A NEW BLOG FOR A NEW YEAR

HI EVERYONE.........................I WANTED TO START OUT THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG SO I HAVE STARTED A BRAND NEW BLOG. IT IS CALLED "FRUIT OF SPIRIT"I WILL KEEP THIS BLOG BUT WILL NOT BE WRITING ON IT.......................

I WILL ALSO KEEP JAKE'S STORY AND WILL WRITE FROM TIME TO TIME BUT MY LIFE HAS CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY AND GOD IS AT WORK IN MY LIFE AND TAKING ME IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU IN A FRESH NEW BLOG.

SO I HOPE ALL MY "OLD" FRIENDS WILL MAKE THEIR WAY TO MY NEW BLOG AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING "NEW" FRIENDS.

I LOVE YOU ALL AND AM READY TO GET BACK IN THE SWING OF VISITING ALL OF YOU AGAIN.

Mizmollye and Punkin

Oops! I had forgotten the Ballet Pictures!!!!!

(the momma here would be Mizmollye)

FAMILY
...............FAMILY
..............................FAMILY



Spending time with family is just PRICELESS isn't it?

I've always loved Christmas. The hustle, bustle, shopping, wrapping, carols, TV specials, parties, church events, Santa pictures, lights, the tree, decorations, mailing cards, receiving cards, baking, and just everything connected with this holly jolly, and holy season.

BUT....................................................

It felt all out of place for me this year. Approaching Thanksgiving our family began discussing the holidays and what we wanted to do this year. We found that we were all on the same page. After losing our beloved son and brother, Jake just shy of 6 months ago, we were all full of so many memories and while all very sweet and loving, the pain of facing this first Christmas without him here was just overwhelmingly sad. We began knocking around ideas and were in agreement on what we wanted to do this year. And Sisters I can tell you it has so far been wonderful and oh so rewarding and blessed for us.


Shreveport Symphony warming up for the Nutcracker performance of the Metropolitan Ballet


Ma and Pa Self before the ballet


Lori and her hubby Marc


Kane, who was Shari's date for the evening! (her oldest grandson)

Buddy living in Alabama was not going to be able to be here so that left Punkin and myself and the two girls and their husbands. What if we each planned a night during the month to spend time together and planned the fun along with meal and gifts of which we had already decided would be something we already had (re-gifting).

So.....I picked the first family event and I prepared a Gumbo dinner complete with baked sweet potatoes, chicken and sausage gumbo, hot garlic bread and pecan pie. Everyone got together here early in the evening and opened their presents and ate and then we went together to the Nutcracker Ballet. The girls loved it and I was so happy to be able to take all of us as a family to one of my favorite things about Christmas.

Shari was the next to host Family night and she had all of us to her house last Saturday night for Game Night. Her home glowed from all the beautiful decorations and candles lit. She and her daughter Emily



had worked so hard to present a magical setting for our get-together. She made red beans and rice with sausage, and her special tater tot casserole. For the sweet tooth she had yellow cake with chocolate frosting which little Luke helped ice, chocolate pie and pumpkin pie. But the hands down winner of the night was the mango iced tea! She re-gifted with sentimentality and tears were shed. We played Pictionary Man and a Shout and Pass game.


WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT CHARADES? And PD was a natural!

Lots of laughs, a few tears, many hugs, smiles and love filled the evening.



Now our next event will be this Friday night and Lori is hosting a Pizza party and comedy show with Tim Hawkins at her church. I'll take pictures and report on that after we get together.

By not shopping, we all had extra cash to do nice things for others and the girls chose the little shoe box gifts to the children in Haiti and they selected the age and sex of children they wanted to shop for and they ended up "adopting" way more than one child apiece and they were so blessed and happy with the opportunity of making children happy at Christmas. Punkin and I adopted a couple expecting their first child in January from the VOA, and it has been the most rewarding experience ever in helping make someone feel special and loved.

The girls and I are planning a surprise Donut party for the employees of all three of the Home Depot stores in our area as Jake worked at all three of the stores and many of you are aware of the magnitude of support we were given by Home Depot after Jake's death. So this is a very small way to be able to gift some smiles in an attempt to say "Thank You".

