Here's a few pix from "A Fry(Horne/Cullen) Family Christmas". We have fun. We're not perfect. We are different. We like different things. Some like to read. Some like to study. Some like to play.  Some like wine. Others beer. A few love Dr. Pepper. Some like Milos. Some like PF Changs. Some run. Some work out. Some are nurses. Others salesmen. Some professionals.Some research. Some make websites . Some are students. All are generous. All are compassionate. All are tender hearted. All have deep faith. All attend church. All love God. All love family....... We aren't a "clan".  We are different. We are the same. We can argue with each other. We can agree to disagree. We can get mad. And get glad. We tease. We cry. We hug. We argue. We sing. We laugh. We share. We support each other. We. are. Family.  And most of all:  we love . LOTS.

New Year/New Resolutions

It's that time of year again. When I decide:

1. I will start walking more
2. I will eat less
3. I will write more
4. I will complain less
5. I will organize more
6. I will procrastinate less
7. I will take more trips
8. I will shop less
9. I will read my Bible more
10. I will get on social media less


Sounds good huh? Why do I have such a hard time doing those????? Geez!!!! Every year the same! LOL!  I WILL try to do all 10 however hard it may be. At least until Feb. 2016!!!That's when I take my annual break from FaceBook for Lent. the past 3 years it has been wonderful to focus less on social media and more on my relationship with God. I plan to do that again this year!


BECAUSE I have been busy (and FYI, my pet peeve is people who are constantly "too busy"), I did get behind on blogging. Blogging is my love. My outlet. My joy. My happy place. There I can spin stories/ give out family info/ share joys and sorrows. I can express myself any way I want. And people can choose to read or not. Doesn't matter to me--it's my safe place to vent the good and the bad in my life. SO, here goes another attempt at public blogging. I DO (and always have) loved to journal. But, of course, those words are for nobody but me/myself and I. And many times I journal only to go back in a few days and wad up the words and throw them away. Some of you know that a year ago on Jan. 22 , 2015 (ironically, Nat's b'day), I sent off a manuscript that I had been working on. (a "how to lead a creative Bible Study). I was "fired up"/ excited/ nervous . After several months I got the REJECT letter back. (even the word "REJECT" I hate). a wonderfully nice reject, however! Encouraging me to send it somewhere else, etc etc etc. But, it hurt my feelings. So, what did I do? Slammed everything in the attic and pouted. And decided that was it. No more writing. No more trying to get published. It wasn't meant to be. But, I still write. Now just for me. And no worries over that getting published! ha! But, I must say, a bit of heartbreak. Moving on to 2016 I am not worried about getting "published" anymore. I've "LET IT GO" and moved on. (kind of, lol)...I guess I was punishing myself by not blogging b/c I was disappointed.Who knows? I MIGHT try again...

2015 brought much to our family. The 2 big events were: Mimi going to heaven on Nov. 14, 2015 and Beckett Michael Cullen's birth on Nov. 29, 2015. Interesting that God gave me a joy following such a sadness. Mimi was ready to go. At 101 how much longer did I expect her to be with us? I would always push that thought away. But, SHE knew.And, her death was amazing. Sounds odd? It was, tho. Standing on one side with my niece, Becky and my sister/brother on the other telling her we loved her and thanked God for her over and over! And, I even had a little laughter telling her, "Mimi, send me a sign! Send a butterfly/ladybug/star--something!" And guess what? Yep, unless your "deaf/dumb/blind" you saw all the ladybugs that came. Not just to the family either! Friends, too! And even in the hem of my sister's grand-daughters wedding gown!!!! Unreal!...Thanksgiving was a few days after Mimi's passing and also spent in the hospital for a couple of hours waiting for Beckett! But, they were sent home and he waited till RIGHT AFTER the Ala/AU game to decide to come!  Katie jumped up at the end of the game in JOY (poor Jon, he was in sadness, haha) only to say "I think it's time to go to the hospital"! LOL! .. What joy he has brought us in the one month after his arrival! Looking forward to watching him grow this year!Being at his birth was also amazing. Kudos to Katie for choosing to have a medication free birth. She did it all on her own. She was awesome!!!! And ,Aunt Nat arrived just as he was coming into the world!...Another big milestone in our family came this year in the form of a DIET! Yes, after struggling with many seizures a day, our precious Carter (age 4) is now SEIZURE FREE. The Keto Diet has worked ! And worked wonderfully coupled with MANY prayers of MANY people! If you were one of those who prayed (is praying) for Carter, keep it up! We are amazed/thankful and humbled. God's gift to the Cullens---right before Beckett was born!...some sadness, too. Kelley suffered a couple of miscarriages but we are hoping/praying that God will bless Pat and Kelley,  in the future, with another precious child. Please keep them in your prayers as they just had another one his past week. Kelley is strong and faithful and God willing, will give them "the desires of their hearts" , soon.

