In Memory of

Mom

Saundra Kay Tillis

Gone one year today.

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free

I'm following the path God laid for me

I took God's hand when I heard the call,

I turned my back and left it all.

I couldn't stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work, to play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way,

I found peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,

then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared a laugh, a kiss,

Ah yes, they're things that I too will miss

Be not burdened with time of sorrow

I wish the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life's been full, I've savored much,

Good friends, good time's, a loved ones touch.

Prehaps my time seemed all too brief,

Lift up your heart and share with me

God wanted me now- He set me free.

A picture from our hike last summer to Mercy Dam.

Happy New Year to all of our family and friends. May God bless you in this new year. My scriptures for this year are:

Philippians 3:13-14

....but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

I didn't make any resolutions but I would like to try to lose wieght this year and to be more determined in my relationship with Jesus. So I guess you could say I want to get skinny physically and fat spiritually. Hehehe.

Our love to you all!!

Sammi loved her pots and pans from Christmas. Almost every day since she has washed them and made "soup". It was 55 here yesterday it doesn't feel like winter at all. I found my gift certificate that I was thought lost. We are still waiting on the MP3 player. I put all of my Christmas decorations away Thursday, reaaranged things in my kitchen and rearranged my house (year round) decorations. I was able to add a new black bear and a moose and bear kleenex holder to my pretties.

Bethany asked me to put a picture of her newest 'daughter' on the blog. Santa delivered this new baby Christmas morning.

Sammi also got twin babies. As you can tell from the picture she could have cared less. Sammi really didn't care for Christmas package opening time. It seem to over whelm her and make her very upset

I got a MP3 player that I have been asking for (for a very long time) and much to my and Earl's dismay it turned on once and refused to work anymore. Even after trying 14 new batteries it refused to work. Then to console myself I went to find my $25 gift certficate that my Dad got me only to find that when we were cleaning up the Christmas wrapppings at Dad's house, someone accidently put it in the bags to be burned. Which Earl had done right away to be helpful. Thankfully I called the store where Dad got the certificate and the lady said that it was OK I could still come over and pick something out, but if I found the certificate to get rid of it. And Earl is hot on the trail of the company that he bought the player from.

Christmas was good, but Mom was sorely missed. I realized that the reason why Christmas was always so good for me was Mom made sure of it. Dad did a great job without her help, but Mom will always be hard to out do. So if your Mom is still with you tell her today how much you love her and appreciate her, you never know when she might go home to heaven.

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends

I was going through my picture archives and found this picture from when we took the girls to a bull riding event at our county fair this summer. I love the outline of the girls with their pigtails.

Tomorrow Sammi will be having her tonsil and adnoids out remeber us in prayer. Daddy Earl has to work and is not happy at not being able to be there with Sammi.

Can you believe I am actually working on my blog site. Life has been AGGGGGGGGGH. But we are getting back to normal. This first picture is the girls at a fall party dressed up as a princess and dinosaur. Every time that I told Sammi that she was a dinosaur she would roar at me. Bethany would twrill till she wanted to fall down.

The next picture is of our Thanksgiving. My Dad and brother and wife came down and the tenants upstairs ate with us at 12:00. My picture is off from my camera. The girls were very excitied about having everyone at our house for eating.

This is the newest member of our doggie family. Her name is Princess. She is half beagle and half Jack Russel terrier. We got the dumbest halves of both breeds. We got her after we went to NY for church camp after one of our puppies met her demise.

Mom Marshall has been in Heaven 1 year today.

I still miss you and love you!!, Mom

I haven't been very diligent about posting lately. We have been very busy and trying to keep up with life in general. Not to mention that our computer has been sick lately. We had a great time up at Vermontville Church camp this year. It was great to get to see a lot of the in-laws and give the girls a chance to see their half of the family also.

This is a picture of the girls the first night at camp.

My friend Carrie went with us to camp and we had the chance to walk back to Marcy dam. It was a 2.1 mile hike in and back, 4.2 miles all together. I loved it. My niece Vicki went with us so that I wouldn't get lost haha!!

Beth and I were trying out homeschool for one month to see how it would go. Beth did really well on her studies but really missed having interaction with other kids. So the Lord blessed us with the oppurtunity to send her to a Christian school in Middleport OH. This is her on her first day. She already, on the first day of school, has a new friend.

When Beth and I went to see the school and meet the teacher, the teacher showed Beth a reading book and told Beth when she could read the last sentence of the book she would be given a prize. So Beth took the book and read the sentence to the teacher. It made a Mom happy I tell ya.

The girls were in the church's float at the 4th's parade. The theme was Our Soliders, Our Freedom to Worship

Bethany and Sammi attended VBS and Beth had a blast helping with the singing.

