apple of his eye

TWO YEARS LATER!!!

2010-10-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable..but true. Lucy will be 4 next month (November 11, 2010). Ramey just turned two in August (21st, 2010) I got re-married in December of 2008...not good one...am separated now and pending divorce.
Don't even know if anyone reads my blogs anymore..but was challenged to come back online and possibly write the love story that so many have enjoyed hearing...How Bill Dooley and I met. We will see. For now...just back here and not sure of anything other than I want to fall in love deeper and deeper with my God...enjoy the life of being single again and enjoy the utmost being with my family.
I love you Robert Brown Derebery (daddy), Margaret Ann Derebery(my mom), Brian, Joy, Lucy and Ramey Morykon (Son-in-law, daughter, oldest grandaughter and youngest grandaugher), Will and Mandy Dooley (Son and daughter-in-law).
My married name is Melody Priest, but thinking of taking the "Dooley" back once the divorce is final.
I am living in a studio apartment that I ADORE...getting back in contact with High School friends...what a blast and tomorrow I start a new job at Fossil in their call center.

A VERY SPECIAL PHONE CALL!!

2008-08-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to first of all tell you that I'm a grandmother again...Pics to come...Ramey Kathryn Morykon was born on Thursday morning, 6:52 AM weighing in at 7lbs 1 oz. She is now home with the enire happy family.
So the phone call...

IT WAS LUCY....WOW...it was the first time she every called me...Joy called and said, "Mom, Lucy just handed me the phone and said 'Mimi'....I think I just died and went to heaven. I LOVE YOU LUCY!!

****DISCLAIMER*** This is NOT a picture of Lucy.

Cleaning Teeth, Guinea Pig CPR and Puppy Hysterectomy

2008-07-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

I actually started writing this on Tuesday the 29th of July....
I can't believe it myself!! I started a new part time job yesterday as a Veterinary Assistant in Training. I wanted a part time job to get me out of the house a few days a week...and this one just fell in my lap. For those of you who don't know...I love everything that has to do with medical helps....I would have loved to have been a nurse...BUT...I hate school!! So what did the Lord give me, but a part time job as a vet's assistant

Ok...so the first thing I had to "shadow" doing was the cleaning of a dog's teeth...yup...just like at the dentist's office...with finishing off polishing of the teeth...

The first day I started a woman and her 13 year old son brought in a sick (long-haired) guinea pig that honestly looked like a miniature alf

unfortunately "Calico" was too sick to survive and he had a heart attack and died right there on the table. I will NEVER get the mental "picture" of the vet using his two index fingers doing CPR on a guinea pig...unbelievable!! So this in NOT what we did..

Sorry...a little "vet" humor...
The next training day found me assisting in surgery...Yup..that's right...and I LOVED IT!! Watched and helped the vet do a spay on a puppy.

I promise to post real pictures (with discretion of course) next time..the vet gave me permission to take my camera in and take pics

What Have I been doing?

2008-07-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Has it REALLY been 4 months since I last posted? Sorry!! Was in Idahoe and Florida and then in "La-La Land" for about 2 months. Hit the wall big time when I returned to VA. in April and have kind of been in a sub-survival mode. I will let some pictures show you what I have been doing..how's that? I am now a full-fledged member of the Red Hat Society and in March I was able to go to the Broadway Musical "HATS!" in Tampa, FL....

One of the things that I have been enjoying mostly is my time with my precious Granddaughter, Lucy..
Check out her tatoo..

It thrills me to see her taste in fine jewelry...

Bought her a new car and she just forgets about her "old" toys in the background..

She is just FASCINATED with driving..can you tell?

Have you EVER seen anyone enjoy yogurt so much?

I am trying to follow the teachings of Mommy and Daddy with good dental hygiene

And I just love going walking with her...she leads me..

And WHO can resist this? Of course I'll pick you up my princess!

New Friends and "new" others,...

2008-03-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

One of the great places I've been to recently is Boise, Idaho...AMAZING. Meet my new friend, Marilyn Sperry, she's the best. She housed Julio, Liliana and I for two weeks and had some MAJOR excitement while we were there...a car crashed her fence in the middle of the night...btw, Marilyn...thanks for the fun times..

