Texan Oma and Pappa

Mother's

2009-05-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

You know yesterday was Mother's Day and I really did have a wonderful Mother's Day even if we celebrated it early. It was a quiet day for Paul and Dylan and I as we had just taken Nathaniel, Ashley and Baby Kyleigh to the airport in Houston as they had been here for a week visiting us. It was such a joy to have them home.

I really think that everyday that you get to see or be there for your children and grandchildren is Mother's Day...to get to see them grow and progress is such a blessing. To just have them in your life is so wonderful words can not express it. I look at my sons, my step-daughters and my grandchildren and am so proud of them. The Love they show Paul and I is so awesome!

Liz was just here too with Devin and the boys before Devin shipped out and what a joy it was to have them here. I have missed them so much.

The time spent with Lil' Kyleigh Bug and Nathan and my lil'Muncha Bunch Matthew was just wonderful. They all are growing so fast. I am hoping soon that we will see Hunter and Mikayla on our way to Calif., and that Conner might be able to stay with us again this summer.

Having Nathaniel and Roman both call on Mother's day was just the icing on the cake after a wonderful month of having some of our kids and grandkids here for a visit. I feel so blessed to also have been able to spend time with my beautiful sister and her daughters recently in California. My only wish would be that my mother could have been there with us. I know she loves us and watches over us always. I love and miss her so much at times it hurts...but Thank God I have such a wonderful sister!

Oh yeah and I have a grand-daughter Kyleigh who I just found out snorts when she laughs too! Just like all the other women in my family...yes Gina, Brigetta and Anne that includes you! It was too funny to hear that coming from such a little one! But I loved it!

Ashley is doing such a wonderful job with her...she is such a happy baby and such a pleasure to be around. Course the fact that she looks just like her Daddy with her mommy's eyes doesnt hurt either...LOL

Seems interesting to have a day where our children honor us when the Lord has seen fit to bless us with such wonderful children. What and honor and a privilege it has been and continues to be, to be a Mother!

Thank-you Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ name for my family and the love that we have for one another!

An extra special book

2009-04-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

25 April 2009

Suprise suprise suprise.

I got a book in the mail today.

Title: Devin Reed Family 2009: My Daddy is on a trip!

Written and published by Liz Reed.

This book is a hard bound childrens book, with pictures of the Reed family.

It is a real treasure, a priceless piece of memorablia which, in my always humble opinion, is the best way to create family histories and memories. You should contact her and get one made for yourself.

I love the fact that she thought enough of me, to send me one. If I knew how to make and post pictures, I would show it to you. But alas, all I can do is write about it.

Thank you Liz and Devin for this priceless gift.

Paul B. Mills

Just Rambling On and on and on

2009-03-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Okay so this comes from the Heart and yes I know I will just be rambling on and on...so much has happened to me and in my life in the last 4 months...Today as I sit here I want to say that on this Day which just happens to be my Mother's birtday I want to hope that she is smiling because my Sister Anne and I have reconnected and now after 45 years we have such a wonderful loving, sisterly bond and rapport with each other. I know my mother had a hand in it from the beginning getting us back together. There have been so many strong women in our family from my grandmothers on both sides and then my Beautiful Mother. There are also many strong women who are an extentsion of her...namely my sister Anne and her beautiful daughters, Gina and Brigetta who are also very loving. We also have a new up and coming generation of women starting with Brielle (Anne's grandaughter from Gina) and then to baby Kyleigh (my grandaughter from Nathaniel)... It is a testament to my mother that my sister and I managed to raise 5 wonderful children between us who are so amazing...and both of us as single mothers for way too long! The love and respect we have for our children could only have come from our mother. She was and always will be the force within us that has allowed us to love beyond measure no matter what life has dealt us personally. I will always remember sitting in her hospital bed and watching her color in a coloring book for me before she died and knowing that I was loved. Happy Birthday MOM...I love you lots and lots and bunches of lots!

