New Beginnings....

2011 is the beginning of a new decade. A new year.  A new month. A new time.  A new life.  It is time to take out the garbage and do better! I went back to church this past Sunday.  If felt so good and it was like the sermon was just for me.  It was titled Facing Giants.  I also spent some time reading my Bible last night.  I read about David and Goliath.  Now I have been saved since I was a young girl, but have gotten way out of bounds of where I should be.  I have been through some trying times as we all have.  BUT  most of the rough water was from me JUMPING IN it instead of avoiding it.  I have since then built bridges to get through the troubled waters and figured out I can't do this alone.  I do know that I am not where I want to be spiritually, I want MORE.  I do know that I am not the same person I was 10 years ago.  I do know that I have come a long way.  I do know I have much farther to go.  I do know I am scared.  I do know that it will be alright.  I do know that I am not alone.  I do know that life is good!!

The last ten years have been a blur.  It started with meeting a man that was good or so I thought.  I wasn't living for the Lord: I was living for me.  In the end I was left alone and had my son Dakota Bob. My angel my pride and joy. Ain't he a cutie pie??

I would NOT take anything for the little guy and he is my baby! I do regret the way things happened.  BUT that is the past... today is today and I love him more than life itself!

My Daddy was diagnosed with scheloroderma  in 1998.  He fought a good fight but couldn't stay any longer so on April 7th of 2000 we lost him.  Oh let me tell you! If God ever made a man that was as close to perfection as He could make him it was my daddy!

Probably 1960 or '61

He never lost his temper.  His punishment for me was LISA ANN, I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!  That was E-N-O-U-G-H for me! That sentence alone broke my heart because I knew I had broken daddy's.  Oh boy here comes the flood! But it is good to talk about him.  He was a special man in so many ways. He loved my momma so much!!

He was always stealing "sugar"!!

 He built their house in 1980. Mom still lives in it today.

He could make anything! I have a cedar chest he made, mom has one made from Walnut and my sister has a cedar one also.  He made me a little table from Persimmon. I haven't seen anything else made from Persimmon - ever.  I know that it's out there but mine came from Daddy.  Now you may be thinking anyone can make that stuff.  Well his lumber came from trees off their land and milled by him.  He had a one man sawmill that he spent most of his time at.  Mom was sure he'd cut something off one day, but to my knowledge he didn't get hurt on it.  He would cut the trees, saw them with his tractor run sawmill, then plane them in the shed.  That was the loudest contraption he had! He'd put in a board and whoa! you could hear it for miles I was sure of it! It was my alarm clock on many a Saturday morning! What I wouldn't give to have just one more day.  One more day with him... in the shed, out riding on gravel roads on a Sunday with him and mom- for no other reason than just to see where those roads led, listening to him tell about how his day at work went, hearing his boots come up the porch when he'd come in, hearing his laughter or yelling at the Razorbacks! The picture in my header above was taken with Daddy when I was probably 2 or 3.  I'm guessing we were probably looking for a Christmas tree.  I was Daddy's girl! He had my sister and my brother, but I was HIS! Oh it hurts to be without him, but I know he is in Heaven waiting on me and I will see him again.   * I didn't mean to turn this entry into such a tear jerker!!*
Another change for me came when a scrapbook store came to town.  It was The Scrapbook Attic and More.  I knew I'd have a job there one day when I went in the first time.  I showed the guy working a scrapbook I'd made.  He asked if he could take it home to his wife to show her (as I was applying for a job) come to find out he was the owner! I started the next week or so and have been with them ever since- on and off.  There was some trouble there and the gal I was working with got fired.  I had been working 3 days for them and 4 days at our local groc. store here in town.  When she left I went full time for them and ran the store by myself.  I Loved it!! But it had to shut down and so the opportunity came for me to buy it.  My sister was going to do it with me.  We moved everything and before the papers were signed she backed out and then I did.  I'VE KICKED MYSELF EVER SINCE THEN TOO!!!!!!!!!! But being a single mom I was just scared to death to do it.  But I started driving an hour and a half to work for them on Fridays- just to stay in there and keep doing what I loved.  In Feb. 2005 I got to fly to Atlanta for CHA.  My FIRST time to fly and I loved it- once we took off!  That was an adventure I'll never forget! My goal was to meet Lisa Bearnson: I DID! I want to go back to CHA again soon and really live the adventure.  I was still (as we say here in the south) wet behind the ears and much of a green horn when it came to scrapbooking and knowing any of the inside things.  Now with blogging and You Tube things are much better as far as knowing what is going on out there.
December 2005 I was working at the grocery store in town and nearly ran smack dab in to one of our customers.  He came in every Monday and was so handsome and nice and smelled SO GOOD! I knew I'd wanted to know more about this feller! I was a love sick puppy!  I found out his wife had passed away a few years earlier and just wanted to get to talk to him as I knew he probably wouldn't be interested in little ole me.  But we talked that day for about 45 minutes.  and as they say... the rest is history.  We have been together ever since!  It has been hard and has had some major ups and downs, but we've made it.  November 10th was our 4th anniversary.
The spring of 2009 I think it was, my oldest son got stepped on while at the rodeo. (WARNING: SCARY PICTURE HERE)

