Brumfield’s

2009 coming to an end, and not soon enough! What a tough year this has been. Wow where to begin….My poor Mom this year she broke her wrist, ankle and spent over a month in the hospital with an illness that just about took a toll  almost beyond repair.

Dudley has worked his butt off for the family once again, man he puts in some hours his parents should be proud with the work ethic they have instilled in him. Now that Mere is in good health I have taken a full-time job, only took me 1 week and they made me asst store manger and I am hoping by the end of 2010 I will have my own store……retail it is in my blood! ( still have Potted Blossom and Material Mutt)

JP is still rocking along and is still on staff at Healing Place Church, heading up Servant Evangelism, he has  a passion and drive to   serve the poor and hurting – wherever they are, and whatever it takes. He is living his calling.

Christmas we took it at a much slower pace and I have to think that maybe that is why it seem to be alittle harder this year. It is a bittersweet joy, but real nonetheless the way our lost love Mimi is forever in our hearts and mind. Mellissa is constant in our consciousness in a way she couldn’t be if she was alive, because then we  would depend on her comings and goings. We can call memories of Melissa at will, and even if we  are not consciously thinking of her she seems to be inter twined  to our being, a quite companion.  It is , again not what we would have chosen. But it is our blessing.

To my Family and friends I thank God everyday for placing you in my life, can’t think about doing life with out you!!

The Brumfield's

Our Mimi Sue and her dog Gertie (in the middle, the Dobie)

Complete , the Christmas pony is up! This is a project that my Mother has talked about for years and I mean years.  So this summer while she was recovering from her month long stay in the hospital we found a carousel horse for her to re-finish, mount a tree on, and decorate.

I think she did a great job and it turned out just how she saw it in her minds eye. Let me know what you think.

I have been working on this recipe for the last few days. It is a German chocolate Cheesecake, now I am not a big chocolate fan so I made the crust with a butter cookie instead of a chocolate cookie and I like it, however if you are a real chocolate lover I am sure you would prefer the chocolate cookie. I also wish I had a smaller springform pan so that the cake would be smaller around and stand taller, but that doesn’t affect the taste only the appearance.

I will be serving some here at the house soon and then start to package up the rest for sampling, can’t keep all of this in the house….it’s to rich to eat three times a day ….LOL

Halloween on a Saturday kinda crazy uh, kids have had all day to work on costumes . This has always been one of the harder holidays for me since Melissa passed, and I think thats because it was her all time  favorite next to Christmas.

As I pulled up the driveway tonight around 4:45pm my neighbor was out lighting his pumpkin, he called out Happy Halloween and struck up a conversation about Trick or Treating starting at 5:00pm. I really hadn’t thought about it , JP was working, Dudley was working until 8:00pm and honestly I had not bought any candy and wasn’t going to partake .  The part of Chadsford we live on is now kinda the geriatric  section …lol   but in the day it was the place to Trick or Treat, the best candy and the helium balloons, parents would drive the kids over for the helium balloons!

So here is a little peek at the past….I made the best costumes for the kids if I don’t say so myself.

Enjoy!

Melissa, she had dressed Honey up as a Baseball player.

Hun Bun and Mimi sue!

Melissa , Me and JP

Glenda the good witch , Jp's mask took me a week to make. And the Clown and Lucy!

Thursday night, Friday and Saturday morning I was Living the Dream! I finally made it to a woman conference. Have any of you enjoyed something so much that all you can think about is sharing it with your girlfriends. Well that is how I felt over the last three days. It was AWESOME!

Charlotte Gambill hit it out of the park  speaking about Seeds of Influence. I had never heard for her before this weekend but I can tell you I want to get my hands on her books and DVD’S!

Natalie Grant and her band rocked the house down! I want ALL of her CD’s! Did I say she rocked the house down!!

Christine Caine she has been a favorite for a long time she is the REAL deal

Bobbie Houston Yep , ouch…   (Am I drawing near or simply waiting for darkness to happen before I lean in?)

Delynn Rizzo What I do is not who I am.  Many great points, I think so many of us think what we do ,  is who we are…….can you say WRONG!!!

Ladies if you have a moment please view the recap in pictures to music.

http://livethedream.healingplacechurch.org/blog/ (sorry have to copy and paste….can’t seem to link.

Now I could be wrong but years ago when I was in english class I remember writing assignments and the teacher teaching  “what, where, when and how” as part of the writing. I guess I never learned just how to apply that, or how to spell , or how to use the comma. So there in lays my problem.

After Melissa passed away I couldn’t get my hands on enough books to read about other families that had lost a child or a loved one. The stories that I read confirmed some of what  I was feeling, and of all the many different feelings this one stuck out the most “no two stories were the same and no two people grieved the same”

It took about a year before I could even begin to truly realize, digest the beauty of Melissa’s last eight days and that’s when I agreed with everyone that was prompting me to write a book to just do it!

Over the last 6 years I have one tote bag full of notes and I guess that I keep thinking God will place someone in my life to write this book!

I know this will happen “Eight Days for God” will get written , but for now I am struggling.

Maybe this post should of been titled  “Ghost Writer Needed”  LOL

Order now! $150.00 deposit made to order, you pick your color palette. Total cost $325.00 for horse and tree.  $375 decorated.

Ok, so once again I have found I do not do well in an emergency. Everytime something happens I go back over it and tell myself I know I can do better than that but once again I lost control.

Around 4pm today JP and I heard this very strange noise, kinda a pop and sizzle even Dewey heard the noise. As we walked thru the house we could smell and see the smoke. JP hollered call 911! Let me tell you how hard it is to hold a dog in your arms grab your purse and try to dial 911 when you can’t find your glasses!! All I could think about was to get the pets out, I needed my purse because the car keys where in it. Started the car and started putting all the dogs in, started it so they good have cool air. After getting all three dogs in the car went back for the CAT!!!

Grabbed the cat and stuffed him in a kennel after a short tussle with the cat I had him locked in the kennel and in the car. During all of this I had called the fire dept, and Dudley and told them my house was on fire, all the time JP was walking thru the house , he had also gone up to the attic he was making me crazy!!!

Two fire trucks showed up one being a ladder truck and 15 firemen…yep thats right 15 fireman and this is what they found…..

Problem being I didn’t follow our fire plan……

“these trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure….” Peter 1:7

Encouragement might not be the word to describe this, but one of my favorite

I know shame on me!!! Sorry for the lapse in posting , but I think I got it all back together again

Last night was Bunko at Pammy’s house Dinner was great (Toby your sauce was out of this world) I couldn’t roll a six if my life depended on it, and of course Margi and Barbara we missed you!

Instead of back ground music which we always have playing,  we had a background movie going in honor of   Patrick Swayze passing….Pam played ” Dirty Dancing” Can you say  “Oh Mama”

The ladies have been very busy with Weddings (children getting married) Births (grand-babies) so congrats to all, I know my day is coming just hoping sooner than later….you know with the passing of each day I get a little OLDER!!! No preasure JP!!!!

Half the group.......Kim East has the good shots!