You've Got Questions, We've Got Melissa...

Hey there,

Okay, so you're wondering what the heck that means. This is a cool little link that allows you to type in your name, and the site will turn it into a slogan. I think its funny. And, if you click the slogan itself, it will change to a different slogan, and so on, and so on...

Click on the below link and put your NAME in the “Enter a Word” and press the “SLOGANIZE” button. Don’t cheat. What is your slogan???
www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi

Anyways, have fun with it! I liked this one for me, because its the Staples slogan, and anyone that knows me, knows that I am an office supply junkie. Which is better than being almost any other kind of junkie, I'm sure you will agree!

Ta-ta!

They still need our help...

In August of 2005, as everyone knows, Hurricane Katrina slammed into our nation’s Gulf Coast, killing almost 2,000 people, and leaving thousands of people homeless and jobless. Now, a year and a half later, there are still hundreds of people without homes, living in tents or FEMA trailers, depending on others to provide their families the most basic of needs: shelter, food, and medical care. Imagine, facing a second year in a tent. Imagine your children; say under the age of three, having no memory of living in a house. Imagine, your school age children, trying to attend school daily after sleeping in a tent every night. Imagine, being a renter, losing your apartment in the storm, and then finding out that only home owners were eligible for FEMA trailers, not renters. On average, 30% of the Gulf Coast residents were renters, facing this very issue. And now, the residents that were lucky enough to receive a trailer are at a critical point; FEMA usually takes back temporary housing (trailers) at the 18 month point following the disaster. For those residents: now what do they do?

In October of 2005, a group of people from COB (our church-Community of Believers) traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to serve the victims of this massive storm. Biloxi was one of the hardest hit areas along the Gulf, and to this day, is still in dire need of help. Our group had the privilege of staying at the Prince of Peace Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS. Pastor Darrell Taylor opened up his church & property to teams that came to serve the area, and to residents that were awaiting assistance themselves. We were able to help muck out houses & serve in the free clinic that opened up shortly after the storm. It was hard work, but very much worth it to serve those in need. (please check out the links below)

On June 26th, a team of 4 are returning to Biloxi to serve once again. Maureen Petrasko & I were part of the original group to go down in 2005, and we felt God had laid it on our hearts to specifically return to Biloxi & help some more. This time, Maureen's daughters, Maria & Vanessa, will be joining us. After contacting Pastor Taylor, we learned that the need is still great. People are still living in tents. The Prince of Peace Church has a huge food pantry that is serving hundreds of residents weekly, and the free clinic is seeing between 70 – 85 patients a day, 6 days a week. They need help, and we feel led to answer that need as much as we can.

We have purchased airline tickets for an amazing price, which actually will be more cost effective than driving 2,000 miles round trip with the rise in gas prices. We have had a rental car donated to us for use while we are in Biloxi. A church in southern Ohio came & built a small dormitory on the property of our host church for volunteers to stay in, and it will be used by the church for other purposes after the relief effort is over. And we have been blessed by financial donations by many caring individuals, ministries, & businesses.

But we covet your prayers... for a safe trip, for good health while we are there, for the people we interact with, and for our families while we are away. We will be returning on July 3rd.

Please pray for this trip, and all of the residents affected, still, by Hurricane Katrina. And watch for an update when we get back!

http://myweb.cableone.net/princeofpeace/

http://www.photosfromkatrina.com/default.htm

15 Years

So, today is our 15th wedding anniversary. I thought 15 years would make me feel old, but it doesn't. Corny as it sounds, most of those 15 years went by really fast. And they have been good. God has blessed me with the perfect man for me. Tom loves me, takes care of me when I'm sick, still thinks I'm cute (although, he is due for an eye exam), is an awesome dad to our kids, and I can't imagine how my life would have been married to anyone else. Tom is warm in the winter & cool in the summer. He still makes me weak in the knees when he smiles at me. He fixes my coffee for me on the weekends just the way I like it. He does the laundry & changes poopy diapers. I guess you could say that he has spoiled me!

I hope that I am a good wife to him, as good as he is to me. I try, I do. I love him with all my heart and I hope someday our daughter has a husband that treats her the same way, and that our son is as loving & respectful to his wife as Tom is to me. He rocks.

I guess this counts as my Father's Day tribute to him also, since all the pictures show Tom as the wonderful daddy that he is!!!

Tom, I love you. We love you.

By the way, in case anyone is wondering...I forgot my password. That's why you haven't heard from me in a while. I think I might be developing Alzehimer's.

Cool stuff

Create your own friendquiz hereKaty, my apologies for stealing all of your cool stuff. I just don't have the connections that you do!!! So, everytime you post a neat quiz or game, then I end up doing the same. Maybe its true that immitation is the sincerest form of flattery!!!With that being said, folks, now try this...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 16 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Smiley kids!

Here are my beautiful kids. Melina was having a cranky night, so we decided to cheer her up by snapping pictures. They are both hams!! Sam is such a good big brother...I don't know what we would do without him to play with his sister. When we are ready to throw up our hands in frustration, he always manages to bring a smile to Melina's face!

Still learning...

Well, I am pitifully slow at getting stuff on here. Just when I think I'm pretty savvy, I hit a wall. Yikes! I couldn't figure out how to post a new "thought". But, now I've got it (I think).

Anyways, I love this time of year...even though the weather is unpredictible. Today, every time I have looked out the window, it is completely different. First, snowy & overcast, then sunny & clear, then snow & sun so bright it hurts, and so forth. But, they (just who is "they," anyways)say its going to get bad tonight here, and that worries me because Tom (my wonderful husband!) has to drive into the snowbelt to get to work. So hopefully, the worst will pass on by.

I am so far behind with Christmas cards this year, I feel like I shouldn't even bother. I usually have them out by the day after Thanksgiving, but that holiday got crazy, and time got away from us. Or, me. Christmas card writing is not my husband's thing. Neither is Christmas shopping, or present wrapping, for that matter. But this year, I have Sam helping me. Ever watch an 8 year old boy wrap Christmas gifts? Not always a pretty site. I am struggling to not go back & re-wrap the ones he did, because I like to have gifts look pretty & neat, and his are a little...well, rough. But I am going to leave them alone, beacuse he put his heart into them, and at least he helped me. Next year, I will probably have Melina trying to help, so I guess I shouldn't complain about Sam's efforts!

Well, I hope to be back on here before Christmas arrives, so I will not add any Christmas wishes at this time. Stay safe, everyone, and I will talk at you soon!

First One!

Welcome! This is my first time doing this for real (myspace don't count!). I am inspired by my friend, Katy, who has the most interesting things to talk about. Katy, I miss you, and I wish we were living closer. I love all of your stories, it makes me feel like we still are hangning out.
Who knows who will read this. I may just be posting all the wonderful stories & stuff that people email me. I may gripe alot about stuff that annoys me. I will probably whine a little. Of course, I will brag on my beautiful children, Sam & Melina (see above). Oh, and I love the beach & ocean, so expect to hear alot about that! Who knows what else?
But for now, if you are reading this, thank you for spending a little time on me. I will try not to bore you.