April 2015 – Life with us ~ The Wandering Workentins

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Craziness to the Nth Degree

April 27, 2015 Ali

That is how I describe life for me the last couple of weeks.

I like doing the A-to-Z Challenge

but as you can tell I didn’t keep up with it this year…

for many days I was getting down on myself for not keeping up with it.

All the while feeling like I was being pulled in every direction known to man.

So last weekend I closed myself in and did some regrouping,

let some things go and spent some time reading and praying…

going to the familiar,

My Jesus who loves me and cares for me and only expects me to be me and nothing more.

I was so busy allowing STUFF to overwhelm me that I was losing me in the busyness of life.

So I gave myself permission to not go anywhere and to slow down and get myself organized.

I am so thankful for a hubby who loves me and helps me every chance he gets.

This weekend he did dishes more often than I can count,

he helped me with a project that needed to be done.

And he made me coffee, fixed me bottles of water and made some good meals…

I am so thankful and blessed to have him in my life.

Along with feeling overwhelmed with so many things on my plate

things were complicated with a computer that didn’t want work,

our mifi card deciding to go belly up, a printer that wouldn’t connect with the computer…

you know multiple computer issues…

that just added to my frustration and

feeling like every way I turned was causing more problems and chaos

than issues being solved.

So this morning I decided I needed to stop and opened my daily devotion and this is what it said:

In acceptance there is peace.

The prayer with it said: Lord, I don’t pray for tranquility or that my problems may cease;

I pray that Your Spirit and love would give me the strength to abide in You

during chaos, craziness and adversity. Amen.

And as I echoed that prayer I felt the peace of Jesus

just cover me and I knew that all would be okay.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

Who do you turn to when you need reassurance?

Oh, I also stopped and picked up pizza for lunch…

it always helps to eat good ole tasty pizza and not have to cook dinner J

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K is for Kindness and Kids!

April 16, 2015 Ali

Day 11 – A to Z Blog Challenge

K is for

and

Here is picture that says quite a bit

and

I did something for someone the other day,

it was no big deal to me

but I found out later it meant

a whole lot to the other person.

Being kind does not cost money or things,

it is just doing the right thing,

saying the right thing,

and acting in the right manner.

Have you shared some kindness today?

and then

KIDS!!!

Earlier today I was missing my

Grands

a lot.

This is from Fall 2012

and from Fall 2014

These five grands

are the love of my life.

Even though I don’t see them every day

nor talk to them even weekly

they are the five most precious children

in my life.

I love my grands,

and my boys

and their sweet wives

and I can’t wait to see them

whether it is on Facetime or Skype

or to hear their voices on the phone.

I just love my KIDS!!!!

I am also blessed with many

“adopted” kids ~

daughter Sarah,

niece Destiny

grand boys Julian, Emilio and Mateo

grand girls Liberty & Lily

and the list goes on and on !!!

Children,

all children are special.

If you have a child to hug or to share a smile

then please do so!!!

Loving on kids

is one of the best ways to show

kindness!!!

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J is for Joy and a Whole Lot More!

April 16, 2015 Ali

Day 10 ~ A to Z Blog Challenge

J is for

and a whole lot more

Image result for jesus loves me this i know

and from my time with JESUS this morning

My JOY comes from the Lord

and we must choose JOY

As you can probably guess from

my last few posts

I have been feeling overwhelmed,

exhausted, and a whole lot more.

I could probably circle a lot these listed here

and after one night of tossing & turning,

dreams about poop,

and I mean a lot of poop

and a second night of

dreams that left me feeling

sad and teary eyed

I got up this morning

and started my day at 6:23 instead

of crawling back into bed and sleeping half the morning away

and turned to JESUS

and His Word.

And JOY

popped out

and

and I was reminded by my bestie yesterday

that I have not because I ask not

and so this morning

I asked the Lord for a word that begins with

you know the letter I am at today

in the A-to-Z Blog Challenge

and when I opened my Bible

the theme for today was

so that is what I have been focusing on today.

and so I

What about you ~ do you have JOY in your life?

How do you celebrate JOY?

What brings you JOY?

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I is for…Idea!

