Kandid Times With The Kennedys

Summertime

2010-05-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been quite a long time since I wrote on my blog, but just kinda felt like writing again. We've had a very busy month so far, with my college class finally over with and I'm taking the summer off. YAY! I'm in training right now, trying to run a half Marathon in March 2011 in Fort Worth. I've started riding my bike about 4 miles a day and also running in the morning about 2 miles. I also work out at the gym 3 days a week on various machines. I'm hoping by concentrating on these various workouts, I'll be ready to race this fall @ the Susan G. Komen Race and then the big one in March 2011.

Last weekend we celebrated with our niece, Britney upon her graduation from Texas A & M University, Medical School. The ceremony was awesome and we were so proud of her. She was so pretty and has such a sweet spirit. I know for a fact the medical field has just received one of the best doctors ever. Congratulations, Britney! We're so proud of your accomplishments.

This next weekend, we're travelling to Tyler to celebrate with our niece Ashley in her wedding. We're so excited for her and can't wait to meet her fiancee. Our nephew, Kory is also graduating that same day from Bullard High School with honors and is the valedictorian of the class. Way to go, Kory! You rock, Kory! We're so proud of your accomplishments also. He plans on attending University of Texas at Tyler! I just think that is so neat!

So, you see, we've got a busy week planned. Afterwards, we're heading back to Dallas and enjoy Memorial Day weekend in Dallas. Looking for a little R & R.

Until next time......

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads in the world and especially to mine. Dad is a great person, who would do anything for anybody. A heart of gold. I appreciate the leadership Dad has shown me through the years, allowing each one of his children an opportunity to grow and mature. As a child, he was a displinarion, but as an adult, always lifting us up and allowing us to make our own decisions. I can remember Dad teaching me the way of life, teaching me how to work as a young kid, so that I would be productive in society. Delivering circulars to cutting yards, skirting trailers (taught by my brother) and other miscelleanous chores. Thank you Dad for teaching me truth and showing me how to live as a Christian. Never judgemental, but lifting each one of us in prayer and love and for that I'll be eternally grateful.

On another note, I'm celebrating my 35th Anniversary with U.S. Postal Service. Wow! I can't believe I have worked for the same company for thirty-five years. The first ten years were great with so much to learn in different jobs and opportunities for development. People have often asked me why I didn't go into manangement, but I decided early in my career that management wasn't for me. I could see early in my career how my managers were not supported by upper management and would be hung out to dry. I can truly can say I have enjoyed every job I had beginning as a LSM Operator (Letter Sorter Machine Operator), Computerized Mark-Up Clerk, Telephone/Switchboard Operator (my fav), Claims & Inquiry/Mailing Requirements to my current position as Mailing Requirements Clerk. Customer's have labeled me "the guru of Bulk Business Mail" and I guess you could say that I am. Having worked in Mailing Requirments since 1988, I just about have seen everything come and go and then more changes. I guess that's why I enjoy my job so much. Always changing and never dull or boring. I offer seminars to the public regarding Bulk Business Mail and provide companies with cost-anaylsis showing how much they could save by using Bulk Business Mail. Alot of folks call it "Junk Mail", but I am adamint about calling it Bulk Business Mail. People always joke with me when I politely correct them with their terminology. Having served the public for thirty-five years has truly been a blessing and I thank God everyday that He gave me the opportunity to serve.

Mother's Day, Graduation, and This, That & The Other

2009-06-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

I finally have been able to sit at the computer and write on my blog. Wow! I bet you thought I had just fallen off the face of the earth. LOL Thankfully, I'm alive and well, but have been totally busy with school, family, work and everything else in between. I wanted to post earlier; however, I just couldn't find the time or energy to sit at my computer and write something. You see, I have to be in the right mood or you wouldn't want to read it anyway.

First of all, I am finally out of school for the summer and finished with a A in Meteorology, while I ended up with a B+ in my Education class. I really enjoyed my Meteorology teacher and she made the class so interesting, while my Education class just wasn't my cup of tea. Thankfully, I survived and get a little rest for the summer. I've been on vacation this last week and decided to take off this week also. I had my alarm set for this past Monday; nevertheless, I just couldn't get up and decided to enjoy my second week off. I am really enjoying my time off, recouping and energizing myself.

I wanted to say a belated Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mother-in-Law, Judith Prince, along with my fantastic Step Mom, La Rue Kennedy. My mother-in-law is truly a wonderful Christian lady and loves all of her children very dearly. I for one am her favorite Son-in-Law (the only one) LOL. Mom La Rue is a very precious lady with great Christian virtues and values. I have never liked the word "Step-Mom" and have been forever trying to come up with something better.

There's something about May that always brings out the best in us, especially if one has a member of their family graduating from High School or College. We just recently attended Midwestern State University's Commencement exercises and to say the least, it was phenomenal. My nephew, Daniel Nix, graduated from Midwestern State University, with a Bachelor of Science Degree. This young man, is not only married and has two beautiful children, but works full time and then some. He takes care of his family, enjoys family time at his swimming pool, reads, collects coins and other unique items, along with a myriad of other interesting things. Not only did he accomplish his goal of graduation, but graduated with honors at MSU. Wow! Daniel is a very smart and talented young man and I really commend him for all of his efforts in his school work.

On another note, Rhonda and I got to enjoy Ricky Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder Band. It was beautiful! Ricky sang with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra and is a very talented artist. He's now into Bluegrass and much of his show is Bluegrass. He throws a little bit of his country and gospel, but overall, it was a fantastic show. If you ever get a chance to see Ricky in concert, you definetly want to go.

Happy 50th, Rhonda

2009-02-23T20:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to the love of my life, Rhonda. This last Friday night, family and friends gathered at El Mejicano Restaurant to celebrate my beautiful wife's birthday. She looked awesome and was surprised indeed with all the hoopla I had planned for her 50th! I know you're not supposed to ask a lady her age; however, I don't think she'll mind me posting this milestone on the world wide web. LOL I think I had more fun planning the party and just knowing how excited she would be when it finally happened. From the limo ride to the party and seeing her excited face when we walked in the party room to all of our guests that had arrived for her big day! And a big day it was.

The last week of planning this party was pretty crazy trying to find everything that I needed. My niece Cheryl came to my rescue with lettering for Rhonda's picture board. I couldn't have done it without her. And trying to keep everything a secret from my wife was not easy at all. She knew I was up to something; however, she didn't know exactly what was going on. Friday, I was running ragged all day long, planning this and that, picking up flowers, balloons and various other items for the party. My sister Cora, along with my niece Dana met me at the restaurant and provided all of the expertise on the decorating. I told them what I wanted and voila! Looked really pretty! From the Mexican buffet to the magic show by Steve Mills, blowing out the candles to unwrapping the gifts; everything went just perfect. I think everyone enjoyed the night and had a great time of love, laughter and surprise. Rhonda was so excited to see our longtime friends and family from around the state, along with all of our local friends and family.

Everyone enjoyed the magic show and Steve was fantastic. He is a professional and touched our heartstrings with his last trick talking about Rhonda and my dream. Wow! It was phenomenal. Steve is a good friend of mine and an excellent magician to say the least. Thank you so much Steve for making Rhonda's night such a night to remember.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:46:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life. I can't imagine my life without my beautiful wife, Rhonda by my side. Through all of our ups and downs, health and sickness, I can definetly say, it's been a wonderful life. Filled with joy, love, laughter, sorrow, happiness, peace and the list goes on and on. She keeps my momentum going and encourages me when I get down and out. And believe you me, here lately with college, I've definetly had some hard days; however, through it all, life is good and I wouldn't have it any other way. We went through some hardaches, with Rhonda's dad's bout with cancer and then my mother with cancer also. It seemed like life couldn't go on; nevertheless, with God all things all possible and we came out stronger than ever with hope on the horizon. The last few years have been very difficult with Rhonda's ankle problem; however, again God has been with her and she is now on the road to full recovery! Praise the Lord for miracles, His mighty deeds to perform!

Rhonda - if you by chance read this and I'm sure you will, I just want to say I love you with all my heart and soul and would like to close with the "Love" chapter found in I Corinthians 13, NIV: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

"Breakfast at McDonalds"

2009-02-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

I received this message below in my e-mail inbox and found it so good, I wanted to share it with everyone! This is a good story and is true, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, and 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentlemen, close to me, he was "smiling" His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something.) He just wanted to be warm.

"Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope." I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way, I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to:

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE."

It seems I have heard grace mentioned over and over this weekend. I'm so thankful for the grace of God, that He cared enough to send His only begotton Son that we could have life and have it more abundantly. I recently attended Bro. Doug's Saturday Night Alive Praise Service and Bro. Doug exhorted the church to allow grace to cover us and how God's grace is sufficient. I'm so thankful for God's grace and mercy. And just this Sunday at church, Pastor Holley spoke on the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and how Jesus chided everyone that was passing judgement on the little woman at the well. You know, sometimes, we get in our own little world and think that we are doing just fine, not realizing that each and every day we might be committing sin or have faults that offend Jesus. However, Jesus just takes us in His arms and says, we are forgiven by the grace of God. Hallelujah! God is great and greatly to be praised.

I hope this little story helps you as it has me. Sometimes, we just need to look around and smile and allow God to work in us. We may never know whose life we could touch.

- Smile the next time you go to McDonald's. -

Burr It's Cold Outside

2009-01-27T18:28:00.001-08:00

Wow! What a difference a day makes! Yesterday, in the falls it was in the 40's, today it's freezing cold with snow and ice and the area completly blanketed. What a beautiful sight, especially if you don't have to get out in it. I made it out early this morning with my dentist's appointment right @ 8:00 AM and as I driving over there, I heard on the radio that SAFB was on red weather alert. I immediately called my wife and informed her she might want to confirm with her boss whether or not her office would be opening. After my appointment, she called me back thrilled to say, she was to stay at home for the day! Wow! I'm jealous and here I am sliding my little "Pony" all over the place and bracing the storm.

Having a little spare time after my appointment, I head over to IHOP (one of my favs) and order some hotcakes and hot maple syrup. Nobody makes pancakes like IHOP. I enjoyed the morning, reading the paper and relaxing before I again brace the storm. I knew I had training at the Main Post Office in the afternoon, so I wouldn't have very long till I had to go to the class. Finally at work, I began to finalize on a few projects and then I drove me and my co-worker to the training class. I just couldn't believe the Post Office had a training class on a day like today, especially since the teachers were having to drive from Fort Worth. Hopefully, they made it in last night, but they were driving to Amarillo tonight. Sometimes, the Post Office just doesn't make sense; nevertheless, they don't have to because they are the Post Office and they can just about do anything they want. LOL We're trugging along with the class, when I noticed on the computer time that it was getting later in the day. Realizing I hadn't yet taken my lunch and the day was getting late, I asked my trainers if we could go ahead and leave since it had already started snowing and I knew we would have to drive a little slower. They politely let us go and we headed toward the parking lot. When I got to my car, little did I realize that the snow and ice had come down quite a bit, so I needed to de-ice my windshields before we could leave. After getting everything de-iced, I drove up a little ways to pick Mary up; however, the parking lot was so icey, I couldn't stop and had to move forward. I know she thought I was a little crazy, but didn't know what else to do. I thought oh, well, I'll have to turn it around and go out the same way I entered. The parking lot adjacent to the Post Office is not very wide, so I knew I would have to be very careful, especially in the ice. Little did I realize, I would get stuck in the parking lot. My little Mustang has those racing tires on it and rear traction, which makes it very difficult to maneuver in the ice. I rocked it back and forth, until I realized, Uh-OH, I'm stuck. Here I am in the middle of the downtown Post Office parking lot, stuck and couldn't go anywhere. Mary is waiting at the door, so I rolled down my window and informed her I was stuck, but would call Maintenance and have one of our guys come give me a little push. Oh, brother, how embarrassing. Oh, well, I went ahead and did the only thing I could... Call Maintenance. After hanging up, I thought, I'll try it again, this time moving my steering wheel back and forth. Voila! I began to move slowly; nevertheless, the guys were already out there, hee hawing and having a great time at my expense. Maybe they got a good laugh for the day! We all need to laugh a little more. I picked Mary up and we drove slowly back to our office. About midway, my other co-worker at the Business Mail Acceptance Office called me and stated that Mary had left her purse at the Main Post Office where we were training. We were about mid-way from the Post Office, so I turned around and headed back. Laughing all the way, Mary and I had a great time thinking about all the funny stuff that has happened at the Post Office. I have worked with Mary for approximately twenty something years. A wonderful lady and a beautiful Christian woman! She has great character and is someone you can depend on.

We finally made it back to our office and by that time, it was nearly time for me to get off. Wow!

Miracle on the Hudson

2009-01-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

I realize alot has been said about the plane going down and landing on the Hudson River; however, I felt I had to write about it in my blog. I had classes last Thursday night, so I didn't get to see alot of the news reports on the downed airplane. When I went to lunch the next day, I ended up downtown and had to rush to McDonald's and grab a bite to eat. After I got my lunch and joked along with Jo (the very nice server at the McDonald's on Holiday), I took my tray over to the seating area and began to eat my "Happy Meal." As I eat, the news broadcast was on and I looked up to watch it. They were interviewing the passengers on board the plane that went down and as the passengers begin to talk, I just had cold chills going up and down my spine. You can call it what you want, luck or whatever; nevertheless, I call it a miracle just like the broadcasters are calling it. The pilot was definetly used by God almighty and did exactly what he was trained to do. I watched his daughter being interviewed and stating how she knew that's exactly what her dad would do. Here is a man who loved airplanes and had been in the military service, going to Academy and afterwards, flying for a commercial airline. You can look everywhere you go and see God performing His mighty deeds of miracles. It's kinda of funny because He always shows up right on time. I was really depressed that day because of poor management at our office and when you look at the natural aspect, there is no hope in sight; nevertheless, we are not giving up hope. We've been coming together in prayer every morning and praying for our office that God will intercede and turn things around. You see all of the bad news overseas and just about everywhere you look, there's bad news abound. And then all of sudden, God shows up and allows us to see His mighty deeds of miraclous performance.

My prayer is to allow God to use me in a way that He hasn't ever used me before. After going to church this Sunday, Pastor Gene encouraged us to reach a little higher than ever before and allow God to work something in us that hasn't been used before. Each one of us has talent inside of us just trying to get out.

I hope you have a wonderful week and blessings are abound.

P.S. Say a little prayer for me this Tuesday, since I have to undergo dental surgery. Yikes!

Happy Birthday, Archie

2009-01-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

Our family just celebrated my brother's birthday at Red Lobster. We had a great time and enjoyed one another as Archie turned another year older. We were planning on celebrating with Mom LaRue; however, she and Dad had been sick and just couldn't make the trip. Happy Birthday Archie and we wish you many happy returns. And to you to, LaRue. Hopefully, you are on the road to full recovery. Cora and her grandson, Blake, along with Archie's daughter, Cheryl and her family were there and I think the staff at Red Lobster was the best ever. We tried a fairly new appetizer, Lobster Pizza, which by the way was very tasty. When Rhonda and I first got married, they had a wonderful appetizer called Lagistino Nachos and our family just loved them. I can remember how my mom thought they were the best; nevertheless, they discontinued them and haven't had anything like that since. So, to bring back some good memories, we thought we would try the new pizza and it was very tasty. We enjoyed seeing Blake, Cora, the birthday man, Archie and his lovely wife, Linda, Cheryl, Daniel and of course the main attention went to my great niece Alexis (AKA Lexi). She steals the show everywhere she goes. We always enjoy her at our parties and gatherings and I think Archie had a really good time enjoying all the cash and cards he received, along with blowing out the candles. Of course, Lexi had to help and did a great job at it. We really missed Dad and Mom LaRue, though.

The other pics are some right at Christmas and afterwards. With our families being so spread out over North Texas, we can hardly be with everyone on Christmas Day, so we have to juggle it around to be with everyone. After celebrating Christmas Day with Rhonda's family, we travelled to Mineral Wells on Christmas night, and enjoyed Christmas with my nephew, Mac and his family, along with Cora and Ronnie. We had lasagna instead of the traditional ham & turkey and had a great time watching Mac's choir perform at their last concert. Mac is the choir director for the Junior High in Mineral Wells and does a fantastic job directing the choir. He also is the Minister of Music at First United Methodist Church in Mineral Wells and does a superb job at that. Mac and Dana just moved into their new home in Mineral Wells and wanted to show it off to everyone on Christmas. I know they are very proud of it since it has so much room for their children and more room for them also. We're really excited for them and happy they were able to find such a beatufiul home.

