Before, After and Before

**BEFORE **

Strange title I know, but this is a multi purpose post.. so let's start out with the first before. Here in this picture you see me in the "Before" as in, before I gained weight. No fat face, or extra chin haha...back when I was slim and trim and long hair. Ok, that takes care of the first "Before" now to the after part of my story.. and one of my multi purposes for this post.

**AFTER/BEFORE**

As many of you know, this week was my birthday, and for my birthday my sister wanted to treat me to a "Just Patty Day".. She had been praying and asking God what should she do for me, and he told her.. just do for her. Give her a makeover, she needs it, she needs some pick me up and I want to bless her.. So that's what my sister did. She set it up for me to get my hair done, a facial and take me shopping. And I have to say, for me it was hard to receive. I can give much better than I can receive.. but we went and got my hair done, my facial and a new set of clothes. We had a wonderful day and to tell the truth, I told my sister, I don't know what to say other than thank you, and I began to cry in the store.. It touched my heart so that God wanted to bless just me, and used my sister to do it. It was an over-whelming feeling.

But as you can see, I have gained weight, that extra chin haha.. but now with short hair. (and yes, I have had short hair before) and this brings me to my "Before, After and BEFORE

This is now my new Before pic because after looking at myself and seeing how much I have gained, I plan on loosing weight haha.. so this is me BEFORE haha. I am going to go back to the slim person (or as close as I can get) that I once was. I felt better, had more energy and my clothes fit better haha.. so This is me now, but by summer, I'll be a different person.

I'm not planning on any crash diets, or fads, just back to basic good eating, not eating after 5 pm. and back to my walking and exercise. And when summer rolls around, I'll take a new AFTER picture haha.. and post that..

So now, you see me Before, After and Before!

And to my sister, I love you very much and thank God for the blessing you gave me for my birthday and for the fact that you listened to the lord and followed his will!!

Sisters Forever!

Where Did The Time Go?

Where or where did the time go?? She has gone from my curly headed little girl to a young lady and the time has just flew by.

My baby is growing up and today was her very first Valentine date. Yes, that is her guy friend haha.. brad and he is just so nice. So very polite and caring. He treats Jessie like a lady.

Today she went to the movies with Bradly and his mom and dad, and then out to eat. I know she had so much fun and was a bit nervous at first about it.

I just wish I could slow time down and keep her little and with me forever but I know that's not going to happen haha.. I miss the little tiny hands patting my face, giving me kisses and hugging my neck.. but I know as she grows older and we get past that.. mom doesn't know anything stage.. we'll be good friends.

I just stand in amazement at how she's growing and hope and pray all the time that I'm teaching her the very best I can and creating a beautiful young woman.

Happy Valentines Day to Jessie and Bradly.

Love,

Mom

What An Awesome Birthday!

Well, as some of you know, my birthday was Tuesday.. feb. 10th. and I turned 47 yr old!!! Oh man, where did the time go?! Seems just like yesterday I was hitting 20, then 30, then 40 and now bumping that 50 mark! Only thing is, my mind never thinks I am hahaha..

But I had an awesome day... started out with everyone wishing me happy birthday that morning, then my mom and dad came over and brought me a cheese cake!! awesome!! haha.. and got some money too haha.. then, later that day I needed to go to town, so my oldest daughter says... I'll take you, I said ok.. let's go.

So off we go.. and she proceeds to tell me, oh by the way, you have an appointment at 2 pm., I'm like, "what appointment?" She proceeds to tell me, and I'm like OOHHH NOOO haha.. I'm looking at her going.. I didn't shave my legs and I have holes in my socks LOL. So we run through Wal-Mart real quick and I grab razors and stuff, and dry shave my legs in Wal-Mart restroom hahaha.. got my self ready and head off to my appointment.

Now, this was my first ever real professional massage! and all I can say is it's AWESOME!
I was in sheer heaven. One of the best birthday presents I have ever had haha..

Now, I wasn't expecting much at all, cause money is tight, and we have things to take care of, but hubby wanted to treat me. And believe it or not, hubby didn't even tell me about it. He and my daughter set it up for me! Now is that a surprise or what? haha All I could think about while laying there was, thank you god, thank you!

Now to some this may not seem like much, but for me, it was more than I can say. I stay so tense most of the time, and have so much going on that I never seem to just relax and for me, it was just ME time.. time that I could let my mind rest and let go.. and for that one hour I let ME rest and that felt so good.

So to my hubby, I say thank you for the most awesome gift he has ever given me!!
And to God who set one hour aside just for me!
Thank YOU!

A Tuff Time Is A Blessing

I know my SIL loosing his job has been a test for them. But they trust God and know that he's taking care of them. He's watching out for their every need.

But for me, it's been a blessing. Sometimes I think God done this just for me. Strange I know, but at times looking around, I see him blessing me through this.

For some time I had health issues and unable to get many things done that I wanted and needed to do. Things that need to be fixed, or cleaned out.. work done in my yard. So I would just have to do what I could and let the rest go. Well, after awhile it would get to me. Seeing everything and knowing that it had gotten to large for me to do. I would just say.. ok Lord, you're gonna have to help me with this.. cause it's more than I can handle. And he has.

Since Melissa and Brian have been here, they have helped me so much on getting things organized, moved around, cleaning out our old travel trailer and getting it ready to have hauled off. Brian has done work in the yard that I had a hard time doing like trimming trees, bushes, and such. He woke up one morning and said God talked to him about idle hands and from that point on he's been working so hard.

There have been so many things that they have helped me with. When I set here and look around, it just touches my heart. It's like getting your life back again. Things that seem so over whelming to me, things I thought would take forever.. are now dwindling away. A huge weight has been lifted off me.

I am just so amazed at how God works, how he can take a time like this and turn it into such a blessing. I know that God will bless them for this. I know he will continue to take care of them and I believe when God is finished here, Brian's new job will fall right into place. But in the mean time, I am thanking God for blessing me, for helping me like he has.. See, God cares about all those things in our lives. God knows what a weight it has been on me, and he wanted to take that off me... and I thank him for that.

So no matter what the enemy has thrown at us, God has taken it and turned it to good. And all I can say is..
Thank You Lord!