Merry Christmas

From us in the balmy Southeast- Merry Christmas.

All I can say is WOW, Matthew is tall. :) We've come a long way from litte ones who crawled over to the tree and looked up in awe.

And more snow

More Snow

Snow in Illinois

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]


Today I got my first collage acceptance letter to High Point University. Yeah!!!! So the rest of the collages that I am applying to their applications aren't due until janurary. And yes mom and dad I know that is close. So now everybody please pray that I can get the High Point Presidential Scholarship or a bunch of other scholarships so I can go there. I am on cloud nine and let me tell you it is a great place to be. Here is the website for the school.

www.highpoint.edu

The picture on the left is right before I left to go to school. My friend Shaleesa did my hair and my friend Rita did my make-up. The other two pictures are me outside in my front yard.

These are two pictures of me outside in my front yard right before my mommy took me to school.

Homecoming pictures

The picture on the left is me and my escort, Dunamis, after half-time. The one on the right is us walking on the field.
This picture above is me and my escort about to walk down the field and the one on the left is the whole homecoming court.

In the one above it is me and Dunamis taking our pictures for the yearbook. And the picture below is me when I got out of the car when my mommy dropped me off at school.

Look what all you southerners are missing - real snow

Jessica is all dressed up for the luncheon. Scott picked out the dress and the jewelry.

Jessica gets all fancy

Jessica had her makeup and hair done at the salon at the Irish Cottage

Pop LOVES the bagpipes!

There was a Scottish bagpipe player and Pop hated it! Bagpipes are not something I would want to hear all evening, but I thought it was neat. Pop's expression here says it all!

Irish singer and Irish bread pudding

I had Irish bread pudding which was the greatest bread pudding I have ever had!!!!!

Irish evening

Jessica, Pop and I had supper at the Irish Pub on Saturday night before her wedding, saw Irish dancers and listened to an Irish singer. Neat!

Barbara Gets a Haircut

Today Barbara got all her hair cut off. Grandma, she'll be mailing it next week after it dries completely and her parents get paid. :) Hope you like the photos Momma & Pop. By the way, there's no denying she's related to her aunt now for sure. WOW, the resemblance!

You can see the rest of the pictures if you want to here.

Grandpa is a busy man!

As Seniors pastor at our church, Pop/Dad/Grandpa has to do outreach ministry. Well, he started with a couple of assisted living facilites. He enjoyed it so much he now does 7 different facilities - 3 nursing homes and 4 assisted living. I go with him to 3 of them. The one we do on Sunday nights at a new assisted living facility is really going well. The place is beautiful - looks like a luxury hotel. The first night we were there a man came up to Pop after service with tears in his eyes and said, "I have not been able to go to church in a long time and this means so much to me." Last night I overheard a couple of ladies talking. One said, "I feel like I have been to church." The other responded, "yeah, he's good." I also do a piano concert twice a month at an assisted living facility. So - I guess we are chekcing out the facilities in the area to find our future home some day. (Actually, I guess God will allow us to have good health and stay in our home to the end.)

Guess who is running for Ben L. Smith's 2009 homecoming queen?

Yep your right I am. I am so excited. I went to the mall last night with a couple of friends and we were all trying on dresses. I was having a hard time finding one in Belk but I went to JcPenny's and I found this dress that fit me really well and it is so cute. I want a dress in green because my school colors are green and gold. I need to get on JcPenny's website and see if they have it in green. I get to be in the homecoming parade and I am going to ask the people I babysit for if I can borrow their convetable sports car. The car is fliping amazing. The school has a homecoming court dinner and then I get to walk out on the football field with all eyes on me(and the other girls) but alot on me cause I will probaly be the only white girl running. Sorry I can be a little vain at times. I have to find an escort but I think I know who I am going to ask. I told my friend Hviet that we would have to stand next to each other because she is asain and probaly the only asian running and then we would have more people looking at us. I really hope I win but even if I don't I will still have alot of fun. I am sooooooooooo glad I am a senior because I am tired of high school I wish I could skip to june and graduate. I have alot of homework from my classes but that was not really a suprise because I am in IB. I have IB Math for zero block, IB Spanish Language for first block, Advanced Band for second block, IB English 12 and IB Psychology for third block on a a/b day schedule. Then I have IB Biology for my fourth block. Love you all.

Hi Everyone,

Hello Everyone,
I am beat, Stacie is in the hospital with pneumonia, and is pretty sick....right now I am home, I spent the whole day up there with them...a normal white blood cell count is between 6000-10, 000 Stacies is 23,000, so this infection sure has taken a hold of her little body... keep her in prayer...
I pray that everyone is well and doing better....Dad are you doing your exercises? LOL
I will let you know more when I know it....

