Last week I read an article titled Ten Reasons To Not Retire Now. Interesting reading considering that Ron and I are some six weeks into this new journey and loving every minute of it. So for the record we would like to post our


TEN REASONS TO RETIRE NOW

WAKING UP ON THE FIRST MORNING OF RETIREMENT AND HAVING A CAMERA DUEL


HAVING TIME TO HELP DECORATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH ASHLEY


PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS IN ALABAMA ON OUR TIME SCHEDULE


TIME TO DO THINGS AROUND THE PLACE


ENJOYING LOCAL HOLIDAY ACTIVITES


SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH SPECIAL FRIENDS


TIME TO TRAVEL AND SEE THINGS ON OUR "BUCKET LIST"


TIME TO TRAVEL AND VISIT THE GRANDBABY IN TEXAS


THE GRANDBABY!!!!


PRICELESS MOMENTS WITH WYATT


So for the record retirement is great.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

I would like to nominate Lydia for President! Yep, she is only 11 years old but if she can kickoff a campaign that raises over $28,000 in less then two weeks we need her in Washington! Way to go Lydia and congrats for keeping the faith and reaching your goal. We were in Nashville this weekend and got to see Lydia's interview live on Fox. What an amazing young girl!

Now that Thanksgiving is over our attention moves to Christmas. Although I will admit that I am an early Christmas shopper, I struggle when I see Christmas decorations coming out shorty after Labor Day. I can't really start to put up the decorations until Thanksgiving weekend, and it just does not seem right to listen to Jingle Bells in the middle of football season. BTW Roll Tide!!

There seems to be some rumors that many people are calling this season Happy Holidays and I just want to go on record as saying the Warren household wishes you a Merry Christmas. I will be the first to admit that I have signed my Christmas cards Happy Holidays for many years, but this year I will be signing Merry Christmas. In the past I did not understand why people would make such a big deal out of the use of Happy Holidays now I wondering if I was becoming desensitised to the phase. We will be putting up a Christmas tree not a Holiday Tree. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas

Comments are really welcome on this as I am interested to hear your thoughts on using Happy Holidays,

Retirement Is??????

Awesome!

Does this man look like he is missing getting up at 5am to take morning reports?



Our time with Amoco/BP has taken us to Lafayette, New Orleans, and Houston in addition to five foreign countires. Yes, we can no longer take walks in the snow to Arbat Street for a stop at Starbucks. We can't take the tube into Central London and catch a play on the spur of the moment. No trips across the mountain to Marcass Bay for Bake and Shark, walks at Crathes Castle, or horseback rides in the shadows of the pyramids.

What we can do is stop at Ron's mom for a quick bowl of soup before heading off to evening services, catch up with classmates from high school, post lots of pictures of a really adorable little guy in Texas,



enjoy time with our family, and look for ways to be of service to Him.

There is a little girl near Nashville that has a dream of saving a child from a life in an orphanage. Just in case somebody should click on this blog that might not know of the Hollis Family please take the time to read their story, and listen to how God might lead you to respond. Lydia and her dream is where we will be donating in honor of Ron's retirement.

Yes, life is going to be different now and we can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of our Sunset years!

Life's Blessings

Ron just called and he has finished his work in India, turned everything over to his replacement, and will soon be flying back to the states for the final time. One of the issues I have been struggling with as we move towards retirement was what's next, and my dear husband had the answer for that today as he said the Twilight years are after the Sunset years! I love it. Recently they started drilling another well in India, and part of the process has something to do with breaking a coconut at the well site as an Indian ritual of blessing the work.



Like so many others this past week I have been mesmerized by young Stellan's story. Last week when I checked in I was shocked at what Stellan and his family were going through, and was almost late for a Dr's appointment as I continued to refresh the screen throughout the morning for an update. The battle young Stellan has fought has been especially dear to me as our grandson, Wyatt, is just a few weeks younger then Stellan.



As I am sure so many of you know the story has a happy ending and Stellan is now home after nothing less then a miracle. Now that is a true life's blessing and something to be thankful for!

