SYLW: Ozarks Honor Flight

World War II has always been an era that has been close to my heart....I just feel so passionately about it and want to learn everything I can about that time in history.  There are so many heroes, so many men and women who served our country both here at home and overseas, some giving the ultimate sacrifice.  Having an uncle who served as a tail-gunner in a bomber plane and another uncle who heroically served as a medic, crossing the Mosell and Saar Rivers under fire, in order to save lives, I long to tell their story and hear other stories, so that those same stories can be passed down from generation to generation.  

That's one reason I'm really excited about this next organization, Ozarks Honor Flight.  Ozarks Honor Flight is a regional part of the national organization, Honor Flight Network.
Ozarks Honor Flight was started in 2009, as a non-profit organization in Springfield, MO.  Their goal is to transport our veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials.  Since the World War II memorial was just founded in 2004, many of these veterans have not had a chance to travel, in their lifetime, to see their own memorial.  Right now, Ozarks Honor Flight is focusing on veterans from World War II, since it is estimated that 1,000 of our WWII veterans are dying every single day.   This trip is a one day trip at no cost to the veterans.  Many of them want to go see the memorial for themselves or even for the sake of fallen comrades, to honor their memory and their ultimate gift to our country.  Later on, Ozarks Honor Flight will begin to transport veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam.

You can help these veterans to make this trip either by donation or by volunteering.  If you volunteer, you might help to send off these veterans in the morning or welcome them back home with much celebration.  You might help out in the office taking phone calls or prepping things to mail.  You might even help by contacting these veterans and helping them to make the necessary arrangements.  If you are interested in volunteering, you can contact the Volunteer Coordinator, debbieh@ozarkshonorflight.com.

Either way, our veterans deserve the utmost respect, admiration, and honor for the ways in which they have served.  If you'd like to find out if there's an Honor Flight Network near you, check out the Honor Flight Network website.

Where Were You?

When Dan and I lived in New York, sometimes we would go down to NYC for the weekend; we had our favorite spots in the city. I remember one time we headed to the World Trade Centers....I remember laying at the base of the towers, looking up, and taking these pictures, as we wondered at the awesome, never ending height of these buildings. I couldn't imagine how many people there were inside.... I remember my sister calling at 6am PST on Sept 11, 2001. We were living in California at the time, and she told us to hurry up and turn on the tv. My already pregnant self became even more sick to my stomach as I watched what was going on. All I could imagine was all of those people who were inside those buildings. These were real people with real lives, real families. These were real wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, husbands, sons, fathers, brothers....they all belonged to someone. That someone was experiencing a loss and sense of panic that I didn't even want to imagine.

We must never forget what happened that day. No matter what caused it, no matter who did it....we must not publicize the terrorists who did this, but we must publicize those who lost their lives that day. They deserve to be remembered and honored. God was there that day; we may not understand why....but He was there, and I can guarantee He has not forgotten....

Where were you that day?

My Little Greek

We've been studying Sparta and Athens in history this week; it's so interesting; I think sometimes I learn just as much as Jacob. I have to share this quote with you, first. We read it this morning.

Plato told the Athenians that a democracy had to have educated people in it! If they are ignorant, he said, people who know more than they do will become tyrants and tell them what to do.

I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

We made no sew Greek clothes this morning. Jacob loved it, especially since it involved making dress-up clothes that he could play with to his imagination's content. He did it mostly by himself too, with just a little help from me. It was really fun!Here's the real Jacob, without Mama telling him to stand nicely for the picture....my crazy boy!:)

It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina

Stories from World War II have always fascinated me. Usually, once I start a book that concerns the war or the Holocaust, I can't put it down; and if it concerns Italy, my dream retirement destination, then I am there. This book was somewhat different for me, though.
It Happened in Italy is the untold story of how the Italians helped to save some thirty thousand plus Jews and "undesirables" during World War II. They were very kind to them and hid them, and although some of the Jews were placed in internment camps, they were nothing like the concentration camps of Hitler. The "prisoners" were sometimes allowed to live in the towns, and they became close friends with not only the villagers, but also with the police. They were even allowed to visit family kept in the actual internment camps. The internment camps themselves were just basically a home away from home. The people were treated very well. They were not allowed to work, so they found other ways of entertaining themselves. I was fascinated by the stories of the survivors, and sometimes I was very sad to find out that most of their families who were not in Italy or, in some cases had left Italy, had not survived.

