HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!

Saturday Night Phone Call

This is a picture of my husband. He fought in Vietnam.
Several years ago, we tried to find his friends that he was in Vietnam with. We had no luck.

On Saturday our phone rings. My husband answers it and the man on the other end asks if this is Charles Jeffers and of course my husband said yes and then the man asks were you in Vietnam in 1968-1969 and again his answer was yes and then the man said this is Carl and my husband said Carl Spain and the man said yes.

After 42, 43 years, my husband got to talk to a good friend that served in Vietnam with him. He was on cloud 9 the rest of the night. It was a good night!!

Love, Bella

LOVE

CHRISTMAS LOVE - paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of LOVE will endure.

This was taken from a blog that I read - http://arlingtonmama.blogspot.com/

Love, Bella

Poppa & "Mud"

(details coming)

Driver's License Written Test

My baby is growing up!!
Well, my baby finally did it. She officially passed the written portion of the Arkansas Driver's License test today.

Now, there will be thirty (30) days of "can I drive" or "let me drive!!"

Love Bella

Pictures I've Seen on Facebook

THE HOPE CENTER UGANDA

If anyone could help out, that would be sweet!!

They are trying to raise money for a vehicle to help get the children to and from doctor visits.

Love Bella


This is where you will find there blog:
http://hopecenteruganda.blogspot.com/

This is the post about the vehicle needed:
New Vehicle Fund Raiser!

We have been presented with an opportunity to purchase a vehicle that would be such an incredible blessing to this ministry, to our family, and to everyone who visits. It is a 14 passenger, diesel, 4x4, and it would be able to do the village work we are feeling so called to do.

Please share this post with everyone you know. We do not have the funds to purchase this vehicle and are asking your help, any donation would help whether is was 5,10,20 or 30 dollars. Our current vehicle is not large enough for everyone. I had to take the baby's to the Doctors for a check-up couple days ago and made 2 trips to get them all there and back.

Here are a couple pictures of it.





Prayer Warriors Please pray for us!!!

BLessings to all!
Angie

MUD casting

Morgan
Poppa
Bella

This is what we did on Saturday. We went to a "MUD" casting, that's the name of a movie coming out in 2013, and being filmed in Arkansas. Our daughter had applied, and got called for a "meet and greet," so off we went. After everyone showed up, come to find out they were looking for, on this particular day, "certain looks" which was a natural blonde, from 5'1" to 5'4" tall and no more than 120 pounds, only a hand full of girls fit that description. And they were looking for a teenage boy. When everyone was let go, they were told just because they didn't get picked that day did not mean they would not be called to be extras, because they were going to need a lot of teenagers for the movie, I guess that's why they wanted everyone there, so they could look at you!!

The Casting Director, Sarah, told her husband, Byron, to get an application and get Poppa to fill it out. We were kind of shocked, so I asked why him, and he said that his wife who is the casting director said that he has an interesting face and she wanted him to fill out an application. So, when they found out that we had Harleys and that I ride too, they wanted me to fill out one also, because there is going to be a part in the movie with motorcycles and they are going to try to stick with just Harleys.

So, to sum it up, we could all end up being extras in the movie, of course, if we have the "look!"

We also got to meet the director, Jeff Nichols!! I forgot to ask could we take a picture with him. But here's a photo I found on the internet of him!!

Jeff Nichols, Director

Love, Bella

Family

This is a picture of my baby daughter, Morgan Ann, myself, my Aunt Jimmye (my Mom's sister), my first granddaughter, Emily Rhyse, and my oldest daughter, Connie Marie (Emily Rhyse's mommy).

I love these people more than I could ever explain. I am so thankful that my Aunt still comes to Arkansas to visit.

Love,
Bella

9/11/2011 & Razorbacks

I thought it was pretty awesome that the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS did a 9/11 tribute!!

Love,
Bella

DOLLY PARTON

My wonderful husband is taking me to see Dolly Parton in October. I have always wanted to see her in person. I've read her book and I just think she is amazing. Saw her interview on "The Tonight Show" the other day and it was hilarious, apparently in the early 80s in California she entered a Dolly Parton look-a-like contest and she didn't even place. I can't wait for the concert!!

Love, Bella

Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS - June 30 - July 3, 2011

Poppa, statue of Roy Acuff & Minnie Pearl, and Bella at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN

Well, we are back from our "mini" vacation and we had a blast. On Thursday, we drove to Nashville, TN and got there about mid-afternoon. Found the hotel, and when we walked up to the office door there was a piece of steel on the door that was used to lock it - I touched it and told Poppa that this wasn't looking too good. Note to self - always go with your first instinct, we should have canceled reservation and left. First, the hotel looked like it was in the ghetto and secondly, it was nasty on the outside and the office didn't look much better. We got checked in and went to the room. The first room was on the side of the interstate and you could hear the traffic even with the door shut, so we asked for a different room. The smell was like a strong scented disinfectant and I had trouble breathing. We left and went in search of food. And, as we were sitting at the restaurant, Caney Fork, we were looking at the hotels near by and decided that was more of an area where we wanted/needed to be. So, after we finished eating, we located a new room and went to retrieve our belongings and check out of the ghetto hotel before dark. We arrived at the newly found hotel, the Fiddler's Inn!!

