BONUS GRAND DAUGHTER DAYS………

As with so many things in life, one persons sadness or misfortune sometimes is another person’s joy….or can I say it better that to every black cloud there is a silver lining? We are being given the gift of two more weeks with our precious little family….Jen and Davis and Tovah and Lami have been delayed on their Congo journey because of rebel fighting in the Congo. Of course we are overjoyed to have them home for two more weeks, but saddened for this war torn country and all of the innocent people who have terror as a constant companion. Can you say a prayer for them as the Lord brings them to mind? Jen and Davis will be making tough decisions in the next weeks ahead and waiting on God to see what comes next in the event that things do not calm down enough for them to go with their original plan to go to the Congo. Meanwhile you can see I am enjoying my Tovah-Lovah here. Lately, about every other day, she says to me, “You’re gonna cry when I go to the Congo aren’t you gramma, and you’re gonna miss me so much, right?” Then I reply~ “Yes Tovah, I will cry when you go, but think how happy I will be when you come back?” And then she says, “Gramma when I see you when I come home from the Congo I am gonna run right into your arms”……and yeh….by then I am mopping up tears. But I am as ready as I will ever be to release them in two weeks, but what a bonus to have two more unexpected weeks together!! Did I tell you that we have two more grandchildren

on the way now? Mike and Jenna who have precious little Layla girl are expecting again in March(and did I mention yet, yippee yahoo I think Layla and her mom and dad are coming for Christmas???AND we are hoping and praying for Bethany and Brian too, hey if they could bring Madyson and Chloe….now I’m getting carried away)….and Bekah and Jon are expecting their first child in June. Praise God one of these is going to be LOCAL…..as in 7 minutes from our house, and we’ll get to babysit for someone besides Moseley – Moseley too mind you because we love that dog….but we are getting a real live baby! We are so excited. As the grandmother of 5 grand daughters, Bekah asked me last week if I secretly yearn for a grand son but just don’t tell anyone. – I can honestly say I do not. I just pray for healthy grandchildren and the gender is insignificant for me. This blog entry is dedicated to grand daughters…..(every card is pink…..)this card to my left is made with a beautiful new set from SU – called Eastern Influences – this rose is so fun to watercolor!! And that huge flat bow is the latest craze…those flat bows, we learned to make them at Convention this year. My niece Clairey just had a baby boy…..Elihu…..(hope I spelled that right) He is a beauty!! So we do have boys in the family, my sweet nephew Malachi…..he’s a boy too. 🙂 So anyway, I’ve been thinking alot about worry lately, which is one of the things I am most gifted in. It all started when within a couple of weeks, Bekah “almost” lost the baby but did not, Bethany was chased thru the woods by a low life man while walking her dog, (my girls are STILL fast runners), Jen and Davis have been living with all this uncertainty and I will admit to a wee bit of worry at the prospect of them leaving for the Congo with the state the Congo is in…..Keith had a large scale accident in the “big truck” – (not his fault but a guy bent over to pick up his cell phone and drove right into the back of his truck and though he is okay, his car looks like an accordian), and Mike and Jenna, – well they had a good week…..but there are plenty of times I am consumed with worry about some random thing in their life, or I worry and think what if they get in a car accident…..(ANY of them……)you know how it is if you are a worrier…..and on the way home from work one day it just hit me…..all these close calls happened and it was totally out of my power to do ANYTHING to stop them…….and I thought WOW it’s great to have a STRONG and MIGHTY GOD who is watching all of the time, protecting, going before – going behind…..a FATHER who really DOES have EYES in the BACK of his HEAD…..all my worry – and these things happened in the twinkling of an eye and there’s not a THING I could do to prevent them or keep them from happening…..but GOD IS…….GOD WAS……GOD FOREVER MORE SHALL BE…..and HE, HE, HE, is watching over my family, (and your family) and HE never slumbers or sleeps…..HE knows what’s going to happen before it happens, HE LOVES THEM EVEN MORE THEN I DO…….I don’t know, it was like sort of a light flashed on and it was one of those AH-HAA moments when you realize that being in the palm of GODS hand and having a KEEPER like GOD, my worrying just seemed like such an insignificant waste of time.