And who says missionaries are boring and can't have fun...check out my new (loaner) wheels....I've nicknames her.."La joya" which means "the jewel", my son has dubbed her "the pimp mobile"...you decide....1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo...electric blue

I AM ALIVE!!!

2008-03-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

WOW...where do I begin....
So you all thought I was safely settled in Florida...since August 2007...NOT!! God stopped everything...so I found myself putting everything in storage AGAIN...and moving in with Nick and Diane Mezzano from my church in Virginia. THANKS MEZZANOS.
I must say it has been an interesting journey. Some good stuff, really....going out on my very first date since Bill died...........having a blast watching my Little Lucy grow.....celebrating Chile's Independence Day (Sept. 18) in Washington, DC., Thanksgiving, Christmas at home with family...moving into a rented townhome a week and 1/2 before a Chilean Missionary couple came to live with me for 3 months, going out the Boise, ID. and discovering the GORGEOUS WEST and now here I am in Lakeland, FL. at my son and daughter in laws home and today is their 1st wedding anniversary...whew...where did the time go? so here are a few pics...I promise I'll be more faithful.....unitl then....

Summer Missionary Update

2007-06-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello my Special Friends,

I’m getting pretty fancy as you can see...learning new tricks..HA! This is just too much fun!!

Anyway..about the title...Yup...big changes in my life and I want to share them with you! NO, I’m not dating,
getting married or any such thing like that. I have been promoted within the ADELPHOS Mission Agency and
needed to let you all know that.

About a month ago we had some exciting changes happen in the Mission Agency and I would like to
tell you that we are now officially partnering with ABWE-GAP. It has been one of my desires to be
able to do this for some time, but it wasn’t God’s timing. Due to these changes and my history with ABWE,
as well as ADELPHOS and CHILE the Board of Directors at ADELPHOS invited me to be part of them
and my title is now “ ADELPHOS USA Representative” and “Director of ADELPHOS USA”. You say....”Hmmm..
sounds like the same thing?” No, not quite. As the Representative I will do just what any other Mission
Agency Rep. does...promote my Mission Agency where ever I can book meetings. Then as the Director
of ADELPHOS USA, I will be heading up the actual opening of a branch office of ADELPHOS in either Lakeland
or Winter Haven, FL. More details on that to follow. I still am Missionary with ADELPHOS as well, so I have
to raise my personal support. I need to raise $3, 465.53 a month, so this is a big prayer request.
I have 12.64% promised ($438.00 a month)

SO THE BIGGEST CHANGE??? I’m moving back to Florida..Woo-Hoo!

Please be praying with me as I put my house here in Lynchburg, VA. on the market the first week in July (Lord
willing). I need to sell here of course before I can buy in Florida.

Thank you all so much for loving me and supporting me and believing in me! I love you all.

My life is in HIS hands...
Melody Dooley
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2,3

Representative U.S.A. 115 Dale Avenue; Lynchburg, VA. 24502
Phone: 434-239-4863 Cell: 434-509-6250 EMAIL: melodyd@abwe.cc

**Please send any offerings to ABWE; P.O. Box 8585; Harrisburg, PA. 17105-8585 Acct. # 0111233 THANK YOU SO MUCH!!**

How It's Done In Mexico

2007-06-16T00:43:00.000-07:00

I know it’s been way too long since I posted. So sorry...so much has happened.
Brian, Joy and Lucy left Monday the 11th to go to Nogales, Mexico until the first of August to help
the Donahue family in the Cuirim House Ministry. I pray for them every day. Kim called today and said that they all arrived Monday night and got to stay on the state’s side that night.
See the bucket on Lucy’s head?
Well Brian and Joy are having to use a bucket for different reasons in Mexico..
I know it is a little uncomfortable at first to do this, I had to do it in the Amazon of Peru last year..but it will become routine.
It is really hot there so Lucy is taking real advantage of siesta time!! Interesting scenery in Nogales..
If you get sick you guys you can always go to “God’s Pharmacy”
On the stateside (Arizona) the border patrol is watching...so have your passport’s handy.
I love you guys and know that God is doing wonderful things there in and through you!!

