A real Vacation for us:)

our pizza

me and connie, I did not realize how much we look a like:)

mother, peyton, connie,laila,mika

We have had a wonderful Anniversary week. We came to Panama City Beach Florida last Friday, been here all week, we have enjoyed this week to the fullest! Many beautiful sunsets! We had the pleasure of my Aunt Connie and our friend Larry coming down for a few days, Larry and Steve played golf two days and then went on a fishing trip, Steve loved every minute of it, Connie and I shopped, laid out at the beach, we loved every minute of it. When we were at Pier Park we saw a German restaurant, when Steve and Larry finished golf we went there to eat......not the best decision we have made, mine was good, but not to sure on the others:( We played domino's and spades at night, we were all tired by 8:30ish to 9is, so Larry went to where he was staying and we would call it a night, so much for the night life of PCB for us:) I was excited that they came, Connie lives in Baton Rouge, I loved my time with her.   Mother has done very good with care givers this week. Jenn posted a picture today of mother and her caregiver Connie, Connie has been with us for two years this June, she loves mother and we all love her, I am blessed to have caregivers who love mother and we can totally trust.  I miss her, will be glad to see her.

This week has been a hard week emotionally, Alicia's best friend Heather Lawson and friends of mine and Steve, have a 17 yr. old daughter who is leaving this world to be with Jesus, they removed her vent yesterday so it is a matter of time for her, I called and Heather put the phone to her ear, she actually woke up and looked at the phone when I spoke to her:) She is a special angel here on earth, she was not expected to live past three years old. Scott and Heather and the family will need to be kept in your prayers. 
To catch you up on my children, Sean and Sarah are separated, which was heartbreaking again for Sean and us, he has a cute home he move to in Sherwood.  Anna and Cole love his/their  keep them in your prayers.  All else is the same, Sydney is growing, she will be six weeks old, hard to believe how fast time flys!  Business is good, we sold home while here in PCB:)
Guess I will have to mentally get ready to go  back to real life, instead life on the beach:) Good thing I love my life!  hugs and nite

40 years, six children, 15 grand children!!!!!!!

Steve and I at our reception. I was a Sailor's wife, can you tell?

 Steve seeing Alicia for the first time.