On the 28th of December, we were able to meet our best friends Charlene & Jerry Vincent at La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in Dallas. If you haven't tried La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in the Dallas area, you are missing a treat. I thought On The Border was the best, but I think La Hacienda just moved them from First-Place. I used to work with Jerry and he is such a great person and wonderful friend. A few years ago,he moved to Temple and he and his wife are a realtor in Temple. Charlene is also employed at Scott and White Hospital as a Computer Geek. (Sorry, I can't think of your job title). She does an excellent job supervising the computer programs in the hospital and we love her dearly. We always enjoying getting caught up with their lives and being with them whenever we can. Afterwards, we went to North Park Centre Mall and Collin Creek Mall. We really enjoyed ourselves.

It's a pretty quiet day here at the house and my sweet "baby luv" is taking down our tree. She said if I studied, I could get a reprieve. Plese don't tell her I've been blogging for an hour or so. Maybe she won't find out, because if she does, I'm in the doghouse. LOL.

P.S. On another note, I received a text message from our nephew John, who won the 5K race at Luke AFB, AZ. Way to go, John. He's an excellent runner and we're really proud of his accomplishments. Miss ya, buddy!

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T20:08:00.001-08:00

2009 is finally here! I hope you and your family had a wonderful New Year's Eve, along with a bright and Happy New Year! We celebrated by going out to dinner at McBride's Steakhouse and enjoyed a wonderful steak and shrimp dinner. Of course, my wife had her ususal Fried Mushrooms, along with a Stuffed Baked Potato. Very tasty. I really enjoy going to McBrides. They have some of the best steaks. We had wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse; however, we waited a little too late and the wait time was 70 minutes, so we opted for McBrides. It was a great choice! Afterwards, we watched the movie, "Australia". A delightful movie, very enjoyable and a little romantic. We had wanted to see Marley and Me; nevertheless, I had heard that is was a little sad in the end and I just couldn't handle seeing another sad doggie story. I'm glad we chose Australia.

On New Year's Day we went to Rhonda's mother's house, where Kevin & Jacklyn were visiting and had a great New Year's lunch. Rhonda cooked her almost famous Fried Chicken, with Rice and Gravy, complimented by her almost homemade country biscuits and topped off with Blackberry Pie, with Whipped Topping. Mom Prince had her world famous roast and potatoes, along with her tasty corn and scrumptous salad. Mom made Pretzel Pie. Yum, Yum. Oh, and I almost forgot the Blackeyed Peas. You can't very well ring in the new year without having Blackeyed Peas. I know it really can't give you luck, but it's fun to try anyway. Afterwards, we played Chickenfoot Dominoes and really had a good time. Rhonda won the first round, while Mom won the second time.

Merry Texas, Christmas Ya'll

2008-12-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

"Give and It Shall Be Given"

2008-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

"Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." St. Luke 6:38. One of my favs in the Bible and I guess you can see why I title this blog as such. We've got so much to be thankful this year with Rhonda being transferred to another job, which she absolutely loves and also caters to her needs. God is great and greatly to be praised. I am so proud of my beautiful wife because she is such a great and giving person. She will give till there's no more and then she'll find a way. That's what I love about her most. She's so kind, gentle, humble and considerate of others' needs, it just amazes me the things she get accomplished. Last September of 2007, she started with the Student Achievement Iniative Program where she would mentor a student enrolled at WFISD. She easily connected to her mentee, Ashley and has absolutely loved every minute of it. She is really dedicated to the program and now she has three mentees and her other two are Erin and Kylie. Ashley attends McNiel Jr. High, while Erin and Kylie attend Kirby Jr. High. She was recently honored at a banquet where they bestowed upon her Outstanding Mentor with the Achievement Student Iniative Program, which is partnered with WFISD and SAFB. Hats off to Rhonda and the young people that she mentors. May God continue to bless and guide her as she relates to the young people in the school district.

With all the Christmas activities around, I couldn't pass the chance to show off some pics of Rhonda's office Christmas party. This year their party was held at the MSU's Clark Student Center. A great time was had by all and wow! the tables were so beautifully decorated. Each table was to represent a certain criteria of each department in the sqaudron where Rhonda works. Some of the tables represented their work, while others were just fabulous. We had a great time, with delicious food and laughter abound. As you can see where Rhonda was trying to draw a picture of a snowman on top of her head. (I'm so glad they didn't pick me) Oh, well, she lost; nevertheless, she had a great time performing for the gang. A lot of prizes were won and we really enjoyed the night. Capping off the night, we headed across the street to MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights. We hadn't had the opportunity to walk around the "Winter Wonderland" and since it was just a little nippy and we were already out in it, we decided to stroll through the fantasy land. The extravaganza has a lot more charisma up close. Afterwards, we headed to the house for some "Low-Fat Hot Chocolate." Yum Yum!

On Sunday, December 14, we attended "An Evening of Joy" performed by Life Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. Wow! It was phenomenal with several different recitations, along with a variety of duets and quartets, joined by the choir throughout the night of performance. I especially enjoyed the men's quartet. Special Kudos to Life Tab and all of their choir members.

This last Sunday, we visited our home church in Vernon. I really enjoyed providing Christmas music to our church and seeing all of our old friends and meeting new ones. Our church still carries on the timeless tradition of passing out fruit bags to everyone on Sunday before Christmas. I can remember as a child sorting the fruit and candy and sacking it up. When I was a kid, we used paper bags; however, now we just use Glad Baggies, which makes it more convenient. That was a nice memory to relive. Afterwards, Dad and LaRue followed us back to Wichita where we ate at Cotton Patch Cafe. Dad and LaRue hadn't ate there yet and was so anxious to try it out. I think they really enjoyed and can't wait to come back and taste the Blackberry Cobblar. Delicious. Thanks, Dad and LaRue and all of the church folks in Vernon for such a good time.

To cap our weekend off, we celebrated Christmas with our dear friends, Jane and Loyd Austin at Cheddars and afterwards went back to our townhome and enjoyed coffee, Low-Fat Hot Chocolate and Baklava. If you haven't tried Baklava, you need to step out in faith and give it a whirl. It's a greek pastry that is just heavenly and I believe it's low-fat also. LOL.

Well, as you can see we've had a busy month with two days left till Christmas. I can't wait. Rhonda's got my presents wrapped and I'm trying to figure out what they are. The anticipation drives me crazy. Since Christmas is my favorite time of the year, I'll try to keep the activities as full as I can, because once it's over, I'll have to wait till next year. Rhonda's already told me after the 1st, the tree comes down. Oh, well, I'll enjoy the festivities while they last! LOL

On another note, I talked with John today and he's doing great. It makes me feel a little better whenever I talk with him, knowing that he's doing good.

The Last Brouhaha

2008-12-18T20:36:00.001-08:00

This post is a little late; however, with me being enrolled at Wayland Baptist University, working @ the Post Office & Weight Watchers Intl., I just haven't had the time. I started taking pics of John and our time together since he got stationed at Tech School, SAFB. John and I really enjoyed each other, going to the movies together, visiting the "horse show" (LOL), going out to eat, our Six Flags trip, drinking Cappichinos, Chai Tea, etc, while I just stuck with the norm Low-Fat Hot Chocolate. I don't like to venture off of my comfort zone; nevertheless, he encouraged me to live a little. While driving with the top down in my convertible, he'd ask if we could put the top down and I would say, "Well, let's at least roll up the windows because I didn't want to mess up my hair", he would jokingly chide me saying, Hey, Uncle Dan, live a little. I'd say, okay, go ahead, put the windows down too. So here we are flying down Kell Freeway with my hair blowing in the breeze. Okay, I'm a little anal about my hair, but I think it runs in the family. LOL.