Poor Lucy, getting her shots

2007-01-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

YUP...that poor baby had a rough day....but she was definitely a trooper. She will probably not be real happy when she gets older to see that we've done that. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU LUCY!....AND Joy, I'm proud of you too.

All's Right With The World!!

2007-01-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

I just had a wonderful 3 hours this afternoon with my Lucy-Loo and I think I totally agree with this comic strip that my brother put on our family page....self explanatory!!

New Beginnings

2007-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

I suppose that's what a new year is all about. Before the 2 month period had past for 2006 I was inducted into ADELPHOS as their new missionary, found out I was going to be a grandmother and that my son was going to get engaged!! WHEW. Have no idea what this new 2007 holds..it will be fun to see. Meanwhile since I last posted I have gone to Cedarville, OH., Bloomington, IL., Harriburg, PA and Hanover, PA with Patricio Oliva (the president of the Chilean Mission agency) to be his interpreter. WOW..it was tremendous. I drove a lot of miles, but God blessed in tremendous ways. One for me was a sister in Christ who is a beautician cut and colored my hair as a love gift to me (THANK YOU KATHERINE) and for Patricio was the tremendous love offering of $1000 from Grace Community Church (THANK YOU PRECIOUS BRETHREN!).
The hardest part about the trip was being without my "Lucy time" for a week and a half! Then I got home, saw her one time and I got sick for 13 days...MAN..I felt like a prisoner in my own home. Now I'm all better and I get to see her when I want to and when we all have time to get together.
Christmas was fun...I spent Christmas Eve at Mike and Susan Morykon's house with Brian, Joy and Lucy and then the next morning my precious son-in-law fixed us a yummy pancake breakfast (watch out Emeril..you may be out of a job soon!).

We are thinking that we might want to make this a family tradition and are praying for the funds to come in for the Morykons to come home from France for Christmas every year. What a fun time and I feel so blessed to have a special relationship with Brian's folks. Don't know if Lucy understood everything that was happening as she was only 6 weeks old at the time..but WE sure enjoyed Christmas with her!
New Year's Eve found me at a place I haven't seen for 6 1/2 years...The Nix's Christmas Tree Farm...that's where Brian and Joy got married in 2000. Thanks Paul and Becky for your wonderful hospitality and GREAT food. So that's it for now..hope to post pictures. PS...Here are a few pics for you!!

YES...SHE IS HERE!!

2006-11-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

I want to tell you all that it was a labor that we did not expect....so long!!, but a delivery from HEAVEN. My precious son-in-law has created the following web page..so check it out11

http://www.lucy.morykon.com/About%20Me.html

We were ALL exhausted after a 38 hour labor. I still can't believe that I'm a grandmother. Give me a few more days to get my thoughts together and I'll blog to you all about my side of the story!!
Thanks so much for praying for us all!!

NOT YET!!

2006-11-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 8:7
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times;

So the "magic due date" for Lucy came (yesterday) and went. Joy is doing ok..a little disappointed, but I shared the above verse with her that God gave to me 27 years ago as I waited for her to come into my arms. I couldn't actually believe that was in the Bible..but there it is folks. So for those of you who don't know..my granddaughter's due date was the 4th of November and she is just proving how latin american she is and just waiting to arrive in HER time. Lucy is named after the little girl in the Chronicles of Narnia and today one of the precious believers at church actually put his hands on Joy's tummy (with Brian's permission) of course and said, "Lucy, baby, it's time to come out of the wardrobe"..I thought that was precious.
Thank you all for your prayers for us as we await the TRUE STORK..to bring her to us...Thank you Lord.

Showers of Blessings..what fun..what fun..

