The purse give-a-way

Turn your head and look at the purse sideways. It is a genuine Dooney & Bourke. I have not used this purse much.... It is clean with NO Marks!

Purse Give-A-Way

Okay- to stay true to my statement from an older blog I will be giving away a purse. My AWESOME husband got me a new purse which I love- but once received made me realize that now I have to give 2 away! My sister will get one of them and the other I decided to do a GIVE-A-Way. So here is how it works!
I will give you until October 5th to post a comment on this blog and then on Monday October 6th I will draw a name out and see who will get the purse. It is that simple. Put a comment and get your name in the pot! You may be wondering why so much time? Well I leave for a cruise on Friday and wont be back until October 5th. This way I can get many comments!!!
I will post a picture of the purse I choose to give away later when I get home. This should be real fun. I can't wait to see how many people actually read my blog!

Dinner & a Movie

Tonight we went to dinner and a movie. By we I mean the girls from work and Paul, went to eat together to Kona Grill and then to watch the movie House Bunny. To keep the morale up at my office once a month I take the girls out to do something as a group. We have really bonded as a group and this keeps them happy. It is amazing to me when you do little things for your employees how much they appreciate it and work harder because of it! The movie was funny. It did have some crude humor- but overall it was good. Dinner was great and fun as well. They are all looking forward to the next outing! I must make it fun! If you have suggestions do not hesitate to send them my way!
Well- gotta go... tomorrow is church and I really want to get a good nights sleep. I think I am getting a cold.
7 more days until the CRUISE!!!

I've been Tagged!

I've been tagged by zizziehappenings to list 5 things I love, excluding family, so here I go. Most of everything I love revolves around my family so this may be hard.... (or maybe not)

1. I love the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins- making the way to HEAVEN for all those who believe. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

2. I love my job. I have a wonderful job with excellent workers. I know that some days are hard and I wonder about it ( but I think that all jobs have their days) overall I have a wonderful job. I give credit to my job enjoyment to the wonderful staff I have. We all get along and work well together.

3. I love reading. I have been reading some very good books lately.... Ones that make me think and others that are just plain funny. I am currently reading " Return" by Karen Kingsbury. My overall favorite author so far as been Cathy Marie Hake. If you have not had a chance to read her books you should check one out.

4. I love traveling. Paul and I have visited various places. Our favorite trip in the 10 years we have been married (can you believe it?) is to Paris. What a city.... we had an incredible time just walking the city and going to the museums. The worst experience in traveling we have ever had is Rome. Not that Rome did not have plenty of awesome things to do- because it did- but the people were very rude. I have never been on a vacation where I have wanted to go home so quickly in my life- Usually we want the trip to last longer. One of our most ROMANTIC trips was Cancun, Mexico. We stayed at an all inclusive resort and had a Romantic, relaxing trip.

5. I love Purses!!! yes- shallow I must say... but it is true. My favorite purses are COACH purses. I have a problem and I know it! I decided that if I want to get another purse I have to get rid of 2 in the process, this way I think twice before getting rid of a purse. Anyone interested in my purses when I am ready to get rid of some???? (Lizzie, I know you want them I will put you on the list!)

Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did.

Meet Big Red

Meet Paul's new mode of transportation. As most of you know Paul purchased a motorcycle and named her BIG RED. Since we live in Sunny Las Vegas a motorcyle works well- I just have to pray daily for his safety on the road. This decision of his to buy a motorcyle was a hard one for me since I am the WORRY WART- But I need to lean on Christ and cast all my CARES upon HIM! This is going to be a real test!
Here I am checking her out.
Here is the proud owner of Big Red. He took a 4 day class on safety and the know how's of motorcycle riding. He has been very anxious to get one. So when you all come and visit he can take you out on a ride with Big Red!
This should give you all a reason to come and visit us! Please call and make your reservation since I am sure we will be booked for some time. Please make your reservation no later than 3 weeks prior to ensure an available room. CAUTION- Bike only holds 2 people at a time. When planning keep this fact in mind.

Aeson James

Welcome the new addition to The Aldo Hoyt clan. Ana had her 2nd baby on September 9th, 2008 at 8:18 am. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and is 22 inches tall. He has a head of very dark hair and Arian (his big brother) has claimed him as his own.

Congratulations Ana and hubby!

Home Sweet Home

Finally home! and what a wonderful feeling. There is nothing like the feeling of coming up over the hill and seeing the Las Vegas skyline! I had a busy few days between studying and classes and then taking the test today from 2:00- 4:00. It went well I think... We will see though in 6 to 8 weeks. I felt fairly confident since most of the questions I had a pretty good understanding of. I am glad to be home back to my hubby. He is so funny when I am not home. He seems to not find enough to keep him busy. He said that he spent most of his time bored. He walked 6 miles, then pumped some weights, did his homework, read his school book, and watched television. He was happy to see me and of course I was happy to see him as well.
I am now trying to get things done to get ready for the week next week. I have 14 days until the family cruise and I am desperately looking forward to this time. Too bad Paul cannot go with us. We have had this planned for 9 months- and his company got sold to another company and right in the middle of the cruise is when Paul has to do the switch over to the new company. This hit him a little hard since he has been looking forward to this vacation. And to top it all off he will not be able to take another vacation until next year at around May or June. This was not a happy thing for him but if he wants to keep his job he needs to do this!
We had his cruise portion paid in full so I was truly not sure what to do since we are too far out to get a reimbursement. Well- I have a dear friend that never does anything for herself so I called her and told her that she has WON a 7 day trip all expense paid on a CRUISE. She has so much vacation time available that she was able to take the days off. So Myra and myself will be bunking together and going on the cruise. I know that this will be a blessing for her!
Well gotta go.... kind of tired and really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight after not being in my own bed for 3 nights!

