New photos of the grands!

Good Evening Bloggers! Well the Christmas Holiday is over and its back to work tomorrow. I wanted to share the new photos I received via email from Japan.
I tell you seeing Emily eating at a Japanese restaurant breaks my heart! She should have been with the rest of her family her in America opening tons of presents from Santa and eating turkey and ham and all the American fixings.
They were 9 and 7 when their mother kidnapped them and took them to Japan. They are 13 and 11 now.
Finally, the mother is allowing some communication again. She has mood swings and sometimes she cuts our communication completely. I pray for her, and I pray for my grandchildren every day. But it was wrong for her to kidnap the children , just plain wrong.
All I want now is for my grandchildren to live a happy and healthy life. But I have to admit that I want them to live that life here.
I guess I am journaling my feelings right now. So be patient with me.
I am so Thankful to have any communication I can with them.
Have a good week and God Bless!









Emily at Christmas Dinner.













Karate!



Anthony is the little boy to far left. Emily is about the third girl back on the left!



a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRKbq_HgMX1uU8-dzVx2wl6Wk-Lnv9eO5ky9P8xoktARVy8V_I2Rotoerm80PZt78rMX-y6oSO3jaC7sLWNwBcU4e5Cu27KylzpvhHcaSMJ1foCa8QUYTwrWW5NO1YnGWHEB1yLAqhg4/s1600/%25E7%2594%25BB%25E5%2583%258F-0013.jpg">





Emily doing her thing in Karate!

Good NEWS!

This is exciting news for all parents/grandparents whose children/grandchildren have been abducted from America and taken to JAPAN!
This gives us all hope that someday our children/grandchildren will be returned to their American families.
Dr. Garcia is a really wonderful man and I AM SO HAPPY FOR HIM!!





MEDIA ADVISORY / PRESS CONFERENCE
Kidnapped Milwaukee Girl Returns from Japan in Time for Christmas
Fox Point Doctor’s Daughter is First-Ever Abducted
American Child Returned from Japan
WHAT: Press Conference to announce and discuss the return of Dr. Moises Garcia’s nine
year-old daughter from Japan, following her kidnapping from Milwaukee in 2008.
WHEN: Saturday, December 24, 2011, 11 AM
WHERE: Pfister Hotel, Kennedy Room Conference Center, 424 East Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53202.
WHO: Dr. Moises Garcia; Patrick Braden, Founder, Global Future; Takashi Ikeda, Japanese
Attorney for Garcia family in Japan; possible speakers to include; Milwaukee County District
Attorney (representative to be determined) and Attorney James Sakar (Wisconsin Attorney)
MEDIA INTERVIEWS: All speakers will be available for interviews following the press
conference.
ABOUT GLOBAL FUTURE: Since 2006, Patrick Braden, Dr. Garcia, and Global Future’s
member parents, whose children were kidnapped from the United States to Japan and other
countries, have lobbied over 600 days on Capitol Hill and held over 2,000 meetings with the
administration, members of Congress, law enforcement officials, and NGOs. Global Future’s
efforts have been responsible for the passage of legislation, key public policy research, and
improvements in the U.S. government's handling of international kidnappings. Global Future
parents assist new members in communicating with public officials and agencies, and with
individual case management, protocols, and strategies. Global Future publishes and distributes
various materials including our 32-page magazine American Citizen Children Kidnapped by
Japan, which U.S. officials acknowledge as a very strong tool in their work on the international

I am joining this fabulous party!

Yard Sale finds! Retail therapy!

Good Evening.
MY Vacation is over so its back to work I go in the morning. However thankfully I will be off for about five days counting the weekend for Christmas.
I wanted to share my yard sale finds and my retail therapy haul. I hope you enjoy this brief post. Unfortunately the photo I took of the arrangement setting between my two lamps on my credenza did not transfer.. So I just posted what did take. I will post the full photo maybe tomorrow evening. I hope you enjoy.




Yard Sale Finds

For some reason the complete photo of this did not transfer to my computer. So you will not get the full effect of this piece and its beauty. But this is a gorgeous arrangement. I have similar arrangements in Michaels for 140.00 dollars or more. I paid 4.00 for this one.














