Peace at Last

I am alone. I am seldom alone. Sean is at work, Lizzie spent the night at my mom's house, Jake is not home yet, and I am alone.

It is so funny how quiet being alone can be. We are a loud family. I don't even really know why, we are loud in almost everything we do, even walking. When Jake has his ipod on he paces the 1st floor, that kid is eventually going to wear a path into the stained concrete. When I am in my bed at night, and he is pacing, I can hear each step he takes.My bedroom is on the second floor. See, what I mean by loud family?

I am love this quiet. If the washer was not running, their would be no noise at all. I am going to go get in the sauna and then head to my quiet bed. aaaaaaahhhhhhhh I hope you are feeling as peaceful as I am at this moment.

Road Block

Look at that pitiful little face - ears back, tail tucked between her legs - poor Chica! These are the stairs she uses to get on and off of our bed. This is one of our cats, Milo, resting right there on top of her little stairs. Three of our four cats do this, I honestly believe it is no accident. I do not think they just happen to pick this spot, I believe it is on purpose. I think they relish in watching Chica's distress as she circles, whining, and whimpering and continuing to return to the stairs over and over again, but won't actually get on them. Feline Roadblock - very affective!

I can't look at this picture and not think of my own road blocks. How easily am I swayed from what I desire to do as soon as an obstacle pops up in my way? Am I determined enough to keep pushing my way through or to even find an alternate route? I think for me sometimes if it seems too hard I just give in and don't push through. I have learned in the past few years that it all depends on how badly I want it. If I have a big enough "why", a big enough reason, NOTHING will stand in my way. I might get sidetracked, I might do a few circles and whimper a bit about the road block, but I will pursue and seek a way to accomplish my goal, if I want it bad enough.

Chica knows I will come to her rescue. She knows eventually, after watching until my amusement is satisfied, that I will shoo the cat and she can get on the bed. Or I will just pick her up, cuddle her a bit until her little chihuahua body quits shaking and set her on the bed. In a similar way, I know that my Heavenly Father always comes to my rescue. He may shoo the obstacle away, or He may provide a different set of stairs, or sometimes He simply lifts me in His arms and holds me close until I feel comforted and loved and then He gently places me where I wanted to go in the first place.

Yes, when God places a desire or passion in my heart, I do my best to pursue it and follow it, no matter what obstacles are in my way. The greatest part is that He never expects me to battle my obstacles alone, He is always beside me, in front of me and/or behind me to help me see it through. I am so grateful and it makes the journey so much more fun!

Plain Freaky

OK - Remember when I wrote my some-what sarcastic letter to Frontier Airlines apologizing for thinking my camera was stolen while in their care? Well, I never actually contacted Frontier about the camera. I was intending to contact them, but then found my camera. Since this was the only avenue I had actually said anything about the theft, I just wrote that half joking letter on here - my blog. For your benefit, my faithful 5 or 6 people that actually read this. Well, so someone please tell me how this letter showed up in my email yesterday, please, cuz it seems kinda creepy - nice, but creepy:


Hello Michelle Grabbe,

Thanks for you note. We’re mainly glad that you found your camera!

We appreciate you flying on Frontier and would ask for your consideration of flying Frontier Airlines on your next air travel trip.


Kind Regards,

Doug Skelton
Customer Relations
Frontier Airlines, Inc.


FRONTIER AIRLINESIntroducing AirFairs. The fair way to fly from "a whole different animal."CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email may contain confidential and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any review, use, distribution or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete the message and any file attachments from your computer.

G is for Grandma

Sean's mom on the Carousel this past week at the Houston Zoo.

My mom and my oldest daughter, Reagan a few months back.

My mom helping with the "Princess Tea Party" we had with Lizzie and Laura.

Jake and Sean's mom, Mona last week - still at the zoo. Grandmas are such special people in our lives. I miss mine very much!

Lizzie as Uncle Fester

Have you seen the Adam's Family Movie? Uncle Fester sleeps in a bed that looks similar to this! While we were in Houston, Sean's sis was kind enough to give Sean and I her bed and she slept with Lizzie on a blow up mattress. Well, it got a hole one night. It didn't seem to bother Lizzie much, she just snored away!

This room was wall to wall mattress. Kelli and Liz had one bed, Jake and the dog, Charlie, had the other. Lizzie was thrilled, she thought it was a slumber party every single night!

Please Forgive me, Frontier

Dear Frontier Airlines,

I am asking your forgiveness for making false accusations. I truly believed someone had stolen my camera. I admit it, I jumped to conclusions. Yes, I also slandered you by telling everyone my camera had been stolen while in your care. For this, I apologize.

Imagine my surprise when I finally unpacked - yes, it has been two days since I arrived home, but who is counting? So, as I was getting to the VERY bottom of my bag, there was something shining up at me. On close inspection I realized it was my beloved camera!! I am very happy to be reunited with my precious electronic device.