We enjoyed Tops in Blue Concert at Sheppard AFB with a picnic on the ground. Aunt Rhonda prepared us a picnic lunch and we copped a squat on the ground and enjoyed the show, along with our fried chicken and all the fixins. Aunt Rhonda always has good ideas when it comes to family time. While she was preparing our lunch, we saw the movie Chronicles of Narnia (2nd film), which by the way was outstanding. We enjoyed our time together at the water park and eating jalepeno peppers at Sonic Drive In. He joined our family at Matthew's birthday party at Johnny Carrino's and then headed over to Cheryl & Daniel's house for cake & ice cream. Yum! Yum! John enjoyed playing with their dog Cobblar, along with his friend Kevin Atkison, who also joined us and enjoyed being with our family. Kevin's a really good kid and I miss him also. He's now in Salt Lake City, UT stationed at an Air Force Base. (for the life of me, I can't think of the base's name)

I won free tickets to Gaither Homecoming; however, he didn't ante up since this really wasn't style of music. So, instead he met us at Cheddar's and enjoyed being with our family. All of us, except John went to Gaither Homecoming and had a wonderful time. We started attending Life Tabernacle later in September and I enjoyed going to Starbuck's before church and enjoyed listening to his goals and dreams he has in his life. John has lots of dreams and goals in life and I pray for his success in life wherever he goes. Our last day out was to Logan's Roadhouse where we enjoyed a wonderful steak of which he had to finish mine and didn't have a problem with it all. I don't know where he puts all the food at. LOL.

After his trip back to Luke AFB, I had a really hard time losing him. You see, even though he was stationed here, I knew he would be at our house on the weekends, or just pop in and out, where we could talk and hang out. I knew he was gonna be okay, because of his close proximity. He was hoping to get to prepare his recruiting time here at SAFB and spend Christmas with us; nevertheless, it just didn't work out. So, I had to give him up and not be able to spend Christmas with him. It just wasn't fair. I would cry and pray about it and finally God gave me a peace that everything was gonna be alright and I feel alot better now. I just spoke with him today after class and he's doing just fine. I teased him saying I had kept his phone message on my phone and when I get to missing him, I just play his voice mail. I know this blog was a little lengthly; however, it kinda helped me get through the process of John leaving SAFB and starting a new stage of his life.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ~ I hope you is enjoying God's blessing this wonderful day. It's the time of year when almost all of the stores are closed and one must reflect on the wonderful bountiful blessings He has provided. I have really enjoyed this week with time spent with John and spending the rest of the day with Rhonda's family. I'd like to share a scripture sent by my good friend, Jim Donica and he hits the nail on the head. Satan is scheming more and more of his time seemingly to have his time at the park; nevertheless, we know who the winner is.

During this Thanksgiving Day, we can celebrate God's goodness and thank Him for opening the door for our salvation. Jim's scripture is found in I Peter 2:9 - 11, "But you are are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness in His wonderful light." Thanks, Jim for sharing from your heart. It meant alot and is one of my favs.

On another note, Pastor Gene asked everyone at church on Tuesday night to reflect on someone that had blessed them in their life. I wasn't able to attend church; however, I noticed on his blog the request he made. The first person that came to my mind were my parents. My dad worked for the Post Office for twenty-seven years and during that time, he pastored a church and raised all of his family in church, teaching and preaching the gospel. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, raising the children in the admonition of the Lord. A while back I ran across a letter my mom had sent to her sister Dorothy when they lived in California. Just reading the letter meant so much to me. You could sense the love she felt for her God, family, and friends. I miss my mother so much; nevertheless, as time goes by, the Lord allows you to have a better feeling of her not being here. Knowing full well she is in a much better place, not feeling anymore pain and knowing she ran a good race and finished her course. I can remember as a kid, we used to deliver papers to the paper boys. My mom and I would go throughout the city and dump the bundles at the various neighborhoods for the newspaper boys to pick up. She would always tease me saying that during half of the drive, I would want to stop at McDonald's on Kemp Boulevard and have a "Wimpy Hamburger" (long story). I appreciate being taught to work at an early stage in my life. You see, I've been working all of my life and wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks, Mom for all your lessons in life you taught me. Now, Dad, let me begin: He is an awesome pastor, teacher, leader, mentor and someone to look at in life that would lead you to Christ. He wasn't ashamed to share the gospel on the job or anywhere he went. I sometimes wish I had that much ferver and determination to share the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. Everywhere I go, someone is always coming up to me asking about Dad and telling me a funny story about something that happened at the Post Office or in the church we grew up in or the church he now pastors in Vernon. You see, Dad was one of those preachers that had to work for a living. He felt God had called him to minister the gospel and in doing so, had to maintain a job in the secular world in order to make a living. To this day, I don't know how he did it. Nevertheless, he was--and is--a very strong man and endured through the test of time. He wasn't afraid to preach the gospel and allow God to change people's lives by accepting the word of truth. He preached the word unwaivering, but with love and compassion to the saints of the church. As I'm writing this, I am brought to tears thinking about all of the good times we shared as a family growing up in the church, and working in the church in Vernon. God has truly blessed us. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sharing the gospel through the love of Jesus Christ.

Happy Birthday, Matthew!!!

2008-11-06T19:03:00.001-08:00

This is a little late posting; however, I wanted to share some pics from Matthew's thirtenth birthday celebration. Matthew is one of our many nephews and we think he is just a great all around kid. He loves sports, swimming, computer games and such like.

We all went to Johnny Carino's Italian Eatery and enjoyed the afternoon with Matthew and his parents, Cheryl and Daniel Nix, along his sister, Alexis, Matthew's paternal grandmother, Shirline Wagoner, Matthew's maternal grandparents, Linda and Archie Kennedy, John Prince, Kevin Atkerson and of course, my darling wife, Rhonda and myself. We had a great time as you can see in the pictures. See if you can guess who the family clown is in our family?

Afterwards, we all gathered at Cheryl and Daniel's house for birthday cake and ice cream. One of my fav's. Matthew received all kinds of gifts, including the best of all: money, money, money, MONEY...., a football, computer games and all the other neat stuff that thirteen years olds get. We love you very much, Matthew and hope you had a wonderful 13th birthday. Many Happy Returns......

Race for the Cure 2008

2008-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

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We just finished Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure 2008, in Wichita Falls and John won 1st Place in his age group. He sprinted down the finish line in just 19.42 minutes. Wow! How phenomenal!!! And get this, he made it fourth runner overall across the finish line. While I was running, he was heading back and I cheered him on to victory. Man! He was flying down the street! This was a 5K run in downtown Wichita Falls. Rhonda volunteered registering runners on Thursday night and then was at the Registration Booth at 6:00 AM on Saturday morning. I also ran the 5K; however, I didn't make it quite that fast. I ran it in 30.14 minutes, which I was very proud of since this was my 2nd Race for the Cure. Last year, I made it in 43.49; however, I power walked it last year, but wanted to run it this year. During the course of the run, the organizers had each mile marked with volunteers cheering you on to the next mile marker. Throughout the race, the volunteers were cheering us on and providing water to guard against dehydration. We are really proud of John's efforts and special kudos to him. Afterwards, we celebrated his victory with breakfast at Cracker Barrel! Yum! Yum! The waitress shamed him into at least wearing his pink award the time he took to finish the race. He conceded and proudly wore it the next few minutes.

By this time, Rhonda was getting a little tired, so she went home and took a nap and John and I drove over to Burk to visit Mom Prince and Rachel. Mom had promised some of her famous "Coconut Cake" and I just couldn't resist the temptation. The cake was delicious. After visiting awhile, we drove back to the city and did a little shopping, washed my car and went to see the movie "Fireproof". This was by far the BEST movie I had seen in quite awhile. This is an excellent movie without any reservations. It made me cry and John really enjoyed it also. Since it was kinda late in the afternoon, we picked up some chicken and fish at Popeye's and took it home to my beautiful bride. John had plans to hang out with his friends and Rhonda and I enjoyed the evening together.

Sunday was a busy day with John and I visiting Life Tabernacle and enjoyed the service. As soon as church was over, John needed to do a little shopping at the mall, so I helped him pick out a few clothes and enjoyed the day together.

In closing, I would like to quote Hebrews 12:1: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us......