I am so thankful for the next chapter of our lives that will soon unfold with my Retired Oilfield Hand! In honor of Ron's upcoming retirement and our grandson we will be making a donation to a charity that benefits children/young adults for each comment left on this blog in the next 24 hours that shares something you are thankful for. In that Ron's nephew is currently battling brain cancer we are leaning towards M. D. Andrerson where Eric is undergoing treatment.



Our post when we left Moscow had ten comments and we are hoping for at least twenty to celebrate Ron's retirement, children everywhere, and young adults! Come on now and leave a comment of your Thanksgiving blessings.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Then They Do

The lyrics below by Trace Atkins are one of my favorite country soungs. I even made a dvd one time with old pictures of Andy and Ashley thru the years using this song as the music. I have highlighted a few lines that really hit home with me.

In the early rush of morning,
Trying to get the kids to school:
One's hanging on my shirt-tail,
Another's locked up in her room.
And I'm yelling up the stairs: And everybody's late,
"Stop worrying 'bout your hair, you look fine."

Then they're fightin' in the backseat,
And I'm playing referee.
Now someone's gotta go,
The moment that we leave.

I swear that I can't wait till they grow up.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Now the youngest is starting college,
She'll be leavin' in the Fall.
And Brianna's latest boyfriend,
Called to ask if we could talk.
And I got the impression,
That he's about to pop the question any day.

I look over at their pictures,
Sittin' in their frames.
I see them as babies:
I guess that'll never change.
You pray all their lives,
That someday they will find happiness.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

No more Monday PTA's,
No carpools, or soccer games.
Your work is done.
Now you've got time that's all your own.
You've been waitin' for so long,
For those days to come.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Ah, then they do.

Last month we had the opportunity to use some of the time that is now our own, and enjoyed an incredible three weeks traveling in Egypt, Isreal, Turkey and Greece. As we move toward retirement next month it was really special to have a chance to return to Cairo where our international travels began in July of 1990.



As wonderful as our trip was it paled when compared to my trips to Texas and Tennessee this month. Ron and I are so blessed that dreams Andy and Ashley have held over the years have come true. Andy is happily married with a beautiful baby, and working hard in his own business.



This weekend I was in awe of our daughter as I watched her perform her duties as an on call veterinian.



Yes, they don't need us as much now, and truly our work with them is done. Do we miss them? You bet - every single day but we are thrilled they are happy in their chosen fields. We are honored to still have a relationship where we see them often, and try really hard to give them space to live their own lives.

Recently,I joked with my cousin that Ron and I were leaving our emptynest years and moving into our SUNSET YEARS.



Thoughts of retirement and stepping into the Sunset Years are scary and exciting at the same time. I am so grateful to be sharing this adventure with my soulmate of 34 plus years. For the four or five of you that still checkin on us keep stopping by, as we share our thoughts and reflections on retirement. I have considered changing this blog to the Sunset Years, but that would take a consult with Rob and Dede to accomplish:)

Have a great week!

Paka!

The seasons of our lives

I love this time of year - weather is cooler, leaves are thinking about falling and of course college football. As summer turns into fall it's a time for change and thus my much needed blog layout changes. Another big change in store for our family is that Ron has turned in his retirement papers effective November 30, 2009! We always said we wanted to retire soon after Andy and Ashley were both on their feet, and working in their chosen professions so I guess now is the time.

Andy is happily married with a beautiful baby boy


Ashley is following her dreams as a veterinarian in Tennessee.




I know most that read this blog are adoptive couples we met while in Moscow, and you must be thinking retirement and kids on their own is a long time from now. Trust me the years go way too fast, and the children in our lives quickly turn into young adults.



Ron and I thank God for our blessings in life and are praying for Eric (Ron's nephew standing right behind Ashley) who will start radiation treatment this week. I have spoken to Eric since these health issues developed, and his outlook on life is an example of a young man that walks with the Lord. Please keep Eric and his family in your prayers - especially over the next few weeks.

