Many faces of Love

It has been far too long since I updated my blog. So much has happened. I got to spend some time with my special little guy this past week. I could not get over how much he has grown in just 2 weeks. I love watching his facial expressions. They are as changeable as the Kansas weather. We had good fun even if he was a little fussy. We should have him all weekend next weekend so watch out Mom and Dad. He really will get spoiled.

Monterrey Suesan

Hello from Monterrey... I thought I would share some images with everyone. Hope you enjoy.

Being Young Again

I was reminded this weekend of what it was like to be young again. So often we get caught up in everything that happens around us. We forget to see the beauty in simple things. To look through a child's eyes. I rediscovered this in a roll down the hill in a cardboard box. I know, it sounds crazy right? But for one brief minute, as I was tumbling round and round inside the cardboard, I had not a care in the world. When I stopped at the bottom of the hill, I was dizzy and awed all at the same time. I had forgotten what it was like to let go...really let go. God asks us to do that, give it all to Him. He will take care of everything. All we have to do is become like little children and let go...I hope you all find yourselves in your children or grandchildren, nieces or nephews. Find the simple pleasures around you, and experience the child like joy of letting go.
Not to say this was without pain, but I would do it all over again, for the simple delight at the end of the trip. :)

Looking forward to the weekend

Steve and I are going to head back out to J & K this weekend. Justin turns 28 on Friday. What a flood of emotions the birth of his son brought. Kat and I had some wonderful "Mother-Daughter" chats. I was glad I was able to help. I have been resting up in anticipation of another full weekend with everyone.
Work continues to be strange. Most lines are working overtime to build up bridge inventory in preparation for the move to Mexico. SO that means bring in more parts....Tempers are sometimes short, but there is a sadness there as well. It is the end to daily friendships that have endured through the years. Our battle cry becomes "We will survive"...and we will. Each day a new challenge, another step to a different path to follow....lots of prayers, lots of laughter, and of course lots of tears.

Ryan Dontae

As I am sure most of you know by now, Ryan Dontae has made his arrival. 6 lbs 15 oz, 18 3/4 inches long on Wed Jul 21@ 2:50pm. I am waiting for Mom and Dad to be the first to post pictures, then I will be flooding the site with photos.
Everyone is doing well. I got home late yesterday (Saturday) exhausted of course, but everyone is doing fine. Justin is so very proud to be a Daddy and he is handling most of his first time Dad duties just fine. He even bragged yesterday about his "Daddy Badge". The little guy had spit up on his shirt, and he was quite proud of it.
We love to watch our family continue to grow, and are anxious to share the new precious little bundle with everyone.

Good times and Bad

Life is full of surprises, some good, some bad. WE are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby JMIKE, none more eagerly than J & K I am sure. With a few false alarms, we are pretty sure the next one will be the real thing. :) The two boys have joined them for the summer as well, and are very anxious to meet their new baby brother. It is a house full of laughter, love and joy.
On Thursday this week, I found out that Haldex is closing it's doors for good in Iola. They have decided to move the contents to Mexico, to consolidate. It looks like a whole lot of people are going to be looking for another job. I am not sure what I will do at this point. I am better off then most, as our house is paid for. Just pray lots and see what opportunities come my way.
My Mom is in the hospital once again, with an infection. She is improving steadily, and hope she recovers completely this time.
My younger brother had double knee replacement and is coming along great. :)
Who knows what tomorrow will bring. But it doesn't matter. I am loved, and I know God has a plan for me. I am not saying it is going to be easy, but we have been in a lot tighter spots, and after all, I am a Marine. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I will try to keep everyone posted, a little better than I have been.

Arizona Flowers

They say the desert in bloom is a thing of beauty. I have to agree. The colors are so bright they hurt your eyes, but you cannot look away. I am not sure my photos do them justice, but I hope you enjoy

Greetings from Arizona

Hello to all. Sorry I have no pictures yet. I have been just a little busy since I got here. Mom's operation is a success and now the real work begins. I am so very proud of her. She is in a lot of pain, but she is doing everything that she should. Dad is doing OK as well, now that the surgery is over. I am getting pictures, so I promise to try to post something, but you may have to wait until I come home. The weather here is awesome...It has been in the 80's and today it got to 90. It is nice to swim (only once so far) and the sky is blue.....Oh and the flowers. They got lots of rain here in January so everything is blooming. The cactus are beautiful. I will try to keep in touch as best I can. Take care all and keep us in your prayers