It is hard to believe that forty years ago I married, at that time not to the man I was in love with but to Steve Averitt, a man I did not know.  I think God had arranged my marriage, and I am ever so thankful for that!  I  had broke up with my financee' when Steve ask me out, we did not know each other, but our dear friend Bill Brown was a mutual friend of ours, he was in the Navy with Steve, Bill was my best friend and I wrote him every day, giving him the highs and lows of me and my financee' problems. Bill let Steve read all my letters:(  Bill called to see if I wanted to go out with Steve the Friday night they came home from boot camp, then out Saturday night and Skiing on Sunday, since I was broke up I said yes.  In the mean time me and my finacee' got back together and I broke my Friday night date with Steve but got him a date with my friend Susan Toland Cookus, then I went out with My financee' and Steve and his date and Bill, we went to eat Pizza , my financee' took me home early to be with Bill, which totally made me angry, the next day I went swimming with my finacee' and he said he and Bill were going out Sat. night, I said fine , so I went out with Steve.  That night change the course of my life totally for the good,  when Steve and I went out he ask me to marry him, my financee' had kept telling me he was going into the Navy with Bill and I would cry my heart out, so I thought, we will see who goes to California and I told Steve, yes I would marry him........... the next morning we went to church, they had a roster you signed, so I was going to sign for him and had to ask how to spell Averitt, then he went and talked to my daddy, who was not a easy person to talk to, much less ask to marry their daughter, my daddy liked Steve from the very first, he trusted him and said yes.....this was not the norm for my daddy he had ran many a boys off! I had a new Pontiac Firebird, daddy said we could take it but would need to buy it on payments, Steve said we did not need it, he had a car, then daddy gave it to us, we married that Thursday.  I never talked to my finance again during those days, he was upset talked to mother and Steve but I knew if I talked to him I would not go through with it.  Walking down the isle my daddy said, if you do not want to do this tell me, we can turn around now:) I can buy you a new horse, but I went through with it.....not for the right reasons.....to say the least I did not love Steve but was in love with my financee'......Steve and Bill drove to California, Chula Vista got a apt. and I flew down...I loved the apt. and Bill lived with us so I was ok, but so home sick I could not go a day without crying, it was all I could do to stay there, if Bill had not been there I may not have. I was 18 never been away from home and Bill was the only person I knew. I had a year supply of birth control pills, first thing mother and Kay did, took me to gyn got me checked, got pills:)  Remember all this happened from Sunday till wedding on Thursday:) Steve thought they made me cry and said quit taking them so I did and got pregnant with Alicia that June, Bill was stationed else where and Steve and I moved to Alameda, I was so sick, had major problems with pregnancy, was at hospital and they were going to do a DNC they said, which was really a abortion, but I said no, I want to go home, this was in August and I did, was on bed rest, very anemic and sick, my daddy was hurt in a construction accident  that October on his 59th birthday, he past away 10 days later, I was so thankful I had come home.  Steve  sent overseas, he came home for the funeral then shipped back out, I lived with mother, at this time I was falling in love with Steve but still had strong feelings for my financee', we had seen each other out places and it was very hard for me.  I had a husband that I could actually tell him my feelings, and he loved me any way, had no ideal how important that was! When Alicia was four months old Steve came home from overseas and his mother past away shortly after that and he was stationed in Little Rock due to family deaths till he finished his time. I got pregnant with Sean, then had a miscarriage between Sean and my third baby Alex, Steve had a Vasectomy while I was pregnant with Alex, in 1976 I got saved and God totally change me inside and out, we were ready for a divorce at that time, and several other times. God changed my heart for Steve and being a young mother. I began to find fulfillment in motherhood and being a wife, God changed everything about me.  I longed to have another baby, I was scheduled for a hysterectomy, had gone to see Dr. Simmons and he said honey you are pregnant! I took Steve straight to the Dr. who did his surgery three years ago, Yes he had sperm and Yes I was pregnant! I was so excited, we had Hannah!  Then when she was four months old, I had this sick feeling, I knew I was pregnant again, I thought how can I love another baby, but then came Jared and it was instant love for him:)) Then I had my hysterectomy and then came April! OK, so that was a miracle of the Lord through adoption:)  To say the least I have had a full forty years of marriage, had children in school for 30 years, have only lived alone with Steve for a year, we were settled into our routine of having our time when we moved mother in with us, I think our life style prepared us to be ok with someone always there.  I would not change anything about our life, we had had our struggles in out marriage, we work on our marriage daily, just finished 10 months of marriage counseling, we do marriage counseling,  we have learned to work though our struggles and to communicate with each other, Steve is my best friend, we have been brutally honest with each other over the years, forgave each other, decided to take divorce out of our vocabulary.  I honestly do not know how I would make it with out his help with mother, he loves her as I do, he loves all our babies and grand babies as much as I do, we are two peas in a pod, God sure knew what I needed when He stopped MY plans and put Steve in my life.  By the way I even had a wedding in Oak Forrest Methodist church, and had maid of honor and best man, reception! A beautiful wedding dress! Thanks to my sister who knew how to do weddings, she even had a real wedding, for her Barbe and Ken doll, it included real pony carriage rides up and down the alley!! YAHOO FOR FORTY YEARS! Can't wait for the next forty!  I love you with all my heart and soul Steve Averitt!!!!! Thank you God for knowing what I need, Thank you mother for praying for God to intervene in my life!! I was for sure on the wrong track.........................where would we be without praying mama's!!