2006-08-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

WHEW..it’s over and I’m pooped out, but it’s such a great feleling. My Son-In-Law, Daughter and granddaughter (in utero) have definitely been SHOWERED with blessings. Yesterday was the BIG day for us all...thank you Kim Kreeger (ALL that you did, ESPECIALLY those stinkin [sorry Joy] pillow boxes), Jen Love (Craft time and ALL the other wonderful things you did....the tutu was a great hit), Lynne Weinmeister (how cool was that, “coincidentally” meeting in Walmart?), Gaylyn Pantana (yummy no bakes), Candace Grahl (secret recipe peanut butter balls), Loren Nop and crew (her family, helping move and set up tables), Toni Martin and Wyatt (pre-shower set up and being great friends), Susan Morykon (that HILARIOUS story about Brian, praying over Brian, Joy and Lucy and so “conveniently” being in the states for the birth of Kara), Dea Britt (the precious Prayer of Blessing over Brian, Joy and Lucy), Penne Scott (helping with the clean up), Kelly Portnoy (the decorated chair was SO CUTE), “And I’d like to thank the Academy”...oh wait..this isn’t the right place for that.
If Brian, Joy and Lucy ever doubted the love that others hae for them...that lie was murdered, dismembered and scattered throughout the water canals of the USA. Oh no, I think I’ve been watching too much CSI.
Sorry I don’t have pictures to post (lost my camera in FL.)...but I’m sure in a couple of days you can go to Joy’s Blogger and see them. Shower Pictures
Ok what was the funniest part for me? When Joy was reading the list of “my favorite things” that Gina Beck gave to her (cute idea btw) and pulling out the items as she read them from the bag. She got to “nursing pads” and “accidentally” pulled out a bag of cloth diapers and someone yelled out “We are so jealous of you Joy!”
Ok..so that’s the news that is the news across the nation...ta..ta..

Oh..it's great to be home!!

2006-08-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I got home on August 1st. What an incredible time I had!! I was in so many different climate areas. From the hot, humid jungles of Peru....to the cool, almost fall-like climate of Cuzco Peru, to the snowy, frigid cold of Santiago, Chile.
Fun times in the jungle you ask? The Jungle city of Iquitos what stands out is the motorized (motorcycle front) rickshaw taxis, like hundreds of them all over the streets racing to get their next passenger before their competition did. It was sort of like riding in bumper cars. The heat/humidity made me glad I wasn't going to hell. Then the 3 hour ride on the Amazon to the township where we had our missionary conference on the very house boat that Jim And Veronica Bowers used in their ministry. I actually got to jump off the back of the house boat while we were docked in the Jungle township of Indiana and swim in the Amazon. The current was incredible swift, but I held on to the house boat ladder. No piranas or boas around.
Then on to the tourist part of my trip was seeing the incredible Inca ruins of the area called Machu Picchu. I don't ever want to see that many stairs again. Thanks for the memories, Ron and Cheryl Adams from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.!! Then back to Santiago from the 22nd of July until the 31st. I had a great time with all my wonderful friends there. I must say..it was great to be back home and in my own bed. I hopefully won't be travelling far from home until February..cuz you know that my grandbaby will be coming sometime in November. Woo..Hoo...!!

Leaving AGAIN for Chile

2006-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yep..tonight at 10:00 PM..on my way to Santiago, but this time it's for a mission's trip. I will be taking an american couple from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. with me and I will be their interpreter too! On Tues. morning we join up with the other 9 of our group and will be flying and then taking a boat taxi on the Amazon River of Peru to go to the jungle for a 4 day missionary conference...YUP...piranas, snakes, malaria..and other fun things will be lurking around...BUT we have a GREAT PROTECTOR!! I will then be going to Cuzco, Peru and MachuPichu (look them up) for a 3 day vacation with Ron and Cheryl Adams (the couple) and then I will return to Santiago for 10 days and they will leave Peru to return to the states. Please pray for us all..we are CRANKED. We are actually going to a tribal village where they have never heard the name of God or ever heard of the Bible...FUN TIMES!! Love you all...............

An unforgettable Mother's Day

2006-05-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

My niece, Sara Milbourne, and I have been planning a fun week-end together for about 3 months now. It was going to be super special because it was going to be the week-end of Mother's Day. Since Joy and Brian are in Hawaii and my son Will is in Florida, it was going to be like having a child with me for that day. Well..as you can see from the first picture...this is where my niece, Sara, her 1/2 sister, Elizabeth, Kim and I spent the week-end, almost literally. The paramedics had to come and get my niece 3 times during the week-end as she had a freakishly rare allergic reaction to amoxicillin. She had epileptic type seizures and whole body muscle spasms. The picture of me with the face mask was just for some comic relief during the whole ordeal. I ended up having to drive her and her sister back to N.C. in my car and Kim Kreeger drove my niece's car back home...THANKS KIM!!
She is doing better, but has to get an appointment with a neurologist before she can be released to drive...Hey Sara....Way to make our week-end memorable..this one's for you!!