A Day Full of Love, Laughter & Surprises

2008-10-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Thank's everyone for helping me celebrate my 52nd birthday! I had a great weekend and oh, yes, my "Danny Day" turned into a "Danny Weekend". To start my weekend off, I ran 2.4 miles and came back, showered and Rhonda had her scrumptious pancakes ready for me. Wow! They are delicious! Thankfully, she only makes me two; nevertheless, I would love to have more, but know I can't with my Weight Watcher plan in tack. Realizing her HHR was dirty, I hurriedly washed it so I could make it to the mall and do a little shopping, get a haircut and pick John up for the afternoon. After picking John up, we both did a little shopping and grabbed us a bite to eat and went back to our town home to pick Rhonda up for the rest of the afternoon. Rhonda and I saw "Eagle Eye" and should you want to see a really good movie, I definitely would suggest seeing this movie; however, upon viewing it you probably will not want to answer your cell phone again. Big Brother is always watching and hearing you and you will be self conscious to the fact. Afterwards, we headed to my favorite restaurant, On the Border, where all the gang was there to celebrate with me. You see, it's so nice to celebrate your birthday with family and friends. Thanks everyone for joining me in the celebration. It was good to have Dad & Mom LaRue, along with Rachel, John, Mom Prince and of course, my lovely bride, Rhonda. Our server really put on a good show when he made "Guacamole Live" and by Mom Prince's taste buds, she concluded the guacamole was the best she had eaten. After dinner, Rhonda gave into my idea of looking at cars (my favorite pastime) and we, or should I say I enjoyed drooling over the various makes and models. To cap our weekend off, John and I visited Life Tabernacle and really enjoyed the service. Bro. Greg Henry was ministering in a revival service and preached an outstanding Bible Study. This was our third Sunday and it was good be back home again. Afterwards, Rhonda, John and I ate at Mazzios and I had to really careful with my menu items. You see, I had a staff meeting at Weight Watchers at 2:00 PM and the staff has to weigh in at each staff meeting. The rule is we cannot be over 2 pounds of our goal weight. Thankfully, I was right on target. The salad is what saved me. Ha! Ha! So, you see I really did have a "Danny Weekend" and thanks Rhonda for giving me such a good time. LOL!

Happy Birthday to you!

2008-10-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today is my handsome husbands birthday! This is also my first time to post on the blog, the first vice presidential canidate debates and I am sure a lot more first for somebody somewhere. Today we had to work and Danny had class, so we will be celebrating with a family dinner Saturday at Danny's favorite restaurant--On the Border. My mother, neice Rachel, nephew John, Danny's neice Cheryl, her husband and two children and my father-in-law and his wife are expected to attend. Before the dinner Danny will get a "Danny Day," although if you ask me it's always a "Danny Day" around here. :>) Sorry, that is an inside joke for Danny. His friends at work got him a tower of balloons that were too big for his Mustang to carry, so I picked them up after I got off work and took them home for him. They make an impressive sight sitting on the hearth of our fireplace. Someone even made him a Weight Watchers approved cake. Danny's "Danny Day" will start with breakfast in bed--either French Toast or Pancakes--his choice, a movie--his choice and then his family dinner. He already received his present from me--tickets to the Gaither Homecoming at the MPEC. The real present is that I agreed to go with him without a fuss and I even suggested it--I'm not a big fan, but he is. I am sure that he will want to do something on Sunday, as well. Then on the 12th we are going to the State Fair at Dallas with some friends. All in all, I think it will be a nice birthday. Happy Birthday Honey! I love you!

Six Flags Trip with John

2008-09-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

John and I and one of his friends just returned from another trip to Six Flags. This was my first with John, since I had previously been with my niece, Rachel. This trip turned out to be fantastic, since the weather was a lot cooler and the crowd wasn't so hectic. We left around 9ish, stopped by the local Burger King and McDonald's, grabbed a bite to eat, filled up with gas and to the Credit Union for some $$$$$ and we're on our way. Had a really good time enjoying John and his friend's company and camaraderie. We stopped at Decatur as usual; however, this time we checked out the local Wal*Mart so John could pick up some sunglasses and me a drink at the McDonald's. He found a really inexpensive pair and we laughed the rest of the way down there, since he bought "Power Rangers" sunglasses; nevertheless, it didn't bother him since they only cost him $4.00 and it fit the occasion.

Upon arriving at Six Flags, we had to park in "the back forty", since we got there around 12ish. You see, we had a back log of traffic entering Interstate 35 to Fort Worth. It never ceases to amaze me whatever time you travel to Fort Worth, you are always backlogged at that intersection. I really think the Highway Department needs to work on traffic flow at that interval.

Upon showing our Season Pass, we journeyed through the gate to the Flash Pass Office. I have never had the Flash Pass before and it was so nice. We got to show the pass and get ahead of the line at all of the really rough rides. John's first to get me on was "The Titan". I was scared out of my mind; however, John and Jessica just laughed and screamed the whole time. All I could do was "hold on for dear life." I do believe that was the scariest of rides I have ever ridden. You see, my beautiful bride, Rhonda just can't handle those rides anymore, so the first chance I get to go to Six Flags with someone who likes it as well as me, I'm ready to go. Rhonda likes "Christmas in the Park." It's such a beautiful time to visit the park, with the weather cooler and such great lights and activities going on.

From the Titan over to the Texas Giant, one of the world's largest wooden roller coasters. It jars you to death; nevertheless, it's not as scary as the Titan. After we got off, Jessica's back was really hurting, so she sat the next one out. I believe we reserved Batman to be our next adventurous ride. That's a really neat ride, because it is so tight, all you can do is scream and yell. It's keeps you in your seat, flying through the air, backwards and frontwards. The next ride I sat out which was "Batman." The last time I rode it, I really hurt my back on it and didn't want to chance it. So, I reserved us a spot at "Johnny Rockets Hamburgers" where John and Jessica joined me later for hamburgers and fries. The best onion rings are at Johnny Rockets and to top them off, I had a really great Vanilla shake.

To make a long story short, we really had a great time and I hope that John and Jessica enjoyed my company as I did theirs.

Happy 28th Wedding Anniversary!!!!!!!

2008-09-08T18:33:00.001-07:00

Happy 28th Wedding Anniversary to my lovely bride, "Rhonda". My best friend, soulmate, lover, confidante, and the list goes on and on. We just celebrated over the weekend and had a wonderful time. Basically, we just stayed around the homefront and enjoyed each other. Nothing fancy or spectalar, just each other. Normally, we go out and paint the town "red"; however, we felt to do something a little different and really had a great time. You see, you don't really have to do anything special to celebrate your anniversary when you are really in love. Not that I'm against celebrating in a special way; nevertheless, it just didn't work out this year. I just wanted to say Happy Anniversary to the love of my life and hope we have many more years together.

P.S. For those who don't know it, our dog Sassie was laid to rest two years ago. I found this sweet picture and wanted to share with everyone. She was a great little dog and we have missed her terribly. I think I found it the hardest thing to handle upon losing her; nevertheless, it's kinda nice to have a reflection with her.

Back in school

2008-09-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

I should've posted this about three weeks ago; however, I have been so busy I just didn't' have time. Our fall semester has begun at Wayland Baptist University and I'm enrolled in Geology and New Testament classes. Really great subjects and I just love my professors. I've had my Bible professor previously teaching Old Testament and was really lucky to get him again. He's really a great guy and enjoys his classes and students. You can really tell when a professor loves their job. My Geology professor is so neat. Her name is Liz Read. Really cool lady! She just cracks us up all the time in class. I think I'm gonna do really well this semester and I'm enjoying it this time. So many times, when you go to class, the classes are not your cup of tea or you and the professor just don't click. That makes it really hard and kinda leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

In both of my classes, I've had my friend Christi in class with me (she's the lady who rescued me awhile back when I ran out of gas on Southwest Parkway) and really a great person. So, it's really cool if I have a problem or dilemma with some homework, I can always depend on her to help me find the answer or show me where to look. You see, when you go back to college at my age, it makes it more difficult to study and find all the hot spots to look for regarding homework. I really appreciate Christi and her friendship this last year. She's a really great lady with a wonderful daughter and husband who support her through her education. She's planning on excelling in education.

Well, I better close this post for now, because I've got homework waiting on me and I don't want to be left "holding the bag." Ha! Ha!

Politics

2008-09-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

I found this article on The Holleys blog and wanted to share with everyone! Thought it was very interesting!

A trip to Six Flags over Texas

2008-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Rachel (my niece) and I just returned from a trip to Six Flags over Texas on Labor Day. You see, I thought Labor Day would be the perfect time to visit this amusement park and oh, how wrong I was. We arrived there at 10:10 AM and noticed none of the rides were running. So, I called Six Flags and asked their hours of operation, which were 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Wow! We could've slept in another hour, so we meandered to the mall and looked around at Barnes and Noble and journeyed back to the park around elevenish. Now, the park had really started to get backed up; however, I thought that maybe everyone was just like us and was returning back after arriving earlier. After finding us a parking place (in back fourty), I thought, wow, I wished I would've paid for premier parking (basically close to the park). Nevertheless, we enjoyed our long trek to the park, looking all the time for the tram to come and pick us up. Finally, entering the gates, the lines seemed extremely long and afterwards getting inside the park, I believe everyone else in D/FW had the same thought as I did. Little did I know that Labor Day was the day that Season Pass holders could bring a friend free and boy did they ever do that. The park was so crowded, even the restaurants and snack stands had a long waiting ling. Rachel likes nothing more than lemonade and seemed like everywhere we went, all the stands were out of lemonade. To make a long story short, you can tell we got very little rides and took forever to try to satisfy our thirst, so around 4:00, I asked Rachel if she was ready as I was and of course, she said yes. I think that was the worst experience I had ever had at the park, since Six Flags is one of my favorites. Hopefully, the next time I visit, the park will be managed better.