Our family has truly discovered Christmas this year and while uppermost in all our minds is the thought that Jake would have loved celebrating in this manner and "why oh why did we not do this while he was here", but we can't afford ourselves those hurtful thoughts and still know joy so we have chosen to just think that somehow we have learned to get our priorities in order as a gift to Jake.

Merry Christmas days and nights from Mizmollye and Punkin Darlin!

SOME SWEET CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Ho Ho Ho... This was taken when Jake was ten or eleven years old and we attended Benton Presbyterian Church where my father was the choir director. It was a small church and there were probably only about five or six little children so Santa insisted on EVERY kid, big and little sitting on his lap. hmmmmmmm

So of course even though Jake was at the age of being wise in the Santa department, I think he enjoyed sitting on the fat man's lap and telling him his wishes. I think all the "big" kids received Bibles.



Christmas '08. Mike and I took Jake and his friend Nancy from church to the American Rose Garden here in Shreveport where many acres of gardens are decorated in lights. We had a good time. Lots of laughs.



This was also '08 and these were taken in Jake's mobile home. Jake had told me around Thanksgiving time that he had never gone out and gotten his own tree since he and his wife had divorced. I planned to buy a new tree that year so gave him our old one along with lots of ornaments. He put the tree up and decorated it himself and was quite pleased with the results.



His oldest sister Lori and her hubby were in town visiting from Arkansas so we all got together at his house along with his friend Nancy and her two boys and had dinner which Nancy prepared and snacks. We played Scrabble and Jake's favorite Monopoly. He played Christmas Music and we had a really great time. I think Jake loved hosting the party most of all! He had bought tins of Popcorn for everyone that year!





This was the year before Buddy moved to Mobile and I always got tickled at he and Jake together as they were truly as little boys most of the time. Just having fun and enjoying their time together.





I have so many great Christmas pictures of Jake but for now will stop with this one. Jake was showing us all what someone had given him for Christmas and reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Jake just lit up when he could tell someone of Jesus.

This will be a tough Christmas to get through this year but we will do it. I think the hardest part for me will be the fact that Jake will not be walking in my door on Christmas Eve to spend the night on our couch so he could get up early Christmas morning to open his stocking. It will not seem right to wake up Christmas morning to a quiet house with just the two of us. But then again nothing has seemed right since June 17. Maybe we'll go visit Jake's grave and take a little something to leave. Just to have a tiny connection with him.

As the poets write I can look in the sky at night and find the brightest star and say it is my boy or I can stop my pain long enough to say "Thank you God for the years we had with Jake" and then though the pain never leaves and the tears are still there I feel blessed because I know my boy is alive and is still with me in my heart. We have no choice of when our time on earth is over but we make a choice on how we deal with our heartaches.

As far as "getting over" the death of your child..........it is like asking someone who has lost his legs and arms if he is "over" the fact that he no longer can walk or touch something. We will never get over the pain of losing Jake but we will learn to live with it with grace and mercy.

Merry Christmas Jake

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

ha ha ha.........I can relate.

This what I can do when Mike's in the woods.....................

Stay warm sisters!

Beginning To Fuel Up in 2010

Hi Everyone, I poked my head out of the covers long enough to search my December 2009 posts because I don't want to be completely out of the loop but did not have my thoughts together enough to write something new. I hope you enjoy this. I love you all.



Yes word on the streets has it that waaaaaaaaaaaaay up at the North Pole those magnificent beasts known as "Reindeer" are busy being exercised, and fed, fed, and fed to be able to withstand the strenuous, long and arduous journey they make each year about this time.




Have you ever seen anything quite as cute as this little fellow? Mrs. Santa had the pleasure of naming the newest baby of the herd "Thunder". I have a feeling he will be staying at home with Mrs. Santa this year. Perhaps even for the next few years.



Oh the lucky folks who live in the North Pole area and get to shop and travel around the town in the glorious sleigh pulled by those favorites we all know by name.



This little fellow's name is Dustin seen here feeding Donner a treat!