My "monthly" blog???

2006-04-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Where in the world does time go? I just checked my blog and it's been a month since I posted anything. Anyway..I wanted EVERYONE to know I PASSED MY SPANISH MEDICAL INTERPRETER'S TEST..woo..hoo..that means that now I can work as an Interpreter fot the local hospitals here in the Lynchburg,VA. and surrounding areas!! I am on a list of Spanish Interpreters that they will call when they need someone. I am also just a month away from doing my first Missionary Assignment in Central Florida. I am now a part of the Chilean Mission Agency named Adelphos and I will be in Central Florida for 3 weeks traveling with some of their staff members to different churches and interpreting for them..I'M CRANKED!! It will be so much fun.
Joy's pregnancy is going well..looks like the sick-yuckies have passed and she is in the beginning of ther 2nd trimester. It is a really fun experience going through this with them. Guess that's all for now..love all you folks out there in cyber space!!

Sorry..I've been lazy and busy!!

2006-03-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

I just looked at my blog and realized that I left half the world hanging...anyway. My trip was absolutely MARVELOUS!! On the 23rd of February I was officially accepted into the arms and organization, ADELPHOS, that is the one and only Chilean Mission Agency, based in Santiago, CHILE. I will continue living here in the states, but be their Representative stateside. I am already working on my first official assignment...setting up meetings in churches in FL. for the President, Manager of New Projects and the Administrative Director for the misison (they will all be in FL. with me!!) from the 31st of May to the 12th of June, when they return to Chile. Then from there, Lord willing I will fly to Santiago, Chile the second week in July to join up with a group that will be going to the jungles of Peru, to do a week long missionary conference in the jungle, then return to Chile for a week after that.
Then, of course you all know, but on the 24th of February, I received a call from Joy ( I was still in Chile), telling me that I was going to be a grandmother, and yes, Holli, you are right, so I will be called "Mimi", a nickname of mine from WAY back. That is is my grandchild doesn't come up with something else. So, do you know what is so special about the 24th of February? That was the 2nd year anniversary of my husband, Bill's, death!! Isn't God great..to let me know of a new life coming on the day that we were remembering Bill?
Now about the accident victim, they tell me that he is up and walking some. Is having therapy done, and he is going to be just fine..never did find out if they burned/trashed/smashed the motorcycle??
On the professional side (Interpreter) I have been taking classes in Harrisonburg, VA. for four week-ends in March for Medical Interpreting training. I just finished on Saturday and had to take an 8 page written exam..pretty intense, but great classes. If they tell me I passed the exam (which I think I did??) then I will be able to work for Centra Health (Lynchburg), Carillion Hospital (Roanoke) and UVA Hospital (Charlottesville). Meanwhile for the past two months I have been working as an over-the-phone interpreter from my home. It's pretty cool..I can even do the interpreting in my PJ's..and they pay me (on the phone time) $30 an hour..Woo..Hoo...I can buy more stuff for my grandbaby!!

OK..so I hope this has gotten you all up to date..sorry it was so long..thanks for taking the time to read it..I will post pics later!

Update on accident

2006-02-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

Well..so much for little town hospital doctors....The doctor had told us last night..that from all indications things looked good..they had not done xrays..I thought they did. So when he got to the hospital in the city they found that he had broken his nose. But that´s not the worst of it...his neck was broken in one place. He isn´t paralyzed (because we didn´t move him..thank the Lord) He has to be in the hospital for 5 days and then in bed without moving for a month. Please pray for Rodrigo and his parents Hugo and Miriam.