Happy Birthday, John

2008-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, August 24 is our nephew, John Prince's birthday! Aunt Rhonda and I hope you have a very special day and receive all the happiness that God has in store for you on this very special day. We're very excited to have you at Sheppard AFB Tech School and very proud of what you have become. I just know that great things are in store for you just up the road. We'll be taking John out on Sunday to celebrate his great day and enjoying the day with him. We didn't get to see him last weekend since they were not allowed to leave their dorm. So, we're really excited to see you and enjoy your birthday with you. Many Happy Returns, John!

July Happenings!

2008-08-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated July 4th ~ I'm just a little late wishing everyone Happy July 4th; however, I've been just a little busy this summer. Having returned from our vacation, I've had a hard time adjusting back to the work routine.

We had a GREAT 4th of July, celebrating with our nephew, John Prince. John is stationed at Sheppard AFB at Tech School and am really glad he's stationed so close to home. I started the day by picking him up at Conner Hall and was so excited to see him in his uniform. I told him he how tall he looked in that uniform and very handsome indeed. We did a little shopping with him at the Base Exchange and since I had never been at the BX, I found it pretty fascinating. Basically, it was just like a Wal*Mart (not near as huge), but pretty much the same. Just lower prices for the GI's and their families. We then went to the mini mall and had lunch and headed for the Base Water park. We had a blast at the Water Park, enjoying each other's company and catching up on some needed R & R. Rhonda stayed at home, since she was going to meet us later that day for the 4th of July celebration at the base. She was preparing us a picnic lunch for the afternoon and needed the extra time to prepare for our picnic lunch.

I am so proud of John and all the accomplishments he has made for himself. With God at his side, he has matured into such a nice and polite young man. He'll be stationed at SAFB through the end of November, where he'll be stationed at Luke AFB, AZ, just outside of Phoenix. Another hot and dry community.

Afterwards, John and I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia. Wow! If you haven't seen this movie, I urge you to see it. At first, I didn't think I was gonna like it; nevertheless, it turned out awesome. So much correlation to the Bible. After the movie, we met Rhonda and enjoyed our time together munching on Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Rolls and yummy cookies. As always, she out did herself preparing for her men in her life. For entertainment, SAFB sponsored Tops in Blue to perform for everyone and they were fantastic. If you ever get a chance to see Tops in Blue perform, please do so. You won't regret it. After the performance, the fireworks display began, along with a backdrop of patriotic music. Such a nice ending to our July 4th holiday, I put the top down in my Mustang and took John back to his dorm. Looking at the beautiful stars and God's handiwork makes you so proud to be an American and thankful for the freedom that God has bestowed upon our lives. Thank you Lord for our family, friends and above all: God in our lives. Our July 4th holiday was nearly over and I felt it was one of the best we had enjoyed in a long time. The only sad thing about the 4th of July, it kinda reminds me of Christmas. So much preparation for one day, and afterwards, it's back to the old routine of work and stuff.

Florida Happenings!

2008-07-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I posted from returning on our trip from the Emerald Coast. Having returned, I've been really busy at work and just didn't have time to write a few things down. Wow! We really enjoyed ourselves in Destin, Florida. The white sand beaches are as beautiful as described in the brochure and if you ever get a chance to vacation at the Emerald Coast, I would definitely refer it. Destin had changed quite a bit since we were there awhile back; however, the beaches were just as beautiful. Condos everywhere, taking the breathtaking from view from Old Highway 98. I don't know why these beautiful coastal towns allows developers to build skyscrapers on the beach, other than the all American need for dollars. Nevertheless, the view is breathtaking and the food was great. Since it rained the first few days upon arrival, we shopped at Destin Commons and made various tours of the town. Relaxing a lot and enjoying the wonderful seafood. By the time we were leaving, I think I burned Rhonda out on seafood. I asked her where she wanted to eat and she stated, "anything, as long as it's not seafood." So, I compromised and went to Hard Rock Cafe and I had a fish sandwich, while she had a veggie burger. We try to go a Hard Rock Cafe whenever on vacation, not because of the music, but I think it's kind of neat. I am not a fan of rock music; however, I love music and I think the ambiance it kind of cool. While at the Fisherman's Wharf restaurant, we were sitting on the beach side and noticed some fisherman bringing a large fish. Quickly catching our attention, Rhonda noticed it was a shark. Later, I asked how much it weighed and they informed me it weighed more than 600 pounds, because their scale only went to 600 pounds. Wow! A very large shark. I'm glad I didn't meet that one while on the beach. The sharks swim within 5 - 10 miles of the beach as informed by the locals. That's kind of scary. Our next night we ate at AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar. That was a really cool restaurant. More laid back than the Fisherman's Wharf. Really loud restaurant right on the pier. After supper we went on the pier and enjoyed watching the seagulls find their food and enjoy their supper. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I think I could really get used to the surroundings. Meanwhile, I'm back in Wichita Falls and don't think I want to chance the hurricanes. I'll take my chances with our ferocious tornadoes.

Vacationing in the Emerald Coast

2008-06-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm all excited tonight, because tomorrow my beautiful bride and I travel to the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida. The "Emerald" in the name "Emerald Coast" comes from the distinctive, irresistible shade of green seen on the Gulf of Mexico waters. We'll be spending the night in Baton Rouge, LA and hopefully enjoy some great seafood while there. Sunday, we should arrive in Destin, Florida where the white sand beaches are beautiful. We'll be laying at the beach and having a great time enjoying the sunsets while there. Fort Walton Beach is just around the corner and the largest Air Force Base is also located within a few miles. Eglin AFB is the largest AFB in the country. That should be amazing to see. We might even get to see some lighthouses; however, I'm not sure the lighthouses are near this area. There is plenty of recreational things to do while visiting the Emerald Coast; nevertheless, we'll probably just sit back, relax and enjoy the wonders of God's beautiful handiwork. I once read there are three very important things to take on vacation that doesn't fit in a suitcase: a sense of adventure, an open mind and a sense of humor. With all three things in mind, we should be able to have a great time. I've got to go to bed since we're getting up at 4:00 AM to pack and try to leave by 8:00 AM. Keep us in your prayers for traveling mercies.

June Happenings!

2008-06-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

June has been a very busy month for Rhonda and me. With Father's Day at the beginning, we celebrated with my family at Logan's Roadhouse (one of my favorites) and also my families. They always serve us well with such kindness and love. We like the big room (I think they call it the barn). This area has such great space and wonderful ambiance, complimented by a beautiful stone fireplace. We got to enjoy my sister, Cora and her husband, Ronnie this time, along with my brother Archie and his beautiful wife, Linda, along with one of their daughters, Cheryl and her great family, and of course Dad and Mom LaRue. It was just a wonderful day and I appreciate my dad so much for all of his leadership in the church and guidance throughout my life. Dad - you're the greatest! Rhonda surprised me with tickets to Gaither Homecoming, convening this October in Wichita Falls. Wow! Can you believe Gaither's are coming to Wichita Falls? We're moving right on up with the big dogs! Ha! Ha! Our church has reserved a section and should really be good seats. I can't wait! We heard the Gaither's at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City last year and they were marvelous! We were on the sixth row and had great seats. It was such a fun trip.

We're trying to pack everything up for our vacation. We'll be leaving for Destin, Florida (the Sunshine State) and can hardly wait. Destin is such a beautiful area with The Emerald Coast and such white sand beaches. We've always travelled through this area; however, we were never able to stop and visit. The waves are calling me right now. Just two more days and we'll off and away. Can't wait! Everyone's been teasing me at work this week, counting down the number of days till my vacation, so I had to throw that in.

God is such a great God, having just read on Kenny & Karen's post that Kolton went home from the hospital. His surgery was great and we will continue praying for Kolton's continued healing power to flow within him. We love you, Kolton.