Although their stories fascinated me, the book left me begging for more. The author seemed to talk a lot about her own personal life and travels, and, I hesitate to say this, but there were places like this in the book where I became very bored. When the survivors' stories were on the page, I devoured it, but a lot of the book did concern the author, and it was just not what I had expected. It is a wonderful story, and it should be told; but I think that it could have been told in a different way without all the personal anecdotes and sporadic self writings. I do like how she lists all of the survivors who were interned in Campagna and all the survivors who she interviewed. This allows for better research.

I'm not sorry that I reviewed this book, however. It has left me with a thirst to find out more about this subject. I would not have known about this, had I not read it, and I totally agree with the author and the survivors that the world needs to know their story.

If you'd like to read more reviews about this book, you can find them at Thomas Nelson.

Things I Love Thursday: Paula Deen Candles

I know it's hard to believe coming from me, but I actually found something at Walmart that I love....I know, horrible. It is the most wonderful thing, though! Paula Deen now has a set of candles out, and I love them! So far, I have the Mystery Pecan Pie scent and the Strawberry Shortcake scent. They work very well, as when I light them, they smell up the whole house. The Strawberry Shortcake one reminds me of my Strawberry Shortcake dolls I had while growing up; I still have them tucked away in my cedar chest and sometimes get them out just to have a sniff.:)LOL Anyway, the candles are awesome! They come in really cute jars with a little metal handle, and there is a recipe on each one for the food that goes with that scent. Other scents that I plan on adding to my collection include Creme Brulee, Pear Crisp, and Fresh Peach Cobbler. Mmmmm....makes for very yummy smells wafting through the air.

For more Things I Love Thursday, link up with Diaper Diaries.

A Trip Back In Time

My mom gave me one of the best gifts she ever could have given me today....she had a whole box filled with some of the things I used to play with relentlessly when I was a little girl. From paper dolls with their playhouse books and my reusable sticker books.... to the Etch-A-Sketch with the games and puzzles pack and my Doodle Poodle and Math Star.... to my little matching cards and puzzles that I remember playing with for hours on end. I even had an old Paas set that I had saved one Easter and played with....my felt board with all kinds of wonderful shapes.....and last but not least, my Punky Brewster coloring book, which is inscribed by me; notice the front cover here.:) ("I like, no, love Punky Brewster!") LOLMy mom had to point that out; I used to race to get off the schoolvan every day to get inside and grab my snack so that I could watch Punky Brewster. Oh, the memories this brings back, and now I can share at least some of this with my boys. It's just so fun and special!

Memorial Day: Thank You

Memorial Day: a day to pay tribute to all of the men and women who have fought so valiantly to preserve our freedom. You all have fought in wars, in conditions that we at home can not even begin to comprehend. I just want to thank you; thank you for my freedom; thank you for my children's freedom. Thank you.



This also caught my interest (as a former working nurse)....Again, thank you to all of our veterans!

Ode To Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! What would the world be without moms? No, seriously, think about it.....really, there would be no world. Moms are 24/7 workaholic domestic engineers....we truly are. As a mom myself, I'm starting to realize what my parents went through with us as kids. So, in honor of that, I have to say thank you to my own mom....