I have seen these "urns or buckets" all over blogland. I have no clue what they are for, someone told me they are used to keep Champagne or wine on ice. I don't know. My husband and I do not drink, nor do we serve alcohol when we entertain.
But I am completely sure there is some decorative use for this beautiful container. Suggestions are welcome!






Retail Therapy!!

I could not pass up this little silver bird. It was just waiting there on the shelf just for me!!






Some of you are aware I love to use Cardinals at Christmas. Mostly because it is the Ky State bird and it happens to be red. At least the male is red.
I found this bowl at Marshals. I had to have some retail therapy after vacation. I am slowly beginning to build a supply of Cardinal dishes to use at Christmas.

We are back from Jamaica!

Good Evening Blogger Friends!
We made it back from Jamaica, boy did the week fly by, just was not enough time. We had an awesome time. We met a lot of nice people, ate lots of delicious food, and got some much need R & R!
I have been visited the blogs on my reading list and catching up on all the good things in blogland
I thought I would post some of the photos from the trip. Hope you enjoy viewing all the beautiful photos of Jamaica!



Our Hotel Room






Plenty of Good Food!










Proof that God Exist!











Jamaican Wood Art











Jamaican Towel Art!










God 's promise that everything is going to be okay in Jamaica.








This photo is of the lobby of our hotel.








They put this tree up the day we were leaving. It is in the lobby of our hotel.








This is the photo of another RIU resort. My husband took it from the bus we were riding back to the airport. It was taken through the window, that is why the glare.

Christmas Decorating

Good Afternoon my friends!
It is that time of year for my husband and I. We leave next week for Jamaica for a much needed vacation for me. So this will be my last post for a couple of weeks.
I thought today I would share a few of my decorations I have out for Christmas.
Please remember, I am not a photographer and I don't stage for photos. So what you see is real life Susan and her taste in decorating.
I hope everyone has had an awesome weekend! I only have to work two days and then Wednesday we are leaving on a jet plane! Take care everyone!!



I thought I would first the simple decorations in the guest bedroom. I decided to only use angels in this room. The blue angel is a yard sale find. The microfiber lighted angel is a after Christmas find. I don't remember where I found her though.








I placed a little cream colored angel on end table beside the bed.







I moved these two tall candle sticks to the entry hall and placed it under my oval mirror. I just added glittered gold candles with a red berry ring under the candles.






I found this tear drop wreath at a yard sale. It got a make over. I added some cardinals and other Christmas pics to make it prettier.






I temporarily placed this round table in a corner in the entry hall. It came out of the sun room to make room for the Christmas tree. I decided to place the cone Christmas thingie I made from Christmas pics! I put a green lighted garland around the bottom of container in which the cone sits.







I placed a simple poinsettia on the little table in the entry way. ( I plan to put a real poinsettia plant there when it gets closer to Christmas. On the bottom of the little table,I placed a red angel that I bought at JC PENNY after Christmas sale many years ago.








My Red angel sitting in the bottom of the little table in the entry way.








This how I decorated the seating corner in the Master Bedroom.






This is a close up of the Master Bedroom tree. The Master Bedroom is done in burnt oranges and browns, so I kept with that theme with the tree.





I placed two snowmen and a lighted train on the dresser in the Master Bedroom.








This is the little hall that goes to the Master Bedroom. I placed a garland of lights around the basket. I placed Christmas ornaments all around the candle. The Candle is a holiday candle I bought last year at Bed Bath and Beyond when they were having the after Christmas sales.





This an up close shot of the basket in the hallway.






I placed a dancing Santa on the old fashioned radio that is in the sun room. The Santa dances to Jingle Bell Rock. The glittered boot and Ho Ho is a Michael s find last year. I found the little teddy bear for 25 cents at a yard sale. The lighted glass box was a yard sale find for fifty cents. It got a do over on the ribbon.








I covered the chair in the sun room with this red floral quilt. The red blanket I embroidered a head of a snowman in the corner of the blanket. The Santa Hat I embroidered my name and just laid it on the blanket.






This wreath is hanging on a wall in the sun room. I found it at a Yard Sale for a dollar. It was brand new in the box. It may have been two dollars. I can't remember.







In the living room and sun room I chose to use a red and gold and white theme. I bought the garland at Michael s years ago. I also bought the glittered roses there as well. The glittered Merry Christmas is a yard sale find. The cardinal stockings I found at Goodwill.