Here's the big jolly one we all know and love spending a little time with Comet and Cupid.



And here he is with hmmmmmmm now I do believe this is Vixen.
Yeppers that's Vixen alright!
And isn't he a beauty.



And awaaaaaaaaaaaaaay they go! Over the housetops, over the hills, across sea and mountains. From the north to the south from the east to the west, Santa visits those who act their best.




And after he leaves the North Pole, all the little Elves get busy decorating the beautiful Christmas Tree for their boss and his wife as she begins her own Christmas Preparations the Claus Family way!



So remember Girlz, 'ya better watch out and 'ya better not pout 'cause ya never know when someone will be checking you out!

He's Coming..........he's coming to your town.

DECORATIONS FOR JAKE'S GARDEN

WOW Has this year flown by or what? Here we are almost in full swing of the hustle bustle Christmas preparations. And before you know it we'll be in a new year. I tell you sisters, tempest fugate.

My heart just is not into decorating the house this year, but that's ok because I'm not scrooging Christmas. Just the decorations. Our family has some very sweet events planned for the holidays and I'll be sharing with you as they occur, however my heart was very much into decorating Jake's gravesite so it would be elegant and speak of "the season" for which we celebrate.

So Lori and I went down this morning and had a fine time sprucing up Jake's little corner along with Mike's Mom, Dad and his two sisters gravesites and we even doozied up the Gazebo in the center of the cemetery with a little greenery! Tra la la la la.


We opted for simplicity here with the one large poinsettia and greenery with berries and pine cones and a sweet little cardinal perching on a branch.


Showing back of the headstone with a peek at something special Lori did.


See the fence line. We were fortunate to get the spot for Jake in the newer and less developed area of the cemetery and therefore he has a shady corner. We have a small black wrought iron bench we're taking next time we visit. Isn't the fenceline pretty with the greenery, splashes of red and all the little birds looking as if they're singing Christmas Carols!

Happy Weekend everyone, and I can't wait to see all your decorations.

Love ya, Mollye and Punkin

WITH SUCH GRATITUDE

Thanksgiving 2010..............My cup overflows with gratitude

For Jesus Christ who took my hand and my heart and brought me from undescribable grief to knowing true Joy and the Gratitude for the forty years he gave us with Jake

For my Family who is there for me, who I cherish, treasure, adore and love deeply

For the New baby in our family coming next year

For You.........the best sisters anyone could ask for. It matters not that most of us have never met in person. You lifted me up, you sent cards, gifts, letters, and most importantly stopped by to visit so I would not feel alone. You didn't desert me when I didn't feel up to visiting you. I love you truly, new friends and old

For my Health which I do not take for granted but nonetheless I could improve with more conviction

For my Home as my heart knows safety and peace within these walls and my next door neighbor who has become my sister

For Opportunity to be involved, to help others and for the desire to do so

For Laughter to lighten my load

For Tears to cleanse my soul

For a Country where we can share the Word, Vote and Pick and Choose



I wish all of you the most Blessed and Happy of Thanksgivings ever!

Love to you all, Mizmollye and Punkin

SHOWTIME FOR PARSLEY'S SWAP

Oh Sisters This was a Fun Swap. Thank you to Parsley our charming hostess for a fun swap and wonderful way to meet someone new. She has the links up on her blog today so we can all go by and link to everyone who participated in the Swap.

We had our choice of Fall or Winter Theme and I got the name of a gal who loved Winter and the gal who got me found out that I also loved Winter, so it was really festive and fun shopping for just the right thing.

I sent a box of assorted Winter themed goodies to Cat. So be sure to pop in to visit her and you can see what I sent her. Sure hoped she liked her gifts.

The sweet sister who got my name was Cheryl and she "knocked my socks off" with her gifties. Oh and what a sweet person she is. I am so glad I got the opportunity of meeting her. She is a homeschool mom from Oklahoma and has a virtual barnyard of critters. Above all she is a Christian woman with high morals, lots of love and a wonderful personality and very crafty too! Please go by to meet Cheryl.