This is the girls at Pizza Hut where Earl works. We always get the same booth and the girls love ot sit in the corner shelf when they are done eating. Great incentive for them to eat all of their food.

The Women of Worth retreat was wonderful. The 'girls' in my group were, Sr. Charlene Woods, Sr. Vicki Haus, Sr Tammy McKenzie, Sr. Ruth DeLong, Sr. Melanie (I didn't catch her last name),me and not pictured Sr. Nara Hartman. All of the women except the lady next to me Sr. Woods and myself had been to the WOW retreat's before. I plan on going next year. The fellowship was wonderful, the rooms great and the food delicious.

This is Sr. Lorina Glick. She lead the meetings. Did you know that the first WOW was not in the United States, but in Paupa New Guinea. Sr. Glick started it there as a missionary, when she came home she started the group here. Hopefully if the funds can be raised some of the ladies from Paupa New Guinea will come for the retreat next year.

Much to my surprise I saw at least one old friend that I knew. Charlene Wolford? Her group of ladies brought a big bus from PA, her group also had the skit on Saturday night, whic was FUNNY. Charlene should me pictures of her children. I couldn't believe how they had grown. The last time that I saw the girls was when they were 2 they are grown up now.

Today is Thursday the 17th of May and for the first time tomorrow I am leaving Sammi in someone else's care for overnight. Bethany and Sammi are going to be staying at my friend Ruth's home while I go on a Women of Worth retreat. I am looking forward to the retreat but not the absence of being away from my children. I am afraid that I am from the school that only I can take care of my children the best. So we will see if I ever get to go on a short vacation again.

This is the playhouse that my brother and I built for the girls, it has been painted red (Beth's choice) and furniture has been added I will take a picture of it and post it later.

We decided to let the girls paint some of there playhouse except Sammi was much more interested in painting herself. Had a lot of fun giving the girls a bath that night. HAHA

If you notice in the basket is a picture of the newest member of the dogs a little girl puppy, which has been named Anna for the time being. Beth has adopted the puppy and Sammi loves to play with it also.

Sammi loves to help Earl with feeding the dogs

Drawing Personality Test: "You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.
You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.
You are creative, mentally active and industrious.
You are ambitious and optimistic, determined to prove and advertise yourself."

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY SAMMI

We had a party for Sammi today at our little park across from the church. Mainly so that the girls and the 2 little kids that were invited could burn off the sugar from the cake. Sammi got barnyard basic blocks, a Dora van roller skates, new game, 3 outfits, a Dora tricycle and tomorrow we are building the playhouse for the girls. My preacher and his wife also came to the party and we invited 3 little boys and another girl that were playing at the park to have some cake. Sammi was very tired by 4:00 and took a nap before church tonight. All in all a good day

Beth had a fun day at her school to celebrate the Week of the Young Child. We went to he school to have games, book readings and instructional classes about washing their hands. Beth seemed to enjoy herself but Sammi just wanted to run about like a chicken with its head cut off. We dressed the girls so that they could play in the bounce house without flashing the world and then they didn't have the house.

Then yesterday we went to Walmart to shop for Sammi's birthday on the 29th and our shopping is always extended for 10 min. because of our trip to the fish department.

We had mac 'n' cheese and tuna cakes for supper. Sammi is still learning that the food goes in her mouth not all over her face.

We played in the yard yesterday enjoying the warm weather. The neighbors had mowed on Sat. and we decided to bury Sammi. She was up and at it very quickly.

Beth had fun wrestling with the neighbor girl next door. We are planning on building an outside playhouse for the girls. They are very excitied about it already trying to decide what toys will go in it and how they want to decorate.

My brother has gotten married. Beth and I were in the wedding. I was the matron of honor and Beth the flower girl. My new sister-in -law is Joanie. The Monday before they got married they were in counciling with the preacher and he emphazied the importance of coming together as a Christian home, both Donny and Joanie said that they wanted to get saved. Donny wanted Dad to come and help him pray so the preacher called Dad. Then both of them prayed.

In memory of Mom we had her picture and her bible at the alter. At the beginning of the wedding Donny and I placed a dozen roses and 3 carnations in front of her picture.

Sammi was very good in fact she slept throught the whole ceremony with Earl gaurding her in the nursery.

We had our Easter egg hunt on Sat. April 7. It was cold and snowing. Sammi could have cared less about the eggs, she just wanted to go with her Papaw into where they had cookies. Beth on the other hand has totally got the point of the hunt and was running everywhere to get the eggs.

These are the pictures of my birth mother Ruth taken today at her mother's home.