Today

This day started busy with work, then to take mother to her new Drs. at UAMS, it is the Center on Aging, Longievty Ctr. Steve was to meet me there, but got tied up on showing a property, so I had to get wheel chair and leave her sitting with attendant while I parked call, got me upset before the visit, but mother was fine, I just did not want her to think I was leaving her, they have a wheel chair assistant,  I was very impressed with Dr. Kohn, and the Social worker Beth Allen, we will have all our Drs. right there in that area.  I did get a order for our own wheel chair so I can have it in my car and wheel her from there:) What I was not prepared for was my emotions that went with this visit, I guess it was the finality of it all, knowing mother is in last stages, knowing she has gone down hill, mother could not walk her self in anymore and had a accident while there,  everyone was so wonderful, there is a total difference with geriatrics specialist then reg. family Drs.,although her dr. was wonderful, he said mother was needing some more specialized in what she needs.  We will also see the Psych there at UAMS, the Social Worker and Dr. Kohn, he changed some of her meds, wants to cut back on the zanax and gave a different pill at night.  The Social workers mother past away two years ago with Alzheimer's, Steve and I neither one were prepared for the raw emotions we had, we did hold our self together, but barley. Mother was her laughing self, she is normally very happy, which makes this bearable for me.  I think today makes me see reality of what I have to face, the Dr. wants her back on the Numenda, he said it will help, mother forgets how to walk right now , and other things that help her remain mobil, so he thinks we may see a difference in that, I sure hope so! Someone ask me today if it was easy with mother, and sometimes it is and sometimes I wonder how we will do it, my prayer is Lord please help all the time, and HE DOES! I  had Steve let mother ride home with him which was good, cause I cried all the way home and traffic was awful:(  Started to call and talk to my BFF but just needed alone time with God to gain strength to get though this, maybe next time it will not be so emotional for me, sure caught me off guard:(  Then had to pick my little 18 yr. old dog up at vet and she peed on my car seat:(( UGH.......they are leather so I got it up, but after the accident at the dr, and the dog, I was on over load with cleaning up messes. I had to go to the store today and get groceries and meds. got home a promptly dropped a jar of applesauce on the tile kitchen floor....ever have a day like this?.... I know we all do at times, so I thought, ok Linda just settle down, enjoy the laughs of mother, I made tuna sandwich's for dinner and decided to enjoy the rest of the night, mother and I are ready for bed:) Tomorrow is a full work day, had one deal fall out today and one may fall out tomorrow....but I do not want my buyer to buy something I am not sure if it is a good deal after inspections, the other one did not appraise and the seller will not go less on price........so pray for my business:)  Still have some in closing and getting new listings, which I need:)  hugs and hitting the bed with mother, praying for a peaceful nights sleep:) hugs and nite

Almost 40 years

Well we will be married forty years April 27th.,  we have plans to celebrate but Steve thinks I talk to much on what I do, I am a open book but sometimes I am very misunderstood, so I guess my life will be private, so hard for me:) 

Mother is doing good, we saw her Dr. a week and half ago and he suggest a Longiventy ctr. for her care, so we have appointment with UAMS tomorrow at 1pm., when I got home today it was obivous mother did not know me, April was here with her today and she had her hair done today, but she was unsure of things, she did not know me at all, but she always finds security with Steve, today she thought he was her daddy, so I can understand why she did not know me, I did not exist yet....days like this make me sad.  Mother did not want April or I hugging Steve, only her, it was her daddy...I guess its good she finds confort and security.  Mother settled down and was more her self, laughing and trying to tease Steve....I could not do it without him, so thankful he loves her so much!



Some high points to my day! So Blessed!

 Learning to peddle:)

 Alex came to get Amelia, so he played some ball with her, she will say NANA in her so sweet voice

Today Amelia was over at Jenn's playing with the girls, I had some time to be able to be with them and I loved it!  This made my day all better:) Jenn had made a delisous potato soup in her crock pot, they invited us to eat, it was so good, I will have to make it too:) I love having them next door:) Just a beautiful day outside today, Steve was able to have time to mow the front yard:) My flowers I planted with the girls are starting to grow and look good:) I need to take some pics!