Ron is not one to spend his retirement days on the couch watching tv, and I just hope I can keep up with him. We are really looking forward to seeing the plans God has in store for us in this next season of our lives. Thank you Lord for family, friends, and my soulmate of 34 years!



Photo credit for three of the four pictures in this post goes to Melissa Bridges

Words can make you cry or sing!

Coments from two different people today - one broke my heart and the other made my heart sing.

While feeding Mother dinner she looked at us and said "I am just too tired to swallow."

While chatting with Ashley tonight we were discussing a couple that adopted a cat she was fostering. I asked her if they were an older couple and she thought for a moment and said, "no they are about your age." Considering I am now an official senior citizen my heart just melted with that comment!

Really Sad Post!

This has been a real heart breaking week while visiting the Queen! It's almost like a knife goes through my heart when she asks me about her brothers, sisters, mama and daddy. The Queen is the oldest of a large family and has one sister that is still living. Yesterday she wanted to know if her mama had been to see her, and when I asked her if she was dreaming about her mama she said that when she gets better she will go see Mama. Talk about heart wrenching! This week she has also told us her house burned down, and talked about rooting plants in a branch of water. She was even able to tell us that the rootings were azaleas.

My dad passed away seven years ago this coming November and we were talking tonight about how active he was until the last week. Mother has been dealing with this since January 18 and it has been a really sad thing to witness. Tonight I was looking at some pictures from this past Thanksgiving and I was shocked at the decline in Mother. Don't get me wrong I know that we have been blessed to have our Mother for 97years, but this is just really hard!



THE QUEEN...THANKSGIVING 2008

This post came with a warning that is was sad, and for the life of me I don't know why I find comfort in blogging about all this. Just think, I am writing a sad post before Ron goes back to work so there is no telling what I might write next week. I do know why I blog about this...there are prayer warriors out there that will read this and say a little prayer for our family as we move towards uncertain days with Mother just as Ron and I have prayed as we read other blogs.

Life is a truly like a box of chocolates and sometimes it is just hard!

Remember that line where Forest says something like "life is like a box of chocolate and you never know what you are going to get!" That seems to be really appropriate here at the Warren household these days. It is really sad to see the current condition of the Queen and while I have turned that situation over to the good Lord another family member is in need of prayer.

Ron's nephew had a car accident last week and initial tests show that he could possibly have a serious medical condition that contributed to the accident. All the test results are not in yet, but please remember Eric in your prayers. Eric is 28 years old and rock solid in his walk with the Lord. He is the kind of young man that every mom prays her daughter will fall in love with.



Eric sharing a giggle with his Grandmother....May 2009

Ron and I went to visit Ashley this weekend in Nashville and we thank God for this young woman that loves the Lord and has a real heart for family. Mother recently turned 97 and where she has lived a long life one is never ready is let go of a loved one. Today she was so weak and mostly just consumed fluids as solid food was proving difficult to swallow.



Ashley with the Queen....Easter 2007

The Queen shortly before her 97th birthday



TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THIS BOX OF CHOCOLATES CALLED LIFE....

Gee - life is really quite in Alabama and I have not had much to blog about lately. I did recently join the ranks of Senior Citizen but the pain of that day was eased by this picture from Texas!



Isn't he just the cutest little guy!

In July I did travel to Texas and got a chance to meet up with some of the Moscow ladies for lunch. So good to see everyone!



Ron just finished his fifth hitch in India and we are pondering some possible major moves in our lives. Hopefully, options will be laid out soon and we will have a better handle of what and/or where we will be?!? Got your curiosity up yet? Trust me when I say retiring is a very good possibility but......

WARNING-PROUD GRANDMA POST

Andy and his family had some photos taken recently and Kasey shared them with us this week. I thought they were precious and today I sent them to almost everybody in my email address book. Just in case I missed someone - please forgive me as I fall into the proud grandma role!

Happy Fourth of July!