Exciting News

I just wanted to share all kinds of exciting news with everyone. First of all, I have a new daughter in law, Kat. Her and Justin went to Las Vegas this weekend courtesy of Justin's boss, since the company had a banner year. They called us Saturday night with the happy news. Our family is growing by leaps and bounds.
Just a few minutes ago, I got a call from my older brother Dave. I am a great Aunt, and he is a grandpa for the first time. The newest addition to the Dubey Family is Kayden(sp) Christopher. 7lbs 13.9 oz and 19 inches long. He was just glowing. What an amazing week. I think this one is going to be a hard act to follow. I will post pictures when I get some. :)

A visit with the newest addition

Grandpa, Steve and I went to visit with the newest addition to the Michael family last weekend. Nicole looked tired, and we could tell she was missing Sedric. Taking care of a little one by yourself, (even with Grandma and Grandpa) can be pretty tough. I could not get over another girl in the family having a baby. It seems like not too long ago, all our children were playing together with each other. Nicole is a beautiful Mom, and Grandpa really enjoyed getting to see his 12th great grandchild. Thanks Nicole for letting us share your joy.

Frozen in time

I am sure everyone is glad things have finally begun to melt. But there was magic in the air with all the frost and snow. We had lots of snow, and then a very hard freeze.
When I walked outside the beauty of it took my breath away. I tried to capture some of it for you. I hope you enjoy. My favorite is the close up of the pond. That is frost falling off the trees, it looked magical. I think the fairies have been up to their tricks again. :)

Merry Christmas To All

Below is a list of how to extend your best wishes to people in foreign countries:
Albanian - Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic - Milad Majid
Argentine - Feliz Navidad Y Un Prospero Ano Nuevo
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian - Feliz Natal e Prospero Ano Novo
Bulgarian - Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Chile - Feliz Navidad
China (Cantonese) - Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun Sing Dan Fai Lok
China (Mandarin) - Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan Sheng Dan Kuai Le
Croatian - Sretan Bozic Èestit Boiæ i sretna Nova godina
Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish - Gledlig jul og godt Nytt Aar
Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Dutch (Netherlands) - Prettig Kerstfeest
English - Merry Christmas
Eskimo - (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Filipinos - Maligayang Pasko
Finnish - Hauskaa Joulua Hyvää joulua ja Onnellista uutta vuotta
French - Joyeux Noël et heureuse année
Gaelic-Irish - Nolag mhaith Dhuit Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise
Gaelic-Scot - Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur
German - Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr
Greek - Kala Khristougena kai Eftikhes to Neon Ethos
Haiti (Creole) - Jwaye Nowel
Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimake me ka Hauloi Makahiki hou
Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha
Hindi - Shubh Christmas
Hungarian - Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic - Gledileg jol og farsaelt komandi ar Gledlig jol og Nyar
Indonesia - Selamat Hari Natal Selamah Tahun Baru
Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish - Nodlaig mhaith chugnat Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Korean - Chuk Sung Tan Latin - Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu
Macedonian - Sreken Bozhik
Maltese - Il-Milied It-tajjeb
Navajo - Merry Keshmish
Norwegian - God Jul Og Godt Nytt Aar
Papua New Guinea - Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Peru - Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philippines - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
Polish - Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese - Feliz Natal e propero Ano Novo
Romanian - Sarbatori Fericite. La Multi Ani
Russian - S prazdnikom Rozdestva Hristova i s Novim Godom
Samoan - La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Serbian - Hristos se rodi
Serb-Croatian - Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Slovakian - Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Spanish - Feliz Navidad y prospero Año Nuevo
Swedish - God Jul Och Gott Nytt År
Thai - Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian - Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Vietnamese - Mung Le Giang Sinh. Cung Chuc Tan Nien
Welsh - Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Yugoslavian - Cestitamo Bozic

Believe....

I have learned that believe is a very big word. How quickly we try to grow up and forget to believe. Then sometime, somewhere, in the eyes of a child when they come to you for the "truth" the memories of days gone by rush in...and as always you remind them how to believe...