How about this pretty pink card to my left? I have been making some of my favorite pink cards lately…..I’ve been on a real PINK KICK……maybe it’s two more grand daughters on the way!! 🙂 This is embossed in white on vellum and colored with markers both from behind and on top to give it depth and shading……but anyway…..isn’t it neat to think that OUR GOD WATCHES OVER US LIKE THAT?? My son Mike once said to me after I confessed some worry fit I had just had, “Ma, that’s no way to live!!” And he’s right! I struggle with worry more then just about ANYTHING in my life…..but I do STRUGGLE, and TRY…..it hit me too that hopefully my kids will outlive me, so who will worry when I’m gone? And then I think, hey, what GOOD does your WORRYING DO??? Ever catch your self thinking like that? Do YOU hear the VOICES in my head? (that’s actually a line from The God’s Must be Crazy….one of our fav family movies) but anyway, I am trying really really really really hard to stop being such a worry wart. It’s just so counterproductive…….and here to my left is my most favorite card I have made in a long time. If you actually read back in my blog I am always naming some card as my most favorite – so that’s why I said that I have made in a long time. This one took a lot of cutting…..but I really do love it in the end. I actually made one like this for a friend at work and then had a battle giving it to her…..how selfish is THAT???? I kept making excuses like oh gee, she’ s not really a pink lover maybe I will give her this card over here instead….etc….but in the end I just made another one like it and gave it to my DEAR, KIND and WONDERFUL friend at work……..and felt so much happier with myself. :):) harhar. That’s the best thing about being a demonstrator is keeping your cards cuz you need samples…….anyway, sometimes I think that God must get so tired of my worrying – but then I realize that HE is my FATHER and he does not expect perfection from me and HE loves me UNCONDITIONALLY…..worry warts and all. :):) Well I have stayed up way past my bedtime here to blog…..you know I am not sure if they improved this thing or if I am just finally getting a little blog-savvy……(careful there….pride comes before the fall)but it seems like it’s been a really long time since I wiped out a card…….or had one turn sideways on me……I think I am getting to be an expert blogger. harhar…not. Here are two more of those precious ones I have been telling you about. We call Lami – (whose whole name is Elami Cheruto) Lami-Lou, it’s just a nickname that is sticking and so she sort of thinks that is what her name is now. When we were trick or treating the other night we were walking along and I said to her, “Lami, Are you grammas little punkin girl”…..and she said “No, I notta punkin girl”…..and I said,,,,”Are you grammas little bo peep?”(she was dressed up as little bo peep) and she said, “No, I notta little bo peep,” and then she said, “Gramma, I yust a Yittle Yammie You………(just a Little Lami-Lou) – and I tell you – 2 more weeks with these precious baby girls is gonna fly by and the next time I blog it’s gonna be cryin time again…….but I am gonna try with all my might to remember that safe in the great big hands of a STRONG AND MIGHTY GOD is the very best place for them to be….along with everyone else I love……..that’s kind of a sweet thought, isn’t it??

What do you think?

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8 Comments
  • Penny
    November 7, 2008

    Oh Karen, you make me laugh and cry at the same time! I love hearing about your grandchildren – and two more on the way – what fantastic news!LOVE your cards, especially the flower circle. I am not blogging right now but just wanted to stop by and say hello 🙂

  • Cindy Lawrence
    November 7, 2008

    What a wonderful post, Karen! How awesome that you get two more weeks with the fam. …and new grandbabies…yeah! So much great news! 🙂 Love all of the cards too…beautiful Karen Barber originals! So glad I popped on here today. Enjoy the next couple of weeks…I know you will! Hugs ~C

  • Anonymous
    November 8, 2008

    Darn you made me cry again! Mostly 'causeI am so happy that you get 2 extra weeks with those precious children and theh reminder of just hoe goog our God truly is.

    I am also a BIG WORRY WART. Which is rather funny since I am also such an optimist. I annoyed my oldest son and he asked me "Mom, is your glass ALWAYS 1/2 full?"
    YES 🙂

    Your pink cards are lovely. I don't usually have many chances or need for pink. We are a family heavy on BOYS. I was the 1st girl in 4 generations. My cousins all had boys only as did my sister and I !! CRAZY. My husbands family is the same way 99% male!!!

    Thanks for sharing withus all the good newas. I will check the BLOGG again to see how the kids mission trip progresses. AND remeber to pray for ALL.

    Hugs & Happy Stamping …CAROL DEE

  • Anonymous
    November 8, 2008

    Ooops I forgot to mention in my last post… Your Daughter is lovely. She looks so much like you. (That is a GOOD thing.)

    CAROL DEE

    and please excuse the many typos in last post, I must remember to check before hitting send.

  • Anonymous
    November 18, 2008

    Hi Karen!!!
    Loved your entry today!! All the way around!
    Remember… Philippians 4:5-6
    “You are NOT suppose to worry!!”

    And keep this in mind when the Children leave… It’s one I say when I have to leave Diana!
    “Don’t cry because it’s over, Smile because it happened!” Sounds good, But I still do cry!
    Fondly,
    Tracy Altemose

  • Karen, I’m loving these pink cards of yours – simply beautiful!

  • Me, My Stamps and I
    December 15, 2008

    what wonderful cards, Karen!!!!loving the colors, too.
    hope everyone is home and celebrating the holidays with you.
    tfs:)
    chat

  • Carol Dee
    December 28, 2008

    KAREN

    You must be busy! Miss your blogs.
    Hope you had a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
    With lots of FAMILY time and stamping fun.

    CAROL DEE