It has been a full week of work, trying to get loans closed and list some houses, I need listings now so if you know anyone selling tell them to call me:)  The market is busy which is wonderful! Well best go and get to bed.......hugs and nite

EASTER

 Daddy grand and Sydney

Wow, Alex's message today was so anointed, it was so good! Just one of those sermons that you take home with you:) I hope I can get it on line and post it on my blog for you to hear, it will be a blessing for you!  Got to bed fairly early last night, we were all tired from the drive, mother was up and down but April was there so I slept good.  Woke with a headache:((( but so thankful I went to church, after church Sandi did a Easter Egg hunt with the children, it was so fun to watch, normally on Easter for years we do a family egg hunt and we fill eggs with money that we save from our change all year, my brother started it years ago when our children were small and I continued it, so this year our family was in all different places, so we did our Easter with Journey Church which was fun, some of my children go there so some of my Grand babies were there:)  Missed all who were not there this year, but really enjoyed our day, we went to US Pizza for lunch then home and took a nap!  Mother stayed in this morning, slept in, I bought a small ham and cooked it for her, she loved the Easter decor we put out for Easter, she likes to look at the rabbits chickens, and ducks, I have little glass ones:) I will take it up and do the next Holiday, she enjoys it so much, I got a chicken from Halmark that lays eggs:) she loved that, today she had last years chicken that sings and turned it on, she was holding it and when it started singing, it scared her, then she died laughing!!  I had a caregiver there so Steve and I took a  much needed nap. So a quiet Easter afternoon for us.  Tomorrow will start a real busy week for us, we have a class to teach  agents all week, board meeting Monday, taking mother to Dr. Monday for check up, making sure UTI is gone, then Sales meeting Tuesday, lunch meeting on Friday, I sure hope to get some listings this week, most of mine have sold, which is good but I need more, so if you know of anyone listing their home, have them call me:) Have some fun plans for the weekend:) looking so forward to having my forty year anniversary with Steve in Florida, have a agent taking my calls, looking forward to a week off from all the things I do:)  My Aunt Connie is coming to visit us, my dear friends Derol and Ann will be in Destin some of the time, so we will meet with them for dinner, first time Steve and I have gone by our selves, will be fun! I have mother covered with her favorite caregivers, plus have my family here if needed, so pray it is a smooth week for her too, its hard to leave for that long, Jared and Jenn are next door too:)  Keep Gavin in your prayers Monday, he needs a miracle surgery on his eye:) well its bed time, love to all and to all a good night, I pray you had a wonderful Easter with Jesus being alive in your heart!

Baton Rouge Road Trip

Sitting here with mother, Steve and Connie watching gun smoke and blogging:) Our trip has been fun, mother has enjoyed seeing her mother and sister, yesterday Mother stayed with mama and Larry took us to Ruth Chris's steak house, it was some kind of good, I had the sea bass and it was perfect, better then lobster which means alot for me to say:) It was their special that night so I decided on it, of course had french onion soup, sorry I did not take pics, should have!  Mother was so excited to see mama, she just smiled and hugged her, then told her its her turn to come see her:)   When we got here we set outside for a while, Connie has lakefront property, with geese and ducks, they started honking, so funny! Then she had cooked gumbo and potato salad and fresh coconut cake, and yes we ate and ate and ate!  It was all so good, matter of fact I had gumbo for breakfast today:)  yum yum.  We will go to this place for a  boudin burger....hum...not sure on that but last night I had escargot, it was good! Last time here, I had turtle soup:) so many new taste and so far I like them all. 

There is a bird's nest in Connie's inside pool area, they babies are a day old:) Hope you can see them in the nest, the humming birds were all around on the nectar hanging deal:) I love nature things!

Our sweet Gavin came over and we prayed and anointed him, praying for a complete restoration of his eye, he has surgery this Monday, the Drs. had said there was no hope, then called and said they had another ideal for his eye, I have no doubt that it is the power of prayer!! SOOOOOO KEEP PRAYING!  Menizie his little sister is just a little doll, both are so polite and respectful, they are just good children, Tiffany has a lot to be proud of!  I forgot to take pics:(((

 mother seeing Connie, she knew her:)

 lake

 geese

little mouths open

 baby birds

The W road, going up signal MT.