Oh my goodness the laughter that my sister and I share is incredible... There are so many times that we are laughing at a phone so hard that we both have pee'd our pants. It is so funny that two women can live 2000 miles apart and yet chat on the phone like they are next to each other for hours on end. I know my son Dylan and my husband Paul think I have lost my mind at times...and it must look hysterical too, because usually I am cleaning the kitchen or baking while I am talking to her. Most would think I was talking to myself I am sure. I have so enjoyed having my sister be a part of my life and to be able to share so much with her. We have had 45 years of making up and catching up to do too...and it has and is so much fun. With everything else we have had to deal with concerning my dad this has been such a blessing to reconnect the way we have. Lord help anyone who tries to come between us again...LOL Now I just have to get a picture of her from Gina and then I will post it on here too...Thank you Thank you Thank you Heavenly Father for my Mother and my sisters and all the women in our family!
Oh yes and one more thing can someone please tell us how to use our new cell phones before we both lose our minds...and why oh why does it tell me that Anne is "null" when ever I try to send her a text message...LOL

The Men in my Life!!!

2009-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Oh Heavenly Father thou has blessed me beyond imagination...with three wonderful SONS and one amazing HUSBAND! I do not know what I ever did to be so blessed but I am and will be eternally grateful. They are all so kind and loving and smart! Most importantly they love you LORD and have honored their covenants with thee!
This picture was taken in Monterey after Kyleigh's blessing and it was so beautiful outside. To have everyone together for such a wonderful occasion was such a blessing in and of itself. I know this sounds corney to many of you but...these boys all came with no instruction manuals and a no return policy...and inspite of this they turned out all right with me as their Mother...that only happened one way and that was because the Lord blessed me greatly! I could in no way have raised them without the Lord's help. He sent Paul to us to put on the finishing touches and be the wonderful loving father to them that he is. Sometimes amid all the trials and tribulations that we have in our lives...the LORD makes sure he sends us Tender Mercies so we can make it through all we have to endure. He does this to make sure we know that he loves us and knows each and everyone of us and all that we go thru. Oh Dear Lord I am so grateful for my family words can not tell...

Mommy and Kyleigh

2009-03-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

Now it just wouldnt be fitting if we did not include a picture of Mommy and baby Kyleigh! This day was very special for this wonderful lil' mommy who got to watch her husband give their daughter a blessing from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Baby Kyleigh's Blessing Day

2009-03-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Okay so this has been too long in coming...This day was so very special and important to all of us but especially Nathaniel, Ashley and Kyleigh. It was December 28th 2008 and it was the day that Nathaniel gave Kyleigh a "Babies Blessing" at Church! It truly was a blessing in so many ways as Kyleigh has been such a blessing to us all. We are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to our family. She is beautiful and just absolutely wonderful but then I guess I might just be a little prejudiced. She brings such joy to all her family but especially to her mother and father. To see the look of pure love and joy in the eyes of Nathaniel and Ashley as they care for her is really wonderful. What a blessing a baby is! We are so grateful that she and Ashley were both well and had no complications during or after the delivery. Ashley was a Champ! Nathaniel helped by being a loving husband but Ashley you did all the work honey and the Lord has blessed you greatly for it. We are so proud of you and so grateful for you and Nathaniel bringing this wonderful bundle of joy to our family. Kyleigh is such a beautiful little girl and we love her lots. Okay so I have gone off on lots of tangents but here is a picture of Kyleigh and her family on her blessing day. Nathaniel gave the blessing as her Daddy who is a worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder and Pappa (Paul) and Uncle Roman also stood up for her blessing as additional Priesthood holders. Okay so Dylan just got to be in the picture because he is her handsome Uncle and an Aaronic Priesthood holder...