April 15, 2015 Ali

Day 9~ A to Z Blog Challenge

I is for

which I have…

How about if people stopped being critical of others

and only worry about themselves,

their children, their spouses,

their jobs

INSTEAD

of worrying about everyone else

and what they are doing.

I belong to quite a few groups on Facebook,

many of them having to do with camping, RVing,

being nomadic…do you get the IDEA?

And in the last few days there have been

so many posters tearing down one another

because they don’t agree with what so and so said or wrote.

And then there are the comments that some

people leave on friends’ pages.

Making light of serious issues

like child abuse, grief,

mental health…do you get the IDEA??

I received two different emails

from two different friends

about how hurtful people were being

in regards to some very serious circumstances.

My heart aches for those friends.

I have been hurt by what some people have

written in response to something I have posted when all

I needed/wanted was a hug or a bit of encouragement.

So my

is to challenge

each and everyone of you

to find something

Nice

Encouraging

Helpful

Meaningful

Positive

to say to the next 10 people

who you come into contact with…

…what do you say

are

you

IN???

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H is for Help!

April 14, 2015 Ali

Day 8 – A to Z Blog Challenge

H is for Help!

and Hurried!

and Haphazard!

and Happy!!

I think the list could go on and on.

Life is feeling very crazy to me and I wish I could clone myself so that I could have HELP to get everything done that needs to be done.

Yesterday a new friend asked me

What do you do?

And in no particular order this is how I responded:

Love the Lord and so thankful for grace

Bite off more than I can chew half the time

Taking a class on Business Planning…this weeks homework is on Marketing

Whatever my hubby asks me to do

Mom of two boys, 2 daughters-in-love, Grammy to five: Opal 7,

and four boys: Max 16, Christopher 7, Treyson 3 Alexander 1.5

Volunteer for thing because I know they need to get done

Wife

Administrator for Forever Friends

Office Manager for GUMI Camp USA

Go crazy on a regular basis

So now you know why I need

Help!

and I feel Hurried!

and Haphazard!

I am truly blessed to be able to do all that I do

and even though like is sometimes crazy

I am HAPPY!!!

I love my life, I love where the Lord has put us

for this season of our lives

and I am eagerly anticipating

HIS next blessing.

What about you??

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G is for Grandpa!

April 8, 2015 Ali

Day 7 ~ A-to-Z Blog Challenge

G is for Grandpa!!!

Grandpa Ted,

Ali’s Dad

Grandpa Pete,

Ron’s Dad

(also pictured Jamie & Ron)

Grandpa George

Ali’s Grandpa

(also pictured, Brandon, Ali, Jamie & Aunt Joan)

Grandpa Pete

with Ron, Grandma Anne, Jamie

Grandpa George

with Brandon & Jamie

Grandpa George

in the Navy

Grandpa Isaac Workentin

(Ron’s Grandpa)

Grandpa Ted with Grandma Peggy

We love and miss all of our Grandpa’s

If your Grandpa is available,

give him a call,

send him a card,

or go visit

Grandpa’s are very special men!!!

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F is for Food, Fun, Fellowship and Friends!

April 8, 2015 Ali

Day 6 ~ A to Z Blog Challenge

F is for Food, Fun, Fellowship and Friends!!!!

Food

I enjoy cooking

as long as I know what to fix.

Last summer I was blessed with an

electric pressure cooker, like this one,

Image result for electric pressure cooker

and I have made some delicious dinners

Chicken dinner

Another chicken dinner

I have also made spaghetti, chili, ribs

What is your Favorite Food to cook??

Fun & Fellowship

We love to have Fun

and Fellowship with others is one way we do it

and most recently at

Open Door Community Church

Celebrating Easter

and

FRIENDS

And everyone needs a BEST FRIEND

Here I am with my BESTIE

and I can’t wait to see her in just a short six weeks!!!

And two more of our many friends,

Mike & Chris!

They are in Texas right now

but we hope to get to see them soon!!

and

FAMILY

Our son, Brandon, his sweet wife, Danalyn

from left to right – Christopher, Treyson, Alexander and

Max standing to the right of his mama!!

Our oldest son, Jamie, his sweet wife, Suzanne

and granddaughter, Opal!

And my Bestest Friend in the Whole World

My Hubby

Ron!!!