 Mother seeing Mama, she was so happy to see her

 Larry, mother, Connie and Steve, we had just got there, had mother dressed warm for the trip:)

Well in am we will head back to the rock, so thankful we took the time to come and bring mother, I always think this could be the last time she can physically go, but I pray there are more times, she enjoys her family, it is important to her since that is where she remembers right now.  She did call me her daughter, has not known that in forever and maybe only knew it for a minute,  Connie has a pic of the W road in Signal MT., mother saw it and said that is where my mother and daddy live, so she recognized the pic, I was glad for that, every memory she has excites me to know she has a special momet of joy! 
I have  full work week next week, church on Sunday, we will have a Easter Egg hunt with our church and then go eat pizza, Hannah and Mark will be in Van Buren, Sean and Sarah will be at her family's , Alex and Jill will be with her family after church, so a quiet day for the Averitt's, planing on laying by Alicia's pool:)  My house should be spotless when I get home, have a lady cleaning it for me while we are gone, will feel so good not to break my back cleaning it, she is doing spring cleaning!  Hope all enjoys your Easter day with the focus on what Jesus did just for you!  Hugs!

Pop A Lock Plan

Blogging is on my mind this morning, I am sitting quietly here just thinking over the past week.  I have thought of when I took Anna shopping, she was so excited, she pranced, danced twirled, laughed, shared her dreams,  we just had such a fun time, she is so grateful for anything.  I do not get as much alone time with her as I would like, so it was a real blessing for me!  When you have so many Grand Babies it is hard to spend alone time with them all, I try and feel we do a good job at being with them, but it was just special with Anna:)  Then I went to a church service last night that really gave me some golden nuggets to put in place in my life, the Pastor said, how many of you have locked your keys in your car?  of course most raised their hands, then he said what did you think of next, a coat hanger?  He said you know you have some where to be, you have the vehicle to get you there, it is yours, all shiny and clean just waiting on you, BUT you can not access it because it is locked up, you can probably see where this is going:)  His title to this msg. is Pop a Lock Plan.  In our life we have all we need, so many times do not access it because it is locked up inside us, through pains, emotions, fear, etc. You know we lock our self out of God's blessing so many times, its right there for us but we cannot access it. Then he shared different prayers in the bible, most all prayers had the prayer making vows to God, that God answered, we pray when we are desperate for help or have a situation we can not control, but how much better is it to have a life of prayer:)   When we pray we say, God if you will do this, I will do this, I mean it God I am not lying this time, I will change, the truth is God knows you inside and out and desires for you to walk in freedom and blessings:)  Then Alex at church yesterday morning preached on the Holiness of God, Holy means set apart, he shared when God told Moses to take his shoes off for the ground was Holy, now was that ground any different looking then the other ground near it? no, BUT GOD said it was HOLY, because God set it apart.  I thought this is why we can say we are a Holy people, because God set us apart, we may not look different then others, but when someone comes to know you they will know you are different, you are set a part, just as Moses stood on the piece of ground, HE knew the presence of God was there.......it was different then the other ground.  Why is it Holy? because God declared it, He said we are a Holy people, called by HIS NAME, which is what sets us a part........NOW with that said I never feel Holy, usually I am so hard on my self, I screw up, I cuss still, said the F word the other day, BUT I do know I am set a part by God, Called by HIS name and He says I am Holy........this is because He does not look at me as I look at me, He looks at me through the blood of His Son, Jesus, which I depend on for my Holiness, I am still me inside, look just like you, I laugh, hurt, cry, throw fits, manipulate, feel joy, feel pain.....just the physical life of me...BUT God says I am set a part:) Now with the msg. yesterday am and last night, what role do I have in this?  I have the role of Obedience to the Lord, He is the one we have to answer too with our life, so when your thinking  are you Holy?  Then think on being set apart by God, it is God who gives us our next breath, it is God who forgives us and remembers our sin no more, it is God who gives us Grace to carry on in our daily lives....in that I am so thankful for Jesus my Risen Savior!  Hope this is food for thought and I am working on my Pop A Lock plan for I desire not to lock my self out of God's blessings and control of my life, I remind my self when I want to pitch a fit, tell someone off, cuss.....whoa! I am Holy, set a part by God Himself, so draw on His strength and live like it! Love it when God speaks to my heart through a fresh word on Sunday, some say you do not need to go to church, I say....I need the discipline, the love the teaching that my church plays in my life.....been there with out one, did my own thing, but there is nothing sweeter then a corporate anointing of the Lord in Worship and the love of the body of Christ!  Hope you have a church if not come and go with me!