An exciting day at the beach

2006-02-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

Yes we did...it was beautiful...I got to go with all of Felix and Lili´s ´(that´s the people I´m staying with here)jeeping buddies to a wonderful beach about 45 minutes from Antofagasta(Will and Joy, between Hornitos and Mejillones). I took lots of pictures, but unfortunately I can´t upload them from here because I didn´t bring my cable..duh...anyway the water was ICE cold like it always is and took some getting used to..but we had all the comforts of home..except a bathroom and that made it necesary to take dune buggy rides in what we named the ¨Potty buggy¨ We had a real Chilean cook out with steak and about 6 different kinds of salads...while we were waiting for the steak to cook..they made us what they call ¨little sausage sandwiches¨ (choripanes, Kim and Joy)about two hours before we ate lunch (at 4:00) we had their famous meat pies (empanadas de pino, Joy and Kim) I only went in the water once, because the sun was super strong and I ended up just burning the tops of my feet because I forgot to put sun screen on them..oops. One of the BIG waves knocked me over and I went down and rolled over and over about 5 times...I ate sand, was exfoliated inside and outside..besides being the comedy show for everyone else..ha. AND I haven´t even gotten to the exciting part yet. So as we are getting ready to leave...(we had two off road jeeps, a dune buggy and a dirt bike for the ¨boys¨ to play with)the oldest teen ager (19) is messing around on his bike and on his way down the HUGE dune, hit a sand speed bump that stopped the bike..but he continued flying through the air. Today was the first day for him to get back on the bike after having broken his leg on it two years ago. This is where the ¨excitement¨ comes in...it looked like he was injured pretty severely..couldn´t breath and his back hurt really bad. When he fell he hit his chest first, his head bounced and they said that his back bowed like a U shape..somehow he ended up laying on his back and couldn´t move. His nose looked broken and he had cut his upper lip severely..but mostly we were worried about his back. We had to send Felix into the city (20 minutes away) to bring back paramedics with a body board and neck collar..we waited for an hour and they finally showed up...then all the guys and some women carried Rodrigo up the HUGE dune to one of the trucks we had there and then we had to slowly take him back to the highway (35 minutes away) where the ambulance was waiting for us. The ambulance couldn´t enter in where we were because it wasn´t a 4X4. We then took him to the little town´s hospital where they could give him something for the pain and xray him. We had begun to leave the beach at 8 PM. Once they saw that nothing was broken, back, neck, ribs then they said he could be transferred to the good hospital here in Antofagasta. We left the little town´s hospital about 11 PM and got home about midnight. We will find out tomorrow just how he is doing, but Thank the Lord he wasn´t severly injured. Sorry this is so long..but it was quite a day for us all. I was able to pray with one of the other young ladies that was there because she was really upset by the whole thing and I told the parents as well as Rodrigo that I was praying for them. None of them are believers. So I guess that´s it for today..we will see what tomorrow brings..good night..or is it good morning?

Hear the waves crashing?

2006-02-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do...I´m sitting in the sitting room of my old apartment in Antofagasta, CHILE, listening to the crash of the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Thank God, I finally got here at 12:45 PM today (Feb. 10th)...I left Lynchburg, VA. at 4:15 PM Thursday afternoon. It´s so good to be home. I´ve already had a home cooked Chilean lunch and had tea time..Thanks for praying for me

ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS!!

2006-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Joy..don't read this ok? Can't believe that I only have two more weeks before I'm winging my way once again to Chile...YES. So these are pics of what I think of when I think of going back....

CHILEAN BREAD...mmmmm...the yummiest
The Chilean National Flower- Copihue
National Lottery Symbol Dressed as Chilean Cowboy
Couple doing the National Dance – Cueca
One of the beautiful ocean view’s in Antofagasta, Chile (northern part)
Artesan Village – Santa Lucia (Santiago, Chile)
Yummy Cheese Empanadas

Joy to the rescue..thanks daughter!

2006-01-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

Cough, cough, cough...blow my nose, blow my nose...cough, cough ...sleep......miserable...sleep...and all over again.......
FINALLY after living this scenario for 2 1/2 days..I call my 911...Joy Morykon..my precious daughter...she so lovingly and patiently took me to the Family Care whatever that is over by Brian's office and after about 1 1/2 hours find out I have Sinusitis and the doc gave me horse pills (antibiotic), cough syrup with Codeine (mmmm) and some kind of other pill to help me out with the dust all in my house. Today I am feeling like I"m among the living, but just barely. THANK YOU JOY. Now back to sleep.......

Got the Job...Got the job.....