PIctures from Hurricane Ike

2008-09-17T15:35:00.003-07:00

Hurricane Ike Update

2008-09-17T15:35:00.002-07:00

Well, we made it thru our first disaster. Although we had mandatory evacuation orders for both Hurricane Gustav and Ike it was Ike that really came thru and wrecked havoc for the area. We live just 80 miles as the crow flies north east of Galveston. Basically a straight shot north from Port Arthur. Strange, because we were just in Port Arthur for stake conference a few weeks ago. In fact Roman just received the Melchizedek Priesthood at the Conference. The very next week we had to evacuate because of Hurricane Gustav and come to find out it barely drizzled here and there was little or no wind. We had evacuated with Liz and Devin to San Angelo where we stayed at the Goodfellow Air Force Base for two days and then went down to San Antonio to visit our friends Donna and Patrick Elliott. Wonderful people with wonderful hearts.
No such luck with Hurricane Ike. Ike came thru with a vengeance. Orange County which is the county just south of us on Highway 87 was devastated. As was Bridge City. From what I have heard from a friend whose daughter is married to a Marshall in Bridge City they have found many bodies in the aftermath of the storm. They are also having major problems with all the alligators and snakes. Now those two alone would keep me from ever going into Orange again. Much less the destruction from the Hurricane. Beaumont, which is where we have to go for anything really like Best Buy and any bookstores, sporting goods, movies, restaurants and such has also been hit very hard. This weekend Paul and Dylan are going down at 5am with the Church to do service in Beaumont.
We were fortunate although we had no power for 4 days and the HUGE pecan tree in the front yard fell on the house it did no major damage. We had a small generator and that helped tremendously. Totally blew out the freezer. We had trouble with the Refrigerator/Freezer but got that fixed.
The best part was that for some reason I had a very calm feeling through both Hurricanes that all would be well. I was at peace and knew the Lord would protect us. Was true too because the tree didn’t hit the ground until 5 minutes after we pulled out of the driveway. Otherwise it would have hit the car with all our stuff packed in it. And that was after the Major part of the hurricane had come thru when the ground was water logged.
We have been truly blessed, we are safe, no major damage, and we were together thru it all. We also had the opportunity to use what the church has urged us to do and that is the food storage. We found what we were lacking and what we had plenty of. Great learning experience. Hope you all got that email I sent on what I had learned from it.
Love you all and God Bless!!

My baby Roman has moved on...

2008-09-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Roman has moved on with his life and is now at the Naval base in the Great Lakes area. He is in the Navy Nuclear Program and as of Sunday September 7th has shipped out to boot camp. We love him lots and wish him well and I know our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ will be with him always and have guardian angels to watch over him. We are so proud of his decisions for his life and look forward to his accomplishments. At the same time with having Nathaniel get married and join the Air Force and move to California having Roman gone the same year is hard. Dylan asked me today when I told him to take care of the trash why I didn't ask either Nathaniel or Roman to do it. Little pipsqueak he knows cuz he is the only one left at home still. Oh my I love all my sons so very much and miss Roman alot at this moment as he just left. I miss having Nathaniel around to talk to all the time as he was my buddlies most of his life. I have always had a wonderful love and respect for my children and I know that will continue for the rest of time and eternity. It is hard to let go and deal with them growing up even though you know it has to happen and you are so proud of them and the life choices they have made. I respect their decisions and agree with them however; it does not mean that I don't miss them or wish that I could turn back the clock and just have a bit more time with them. They are all three such wonderful young men and I am honored and privileged to have had the time with them all that I have...Dylan your still stuck with me for two more years at least buddy and I am gonna hold on tight. Funny how you cry when they each go to Kindergarten and then you cry when they graduate from High School and when they get married and then when they go off on an adventure called Life...and I know I will cry again with love and joy when they have their families. I miss Brandon so much too. I get to call him every week but he is such a wonderful young man and so loving. I miss him so, and have such wonderful memories of him as a child for the time I was able to have him also. Oh and by the way the picture of him is with him holding Liz and Devin's baby Matthew who reminds me so much of Roman when he was a baby...such a munch a bunch they both are.

Baby News Flash...YEAH!

2008-07-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Okay so Ruthie and Joel are having a baby boy around the first of December. Nathaniel and Ashley are having a baby girl just before Christmas. I got to go with Ashley to the Hospital at Fort Polk in Louisiana, for her appointment today. I had the wonderful opportunity to be there when they did the ultra sound. It was so awesome to see that little baby girl that is developing. What a blessing it is to have grandchildren. Two babies on the way for special delivery at Christmas time. Oh my Thank you Heavenly Father for such wonderful blessings! In Jesus name we thank thee with all our hearts!

One of my favorite quotes...

2008-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes."

Our Son Brandon...

2008-07-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Brandon and his cute baby girl. Brandon we love you lots and miss you more. So glad we were able to get in touch with you and be a part of your life if only via email and the phone for now. We are looking forward to seeing you and your family this Christmas of "08".

Pappa and Baby Matthew

2008-07-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

This was way too funny watching Pappa teach Matthew to make noises...LOL

Nathaniel Graduates!

2008-07-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

We traveled to San Antonio to watch Nathaniel Graduate on July 4th! He graduated with honors! It was soooo awesome to see him after so long without him. We are all very proud of his accomplishments. He looked soooo good! Fit and trim. And now, he is off to the Presidio at Monterey for linguistics school.

Testing this out...

2008-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Okay so I think we have finally arrived...with a little push from Liz!