I began by opening the box and as you can see everything was individually wrapped and she probably heard me squealing for delight like a little girl! Pretty, pretty!


Then I opened an envelope and found a Beautiful Christmas Card with a 2-page letter inside. Wheeeeeeeeeee. Not too many people still take time to write so this was extra special. Well this lovely lady commented on my bloggy and expressed her love and sympathy for the loss of Jake telling me she had even read all of "Jake's Story" which caused a lump in my throat. Then she outlined every single element of things she had included in my box and I loved that. I almost didn't want to open the packages until Christmas since I already knew what was in them. That way the excitement could really build, but I knew we were to post them today for everyone else so I had no choice!!!!!!!!! Here Goes. Ready......Set..........GO


A Hand poured Vanilla Palm Oil Candle by Cheryl and I would not be surprised if you could smell it via cyberland because the scent is absolutley breathtaking. Oh and the little jar is awesome. I hurriedly closed it back up because I want to save every single bit of scent for Christmas. Told you she was waaaaaaaay crafty!


Next up is a little vintage Christmas Tea Towel with a crocheted hanger top and Cheryl had bought it from a sweet little 90 year old lady at a craft bazaar. This will never dry off dishes or pots and pans. For Lookin Only! Year after year.



And Cheryl went on to tell me how much she loved the smells of Pumpkin Bread baking on a cold winter morning and that a big slice of Pumpkin Bread with a steaming cup of coffee is about the only thing that can shake her out of a warm cozy bed, and so she sent a box of Pumpkin Bread fixings along with a beautiful little serving tray.


Oh c'mon old man winter. I can't wait to bake my bread. That will be a special treat for Punkin Darlin and I. Hey I just realized I'm married to Punkin and talking about baking Punkin Bread. Have Mercy!


And last but certainly not least was a Needlepoint Stocking filled to the brim with little special gifties. And the important thing here is that Cheryl got to "know" about me from reading my blog and chose the gifts for a special meaning to me.


A Butterfly symbolic of New Life and our family is expecting a new little life in April with a little great-granddaughter!


A Bird and not just any old bird but a Red Sparkly Bird because Red is my fave color and I have a bird on my blog header.


A Present because Every day is a Gift from God. Yes it surely is. A Sparkly Gift!


A Gorgeous Cross because without the Cross we would have no Christmas. Or no life. Or no Blessings. Our Savior went to the Cross for each of us and we will meet him there when our spiritual life begins


And the last little ornament I pulled out of my stocking was this Beautiful little Picture Frame for Jake's picture. Because Cheryl knows that Jake is always on my mind and this being the first Christmas without him I can rejoice in seeing his smiling face looking on all of us from our Christmas Tree.

Thank you so much Cheryl. You touched my heart more than you can know and I am so glad to know you.

Love you all, Mollye

A CHILD'S COMPREHENSION

Last Saturday Shari, son-in-law Wes and little Luke, her grandbaby (and our youngest great-grandbaby) went down to visit Jake's grave so Shari could put out some bulbs for next spring and as she was planting and Wes and I were watching her and talking he looked around and snapped this amazing picture with his phone.

Luke won't be three until January and he has only been told that his "Umpa Jake" has gone to live in Heaven. But has been told nothing of death, buriel, gravesites or anything like that.

Judging by the very poignant look on his sweet little face and his tiny hands clasped as if in prayer you have to wonder what he is thinking.

Luke loved his "Umpa Jake" and Jake was absolutely delighted with and adored his littlest of nephews. Jake was only 12 when Joe (Luke's Daddy) was born so Joe and Jake developed a very strong relationship through the years.

I don't think Luke related the mound of earth as being associated with Jake. He was told we were there to work on Umpa Jake's flower bed, but he did smile with glee as he saw the portrait of Jake on the headstone, and I believe he just simply took a seat and was deep in thought, perhaps thinking about what had happened to make things feel different now and wondering if and when he might see his Umpa again.

Precious.

AND THE WINNER IS..............

Ok I know I'm cheating a bit as this is the 386th post and I am a little short of my goal of 400. But Yikes.................I want to get this pressie out before Thanksgiving as that is the reason for this Basket of Blessings.