Thanks for understanding that I jumped to conclusions and am a slow unpacker!

Your faithful Customer - Michele

Sardines

Since Sean and I were driving down to Houston when the conference was over, we rented a car. You know when you rent a car, you never know what kind of car you will get. We were blessed with a Kia. It was WELL used, at the end of the week we had put 900 miles on it. While at the conference everything is within walking distance, so only a few people had cars. One night we went off in search of Tex-Mex - a true slice of heaven to this TX girl. Anyway, we fit nine people inside that Kia! It was amazing, and funny, and we felt like sardines, but I am still laughing right now today just thinking about it!

Since Sean's family lives in Houston, well La Porte to be exact, they met us when we got into Ft Worth and stole Jake and Lizzie for the weekend. That was really nice because the kids were not stuck in the hotel room or at meetings and Sean and I could really concentrate on what we were there for and not worry about entertaining the kids. Then Saturday we drove down to Houston and joined them. I might get a Kia sometime in my life - 900 driving miles = 28 gallons of gas!! Unbelievable.

I've been robbed

OK, so I just went to download my pictures so I could start reliving my trip with you guys - guess what? NO camera!! Yeppers, checked it in my bag and it is gone. Stolen...some security guy or luggage guy in Texas now is the proud owner of my camera. You know, it isn't the camera so much as ALL my pictures from the entire week that makes me sad. Lizzie's first trip to the Zoo, that can not be recovered. The ocean - gone as well. So sad.

Well, you will just have to use your imagination: Our first three days in Texas were spent in Ft Worth at the Reliv Conference. It was unreal. I have been involved with Reliv for over two years and have fallen more and more in love with it, but my love and passion has reached an entirely new level!

This is a debt free company - debt free - unreal in this age and time. I also learned that not only has my check grown through these past months, everyone Else's are growing as well. Unreal. What a blessing, what an opportunity - To get to help people change their lives and earn money while doing it. I am very honored to be a part of this.

These products are changing people's lives all over the world. It will not be long until Reliv is a household name, so just remember you heard it right here first! :) I met a man that had cancer and very little time to live, he is cancer free today. I saw a woman that about a year ago was living in a nursing home wearing a diaper and being spoon fed, now up and doing anything she wants! She got married and walked down the aisle!! Then there are the kids with autism, ADD, diabetes that are going to have a bright future they might have never experienced without these products. I have seen many miracles over the past few years, but my passion is stronger now than ever before. I knew these products changed lives, but this business is keeping families afloat, it is helping people pay their bills and buy their groceries. The idea that people can do this in the crevices of their lives right from their kitchen table is so amazing. Reliv is the real thing!!

Thank you, God, for being persistent through my doubt and skepticism and never giving up on me. Thank you for this gift!!

F is for Finally Home!

I missed the "F" last Monday!! We got home late last night and I got to sleep in my amazing bed!! Tell me why after being gone your own bed just feels like an old friend?

Well, I have lots to tell you, but do not have time right now, but I will get on later and give you ALL the scoop!

Love to you all and can't wait to get caught up on all your blogs!!

Goodbye!!

"I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again..."

Not entirely true - I will be gone thursday to thursday. I am heading "home" to Texas!
Yee Haw!

It is both business and pleasure and we are all going, well, except Reagan, the little college student who must stay home and study her little butt off, poor girl!

I will try to get online somewhere along the way, but am not taking my computer, simply because I do not want to carry it through the airport!

I will miss you - but will catch up as soon as I can!

bye, my blog buddies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Claw Foot Tub

Since we moved into our log house in July of 2005, there is one thing I have been waiting for - to soak in this tub!! AAAAAWWWWWWW

Here is our always willing model - Lizzie enjoying her soak!

She was enjoying her bath VERY much!! Of course, she always enjoys her picture taken, she is quite a ham!

I have to say, it was worth the wait, well, maybe not really, but I am certainly glad the wait is over!!

E is for Elizabeth!

This was our "surprise" from God. We thought we were finished having kids. When I got pregnant with "Lizzie" we were homeless - living in a travel trailer with no running water or electricity.

I found out I was pregnant in the porta potty!! I did a pregnancy test in a porta potty, I still can't even believe that is true! I did not cry, I think I just laughed, not from joy, but from shock. It felt unbelievable. We had sex ONE time the month before - ONCE!! Ta Da!!

I got very ill while pregnant with Lizzie. Today, I am still not as strong as the woman I once was. BUT - I have come so far, and God has taught me so much through those rough years. Look at this precious Child - Elizabeth Tonda Grabbe - I would do it all again in a heart beat!!