2006-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

YES....I had an interview today with a company out of Washington D.C. that wanted me to be a freelance over the phone interpreter for them..

my new job

After the 20 minute simulation testing was finished they said they would hang up now and then call me back in a few minutes to tell me how I did..They called back with the great news!! I'm so happy. Thank you all for praying for me

I think I have a house full of dead people???

2006-01-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ok..just follow my train of thought here (I may have de-railed)....If we are made from dust and when we die we convert back to dust????.........Then I have a house full of dead people!! I'm having some major construction going on in my house and the majority of it was done when I was in Texas...OH MY GOSH..I've never seen so much dust. My Christmas tree is covered, as well as my Christmas decorations...I was going to take it all down upon my return from Texas..now I have to CLEAN it all first. The major disaster area is my bedroom (where the major work is taking place)...I think the guys (and they are nice guys, normally) had been breathing too much cement dust or something when they began the major destruction in my room...their brains were totally affected by something and it wasn't intelligent cells working. The did not cover ANYTHING..my TV, my radio, my entire bed, ALL of my clothes...I'm telling you they are all covered in dead people. When Bill was alive and I had some major cleaning to do (ok, so I'm not suzy homemaker) he would always say to me, "Mel, just clean up the dead body" Meaning that in a murder situation, no one will know there has been a murder if you just remove the dead body!! Well, Bill, I'm so sorry, but there are SO MANY dead bodies around here..I'm overwhelmed at where to begin...So a word to all you CONTRACTORS out there...please make sure your guy's brains are functioning BEFORE they begin to do a work like this..it's VERY disheartening to find a mess like this in your home..Why do you think God invented Tarps for pete's sake? To you CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, when you start to do a job like this..think what your mom or your girlfriend would say or DO to you if you left THIS MESS in their house..HELLO!! Well..off to vaccuum away the dead people........................

Happy New Year, Surprise Daddy and girlfriends....

2006-01-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

Wow...it was too fun having the Kimple Family here with me to ring in the new Year!! THANKS FOR COMING!!

No way that 35 years has passed since we were all high kicking for the Gainesville Leopards???? Here we were still kicking..just kicking back..Great to see you Pam, Sherry and Cindy..let's keep in touch. Next time please tell me I have spinach in my teeth..ha!!

Pam Gray..way to go with your new business...

elysium

Fun Times with Mom Tooley at her "ranch" and the baby goats were adorable

SUPRISE!! Daddy was 80 on the 5th of January and we had a wonderful time celebrating together....The biggest surprise of all was when Sara and Scott came..Thanks Randy and Gwen!!

Can you tell that my dad is a John Deere Fanatic?

The picture of my brother, Randy, with his two children is priceless to me...I love you Scott and Sara..you too Randy!!
MOM..you were a real QUEEN...thanks for keeping our secret..you are beautiful!!

Deck the House with crashes of hammers...

2005-12-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Wow...I can't hardly believe it!! I'm finally getting my deck put on my house!! It will be too much fun this summer...with the pool and the slip n slide too...I am loving my house more and more every day. The not so fun part is when you wake up to bashing hammer sounds every morning. Today I was talking to Joy on the phone, with my chair up against the wall were they are putting in a sliding glass door (it's still wall) and one of the guys bashed it with the sledge hammer and it scared the living daylights out of me...good thing I had gone to the bathroom beforehand or we would have had a BIGGER mess to clean..ha.

Out with the Old..In with the New...but carefully!!

2005-12-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

This saying now has a new meaning to me....I know we say it when we draw close to the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one...but I have had a totally different experience that has given this a whole new meaning!! Christmas was real fun with friends from Fl. and Kim's Mom and Sis as well as Brian and Joy. Having little ones here in the house again was so fun to watch as they excitedly opened their gifts...they are 8 and 4!!..ok back to my new experience. At approx. 11:30 PM Christmas night I began "getting rid" of the old...I was tossing my cookies and I hadn't even eaten any!! So for the next 8 hours I was getting rid of the old every hour and a half...I'd rather go back and have 3 more kids..than do that!! So now..I'm putting in new..but toast, rice, tea..I did make a mistake today and try pizza...won't even go there...no more tossing cookies..but my stomach was not a happy camper. So for now...just taking it carefully...Burp...oops..excuse me!!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2005-12-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

So...I am so cranked...hope I don't get a flat..ha!! I'm having a house full and this is my first year to be able to go all out. THANKS KIM for all your help. I'm having friends from FL. come up with their two adorable little girls...Kim is having her Mom and sis coming...Brian and Joy will be here..only ones missing will be Will and Mandy...maybe in the years to come. I love this time of year..there is love and excitement in the air. So everybody out there...have yourselves a Merry BIG Christmas with CHRIST in the middle..front, back..all around.