I'll close for now and keep you posted on our trip.

Have a great day in the Lord!

A Night At the Bass

2008-05-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

To Rhonda's surprise, I was able to get tickets to see Wynonna Judd at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Wow! It was great! Traveling to Fort Worth in my wife's new HHR, I used On Star to navigate our journey to the Bass. First, we would eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Dos Gringos. Fantastic! Great Mexican food, so if you really want a great lunch or dinner, drop by Dos Gringos on University Drive in Fort Worth and you won't be disappointed. The chips are awesome! Arriving at the Bass, I dropped my beautiful bride off at the door and parked her car. Catching up with her in the lobby, we picked up our tickets and easily found our seat. This hall is awesome! If you haven't had a chance to see anyone perform at this wonderful hall, please take some time off and head to Fort Worth. You won't be disappointed.

As we were listening to the symphony first, I was so amazed at the sound in the Bass. We were in the fifth balcony and heard every musical instrument great! Makes up for the stuff you put up with at work to be able to enjoy the finer things of life. After the intermission, Wynonna came on stage! And wow! She can sing! Not only, country, but jazz, rock, christian, etc. Her range was phenomenal. She is so inspiring, innovative, and imaginative. After her performance of "I can only Imagine," the whole house was in tears. She really is an awesome person, with such a down home feeling.

After the concert ended, we meandered around the hall, checking things out and taking pics. Finally, we finally ended up outside the hall and noticed a long line starting outside on the sidewalk. I told Rhonda, they must be waiting for Wynona to exit, so, naturally we waited. After about 10 minutes, Wynonna came out and she was so friendly with everyone. She probably took around fifty shots of photographs with her fans. And, yes, Rhonda was able to get a snapshot with her. Really made her day.

After the concert, we headed to the mall for some shopping and afterwards to TGI Friday's for some appetizers and dessert. This was a wonderful experience and a really awesome day. Just the two of us, enjoying each other. Life just can't get any better!!!

Rhonda's New HHR

2008-05-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Rhonda's '92 Cady finally hit the dust. To her dismay, we had to finally look for something else. She loved that car, with the boulevard ride and great handling, just didn't want to give it up; however, she knew it was time. I had looking for awhile; nevertheless, she had to be happy with her new car. So off in the car lots we go. First to Archer City and found a really good deal on a brand new '08 HHR; however, just didn't quite cut the mustard. So, here we travel down the Texas roads to Henrietta. I thought we would surely find the best deal at Four Stars; nevertheless, to my dismay we were off again to another dealership. I thought well, we'll try Wichita Falls Herb Easley Chevrolet. Again, no deal. Well, what should we do? I thought maybe, Dallas/Fort Worth; however, it was just too late in the day for that trip and we really needed a new car. Voila! I would try Aubrey Chevrolet in Lawton. We found the perfect HHR for her. The just perfect Cardinal red HHR with all the bells and whistles! And the deal was perfect. Better than we had found anywhere else. They treated us great and Rhonda was very excited. This was her first brand new car. We had other brand new cars; however, since I had to drive from Vernon to Wichita Falls to work, it made more cents for me to have the newer car. So, you can see how my beautiful bride was so excited. Off in the wild blue yonder in Rhonda's HHR!! Wow!

Graduaton Day 2008!!!!!

2008-03-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived and I was awarded the Associate of Applied Science Degree from Wayland Baptist University! Yeah! I can hardly believe part of this chapter in my life is closed. Having begun my pursuit of a degree just thirty-three years, I finally received my Associate's Degree. (I'll continue pursuing my Bachelor's) You see, I began this conquest in 1975; however, while working nights at the Main Post Office, I couldn't seem to the keep up the pace. During my early years at the Post Office, I worked tons of overtime and failed to see the need for my degree. I thought I had a good job and that was enough. I'm so thankful I realized a job wasn't the only thing I needed to be successful. You see, a degree doesn't do anything; however, it assist a person to open doors that might have possibly been kept shut. As Dr. Orr put it, as soon as we receive our degree, pause 5 seconds and begin to work on something else. Manhind has to continually educate themselves and keep the mind in tact.

Wayland put on the ritz big time today, with a luncheon starting off the day, with my family joining me in the celebration. Dad and Mom LaRue, Cora, Archie and of course my beautiful bride cheering me by the waysides. Rhonda - I couldn't have made it without your love and support through this whole endeavor. She's been a God send to me throughout my whole life. You will never know how much I appreciate and love you. You are the best!!!! And to my family, I appreciate all of your support and prayers throughout these last few years. To my nephews, Mac and Daniel for all their guidance and direction regarding my computer classes. Man, I couldn't have pulled it off without your technical support. Hats off to everyone involved!! And to top that, my Supervisor out of the Fort Worth Post Office came and celebrated with me at the graduation, along with my former Supervisor at the Annex. You don't know how much that meant to me. Along, with postal friends, Jane and Loyd Reeves was at my graduation. These wonderful friends called afterwards and took us out to dinner. What a way to top off a beautiful day! Thanks, Jane and Loyd; you're the greatest!!!

He is Risen!!!

2008-03-24T22:53:00.001-07:00

He is risen! Hallejujah! I haven't written on my blog lately, so I thought I would post something regarding the beautiful Easter season! Just the other day, I was eating lunch at McDonald's (my very fav fast food), and ran into an old friend of mine, Mark Brewer. Mark is the Constable in Wichita County and a wonderful young man filled with the Spirit. We've been friends around twenty years and once in while, I'll see him out and about. It's times like this that we are able to catch up on a few things. I became acquainted with him several years ago, while working in Claims & Inquiry at the Main Post Office. Mark would come to my office to obtain address searches regarding his clients whom he had to serve. We kinda hit off and have been friends ever since. We began to talk about old times and catch upon our families and various things. Mark informed me that he spoke with a friend of his who had just returned from Jerusalem. His friend informed him that he visited the tomb where Jesus was buried; however, the tomb was empty. Mark and I already knew that Jesus' tomb was empty; nevertheless, it made me more aware than ever that Jesus' tomb was empty. Isn't that great how Jesus came to this earth as a baby boy, dwelt among men, lived and walked this earth and died for our sins, but then he rose again to give us Eternal Life. I'm so thankful God is alive and well and living in the hearts of men. Hallejujah, He's Alive! Let's share the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere we go, sharing the risen Saviour's news! Hallejujah!

This Easter Sunday, we traveled to Vernon to be with my dad and LaRue and all of our friends at our home church. It was so good to see everyone and know that the Lord is working miracles in the church in Vernon. Dad and LaRue - keep up the good work!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-06T16:54:00.001-08:00

Here's wishing each and everyone of you a Happy New Year!

Rhonda and I celebrated by going out to eat at my favorite restaurants, On the Border, and had a excellent dinner. The food was was wonderful, along with everything else. On the Border in Wichita Falls is one of the best Mexican Restaurants anywhere. Their management, along with staff serve excellent Mexican cuisine and serve it with style. If you are wanting great Mexican food, along with fantastic service, I highly recommend On the Border in Sikes Senter Mall. We closed out the new year with a movie at the new Cinemark Theatre. Rhonda had wanted to go The National Treasure (2nd sequel) and I gave in. I'm so glad I did. The movie was fantastic. It kept you on the edge of your seat the whole night.

The first was very quiet at our home; however, Rhonda made her usual Fried Chicken (yum, yum), along with Rice and gravy, black eyed-peas (of course), along with Lemon Meringue Pie. Whenever we have Lemon Meringue Pie, it reminds me of my mother. She made the most delicious Lemon Meringue Pie anywhere. We only have it once in awhile, being the pie has so many calories and I can't afford that many, since I'm on Weight Watchers. Everything was just great. We had a wonderful New Years' Day.