Mom, I don't know how you made it through without pulling all your hair out (wait, maybe that's the reason for all those migraines), for now I am starting to realize how much love and patience you had with us....and I haven't even made it to the teen years with mine yet. Whew! Now I'm beginning to realize how scary it is to raise kids....how I love them so much and don't want to see any harm come to them; how I sleep with one eye/ear open now, listening for their movements/cries/breathing. You are a beautiful person, Mom, inside and out. I don't know if you realize how much I truly love and appreciate you. You taught me so much, not only as a young girl, but now as a wife and mom with a family of my own. I may have argued with you a lot as a teenager and caused you much grief, and I may have snuffed off a lot of your advice back then, but I am starting to get to that place in my life where I'm realizing how much value there is in your words of advice, encouragement, etc.Mom, you taught me that in order to get anywhere in life, I had to work for it. You taught me not only how to do basic life things, such as cooking, canning, how to grow a killer garden, cleaning (like a pro, I might add:)), laundry, how to make the best Strawberry Shortcake birthday cakes, etc., but you taught me what love is; you taught me to stand up for my convictions, for what I believe in; you taught me the value of a dollar; you taught me that as a woman, I could go anywhere, do anything in my life, as long as God was the center of it; you taught me true compassion, especially on those days when I'd come home sick from school, and you'd stay up all night with me, thermometer and can of Sprite in hand; you taught me how to be a Delaney/Atkins woman, how to feel beautiful in my own skin.... Those days we spent on the tractor or in the fields, even when it was freezing out and snowing up a storm....you taught me perseverance and responsibility. Taking care of grandparents, you taught me true sacrifice. You taught me that fun and happiness could be found in so many things in life....all I had to do was look for it.There are so many things I could go on listing, but I just want to say thank you....I just want to tell you that I love you!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Just A Small Part of What a Tornado Can Do

It's quite eerie when you're sitting in your living room during a storm, teaching your son his math, when all of a sudden, the tornado sirens start going off. Well, that's what our morning was all about....ugh. Fortunately, we had no damage here, but it was all around us. These pictures don't really do justice to the damage done by the tornadoes and really bad winds this morning in the storm, but here are just a few things I saw on my travels today; so sad to see trees that have been in the ground for hundreds of years just completely uprooted; kinda puts the power of this storm into perspective just a bit....most of these were out closer to my mom and dad's house. Keep in mind that I was trying to drive and snap pictures with my cell phone at the same time....not the safest thing to do, for sure.:)

This was somebody's camper, but it's pretty much obliterated.

This is actually not very far from our house; actually just a couple streets over.

GratiTuesday- Lest We Forget

After watching The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, I am so thankful for my children and being able to just be with them and talk to them and hold them in my arms and protect them. I'm thankful that God saw fit to bless our lives with Jacob and Jaden. I'm thankful that we have the freedoms we have, so that we can keep our children with us in safety and peace. I can't imagine the pain and suffering that so many Jewish mothers and children must have gone through. Those mothers had to be so strong to be able to let their children go; their love must have transcended anything they felt inside. I have read that Irena stated that she would never forget the cries of the children as they were leaving their mothers behind....it's such an emotional thing to think about. The Holocaust was a horrible time in our history, but nevertheless, we cannot afford to forget that it happened. We cannot put it behind us and never think about it. We must remember; we must tell our children the stories and history lessons that have been passed to us. "We must never forget, lest history repeat itself." Thanks to Irena, 2500 children were rescued and placed with families or in safe places.

So, today, I'm thankful for my children, Jacob and Jaden; and I'm thankful for the courage and love of not only people like Irena Sendler, but also the Jewish mothers who showed us what true and unconditional and unyielding love is....by giving their children a chance to live. God forbid history repeat itself, but may God give us the courage and boldness if ever we should face the same.



(Mom, if you're reading this, I accidentally deleted the movie from the dvr; please forgive me; it was going to be waiting for you, if you should come to visit; I could so kick myself right now; it comes out in June, so we will get it....I'm sorry!)

For more GratiTuesday, link up with Heavenly Homemakers.

For Our Family

We made this video for the funeral, and I just want to post it for family/friends who can't make it; the quality of it uploaded onto Youtube will hopefully improve when it's through processing. I love you all.

GratiTuesday- Mrs. Edith Delaney, Grandma Retold

Tonight after visiting Grandma, I came home with wonderful new memories; my mom, Aunt Betty, and my cousin, Cindy, all were sharing memories and stories from the past, sometimes with tearful stories, and others with laugh out loud, cracking up stories. I did not want to leave tonight, and I honestly can't wait for tomorrow. I just wanted to kind of update my memories of Grandma below, though.