From Drop Box

DO you believe in Santa Claus? Watch the little ones this Christmas, as they see the babe in the manger. DO you know the importance of Christmas? It isn't the cost of the gift, but the thought and love behind it. He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under the tree. I wish for you all my family and friends the gift of "Believe". Remember the magic of Christmas ... let the blanket of white fill your heart, blow out the cobwebs of past griefs and grievences and start a fresh new year.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Deer Hunting

Steve and I went for a drive on Friday to see what we could out in the country. We just roamed around the backroads of Colony and we were delighted to find so much of interest. We weren't sure we would see any deer, until we came around the corner and saw a whole field full. Of course they were pretty far away, but we tried the best we could to get in close. With the light fading, we decided to go a little further up, and managed to get some better shots. As we were leaving, We saw a few more, much closer up. What an exciting day. As always, we had to shoot some unusual stuff as well. The frost by the water, the horse in the meadow, the light coming through the weeds, and the poor cat looking miserable and cold, but definately well feed. We hope you enjoy the slide show.

Giving Thanks

So very much to be thankful for....we are truely blessed

For all God's creatures great and small...

For family




Friends....


and Love that never ends

On Dave's recovery

I wanted to share with you about Dave. He is at home. It has been about 2 weeks since his surgery and he is beginning to get some sight back in his eye. They told him that they removed some bony mass from his optic nerve. It had wound it's way around it and the one side was growing out towards his eye. The other side was growing toward his Carotid artery. Thankfully they got to it in time. He says right now he is kind of cross eyed but they are hoping with time, the swelling will lessen and he will be able to see better. His spirits remain high. He will not be able to do much for awhile, including reading or watching TV. He has lots of good medical assistance however, since Jill his wife is an RN and his two boys own the ambulance service and are both paramedics. :) I don't think he has to worry. Please continue your prayers.

Brother Dave and the Marine Corps

Just wanted to let everyone know that my brother Dave's operation was a success. He had a fast growing tumor behind his eye, and they have removed all of it. He is resting comfortably and will be in the hospital for a few more days. Please keep him and the family in your prayers.
On the Marine Corps, today is the 234th Birthday and a shout out to all my Marine brethren (Esp. my big brother). Semper Fi

Happy Halloween

The ghost is put up and the candy is ready...
I remember past hauntings with peeled grapes and spagetti...
We are looking forward to a knock on the door...
Because you don't know what you will find, a witch, a bug, or more....
The dogs will be tired by the end of the night...
They have to be put up, or they will cause the kids a fright....

With barking and howling and just trying to play...
If we left them loose, they would get in the way.


We will be watching for postings and emails galore....
We want to see all the little ones from all over and more...
Happy Halloween everyone.

The week "flu" by...

First I want to start by wishing Dad M a Happy Belated Birthday. I did not want to give you the gift of the Flu, so I decided to stay away. (Dr's Orders). I have been home since Thursday, and am finally feeling well enough to get back to work again. It started out Tuesday evening. I sniffled and chilled, and thought....crap I caught a cold. OH WELL....Wednesday at work, I told someone, "I think I'm trying to get sick."
Next time I will be more careful about what I say....because Thursday morning found me at the Doctor's office with a diagnosis from him, of "Congratulations, you have the flu." By now I felt like I had been beaten with a ball bat and all I wanted to do was sleep, which I did.
By Saturday I had broken the fever and since I had to go 24 hours, I get to leave the house. HOOORAAAHHHH. I just wanted everyone to know that it hits hard and fast. Don't ignore it as the TAMIFLU (prescription) really does help. If you haven't gotten your flu shot yet, you might think about it. Wash a LOT, Sneeze and cough into Kleenex and throw them away....drink lots of water, and chicken noodle soup, and pray A LOT. It may sound like overkill but it is a lot better than feeling like "Death warmed over." Stay healthy.

My older brother

I spoke with my brother Dave tonight. For those of you that don't know, he is having surgery on November 10th to remove a bony mass from behind his eye. He wanted to put it off till after the first of the year, because he is expecting his first grandchild in January. However, the problem has progressed. He told me tonight that he was not wasting his time worrying about what might happen. His words touched my soul. He said, " I don't want to waste any time worrying about something happening, because if it does, I wasted the time I could have spent enjoying what I have. He says he doesn't need any help, just prayers and support from afar. I ask you all to please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I will keep you posted on his progress when the time comes. In the meantime, He works on one of his favorite things. He goes out into the woods while he can to collect his wood for next winter.