California Here I come!!!!

Well- Mom and I arrived in Costa Mesa, California this afternoon. It was a pretty uneventful trip- Traffic was rough at first then it got better. We made the trip in 4 hours.

Our hotel is nice. I figured out where my classes are so that tomorrow morning I will know exactly where to go.

I called my hubby to see how he is doing and he told me that he found the motorcycle that he wanted to buy.... and guess WHAT- he bought it!

He is really excited about his new bike. He finished his motorcycle class on Sunday and now he has his license so all that is missing is insurance. I got him some quotes and I need to decide which one we will purchase-

Tomorrow is an early morning so I have to get to bed to be ready for my first day of my FINAL certified insurance counselor class. If I pass this class I will be an official Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). Pray for me as I take the 3 day class and then the 20 question test (all the questions must be answered in essay format)

Sweet Dreams!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

UGH!!!!

Audrey Caroline

I just finished reading the whole story of Audrey Caroline- If you are interested in the whole story go to my blogs Bring the Rain!.
It was an emotional blog to read through but somehow I made it through. This touched me close to home since Paul and I have had many miscarriages.
Here is a youtube video done of Audrey Caroline and a beautiful song. Listen carefully to the words. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2CnUtVY35o
This family has been a wonderful testimony and have reached many people through this blog!

WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

This is an e-mail I received and I wanted to share. It is good and it reminded me that I NEED to vote!

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920
that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote. The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women. Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because- -why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining? Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder. All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient. My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.' HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order. It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.' Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote. History is being made.

God is always in Control!

Got a call today from my mother in law and she wanted me to pray for her side of the family since her mother (Grandma Decker) is in the hospital after having two stints put in. She has been faithfully taking care of her husband and Mom Goossen as well as her siblings all told Grandma that she cannot continue taking care of Clyde (gpa Decker) that she needs to take care of herself. There are important decisions that need to be made so I have put this situation on my prayer list. All this makes me start to think and Pray of how we will be when our parents get to where they cannot live alone. I am praying that the Lord returns soon....since I really do not want to deal with it... Lazy of me ugh?
I am reminded of one of my favorite Bible verses "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13- whatever God places in my life I can do handle it because of Christ who will ALWAYS strengthen me! WHAT A MARVELOUS PROMISE!

On the Road again!!!

It amazes me how God always opens the door for us to travel and visit family. I am very thankful for God's provision with good jobs that enable us to visit with those we love. Above you will see the picture of the Aldo Hoyt Clan infront of the IHOP. We had a wonderful time- when I say we I mean Paul and myself. I won't speak for the rest... Let them say if they enjoyed it or not! My biggest surprise was seeing Ana pregnat! It was a little depressing to me since it showed me how disconnected we truly are as a family, I did not even know that my cousin is 9 months pregnant! She looked wonderful as the rest of the family did as well! Too bad the visit was short- I would have enjoyed getting to know the new members of the family more- but I wont complain! GOD IS GOOD for giving us almost 2 hours to visit! I hated to cut the trip short but we need to get on the road to Kansas which is good we did because I totally forgot that we crossed another time zone and lost an hour. Paul's Aunt Linda was expecting us a bit earlier than when we actually arrived!

Kansas is- How can I best descrive it? Maybe this picture will help! Flat- But peaceful. Being in Colby showed me how much I am truly a CITY girl! The small town life is just not me! Thankful once again for where GOD has put Paul and me. Paul took me around to show me where he spent one year of his life! He took me to the house he lived in for that year and the school he attended while in the USA. We then went to visit Grandma Hulda Goossen at the nursing home with Mom and Dad Goossen. This was better than I expected but still sad in many ways! Grandma looks so frail! Of course she does not remember Paul or me- Of course I did not expect her to remember me since I am newer to the family but she did not remember Paul. I felt bad for him- but then I thought- Grandpa Hoyt really did not remember me either- and I was okay with that since I understand that it is not really his fault- so with Grandma Hulda it is not really her fault- She is 87 years old and has had a rough life!

Sunday was the Goossen reunion and lots of the family came! Here is the core family! Grandma looks happy to be with her kids- And the kids look happy as well!

The other picture is grandchildren- Not all of them were able to make it-

Last but not least my 2 most favorite pictures of the trip! One is because it is my "man" and the other is because it is a great family picture!

ENJOY!