Today, I just have to say how grateful I am for Mrs. Edith Delaney, otherwise known as Grandma. She is some tough lady, let me tell you. She has always adored us kids, and we never had to ask twice for a story from Grandma because she had plenty to tell. This is an absolutely beautiful, remarkable womanwho has gone through so many dramatic events in her lifetime, from, early on as a girl, losing not only her father to a flu epidemic/pneumonia after a fire to losing her stepfather also to an aneurysm after a fall off of a silo, to living through the Great Depression with all of its financial obstacles, to living through the emotional turbulence of World War 2. Grandma had two brothers who served in the war, and she cherished every letter received from them, as evidenced by her saving every single letter and every single newspaper clipping she could get her hands on. She used to tell me a story about how when my mother was a baby, she carried her in a basket on the train to California. There was a young soldier who came up to her and looked at Mama in the basket and said, "That's the reason we fight; that's what we are fighting for right there." That story has stuck with me for life, and we still have that basket hanging in the cellar. She and Grandpa raised three beautiful daughters, and they worked their farm for many years, raising Jersey cattle, and then later on, Grandma raised Murray Grays. She was such a strong woman, so resourceful in so many ways....she was always working hard. Before she was ever married, she would get up at daybreak to milk the cows, and then she would walk all the way into town to her job, which she did not get off of until after dark. Then she'd walk all the way home again to milk the cows. After she married Grandpa, she took in laundry, as well as helped to keep the farm going. She took care of her mother up until it became too much on her, and when the love of her life, Grandpa Maynard Delaney, died of a brain tumor before I was even born, she took over the running of the farm. I remember one time when my mom had surgery, and I stayed with Grandma; she had to go get a cow in the old milkbarn and milk her and feed her, and I still remember Grandma dancing around the milkbarn singing an old song; I think it was DannyBoy or Old Dan Tucker or Oh, Susanna. She always had a little jig to do, and she always got me up dancing with her. Yes, my grandma is a one of a kind woman; from having us out helping her chase the cows or feed the cows to getting up at the break of dawn with her to exercise to the old PBS exercise show and then power walk up the gravel road, Grandma was always working, even in her later years when she inspected claims for the insurance company....oh, but she knew how to have fun too. She knew when it was time to go to town to the old Corner Cafe, where everyone knew her, for a hamburger or milkshake or when it was time to go berry picking or fishing in the pond, and she always had Easter baskets to hide amongst all her flowers for all the kids to find. In her later years, I still remember her sitting in her chair reading her Bible or reading the old Western stories she loved. She used to take us to the old homestead and cemeteries to relive our history, and you know, I didn't appreciate all of that then. As I grow older, though, I'm realizing how much I missed out on, how much I want to know now, and I'm so grateful for having known this strong, tough woman who is leaving behind both a strong, bold legacy, but a legacy filled with so many years of love.So, today, I'm thankful and grateful for my grandma, and after tonight, I feel like her story is just begging to be told, and I cannot wait to start this book. Who inspires you in your life, and who are you grateful for in your life?

For more GratiTuesday, link up with Heavenly Homemakers.

Butterscotch and Psalm 23

Today was a day filled with many emotions....it started out with my Aunt Nancy calling this morning, letting us know that my grandma might pass away. So, we got up, got dressed, and headed to the nursing home. That is where we spent the majority of our day. After we had gotten there, my Aunt Betty and Uncle Wilbur came, and with them they carried a Bible. Grandma, up to that point, had been unresponsive, but as Uncle Wilbur got down on his knees next to her and talked to her, very soothingly and tenderly, she started to respond, ever so little. He told her that he knew her favorite Scripture was Psalm 23, and as he did so, he started to break down himself in tears. He continued, though, and asked if she would like for one of us to read it to her. By this time, we were all fighting back tears, as she let out a weak sort of moan, which we took for yes. Cindy, my cousin, was the only one in the room who could manage to read it, and you know, Grandma was just a bit more responsive after that. She had a few responsive moments today, but for the most part, she is still not doing well. That is a moment, though, that I will never forget.