 He was thrown off the bull he was on and it stepped on his head.  I don't think I've ever been so scared! Me and my mom made a VERY FAST trip to the ER 15 minutes away.  We beat the ambulance there and the girl got out (we know them all pretty well) and said he's fine, but he's got a cut on his head.  Some relief, but seeing him on the stretcher all dirty and bloody was still scary.  Laying there with his cowboy boots and chaps still on with dirt in his ears and his head cut open made me realize just how fast things can go bad wrong.  But he was stitched up and sent on his way about 2:30 am.  I think this was around Easter.
The year before that the day just before Christmas Eve mom fell on some ice.  Another scary moment for me.  I live about 8 minutes from her, but I made it in lightening speed.  When I got there her head was bleeding and she was confused.  I took her to the ER and they said she had a concussion and had to sew up her cut above her eye.  They kept her overnight and we got home on Christmas Eve night around 7 pm. She was bruised but fine.
June 2009 My niece was born too early.  Weighing in at only 1 pound 6 ounce she was in for a fight.

Keeli Jo is in the middle.  These are her cousin Jacee on the left and her sister Kinley on the right.  I have a more current picture and will post it later.

 She had some close calls and stayed in Arkansas Children's Hospital for what seemed like forever! She came home after her first birthday. On oxygen and with a feeding tube but just as cute as a little button! She is our little miracle! Her mom was born on my birthday June 12. She was almost our birthday present! Today she is off the oxygen and feeding tube and the most beautiful girl in the world!!

Last year my middle son was riding with one of his friends on a Mule thing.  They were out riding with my step-son ( he was on the 4-wheeler).  Well, the boy driving my son somehow managed to flip the Mule. (covered 4-wheeler). Hunter was hurt, we thought he'd broken his ankle.  My step-son flew in the driveway and jumped out saying you gotta take Hunter to the ER and when I found out why my heart just jumped.  So many young people around here are losing their lives on 4 wheelers! I knew he was fine, but the what ifs were running crazy in my head!  We went to the ER and they X-rayed his ankle but it wasn't broken.  It didn't show to be anyways.  It still looks bad even after all this time, like it is still bruised and it still is sore! But he made it through that!

To round out my year and feeling sorry for myself, my sister and her family weren't able to come home for Christmas and neither was my brother and his family. So my and my boys were with mom... no Christmas dinner at her house this year. Along with missing Daddy so much lately that about done me in.  But things move on, time goes on and we do to.  I have to say though, Christmas at our house was peaceful and great! Everyone got what they wanted and the food was good!! I think this was the best Christmas here at home we have ever had!
So that was my decade - sparing you little details it seems!! There was so much more but those were the good/bad/ugly highlights.

*If you made it this far in reading about my life then Thank You!! Please leave a comment so I'll know you were here.
WISHING YOU ALL A SAFE AND BLESSED 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you have a wonderful day and God Bless!!
Happy Scrappin'
Lisa