Love you all
Maria

Hi Everyone,

THANKS

Pop & Momma,
Thanks for today. Thanks for being there, even if it was over the phone. I needed a laugh and the encouragement that you gave me Pop. And Momma, I needed the understanding, the love, and the acceptance you sent through that phone line.

Even though there are 1000 miles between us, I know you love me and are "here" for me when I need you. Knowing God is with me and that I have two parents who love me no matter what helps a lot!!!!!!!!!!

I love you!

News from Texas

Well we have another school year starting tomorrow here,
Janie is safe and secure in her dorm and I will be forwarding her new address as soon as I receive it...she called yesterday and sounded lonely, she said she was of all things bored, LOL she starts classes tomorrow, keep her in your prayers that God leads her to the right people and keeps her safe....I have prayed it, wow its hard to take a kiddo and leave them, I feel that part of my heart is missing, I keep wanting to talk to her like shes in the next room, and I turn around and think she'll be there, it's weird, but I am glad for her shes starting something good and building her adult life. Wow this parent thing is hard sometimes...Justin will be in the 8th grade this year, he is up to 5 foot 7 now and wears a size 10 1/2 shoe with a 28 waist, and a 36 length, try to find jeans that will fit him both places its fun....Stacie grows by leaps and bounds daily, she says Dada, Poppop, and Nana now but now Mama, she is pulling up, crawling, and just an all around awesome child....I love her soo much,Grandkids are awesome....but here I go again rambling....My Workers Comp case is supposed to close in October, I dont know if I will have more therapy or not they are fighting it right now....I have a 5 and 1/2 inch difference in my thighs (between r and l) I have lost that much muscle mass, but I am still doing my exercises so hopefully I will regain some back.

Well I am headed to bed talk to you all soon

Happy Birthday to POP

Well Dad, Papa, Pop Pop,
Happy birthday, I pray that you had a blessed day, I didnt get to talk to you but you were on my mind and in my prayers....I just wanted you to know that I love you and you are always in my prayers and in my mind...and I just wanted to say Thank You to you and Mom for everything you have done for me and mine....

WE HAD A BLAST!!!!

We went to Grandpa's 50th high school reunion this weekend. What a fun time we had!!!!

There were 114 in his class, 24 are deceased. Of the remaining 90, 51 were there. They are a great bunch of people. Most of them were together in school since grade school and they just enjoy being together. Several expressed how glad they wre that Pop finally joined up. Even though he had not seen many of them in 50 years after just a few minutes it was like they had never been apart. We exchanged e-mails and phone numbers with several. They have such fun together they do reunions every 5 years instead of 10 and when we left everyone said, "See you in 5 years." One of his classmates lives in NC and when she heard we had family there, they insisted that when we come out next year, we have to come see them.

You know me, I usually don't do well in large crowds of people that I don't know, but I found myself so at ease that it was as if I had gone to school with them too. I don't know when I have enjoyed myself so much. I even got up on the dance floor and did the twist!!! I know Jessica and Rebekah, you are glad you were not there to see that sight! But I had fun!!!!!!

Your dear father should not have danced with me on his foot, but he saw I was having such fun, he did. Today he's on pain pills big time! He is such a dear man!! I am so blessed to have him in my life!!!

Do remember him in prayer this week as surgery is scheduled on Thursday at 7:15

And if you don't like hostas, we can offer you lillies.

Here's our park bench. You are all invited to come sit on it any time you need a nice relaxing day!

Getting ready to go back to school.

Hey everyone...I'm up late yet another night. I'm slightly restless thinking of all that I'm going to have to do this upcoming week. I finally got the rest of my belonging moved into my current establishment, which happens to be my friend's family's home. Just about the time I get settled, I'll get to pack up and head back to school. My roommate from last year and I got along so well that we will be sharing an on-campus apartment. I'm very excited to be able to cook!!!! I'll be moving on the 16th of this month. My new home address is:

Virginia Lane
P.O. Box 222
Nelson, NE 68961

and my new school address is:

Virginia Lane
The Village Rm. # S519B
1055 N. 16th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508-1257

I have the same cell phone number (some of you may not have this number, :) but now you do) (402) 460-7476. I'll be taking 17 credit hours this fall semester...and hopefully working two part time jobs on the side. The classes I will be taking this fall are as follows: Biology 101 w/ lab, American History to 1877, Spanish 102, Rhetoric as Argument (English course), First Aid CPR & AED, Intro to Health Professions.

back yard

Take a look at how tall our trees have gotten - it's like a park in the back yard

hostas

These are the hostas at the front of the house. They were so beautiful this year!

more roses

Roses

Here are some of my roses. I had 3 roses at the beginning of the year. One of them was a mother's day gift a few years ago from Rob and Rebekah. They always bloomed once and was pretty - but then nothing. This year we moved them where they would get more sun, I also added peat moss to the soil and fertilized. They are beautiful - and I now have 13 rose bushes. Have enough room to add 4 to 5 more next year - then my rose garden will be complete and Paul can stop singing, "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden." :):)

My second college visit.