I may not have known exactly what I needed. I did not know how much joy this kid would bring into my world! She has been sunshine through many dark days - not just for me, but for the entire family.

She is a complete joy and blessing!! I am VERY grateful that God decided to send her my way. I feel very honored, humbled and blessed to be her mother - Thanks, God!!!

My Ring!!!!

It has been found - can I hear a HALLELUJAH??? It has been over a month, I had almost given up. My mom had some built in shelving put in the theater room, and when the guys moved the old entertainment center, there it was underneath!!! woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am gonna bake that man an apple pie next week!

Thanks for the prayers!!

Day Off

I have declared Wednesday my day off. I was feeling stretched way too thin and revamped my entire schedule about 3 weeks ago. It has been so amazing. I am not a great organizer, so keeping my priorities straight has always been difficult for me.

I cut out some of my volunteering, or limited it to less time each month. Since Saturday and Sundays are always full, I picked Wednesday as my day off. I have enjoyed it immensely!! Each Wednesday is a little different. Today I have read ALL day! It has been heavenly. I have been doing laundry in between, which is also a good thing - I have a TON!!

It is amazing how a little down time and "me" time rejuvenates a person! I will be raring to go tomorrow, but right now, I am gonna go finish my book! :)

Gumaholic

My daughter, Reagan, has an addiction. I am going to just air it right out here for all the world to see. She is addicted to gum. Don't laugh, it is a serious issue - she chews many packs a week and hides gum from her siblings.

Aren't they the cutest things you have ever seen??? Well, I think so, but of course I had a good long labor birthing them into this world - Lizzie's was the longest at an hour and a half - Whew! I have NO idea how women do that for hours and hours - but I suppose that is a blog for another day.

Jake and Lizzie gave Reagan a Gum kit for Christmas - make your own bubble gum. Then Lizzie nagged Reagan daily until Reagan agreed it was finally time to create their own gum. Lizzie PROMISED to help - see how hard she is working at creating the gum?

This is Jake giving Lizzie a lecture about licking the sugar off her hands in the middle of kneading the gum. She has a dumbfound look on her face while thinking, "there is nothing wrong with my spit being in your gum!"

They had fun creating it - and it only took them about an hour to create those 10 tiny pieces of gum. I have noticed the kit has not emerged since. I am guessing the addict finds it much easier to zip into Target and grab a few packs than to make her own. And for an addict a quick fix is important!

D is for Demon Dog

This was Sean's goal - he was snarling and growling and trying to get Chica to do the same - she obliged!!

Sean never wanted my little "rat dog" as he called her - or any other small little four legged creature.

He is a manly man that needed a manly dog - right? He loves this dog to death now! He sleeps with her right next to him and gives into her every whim.

I don't think he would admit it, but he loves her every bit as much as I do, well maybe not - but pretty darn close!!

Venting

I realized something last night. Over the past few years, I have slowly, and without even being aware of it on a conscious level, surrounded myself with positive people. People that want better for themselves and those around them, people that may not be exactly where they want to be, but are striving to be better people.

I have a friend whose mom always told him growing up, "Watch out who you hang out with, because you may end up just like them." I want to be around people that are wanting to improve not only their own lives, but to make a difference in the world. People that recognize we all have to take responsibility for where are lives are. I want to be the kind of person that steps up to the plate of accepting my responsibility for my own actions and how I impact those around me.

I pray that when people have been with me, they leave feeling encouraged and uplifted. I lived in a dark place for a long time and now feel so grateful to be in a position where I even have anything to offer. I was in "survival" mode for a long time. Even so, there are people that when bad things happen they just roll over and accept it as their lot in life. I was never that person - I would try anything, do anything to find answers. I know that God works in mysterious ways, so the answer is not always in the form we expect. If someone would have told me that powder in a can would be the avenue God chose to heal me, my family, my mom, and so many I love and care about - I probably would have laughed in their face! On the other hand, like so many things over that five year period, I gave it a shot. Praise God!!

I guess what I am saying is now that I am choosing to be around people of true integrity, people that are high quality, genuine, good people, when I spend some time with people that are not - they blatantly stand out. I feel bad for them, but if they do not want to change their lives, if they are happy with being negative, bad mouthing others, drinking themselves into an oblivion repetitively for no apparent reason, ignoring the needs of their own kids, much less others in their lives - I do not choose to be around those kind of people. In fact, after experiencing it, I feel kinda disgusted and dirty. Weird. I didn't realize how truly far I had come in my personal growth.

Life is short, and I plan to make the most of what I have left. I want to laugh and have fun. I want to help people that do want change and want a better life for themselves and others. I want to make some kind of difference, and I want to be around people that have these same general goals.

"To the mediocre, mediocrity appears great”
Indian Proverb

"Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go so much further than people with vastly superior talent.”
Sophia Loren