Kasey's brother got married recently and they found this adorable tux for Wyatt to wear to the wedding.
The happy family
I just love how he has his little hand on his daddy's face not to mention the bubbles! There is no way this picture was posed.
Nothing sweeter then a sleeping baby.

WOW! Grandkids are just so much fun, and now I understand the saying that grandkids are your rewards for teenage years. Ron just finished his fourth hitch (but who's counting right...)in India and we went to Texas for a visit. Andy and Kasey were very gracious and generous with the baby, and we even got to keep Wyatt for an entire day while his folks were at work. It was great!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

BITTER OR BETTER?

This picture is my current screen saver. Each and every time that I sit down to my computer I can't help but to smile when I see that grin on this baby. Sorry Andy and Ashley, but I guess you have kinda been replaced as favorite photo subjects:) Our family has been lucky in that our children, and now our first grandchild arrived safely and with no medical problems. We always here about stories of families that lose a child are has to deal with medical issues, but for me it has really been brought home through the world of blogging.

I tip my hat to families like the Freeman's who lost little Kayleigh in May, and the founders of Sufficient Grace that took something bitter in their lives and used it to make something better in their lives and the lives of others. How about little Stellan, and the fact that so many people around the world was praying for him while he was sick? The sermon I heard on Sunday was actually about Why Does God Allow Suffering?

It is my prayer that when God does choose to put suffering in my life I will be able to take the bitter pain of suffering and turn it into something better. Off now to make my donation to Sufficient Grace Ministries.

THE BENEFITS OF BLOGGING!

I think I have already confessed that I had never blogged until I met Rob and Dede while they were traveling to Moscow to adopt. That chance meeting allowed Ron the opportunity to spend some time with Karyn and Norm who introduced us to Becky and Keith, Dana and Aaron, Lea and John. Later we both met Michelle and Ian and the rest is blogger history. Blogging gave us the opportunity to meet 17 adoptive couples from Jan to August of 2008, and our lives were changed forever as we shared Moscow and a small part of their adoptive journey.

When we left Moscow I thought I would stop blogging as not much exciting happens here in Alabama:) I think I discoved today the reason I have continued to blog. Like us many others I have been reading little Stellan's story on My Charming Kids, and today I was blown away by the wonderful idea McMamma had. Their family supports Sufficient Grace ministy and McMamma came up with the idea of donating $1 for every comment left in one day on her blog to this cause. My interest was peaked so I surfed on over to their website and decided this was something to get behind and support. If I was computer talented I would link this blog to the site, but I am too excited about this idea to take the time to fiqure it out. So I cut and copied a description of what Sufficient Grace does.

Sufficient Grace Ministries for Women, a 501 (c ) 3 non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization, was founded in 2004 by Kelly Gerken with the purpose of reaching out to women and families to offer comfort, encouragement and hope. The Dreams of You division of this ministry was created specifically to provide comfort to women and families who have lost a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Kelly has experienced the loss of twin daughters (Faith and Grace) at 26 weeks and the loss of an infant son, Thomas…who died shortly after birth from Potter's Syndrome. From her own family's journey of grief and healing, Kelly has created the Dreams of You Memory Book and other beautiful support materials to help families form a precious memory for their babies who leave this earth too soon. Her mother, Kathy Rutter, created the Comfort Bear in 2004 for grieving mothers to have something to hold to comfort the ache of their empty arms. (Although Kathy went home to heaven in October 2006, the bears are still made with a grandmother's love and prayers by the Helping Hands Ministry at Harvest Fellowship Church.) Over the years, Kelly has shared her testimony of God's comfort and sufficient grace and her gift of song with churches and women's groups. She has also given hospital seminars encouraging caregivers on the importance of creating a tangible memory and understanding the grieving parent's perspective. The Dreams of You Memory Book and Baskets are currently available at 5 local hospitals: Lima Memorial, St. Luke's, St. Charles, Henry County, and Defiance Regional Medical Center as well as Rodenberger Funeral Home. Many individuals have come to us as well through our website and word of mouth. Bereaved parents are never asked to pay for our materials. We are supported through donations from individuals, hospitals and other organizations. Sufficient Grace Ministries also provides a quarterly newsletter, The Women's Edge, which encourages more than three hundred women in eight states, through biblical truth. Our memory book is now featured in a national catalog (A Place to Remember). We are also working on expanding and completing more projects to serve grieving families.