As I left the nursing home to go with Dan and the boys to get something to eat, I started reliving memories....the town we drove through brought back many special moments with Grandma, and one of those was how she used to load me in the car and head to Dairy Queen....the one thing I always wanted was a butterscotch milkshake. So, today, in honor of those special moments with Grandma, I had a butterscotch milkshake....(ok, so I had two, one later on the way to Mom and Dad's house). Isn't it funny, though, how just a sip of something, or even a drive down Main Street can just trigger so many memories that were hidden away, tucked into the recesses of our minds? It was amazing, and I just hope that somehow, I can trigger more memories in the coming weeks.

I love you, Grandma.

Things I Love Thursday- A Special Letter

I love our country....

I happened to see this video today, and I just wanted to share it. I love how it shows the family-oriented, down to earth side of former President George W. Bush and how it shows his integrity, a man who many people now disrespect, but a man who deserves the utmost respect for leading our country for the last eight years. I also love how Jenna and Barbara tell the new "First Daughters," Malia and Sasha, to basically enjoy and soak up every single minute....this video just tugged at my heart.

For more Things I Love Thursday, check out Diaper Diaries.

Even The Astronauts Knew

Even then on Christmas Eve in 1968, as the astronauts were orbiting the moon, they recognized the power of Almighty God and His wonder in creating this earth and the universe and everything within. Listening to them read through Genesis 1 just sends shivers up my spine, as I think to myself, "What an awesome God!" Even these scientists/astronauts gave the glory to God. Why can't people today see God through His obvious, most wondrous Creation? If you do not know God, please feel free to leave a comment or email me if you would like to know Him. Please don't pass up an opportunity to know the Creator Who absolutely loves you to the uttermost and created you for a purpose.

Show and Tell Saturdays

This is kind of a fun post. Over at Homesteaders Heart, everyone is linking up to show off our favorite coffee cups. I don't really drink coffee, but I do drink hot chocolate every once in a while. So, I thought I'd show my favorite cup for hot chocolate and then my pen holder cup from my days working at The Bon Ton in college.
"The Bon Ton- Service With A Style" :)

So, those are my faves; what are yours? Link up over at Homesteaders Heart.

Inauguration Day

As I sit here watching the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, it makes me proud to be an American. Although we may differ in opinions and may not share all of the same values, I am still an American. I know there are many people out there right now who are not happy about Barack Obama being our next President, but God has placed him in this position, and we need to trust God. We need to pray for President Obama daily and seek God's guidance for him in these tumultuous times. He has a precious family who we also need to pray for daily as they face many changes in these coming weeks and months and years. Most of all, we should be proud to be Americans. America is a land of many freedoms, and we should fight for those freedoms and pray for our country and the troops who fight for those freedoms daily. I personally wanted a President with more of the same values that I uphold, Christian values; I am no more in support of abortion than many of you; it is an issue near and dear to my heart, as I cannot stand to think of babies dying each and every day. BUT again, he is our President, and God has placed him there for a reason. God is in charge, not us. Personally, I am proud of the fact that he is making history as our first African-American President; that truly is a great accomplishment, and it makes me proud and a little teary eyed to see his family standing there, getting ready to watch their husband/father take the oath of office as he places his own hand on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln placed his hand on 148 years ago. So, America, stand up today! If you're not watching, turn that tv on, and watch history being made. Let your children see history in action. We may not agree, but remember, WE are NOT in charge; GOD is in charge! Let's be the patriotic Americans we are, and let's celebrate a new day, a day with many unforeseen changes that God knows about and has His hands on! God bless America.
Read more about The Inauguration on 5 Minutes For Mom.

Tickle Your Memory Tuesday

Last night I was supposed to get together with my best friend from high school; she was in town visiting her family for Christmas. We weren't able to, though, because Jaden was sick, and she was also sick. It still didn't stop me from thinking of some really funny memories that we, no doubt, would have rehashed if we had gotten together. She had come up at Thanksgiving too, and we had laughed and laughed over some of the things we did "way back when." Sarah and I both apprenticed with a vet our senior year, and we would go every Wednesday to the doc's office. Usually, we weren't at the office; we were out running around to different farms to work. This one particular time, we were again chasing the vet down this country gravel road, trying to keep up with her; we could never keep up with her and were always getting lost way out in the boonies. We were in my little Chevy Luv pickup, and all of a sudden, we heard this pop, and Sarah looked back, and the bed had fallen off of my pickup! Yep, you read that right; it fell plumb off. My brother ended up having to help us get it welded back on, but I had forgotten all about this, and I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time, just picturing that happening all over again. It was hilarious, almost like one of those old Disney comedies you would see.