Going into all the world???

2005-12-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

What is this image?? Only the logo of the FIRST and ONLY mission agency in Chile South America. Adelphos means "brother" in Greek and their theme is Serving to Obey the Great Commission. And why is this important to me at this point in my life you might ask??? Well they have officially extended an invitation to me to be their representative/missionary here in the United States and believe it or not I am seriously considering it!!. As I read these words "Hello Melody, I have the honor to inform you that yesterday ADELPHOS in their board meeting decided to approve you as our missionary and representative where the Lord may lead us" my heart began to beat a little quicker and my spirit soared!! I would actually be involved in a ministry led by Chileans...I need to tell you that I am so cranked. Please join me in prayer as I consider this opportunity for my life. I am in the midst of seeking counsel from those whom God has placed around me to be my guides and leaders as well as seeking HIS counsel and guidance in this. My children seem to be excited about this too as this would mean that I would live here in the states close to them and be able to be a very important part of the ministry in Chile,Paraguay, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Romania and Cuba and where ever else God leads this mission agency to serve. This mission agency was born in the first church that my husband, Bill, and I began in Santiago, Chile so in a very real sense I would be continuing in the ministry that God blessed us with and allowed us to participate in for 14 years.

In my Birthday Suit on my Birthday

2005-12-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

So I've been wanting to do this for a while...so who says you have to do it on the day of your birthday, which was in September...but so anyway.
Don't you think it's ironic that on the day of my birthday I was once again with a Doctor and I was in my birthday suit??? HA...yea, on my BD I had my 3 month diabetic check up....so here's some pics of me not in my birthday suit, but my Easter suit (awe..) and my bathing suit. C U

The waiting is over and I wish Bill were still here

2005-09-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I got an answer today from the Certified Language company about my Language Proficiency test...out of a passing 80%, I got 77...so close, yet so far away. I was bummed, but not too bad. THEN...
I got a phone call from my son Will, telling me that due to the fact he was going to have to "evict" a roommate his income from rent would go down, therefore he wouldn't be able to pay his bills in time to move here in February...I was sort of ok with that one...but then when I was IM-ing to my daughter,Joy, and my good friend, Michele and shared with them the reason Will was going to have to take a stand...I won't go into to detail..but it has to do with the sort of weed that you don't see normally growing in your yard being used by renter/roommate......
I was so proud of him..he's only 24 and that showed real maturity. The thought fleetingly passed through my mind (but I let in come in and out as I didn't want to dwell) of how proud his daddy would be of him. I was ok, until one of my IM-buddies actually wrote what had come and gone..and I lost it. I've been doing pretty good...it's been a year and 1/2 since Bill died, but ever so often the I think that I can't make it... I just thought... man...if only Bill were here to rejoice in the fruit of our labor together of trying to raise our children to do the right thing..and then if only he were here to comfort me about the almost passing grade and it just overwhelmed me once again. Heaven just somehow seems sweeter and more desirable now...but I know it's so true what Bill said until he couldn't speak anymore...GOD HAS A PLAN.
I still say being a widow isn't the funnest thing in the world

Waitng for the phone to ring....

2005-09-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

Man..I can remember when I used to wait for the phone to ring while I was in Texas and HE was in Florida...those were the days. Well, now I'm waiting on Certified Languages to call me to let me know if I passed their language proficiency test and therefore will be qualified to be one of their over the phone English/Spanish Interpreters...I think the seconds are getting longer each minute or something...I know we are going into the fall and the days are "supposed" to be getting shorter..but something has happened here in my home to my clocks..the are just taking their "merry time" as I impatiently wait....so I'm just trying to fill in the time here....
Thanks to you all out there for your prayers and encouragement to me.