I made this little guy last year when we were living in the condo.

ThanksGiving!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!! This has been a time of reflection for me. A time to reflect on how lucky I am to have the family I have, the friends I have and the many blessings that our creator has given me.
Little ole me. How do I deserve such awesome blessings in my life?
As I reflect I am so Thankful for every event of my life, both good and bad. With each blessing came joy and peace. With every hardship, pain, hurt that I endured, came a wonderful lesson out of the storm.
I hope that we all can be Thankful for the loving God we serve. His love is greater than any sickness we endure, and all we need to know this, is to look at our children, our pets, and the beautiful natural elements and how he designed the earth.
I plan to serve him better this next year, to be a better person, to give more of myself to his service, to bless others with gifts of love and compassion. This is all he ask of us, is to do unto others as he would do for us.
Many blessings to you my friends!!










The Chrismas tree in the sun room! I will add post at a later time for all my Christmas decorations. These photos are ones my hubby took. Hopefully, I will fell well enough soon to have the energy to start posting regularly again!
The dinner table all dressed up and waiting for Thanksgiving dinner. We kept the tablescape very simple because it is custom for us to put all the food on the table and do the passing around the table thing. The table is partially done in this photo as we had not yet added the water glasses and other drink glasses and cups.
This is my daughter and I in our aprons getting ready to do up the Thanksgiving meal! . Oh yeah in case you did not know she is the one in polka dot apron "wink". It looks like I have been working hard cooking. But I did mostly nothing with this meal. When you read the post below you will understand why.
This is my only daughter and I tell you folks she is made of gold! Most of you know that I struggle with COPD and Sarcoidiosis. These past month I have really been struggling. Hence fewer post.
Anyway, this golden child of mine cooked Thanksgiving dinner all by herself and it was very good. She did allow me to peel the potatoes and cut up the veggies, but made me sit down while I did that. She allowed her brother to make the turkey gravy. But everyone else was banned from the kitchen!
# 2 Son wearing a frilly Christmas Apron. He is making the turkey gravy, he is an awesome cook! My daughter posted this picture on face book with the caption, "Revenge is Sweet". #2 son had told his mother a secret that she did not want me to know. It was not a bad secret, just a phone call she had made to her brother when she was partying with her friends. She did not think Mom would approve of her "tasting the spirits". LOL
#1 Son. This is my first born. He is a pleasure to be around. He loves to hunt
and was proudly showing photos of the big buck he gamed this year. Just so you know, I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF SHOOTING ANY ANIMALS,but my son has a good heart in every way. He just enjoys the sport of hunting. He firmly believes it is Gods way of keeping the deer from starving from being over populated. So even though I don't agree, it is his decision. I love him unconditionally!

Family Reunion!

Ooops me saying Good Bye to Halloween. How did this get in the midst of the Reunion post.?
My nephew Willie and John my niece Robin's hubby
My brother Ollie and his grandson Spencer. Spencer is the cutest and best baby.
My niece Robin and my brother in law Wade.
This is the family photo of my brothers and sister. I am the first one on the left in my tan sweater. My sister is standing beside me, my oldest brother and my middle brother and my baby brother. He will always be the baby brother no matter how old he gets.
My oldest son , my nephew and my neice Robin's hubby and daughter Hannah.
My daughter Melissa and her hubby!! My oldest son is in the back ground.
My brother in law and brother.
This is my sister in law who is married to my oldest brother.
This is my oldest sister and my youngest brother. He was the one that hosted the reunion.
This is all the nieces and nephews of our family.
This is all of my . niece's and nephews and Great neices and nephews. The young man on the far left is my oldest son. My youngest son did not get to go to the reunion. My daughter is the one in the white shirt the fourth one from the right of my son.
The lady sitting at the table and the lady at the stove in the background are the ones that cooked the meal for our family. They did such a wonderful job!
These Deer bed down in my daughters back yard. There are deer every where in the housing development. They are not afraid of people, so they go everywhere and do not run when they see people.
This is the view from my daughters deck.
These are horses that are near my daughters home!! These are not the best looking Kentucky HORSES. BUT KENTUCKY HAS SOME BEAUTIFUL HORSES. I just did not have a lot of time to take all the pictures I wanted.