Then there were the Saturday nights where I was at her house, and we would make sure to have the dishes all done, showers done, etc, just in time to sit down to our can't miss episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger." I know, what in the world? But we loved that show and even had the song to it memorized, and I can still probably sing that song today. LOL

Anyway, it's fun rehashing old memories; since I've had kids, I feel like part of my brain cells have died away or something. I can't remember anything to save my life, but every once in a while, something will happen to bring back old familiar feelings and memories. What funny memories do you have from high school? I would love to hear them....once you remember one thing, it's likely a host of things will come back to you. Have a great day!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

It's so amazing and wonderful that one story can bring people all over the world together every year at this time.

The story of how the well-loved hymn Silent Night brought even enemies together one Christmas long ago has always fascinated me. It was 1914, and the world was in an uproar, in the midst of World War I. A truce had been made on Christmas Eve. German troops had gotten in the Christmas spirit and had started to sing Stille Nacht or Silent Night. The enemy troops on the other side heard them and started singing the song in English. Can you imagine being a soldier in those trenches that cold, starry night and hearing your enemy sing the very song you had just sung, only in his own language? Soon, both sides had come together to celebrate. They even had opportunity to mourn the dead and give some of them the burial that they deserved, instead of being left on the bloody battleground, seemingly forgotten amidst the roar of the battle. The Christmas Truce had brought together men who had been just a few hours before, fighting each other to the death. It was a night of peace, brought on by truly the greatest story ever told. We can deny that Christmas is about Christ, but never forget that without Christ in Christmas, we are left with nothing but meaningless letters. He is the reason we can celebrate today and the reason there was peace on that lone night in the history of World War I.

Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and Child.

Holy Infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,

Shepherds quake at the sight;

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love’s pure light;

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night

Wondrous star, lend thy light;

With the angels let us sing,

Alleluia to our King;

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born!

A New Week and A Fresh Start

This week was kind of a rough week; it started out great, and we were accomplishing lots of things, including getting a lot done with school. Wednesday night, we were sitting around the supper table, when the phone rang. It was my mom, and she had some really bad news. My neighbor, who I had grown up with and spent so many of my days with, had been killed that day. He was taking his usual nap in the basement, and somehow his shotgun that was in the corner, got knocked over, and it shot him through the heart and killed him instantly as he was laying there sleeping. He never knew what hit him, which we can be thankful for, and he was a Christian. The first thought I had was that I hadn't gone to see him; he had asked my dad to tell me to come see him, and I hadn't done it. His name was Leonard, and he was like a grandpa to me. His wife, Cleo, is still living, and my heart just breaks for her. It was a huge shock, and it brought many tears. I just kept thinking how I would never feel that hug around my neck again from him. I kept thinking about his family that he left behind. I remember so many summer days spent at their house, just hanging out. Leonard was a beautiful, wonderful person. We went to the viewing, and as I went up to look at his body, it just washed over me how much he was going to be missed. The funeral the next day, though, was thought provoking for me. The pastor talked about how if we were saved, we would see Leonard again. And it hit me that Leonard is in Heaven with my own grandma and grandpa. He is rejoicing with them. When I die, he is going to greet me at the gates with that old, familiar, loving hug around my neck that he gave me every time we saw each other. And we'll never have to part. Yes, there are so many regrets; I just wish that I would have taken the time out of my day to just go and see them. Maybe it takes these things to wake us up, though, to what is really important in life. Maybe it takes losing someone you really love and care about to just wake up and smell the roses as they say. Leonard was 84 years old, and as the pastor at the funeral said, "If only there were more Leonards in the world, the world would be a much better place." That is so true; I can only hope my life has as much meaning as his life did to so many people who mourn his loss, but rejoice that someday we will see him again.