Even though he doesn't like for me to brag, have to on Charles too. 2015 was a great year for him, too. Most know he is the "General Counsel" attorney  for all of UAB hospitals.This in itself is a huge undertaking. Add to that ,at the end of December he won the race for "Secretary/Treasurer for the Alabama Bar Association. GOOD JOB, Charles!...( However, my proudest moment came when he presented us with the best GUMBO ever on Christmas Eve! ;) )

We had a great Christmas and on Christmas Night we were with the family at Patrick/Kelley's home in Calera. As "luck" would have it, amid TORNADO WARNINGS no less! We were all fine and the kids were great and excited to see each other!  What a night!

As of Jan.3rd---this is how our family of grands look: Lily (age 11)/ Kemp (age 11)/ Powell (age 8)/ Daisy (age 8)/ Blakely  (age 6)/ Carter (age 4)/ Ryder (age 4)/ Ella Kate (age 2 1/2) and Beckett (1 month!)! All beautiful/smart/sweet and too many adjectives to write without you gagging. HA! Blessed seems to be overused when I talk about those sweet 9 grands, but the only one fitting. Truly , Big T and I are blessed beyond words.

Once again, I will start my "One Year Study Bible". (hey, at least I made it to June last year! improvement!). THIS year I hope to make it thro. Thankfully, God understands and gives me so many 2nd (3rd/4th/ 10 million) start overs. To my credit (and I don't have much credit), I do listen to His Voice daily. It's hard , in the midst of all the "white noise" to sometimes listen b/c I love to TALK (Duh, you say!). When I have trouble listening, due to muffled voices in my own head, I try to turn on Praise Music and settle down, alone. The silence is sometimes deafening and I have to try extremely hard to let go of the busyness of my day and focus on Him. And it is when I do just that , that I feel abundant joy by sitting at His feet , like Mary did. I always feel I'm the "Mary" in the Mary/Martha sister deal. Yes, I love to run around and be the good hospitable host, but I also love to just sit at His feet. Hopefully, I will sit more and work less this year,  not sit in a lazy way. but truly try to listen more and worry less. Two things I have a hard time with my whole life. Having 5 kids I truly had NO time to sit for at least 20 years! All I did was be a wife/mommy. And that took up a LOT of time. But, I must say, God always was near and was patient with me and let me come and sit with Him  when I was able. Now that those 5 kids of ours are parents to their own babes, I have the time to study more and be more obedient to Him.And, while I have sadness sometimes our house is so quiet, it is in that quietness that I know I can now sit and listen
 ...I now am a Sunday School teacher to 3-6 graders. I am amazed at their knowledge of God. AMAZED. They "get it". So, basically, I am just a facilitator to them!!! I am teaching them in a "creative" way--using my gifts and it is amazing what is happening. I look forward to seeing them grow in Christ each week! Bonus, it makes me study and makes ME also rely more on God as I prepare a lesson for these dear ones.

Enough already, you're saying! Yes, that's it for today. Didn't mean to "Blog your head off" after being silent for so long. I am going to TRY and blog more, God willing , I will slow down enough to do so! LOL!

Love each of you and thank God for your encouragement this past year. MANY MANY loving words about Mimi/ gazillion of precious prayers for Carter / Joy and congratulations over our new baby and so much more. I pray I can be as good as a friend to each of you as you are to me. God BLESS you! And may 2016 be a stellar year for you and yours! OH! And one more thing! ROLL TIDE ROLL!

PSALM 148 

Christmas Eve---Mary Dorsett at Christ the King. Leading the children in the Christmas Story.

