the calendar the day of Craig and Katie’s wedding, Elliott and Stephanie’s and Ryan and Sarah’s. (What I’m not excited about is the weight loss that must occur before April! Well, I’m excited about the loss… just not the process!)

This past Saturday morning, I attended a great funeral. There were a few things that made it great. First and foremost, there was absolutely no doubt as to where Dalton Williams was spending eternity. His earthly body may have been in that casket, but his soul was with Jesus! This is something I knew prior to the service, but it was more than confirmed during the service. You see, Dalton Williams’ relationship with Jesus was so real, it showed in his daily life to everyone he met. And by the packed house, standing room only crowd, he met a lot of people!

I will have to admit that when I saw there would be three “preachers”, I was a bit worried that we would be there half the day! To my surprise, each of them was relatively short, very sweet, and to the point. The second pastor had definitely had his AARP card for a while, but he was terrific! He informed us that Dalton gave him this order: “Bro. Robert is to ‘preach’ my funeral. Your job is to blow smoke!” Let’s just say the room was smoke-filled when he sat down!

Lastly, Bro. Robert inspired me in his message. Here was the passage of scripture he used:

"’Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:1-6

As he read the scripture, I sat quietly in my pew quoting it with him. It is a passage I memorized as an elementary-aged chubby kid.

Something else I memorized early on as a child were the words to “Blessed Assurance”. They are words that I sing often and with confidence.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

If you don’t know my Jesus, you sure are missing out on an abundant and yes, eternal, life!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-11-19T08:44:00.002-06:00

For many men and women, this time of year is referred to as "deer season". For me, it is "Medicare season"! From November 15-December 31, people on Medicare can change their prescription drug plan for the next year. So Matt and I spend most of October and all of November and December talking to people, meeting with them one-on-one and answering a ton of questions.
Many older people, I have come to realize, want things done yesterday! They forget that you are working with hundreds of people. They wonder why you haven't called them or why you don't answer the phone. It is quite comical. I try to explain that we have one phone line in the office and if Linda or I am on it, the voice mail picks up immediately.
Yesterday, one of my clients came in ranting and raving about not being able to get in touch with me. She kept on and on. And then she got mad because she forgot her list of medications. Finally, I looked at her and said, "Mrs. Allison...this is all small stuff. And there's no need to sweat the small stuff. A 33 year old young man that was in my youth group years ago was killed in a car accident Sunday. That's big stuff. THIS is small stuff."
She looked at me and very quietly and calmly said, "you're right".
From then on... our consultation was very enjoyable.
Ssometimes we are just too quick to sweat the small stuff.

More Pics!

2008-11-15T22:59:00.000-06:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/MaryHughes3916/PaxAndBrooksVisitMareMare#

Click on the link above for more Pax and Brooks pictures!

Pax and Brooks Visit Mare-Mare

2008-11-15T22:52:00.000-06:00

Ordinarily, mine is a very quiet home. But today, it was anything but quiet! From 9am - 9:15pm, there were folks coming in and out of Mare-Mare's home. Haley, Linda, Eric, Janice, Chuck, Lisa, Brandon, Molly, Neil, Paxton, Mandy, Linda, Brooks and Josh. Janice, Lisa and Brandon made a repeat visit later in the evening!

Don't get me wrong... I loved every minute of it! Just wish I had more Cokes, Diet Cokes and Capri Suns available.

It is 10:55pm and Mare-Mare is ready to collapse into bed!

Friday, November 14, 2008

2008-11-14T09:15:00.005-06:00

It seems as though my life has been moving in fast-forward the past few weeks. Since September 24, I think I have driven over 10,000 miles. My spread-out-rear-end is proof!

But the weeks have been fun. Just thought I'd share some pics.

a) Lisa and me enjoying Halloween weekend at her sister's farm.

b) Sunset at the farm

c) Me in Bar Harbor, Maine

d) Flat Stanley and the police car ... idling while the cop wrote my $185 ticket!

e) Linda, Karen, Flat Stanley and me on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Mare-Mare Finally Blogs

2008-11-02T19:58:00.000-06:00

What happens when you go spend a couple of days with the "kids" you used to babysit? They bring you into the 21st century and make you set up a blog! Actually, these two are blogger-want-to-be's. They help others set up a blog because their lives aren't exciting and don't deserve a blog. Whatever. I mean really... Ryan is engaged. Sarah and him could be giving us weekly updates on the wedding plans. And Allison... well, she just started her first "real" job so there's something to "blog" about. And Baxter... shoot...if I had a boyfriend that handsome and that smart, I'd be telling the world about him!

Anyway, I now blog. And I guess the daily thought will now be on my "blog spot". I am an official "blogger"!

So, I have to put some pictures on here now. See ya tomorrow.