Poppa & Bella at Caney Fork Restaurant in Nashville, TN

On Friday, we ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel, which was near the hotel. Then we headed downtown to the Ryman Auditorium. We got our tickets for the tour, even received a military discount, sweet!! It was awesome!! After the tour, we walked up one side of Main Street and back down the other side, until I couldn't walk anymore. We headed back over by the hotel to eat a late lunch at Caney Fork, and then headed to the hotel to rest a little before heading to the Grand Ole Opry.

Poppa & Bella at the Grand Ole Opry (before the show)

Poppa & Bella at the Grand Ole Opry (after the show)

At the Grand Ole Opry, we saw the JaneDear Girls, The Isaacs, The White Family, Bill Anderson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Rodney Atkins, Darius Rucker!! It was much awesomeness!!

Little Jimmy Dickens (90 years old)

Rodney Atkins (was not on the list to be there-how awesome- he sang "Farmers Daughter")

Ricky Skaggs

Darius Rucker (he sang "Alright")

Marty Stuart

On Saturday morning, we checked out of the Fiddler's Inn and had a really nice chat with a lady that worked in the gift shop at the hotel, Shirley aka The Colonel (75 yrs. old)!! Shirley was a wealth of information and we wished we had met her when we first got to Nashville instead of when we were leaving. We left the hotel and headed for the Lane Motor Museum, we were there for a couple of hours, it was very interesting.

Bella & her next car (haha!!)

Poppa & race car

Car that can be driven from either direction!!

Off to locate Highway 100 to find the entrance to the Natchez Trace Parkway. After a misdirection on my part, we found Highway 100 and the entrance to the Trace. On the first leg of the Trace, we found a spot that had a Confederate Gravesite, with 13 unknown soldiers. I was surprised to find 13 individual grave markers at this site, I thought it would just be one marker stating that there were 13 unknown Confederate soldiers buried there. On our map, it showed as "Confederate Gravesites and Old Trace," but on the actual sign on the Trace it only said "Old Trace" and we almost did not stop, we actually passed it up, but decided to turn around and investigate and we were so glad we did. This spot is about 10 miles North of Tupelo. We stopped for the night in Tupelo.

Bella at entrance of the Natchez Trace off Highway 100 just outside of Nashville, TN

Poppa at entrance of the Natchez Trace off Highway 100 just outside of Nashville, TN

Tombstone of an Unknown Confederate Soldier (located about 10 miles North of Tupelo, MS on the Natchez Trace)

All 13 Tombstones of the Unknown Confederate Soldiers (located about 10 miles North of Tupelo, MS on the Natchez Trace)

Sunday morning we headed out again and on this second and last leg of the Trace, the most interesting spot and I am so glad we were able to locate it, was the spot that I had only heard my Dad refer to as "The Overlook" and he use to stop there and let us play in the water when we were kids. The spot is actually called the "Reservoir Overlook" and it was packed with boaters - I was really surprised. All those years ago, when we would be at the Overlook, we would be the only ones there. I think we spent the most time at this spot, it sure brought back a flood of memories.

Reservoir Overlook

Overlook swamped by boats

Most beautiful spot at the Overlook

Bella & Poppa at the Overlook

We got to Natchez, Mississippi and the end of the Trace about mid-afternoon and instead of spending the night there as was previously planned, we headed home, stopped in Monroe, Louisiana for supper and got home around 7:30 p.m. Not to shabby!!

Poppa

Bella

Poppa

Bella

We really enjoyed the whole weekend!!

Love,
Bella

My Husband

My husband told me yesterday and again today that he is glad that I am his!! Wow!! I'm speechless!!

Love,
Bella

VACATION TIME

It is that time of year, well not really because any time of year to me is a good vacation time, but anyway, this is where I will be on July 1, 2011, with my honey!! We have tickets to see Darius Rucker and Marty Stuart, and others. They have not yet posted the full list of who will be there on that day, but I am excited!!

Then we will be taking the Natchez Trace from Nashville, Tennessee all the way down to Natchez, Mississippi. I have wanted to do this for a long time and we had actually planned to ride the Trace on the motorcycles, but it is way too hot to put on a helmet and we didn't want to put the trip off, so we will be going in the truck - the one with air conditioning, the motorcycles don't have air conditioning!! Looking foward to seeing things/scenery like these:



Where would you like to go this summer? Wherever you go, just have fun and be safe!!

Love, Bella