On the 3rd of January, everything changed. We woke up to sleeting outside, so both of us left a little early in order to get to work on time. On my way out the door, I slipped and fell on the sidewalk and walked back in to tell my wife, to please be careful; very slick and dangerous. We didn't want her falling on it, being she has just recovered from foot surgery and didn't need any other problems. She definitely stated she would be careful and even suggested she take her cane (the one she had after her surgery) to give her move support. I said, great! Very carefully, I made it to work and begin to lay out everything I wanted to get done for the day. About 9:15 AM, the phone rang and it was my worst nightmare come true. Rhonda was on the phone, stating she was in a car accident. I immediately asked, "Are you okay?" and she stated, she was. I asked her where she was at and she told me at Loop 11 overpass. I told her I would get there as soon as possible. I immediately called my boss, Billy Hall who graciously understood and told me to be careful. The ice seamed to be worse at this time and while I drove down Henry Grace Freeway, I began to notice Highway 287 South being backed up. More accidents!!!! As I drove further, Highway 287 North was being backed up, so I thought I would travel down Seymour Highway. About that time, Rhonda was on the phone, stating the ambulance was on the way and wanted me to meet her at United Regional Hospital. Arriving at the Emergency Room, I frantically waited for my wife, not knowing exactly how bad she was hurt. Finally, she arrived and I was able to see her. Upon my first glance, I said, Oh, no! She had a neck brace on; however, she explained to me it was just for protection. The nursing staff was wonderful as we waited and finally they were able to get some X-Rays. After a few hours (remember 119 accidents in all that day), the doctor came in and said everything looked really good. A sigh of relief!!! Cars can be repaired; however, our lives are very precious to us. We are so thankful that God had His hand upon Rhonda's life and spared her from a more serious accident. She is just a little bruised up and more than likely she will have Chiropractic care and return to normal. Isn't God great! He provided a way and the angels were in place that day. We would like to thank the wonderful Air Force pilots who so graciously stopped at the scene and placed all the torn fender's in the trunk. As bad as it was that day, someone else could hit the torn pieces and slid back into Rhonda's car, causing more damage and harm. Also, thanks to all of the staff at United Regional Hospital Emergency Room. They were gracious and so kind.

Having said all that, we do serve a great God! Hopefully, the remainder of the year will not be as nerve wracking.

Feliz Navadid

2007-12-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." St. Luke 2: 10 - 14.

The greatest story ever told and yet it comes alive every year within the hearts of men. Christmas; the most wonderful time of the year! Rhonda and I pray that each of you have a joyous Christmas season and can reflect the true meaning of Christmas. How God came down, robed Himself in flesh and dwelt among men, so that we could be saved. When you reflect on giving gifts this wonderful time of the year, think about the gift God gave. He gave himself without any reservations. Do we sometimes give gifts with strings attached? God gave of Himself with no strings attached. Sure, He would love for each of us to follow Him; however, this is to each one's choosing. Isn't that great about Christmas? Share the gift of love this year and find someone that doesn't know Him and share what Christmas is all about. This may be your neighbor, friend, relative or even a stranger. You will be blessed immensely.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year !!!!

Feliz Navidad y prosperos anos de nuevo !!!!

Running out of gas @ Christmas Time

2007-12-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

I just returned from my college class and had an extremely difficult day. Starting my day early, I was driving to work, thinking I had enough gas to get to work. About mid-way, my car starting acting up and since it's getting very old, I thought, oh-well, it's just having mechanical issues. Out of gas, naw; however, I didn't have a clue it was that low on gas. Right now, I'm driving my wife's '92 Caddy and it's seen better days. The gas gauge is computerized and definitely not correct. After passing our church on Southwest Parkway, I barely got through the traffic light at Taft. I began to realize I wasn't going to make it work. At that moment, I gazed at the gas gauge and it informed me I had 5 gallons of gas in my tank. Wrong! As a made a U-turn back towards Stripes Convenience Store, I proceeded to get in the far right hand lane. That's when my car died. So, here I am at 8:30 AM, traffic going crazy with everyone going to work and out of gas on a six lane thoroughfare. Wow! I first thought, oh, well, I'll have to push it to Stripes; meanwhile, as I begin to look back, I realized I just might get run over on this very busy parkway. At that point, I just stood by the side hoping everyone would see me. I immediately called my wife and asked if she could come assist me and she so politely said yes. Great! I'll be at Stripes in no time and on my way to work. Checking every moment to ensure I don't get slammed on the parkway, I noticed someone coming up from behind with their hazard lights on. Great! They would drive behind while I pushed my car to the service station. Angels were at my beckoning call. Thank you Lord! Little did I know, this angel approaching me was one of classmates at college. Thank you, Christy for taking some time out of your day to give your friend some help. So, I began to push this 4000 pound car. You can imagine a 160 pound, 5', 11" guy pushing this 4000 pound car. It would have been a perfect time for Exceptional Video productions. Everyone, including myself would have got a big kick out of this. As I slowly pushed the car (30 degree weather by the way), I wasn't making much of a headway; however, I just kept on pushing and hoping someone else would drop by to assist me. Thankfully, I had two other angels stop by and began to push my car. One of my customers and friend; Mr. Ramirez and an unknown jogger who happened to be jogging down Southwest Parkway. Praise the Lord for miracles! I requested either one of them drive my car and I would assist them in pushing; however, they insisted I drive being I had already been out in the cold so long. You just don't realize how cold it is until you are stranded somewhere and not shielded from the cold. I was beginning to feel like the Christmas song which goes, "It's cold outside." To make a long story short, I ended up at Stripes and got my gas and journeyed to work. I would like thank everyone involved in my miss-hap today. Without your friends and people you don't even know, life would be very difficult at times. It's so good you know the Lord and He has His watchful eye on his children.

Give And It Shall Given To You

2007-12-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

Upon returning from college class tonight, I arrived late and was very tired; however, I was most welcomed by my darling wife, Rhonda who welcomed me home. Wow! It's so nice to be home. Upon entering our townhome, I noticed two beautiful Lighthouse Christmas ornaments. I immediately asked, "Whose are these?" Rhonda said, their yours honey! Mine! Yes, yours. Oh, wow, their beautiful! Who gave them to me, I questioned? She said, my neighbor Donnie had given them to me. You see, last night after our Life Group meeting, we came home with the box of chocolates that I didn't feel I needed (weight wise), and in turn gave them to my neighbor who was admiring our Christmas tree. You see, as the scripture states in St. Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." By giving the candy away, this provided a method for Donnie to give from his heart. Thank you so much Donnie for sharing with us. You really made my day! If we as Christians can allow God's spirit to reach to us in a manner to be used by God, there is no telling how far God will be able to use us in the manner He so desires.

Life Groups

2007-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2007

Rhonda and I just returned from our Life Group meeting with Diane and Rodney Brumbelow, along with the rest of our group. We had a wonderful time, with a variety of stews and soups to choose from, along with homemade cornbread. Everyone brought their favorite cookies and shared their recipes. Diane prepared a wonderful Hot Lemondade Cider which was absolutely great.

Pastor Ron was our guest tonight and enjoyed his briefing on our new addition to our current facility. It's always good to hear Pastor Ron, whether from the pulpit or in a home setting. In addition to hearing from Pastor Ron, Rodney led our group with a video explaining our home group meetings would be like and how to become closer to Christ. We closed time of fellowship with a White Elephant Gift Exchange and Diane ended up receiving exactly what she wanted. I ended up with box of chocolates; however, being I'm on Weight Watchers, I gave them to my neighbor upon our return home. He was thrilled. After we exchanged our gifts, we had a word of prayer and went our various ways home. Upon our return, we hung our outside Christmas lights on our parameter of our townhome and warmed up with a French Vanilla Cafe.

I'll close for now, being I didn't get in bed till 2:30 am this morning finishing my Blog.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

December 1, 2007 -

We have finally set up our blog and hope this greeting finds everyone well. I had been thinking about setting this up for awhile; however, with school, work, family and church, I just didn't have the time.

To give you a little background, my wife, Rhonda and I have been married for 27 wonderful years and love each other deeply. I am employed with U.S. Postal Service, while my wife is employed with the U.S. Air Force. We both love our jobs and are committed to Christ. I attend Wayland Baptist University and will graduate in the Spring of 2008 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's, majoring in Education. We both love music, theatre, putt-putt golf. In addition for my love of music, I also play the piano. I guess you could say, I love music a little better than Rhonda. Sometimes, I become overwhelmed with music in our townhome and in the car. Both of us are member's of Heritage Assembly of God Church Choir.

Just recenty, Rhonda and I started our own home business, known as "Invitations by Danny". I personally handwrite wedding invitations, birthday parties, baby announcements, or any other invitation you so desire. I call my writing "fancy writing". We'll be glad to show our portfolio if anyone is interested.

In addition, to this home business, I also recently became an Associate of Ignite, powered by Stream Energy. I would love to show you how can pay yourself everytime you turn on your lights at home.

I'll close for now and I hope you have a joyous Christmas season. Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season!