And that folks is a snapshot

Food,

Fun,

Fellowship,

Friends

and

Family!!!!

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E is for Eye

April 8, 2015 Ali

Day 5 of the A-to-Z Blog Challenge

E is for Eye

I know everyone has two right?

Well it may look like everyone has two

and yes I guess I do too,

Except

One of mine is not real.

Well wait a minute, it is real

I just can’t see through it.

Here is a picture of

an artificial eye

And this is me

Can you tell which eye I am not looking at you with?

I get many compliments from people who are

surprised to find out I can only see

out of one eye.

Now you are probably wondering how did

I end up with an artificial eye?

One evening, when I was 10,

I was playing with my little sister and my dad’s

girlfriend two kids

out in the barn,

we were playing hide-n-seek

and I crawled into a piece of baling wire

and it scratched my eye.

Twenty three days in the hospital,

104 shots in my thighs

and the doctor came to my mom

and said he was sorry but he couldn’t save it.

At age 16, after having a summer of lots of

headaches the decision was made that

it was time to remove my eye.

In the hospital I was put in pediatrics

and I woke to see this on the wall

Yes, a pink elephant

and lots of other cute

animals and little kid things.

Let me just say it was not an easy time for me.

But there wasn’t anything I do but move on

and so I have.

I have met some great people,

Todd Cranmore & Christie Erickson, of

Erickson Labs Northwest

I have been a patient of theirs since

the early 1980’s.

I have given them

and as a joke I have put a

jar full of these great chocolate eyes on my desk

with an artificial eye in the middle.

Can you say

Surprise???

I have made the fact that I have an artificial eye

a fun part of my life.

I have worn them as earrings by putting double sticky tape on them,

I have given them as gifts at white elephant Christmas parties.

Be ware of any small package

you may receive from me.

I have lots of stories

where this one came from,

so if we ever meet just ask me

and I will be happy to share an EYE experience with you.

Have

You

Figured

Out

Which

EYE

I’m Looking At You With???.\

It’s the Left 🙂

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D is for ????

April 4, 2015 Ali

Day 4 – A to Z Blog Challenge

D is for Don’t know

And when I Don’t know something

I have learned to search for

things on

and I still couldn’t come up

with a word that started with

and none of them

tickled my fancy

but I did find this

I like word searches and hope you like this one.

I am Dumbfounded

that I can’t think of words that begin with

So if you come up with any words that begin with

feel free to leave them in the comments.

Uncategorized

C is for Caution

April 4, 2015 Ali

Day 3 of A to Z Blog Challenge

C is for Caution

Last night was a night of storms,

we had Sever Thunderstorm warnings

and then a Tornado warning so off to

the A-Frame which is an actual building on the property.

We were in there from 11:30 PM till just after 2:00 this morning.

Once back in the rig we found out the

bedroom window was open,

NOT good, that meant changing the sheets and

crawling into bed just after 2:30 AM

Was awakened a few times due to heavy rain

and finally rolled out of bed just after 10:30 this morning.

Just in time to head out the door to run into town

to run a few errands.

On our drive we saw

this big ole guy in the road.

A big truck had just driven past and he sucked

his head in.

As the truck was passing I was thinking

“don’t hit the turtle”

I was able to get a bit closer after the truck passed and

his head was starting to come out.

He looks fairly old to me and he was huge!

After we turned around to go back to where we were headed

I was able to get this picture of him as he was starting

to make his way to the other side of the road.

And then we continued on our way into town.

We usually turn down Brace Hill Road as it saves us about

1.5 miles but today this greeted us as we turned onto the road

But Ron being Ron he wanted to see if we

could get through so we went down the road till we couldn’t

go any further

We saw this car coming towards us so we waited till

he got up next to us, the guy rolled his window

down and said nope, can’t get through up ahead

so Ron being Ron we drove further

The water is now almost half way across the road

Beautiful waterfall that just a few weeks ago was

an icicle frozen solid.

And then we saw this

This is looking across the creek

And once we turned around we noticed this

car had been following us and had

already turned around.

And so my advice is

when you see signs like

then don’t go there.

Are you like Ron and likes a

Challenge

when he sees the word

Caution

or are you more like me,

I would have just have stayed on the

road and not turned?