So in honor of our grandson Wyatt we will be making a donation to this ministry plus a donation of $5 per comment left on this blogpost in a 24 hour time period.

I leave you with a picture of our grandson napping with his Poppa.

Where has the month of May gone?

I can hardly believe the month of May is almost finished. We had a blast in early May with a visit from the Mixon's and Bridges family. Melissa did a great job in capturing some of the highlights of the weekend of Ashley's graduation celebration, Andy, Kasey and Wyatt's visit, plus a family reunion held at Ron's mom. Ashley graduated on May 5 and we held a dinner afterwards at a local restaurant to mark the occasion. Where have the years gone?!?

After graduation finished Ron and I were off to a Drilling Conference in San Diego. I laughed as Ron was "networking" to retire while most of the other attendees were looking for their next assignment at the conference. We loved San Diego and took an extra day to enjoy the area.

I returned to Alabama, and Ron headed back to India for his fourth hitch. It has been busy as we moved Ashley from Auburn to Tennessee for her first job. Many thanks for all the help from family to get her settled.

I will close for now with a few pictures of Wyatt's visit to Alabama.
Andy and Granny showing Wyatt the blueberry bushes

Wyatt getting to know his cousin Kate

An Irresistable Grin!

Checking out the roses

and the neighbor's horses.

hmmm.....did I really just say Wyatt's visit to Alabama. What I meant to say was Andy, Kasey and Wyatt's visit. I'm a proud new granny, grandma, mimi, nana, baba,!?!! I do wonder what Wyatt will end of calling us. I am sure we will answer to anything:)

On a sadder note the Queen has turned another corner in her journey of life. At this point I am not sure where it will take us, but I am confident that God is in control and has a plan. She has lost down to 98 pounds and just does not want to eat anything. Please keep her and the family in your prayers as we take things one day at a time.

8 years of books, supplies and equipment.... $

8 years of room and board .... $$

8 years of tuition.... $$$

earning the title of DVM.... PRICELESS

PROUDLY INTRODUCING DR ASHLEY HOPE WARREN

HOSPICE?

Hospice-what's that?!? This old gal still has lots of flowers left to plant!

Miracles in our family

No new posts for awhile as it has been pretty quite around here. Mother continues to improve waaay past any of our expectations, and now we are looking at the possibilty of getting her into a rehab hospital. There is a huge chance that with the right rehab she could walk again. This past week Ron and I were curious as to what she might could do and were blown away by her determination to walk. This morning she told me that she never thought she would not walk again. Love the fighting spirit!

The Queen arrived here on Feb. 10 with a bedsore on her right foot that was already labled Stage 2, and anticipated to go to Stage 4 at any moment. Did you realize that Superman died from complications from a bedsore? In this picture she was telling the stroke to get out of her legs:) So our little 96 almost 97 year old Queen is probably going to be released from Hospice soon. How amazing is that!?!




Our other family miracle is our new grandson - Wyatt. Like so many other's I have been following little Stellan's fight for life which has humbled me and made me realize once again how fragile life is, and that we just never know what is going to happen from day to day. Seriously now, have you seen the recent post with Stellan recovering from surgery where he has a IV in his head and a precious smile on his face. The fact that Wyatt and Stellan are close in age has not escaped us also.



The next few days promises to be hectic and full of excitement as graduation nears. Andy and family will be arriving next weekend to help celebrate Ashley's graduation from Vet School. Did you notice on the sidebar that there are only 11 days remaining until graduation! As for Ron and I, we are counting the days and hours until we can hold this little man again and praying for Stellan and his family.



I can not believe how much Wyatt has grown since we saw him in March. Thanks Kasey for the photo updates.