Hi everybody. Today I went on my second college visit. My daddy and I went to High Point University. We got lost trying to find the college when we got off the highway we were on college drive but sadly we went the wrong way on college drive. When we got there by the admissions office there were signs with the students names with the people visiting the college. So we had a reserved spot that said Barbara Thomas Greensboro NC. I had to check this paper with all my information on it and then they let us get drinks and we got on a golf cart and took a tour of the college with one of the student ambassadors. Daddy and I had to ride on the back of the cart which is really weird cause you don't know where you are going. We went down the International Promenade with flags up representing all the countries that have students in the school. We stoped and saw the theatre with a quater of a million dollar chandelier. The chandelier is itialian crystal which they bought a few years ago. They were doing a lot of construction so we didn't get to see the science buildings or the chapel. But because the school is affliated with the methodist church all students are required to take some sort of religious class. There are chapel services that you can use for credits but they have world religion classes and a bunch of things. They are building a new school of business which will have a direct feed from the new york stock exchange. They are also building a new school of communication with a bunch of new technology and a live direct feed from a local news channel. I will write some more later. Lots of love.

I wrote an article and it was published this week in our Sunday paper about Pop and our garden. Hope you enjoy it!

Giving trees: Garden spurs Milan woman to wellness

Some gardens work like horses, transforming our rich, black soil into food for hungry folks. Others are elegant showpieces, populated with nodding blooms atop sensuous stems.
Still others fill niches you can't exactly see. They find needy places in the human heart and provide green, optimistic vistas. Such is the case with the backyard garden that Paul Lane created for his wife, Barbara, when she was ill.
Mrs. Lane, of Milan, tells the story of her garden best, so here is the letter she sent to The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus for inclusion in the "My Garden" series:
I would like to offer my husband's garden as a great garden to feature. In November 2001, we moved into our house in Milan. It had no trees and no flowers on the property. In the backyard, a deck opened onto a swimming pool. The backyard was ugly and hot, with lots of concrete and rock around the pool. Two metal sheds sat atop concrete. My husband, who loves flowers and trees, wanted to get rid of the pool. ...
The next summer I was only in the pool about 3 or 4 times because I was so tired every evening when I came home from work that I just wanted to lie down. In November 2002, we discovered why I was feeling so badly. I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
After surgery, my oncologist told me that the cancer was very aggressive. Even with chemotherapy and radiation, my chances of living 10 more years were only 25 percent.
That spring my husband took down the pool and began planting. It was therapy for him and something he could do to be close to me for the days/weeks I was too weak to move from my bed. He put a chair next to the patio doors, and I would sit and watch him plant beautiful flowers and trees. He said for every tree he planted, I would get another year of life. Our property now has 34 trees! (The kids tease me that they are going to come over and cut down some trees because they have me up to 88 years of life.)
The yard is a work in progress. Each year he extends the flower beds, adding more flowers and trees. This year he broke up the concrete from one of the sheds and planted a vegetable garden. ...
Not only is this a beautiful garden, but it is a garden made with love. It is my husband's gift to me to encourage me to keep on living. So far, I'm 5-1/2 years cancer-free.
Thank you,
Barbara Lane

Hey Everyone

Hey all. Sorry it has been awhile. Hope everyone has had a great summer thus far.

Happy 24th Anniversay

Happy anniversary Pop & Momma!

For Pop- the caladiums came up finally

Hey Pop, I just wanted to show you that those caladiums all finally came up! Rob & I found out they even bloom which we didn't know! Did you?

Anyway, I wanted to share a picture so you'd see how they turned out. I was just not being patient enough, plus we had some more rain since you left, so maybe that was all they were waiting on.

Love you!

Princess Tea

I am so proud of this day.

Check it out at Princess Tea.

Texas - More of Maria's family

Justin, Janie and Cody!

Janie with proud Mom and Grandma!

Aren't we wonderful?

Texas - Maria & family

We enjoyed our visit with Maria and family. Janie graduated with honors - member of FFA (Future Farmers of America) and also Beta Honor. She will going this fall to Texas A & M at Commerce. Great job Janie!

Proud Grandpa!