Remembering Jean

Today, Jean Price is being "laid to rest" as the old Southern Term goes. Buried. Earthly body place in a casket and then lowered to the ground. Macabre sounding? It is. But, that is what is happening this afternoon. HOWEVER, b/c we are Christians, we see old body "laid to rest" and NEW body for Jean in heaven.Broken vessel placed in ground and new, spiritual body free of pain and death. Jean's NEW body is present and with our Lord (thank goodness).  Funerals aren't my favorite but are ways of saying good-bye for many. I won't be able to make sweet Jean's service. I am keeping Kemp/Daisy as Nat/Brad are leaving for a planned trip to Maine. I hate I will miss the words that will be spoken about her but I am having my own "funeral" for her today through my blog. Terry and I both prayed for her this morning, praising God she is finally, healed. And, I was looking upstairs for something for the kids and lo and behold, there sat my "angel box". A box Jean made for me about 20 years ago, at least.  And made  with, get this, pieces of cardboard/ old paints and glitter and some pearls. And it's my treasure! She said she was embarrassed to give it to me and I remember how excited she was to give it to me and how excited I was. Only a few people knew how difficult it was for Jean to do anything with her left hand and yet she did it...Jean was an artist. I use that now in the past tense. 2 days ago I would'v written, Jean IS an artist.  Her art talent was cut short by a stroke in her early 50's.Left her paralyzed on one side. Her "art side".But, did that stop her? Not a chance.She just barreled forward doing what she could/ with what little she had to continue to make cards/notes, etc. for her friends and family with her "good" hand. Her left hand. AND taking care of a bedridden mother and a sister who had cancer. Oh, did I mention she had one leg?? Yes, she lost a leg ,too from complications with the stroke/diabetes, etc. Just reading that reminds me that only one word could accurately describe jean: Tenacity!!!! coupled with perserverance! ....About 3 years ago she had another great setback--problems with UTI's (which is what eventually led to her death). She would go to the hospital for days at a time. The last one was so bad that she was unable to stay alone anymore and  she was sent to a nursing home. As luck, no as GOD would have it, the same place Mimi is living. Golden Living Nursing Home in Trussville. So, it was great b/c I felt like we were still neighbors in a way. (FYI, Jean was our next door neighbor growing up)! Strange how that worked out....! Such a "God thing" as I reflect. Neighbors for YEARS and ended up still being Mimi's "neighbor"!

Jean had an incredible wit. She was so funny and loved jokes. DIRTY jokes were her fav. Made me laugh all the time. And , until she got to where it was harder and harder for her to speak clearly, we used to enjoy talking: CRAFTS. She loved crafts. I sent her a huge box full of some of my scrapbook items one day and she said she had to get 2 people to lift the box and bring it into her little assisted living apartment (that she was living in, at the time). She loved it. I loved sharing them with her b/c she was soooo talented and she could make something out of  nothing!!! Here are a few pix of some of the things Jean made for me and some notes (so you can see her humor!) when she was still living with her mother/sister in East Lake (our old neighborhood)! Also going to post what I sent to Sally Alloca (preacher at ELUMC) when asked for some stories about Jean to share for today's funeral. What I wrote that I sent Sally, followed by the pix of some of my treasures of notes I saved. (See, FRY KIDS, why I love SAVING everything?????).... Maybe you can see the TINIEST spark of who Jean was, even if you had never met her. I could never even begin to try and encapsulate Jean's life and cannot and it wouldn't be fair for me to do so. All I know is what she was to me. And sharing that with you, for it's only fitting, if  you haven't met her, to see  a "smidgen" of what an incredible person she was , despite the hard times and the "cards that were dealt" her in this life. May we all learn from her perseverance and tenacity and FAITH.......*rest in peace my dear funny and loving and scrapbooking friend. can't wait to "crop and cut" in heaven with you!

******************************************************************************

My memories of Jean are from our neighborhood days. We lived right next door to the Bodines. At age 16,    Jean won an award for a beautiful painting of a boy and a wagon, and  it was even on the front of the B'ham News.( She took after her dad, also an artist, made beautiful paintings!!)! (Mrs. Bodine loved to tell the story to people that when I first saw the painting, I was around 6) I asked "is this PAINT BY NUMBER?"! NO! HAHA! Jean thought that was so funny! It was gorgeous. Such a talent!!!!  it was lovely and I wish I knew where the painting was, I would love to have it. It was almost "art lost" because Jean suffered a terrible stroke in her early 50's that paralyzed her left side. AND her "painting hand".  For most people, they would stop and never pick up a paintbrush again. In fact, most people would've complained and given up. Did that stop our girl? NO! She continued to painstakingly paint and do calligraphy with her left hand. It would take her hours to address an envelope but she would do it. That's our Jean. She never stopped being creative/ loving and funny! Her WIT set her apart. She loved jokes and could remember them and would get so tickled  ( & would laugh before the punch line) and so would everyone who heard it, too, because, well, being with Jean was just like being with sunshine and she would bring everyone to laughter. She brightened up the darkest of rooms and places. Her eyes held so much sparkle, when she was having trouble speaking, she would look at you with those imploring eyes and you just understood. You understood the pain but you also understood that she was going on with perseverance. Perseverance most people cannot understand. How she did it, I don't know. Well, yes i DO know. She had a deep faith and it was this very faith that kept her smiling her crooked smile/ making people feel good / saying "thank you, baby" to everyone and just continuing to use the gifts God gave her to the very end. She is a "case in point" of one who fulfilled their calling, despite everything that happened in her life. She was an inspiration and a joy. And I count myself blessed that I could be called her friend. Until we meet again and until that time, I will try hard to carry on her positive legacy of faith/laughter and love. 

     Think I don't treasure these special notes and Angel Box?