George, Our Perpetual Snowman

This is George. Every year it snows, we bring him out and let him see the world again.

He's just a little guy right now...not enough snow. He's been 2' to over 6' at different times.

Before he thaws out, we store his head in the freezer. We keep it in a bowl marked "George's Head" just to keep people guessing. :-)

He is several years old now. I think he's around 7 or 8.

He's even survived melting and refreezing during Hurricane Isabel and other storms.

And, he's survived numerous near accidental "tossing outs," by yours truly.

Cryogenics Asbell style!

Brandon took the pictures.

Wise Counsel

This weekend, while sitting outside, I suddenly, without warning became very nauseous due to the hyperemesis gravidarum and started to gag, retch and cough. I had been sitting back in my chair when it came upon me. I stayed still because I was afraid movement would push me over the edge and I'd lose my meager lunch. I planned to lean forward quickly if needed.

Caleb saw me sitting back in my chair struggling to not throw up. With bit of disgust in his voice, he offered "MOM! If you are going to throw up, throw up on the GROUND!"

LOL

Hugs and Hope for Sick Children

What a great and inexpensive way to minister to a sick child through sending cards and letters!!! There is so much more this site offers, so please check it out.

http://www.hugsandhope.org/

The Hugs and Hope Club for Sick Kids is a ministry devoted to encouraging children battling critical illness and their families.

*The HUGS and HOPE Club provides the rare gift of friendship: a listening ear, a sympathetic heart.*

Our mission is to share God's love and provide friendship and support to families of sick children who live within the United States by sending happy mail and offering various activities. Our goal is to fill the gap left by similar organizations that help ill or injured children (between the ages of 2 and 17). We do this through the following projects and programs:

* Mailing cheery cards (a.k.a. "happy mail")
* Providing balloon bouquets to hospitalized children
* Granting children's wishes
* Sending Birthday Party Boxes
* Providing Christmas gifts through our Elf Project
* Assigning a personal "parent pal" who encourages, cheers, and supports the family in crisis.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." II Corinthians 1: 3-5

Cutting Back on Laundry Tips

This was forwarded to me. If you know who authored it, lmk so I can give them credit.

Laundry Tips:

1. Have the kids wear the same pair of pajamas every night. Before you get upset and say there is no way you would allow them to do that, think about this. You bathe your kids before they go to bed so their pajamas go on a clean body. How dirty could those pajamas get while they are sleeping? Most people don't change their sheets more than once a week. What is the difference between sleeping on the same sheets and sleeping in the same pajamas?

2. Assign each person his or her own towel to use a minimum of two to three times instead of just once. In the case of young children, let them use the same towel. Up to a certain age most people toss their little ones all in the bath together so if they can share the same bath water they can share the same towel.

3. When you get home from church or someplace where you didn't wear the outfit all day, change out of your good clothes and hang them up to wear again.

4. If it doesn't look dirty and doesn't stink, don't wash it. We usually use jeans for a week at our house. (W's note: Can't do that when you live on a farm!!)

5. Don't be lazy. So often we get undressed and instead of putting our clothes away, we throw them on the floor in aheap. We don't want to iron, fold or even hang them up, so we just throw them in the wash. This makes more work later because we still have to iron, fold and hang them on wash day, but we also use more detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener, hot water and time.