When Jake died, I began hearing from so many of you my regular buddies and so many new ones too and you were placed in my life by God as He knew I needed lots of earthly angels to lift me up and support me during those dark, scary and oh so tragically sad days, and you did and I will be eternally grateful for you and I wanted to do something special for one of you who was randomly drawn by my daughter Lori, who is NOT a blogger. I only wish I could send each of you a beautiful basket of surprises. Though I cannot do this I none the less send each of you my love and gratitude.

I will get your basket in the mail so you will receive it before Thanksgiving. WOW it is right around the corner so I better get busy filling it.

Love you all and I hope you know you are ALL a Blessing to me.

The Winner is...............................BERNIE so pop in to visit this special lady and tell her Congrats!

Bernie was so inspiring to me when Jake died as she too had lost a son and she just celebrated a milestone of his death and she has such faith that I am always encouraged so woweee I am happy to be able to surprise this lovely friend!

AMAZING EASY PEASY MUST HAVE

Fleece Arm Warmers



If any of you do not know Anitra from Coffee Pot People I invite and encourage you to pop over and visit with her. She has been one of my "oldest" little blogger buddies and she amazes me continually with her crafting.

I love wearing the arm warmers rather than gloves because they're just easier to drive with and wow this is one cute little pattern.

Also Anitra designs and sells amazing Christmas Cards and her one of a kind coffee pot/tea kettle sculptures. Whimsy...Funky...Fun and when you see them you just feel like you've got to have one. Or two. Also Anitra makes the most beautiful ATC's, Post Cards and Mail Art Envelopes you've ever laid eyes on.

To say I'm a big fan of Anitra's is an understatement. Go visit this crafty chick!


And I've decided that regardless of how many posts shy I am of the 400th mark, I will none the less draw a lucky name from all the comments and get my Basket of Blessings out to someone this weekend. Check back with me Sunday for the Surprise! Whee............Yay................Whoot Whoot................

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY

Yes my patient and long suffering sisters who read my bloggy for news other than yet another birthday! Tis true. My oldest son Lance who has always gone by Buddy is having his 43rd Birthday today!

He is in Mobile where he and his wife Jessica and her three youngins live. So we will celebrate with him today through cyberspace and by phone.

Also I must tell you that this is Post #383 so in just 16 more or before I will finally reach my 400th post and Yay I can send that pressie out to someone! And no the next 16 will not be about family birthdays LOL

OK a bit about Buddy............He came into the world on Nov. 8, 1967 and was received by Momma, Daddy, sisters Lori and Shari and a host of grandparents.

We were living in Baytown, TX as his father was employed at NASA in Houston. Shortly after he was born, we came back to Shreveport and Buddy lived here all his life until he went into the army.



He re-enlisted and got to see many parts of the world. After his second hitch was up he moved to the San Franciso Bay Area and married.



The bike he built while living in California

They divorced after about nine years and he came back to Louisiana.



Playing softball with his team from work.

Some time went by and he and Jessica met and they married and he went to live in her home town of Mobile, AL.



When Buddy brought Jessica home to meet us for the first time.

His father wanted to name him so he was named Lance Albert after his father's Dad and favorite Uncle. I told him it didn't matter a hoot what he was named as he would always be my Buddy, so from the moment he drew his first breathe, he was "Buddy".



Taken a few years ago at the Sunflower Tour close to where we lived when he was little. He was a little tired of me telling him to "Smile". So he did! LOL

He and I shared a special relationship and spent many happy years as he grew up doing the simple things small town people do. We would load up a fishing boat into the back of our pick-up and head for the lake and spend hours catching bream and crappie (white pearch if you're from Louisiana).

Buddy was the "little brother" of Lori and Shari and therefore did not share the same kind of relationship he shared with Jake as he was the "big" brother and Jake looked up to him as protector.



Buddy and Jake with Jake's dog, Bugsie taken in 1996.

He grew to be the tallest in the family and he has the tenderest of hearts to match.



Never too big to clown around!

Happy Birthday Buddy, I love you!