Fine!.............

Dear friends and family,
Fine.......That was all it took to get a loved one to call me back.  Time passes with some as there was no yesterday and all is picked back up as though it was never lost and others, well.... time interupts and changes things.  Sometimes when you don't hear from someone it is for a reason and it may be when they need you the most.  Call your loved ones, do whatever it takes to make a difference and show them you care. 

Tonight we have Blessings in a Backpack and what a difference that makes in the lives of children.  We send home over 7 items for the weekend for them to eat and enjoy which will get them to school on Monday where they have an opportunity to eat breakfast.  Hard to believe that some children don't eat any or not much from Friday to Monday.  We are so blessed that we may not have the choices we want but there is always enough.  Please pray for the over 950 children that will recieve a blessing this weekend and every weekend until school is out.  We still need about 400 sponsors that are willing to donate $80 a year for the program. 

Tomorrow night Atlee and I will go on a journey together at the Secret Keeper Girls Live event in Huntsville.  Way cool!  I can't wait for her to like me better.....If you get a chance to find an adventure for your children, please do.  They only have one today.  We don't get a second chance at today but you can make a better tomorrow.

Ian is doing great and still has a girlfriend.  Ariel is her name and he has said that she "love likes" him.  He has already asked her to the prom.  WOW!  What can I expect next?  We are teaching our children to give instead of share and short of his LEGOS, he has given her his everything. 

Brody, well that another story......this morning he had a fit getting on the bus.  We stopped and took a minute to pray.  Boy did that make a difference.  He stops crying and listens to the prayer. So sweet.  I try not to let yucky mornings shape my day and pray them away for Brody.  We ask that you include us all in  your daily prayers. 

God is good ALL the time, if you let him.  Don't let go of his hand in your life or the hold he has on your heart to be self seeking.  We do a better job with him at our side. 

Blessings to you this week,
Wendy

IEP

Dear friends and family,
We had a successful weekend this Easter. We had lots of "firsts". On Saturday night we went to cowboy church's friends and family, the kids rode a horse and we had an awesome dinner cooked over an open fire. On Sunday morning we went back for sunrise service and breakfast. Scrumptious it was and then onto Mountain Top flea market. It was so nice and we loved being with so many Hispanic families. Our children just beamed with pride and loved the event. They saw baby ducks, chicks, rabbits as well as got to try some foods that were traditional.
We found fishing tackle at a great price and found some movies for the children. We had caricatures for the kids done by an amazing artist. We were elated at the results and price. The artist had tears in his eyes after he drew Brody. Sweet.........
On our way home we went to our camper and fished only to have better luck the next day with crickets. Atlee and Ian both baited and caught their first fish. Woo Hoo! It was 2 inches long but it was a fish. They had such a great time and we did too. On Sunday afternoon we went canoeing and Ian was amazing. He did such a good job and Atlee tried her hand at it too. Brody wanted OUT of the boat. He watched from the dock and we were pleased that he respected the water/dock by crawling on his knees with a life jacket on. Precious.....
We were elated to learn that we were awarded a scholarship to Miami, Florida this summer to go to the International Fragile X Conference. We won the tuition and now all we have to pay is our room and food and "getting there". It will be amazing, the last one was two years ago and we were just establishing our roots in Alabama and could not go.
Please keep us in your prayers. We had Brody's IEP this morning and it went well. We are ever moving forward with his progress and delighted with his results. He is using the restroom almost every morning now.
Bubba and Lucky Buck Jewelry has been invited to an art gallery in South Carolina and we are anticipating great results.
Blessings in a Backpack is serving over 700 children now in our Guntersville program. We are having over 60 volunteers come every week to help. Please meet us on Thursday nights at 5:45 at Guntersville Church of Christ if you can help.
Have a great weekend,
Wendy

Whew! Life is an adventure with the Griffins....

Dear friends and family,

Bubba and I are enjoying working together at Curls and Pearls. We are closed on Sunday and Monday and work Tuesday through Saturday mostly from 8:00-5:30. We don't have posted hours. If we need to get Brody from school or plan an event around Ian and Atlee we can. I work by appointment and Bubba is making jewelry all day. We have Lucky Buck Jewelry in two other store fronts than our own now. He is an amazing artist and I am always glad to get the prototypes. Right now he is using a lot of copper and also making bracelets with old flatware. Really cool....

Ian is making good grades in school and had the first and only fortune cookie last week. He said, "I hope there is a girlfriend inside!". He also wished for one for Valentine's Day. He is a sweet child and will someday make a wonderful husband. He is a lover and a fighter. That should be interesting....

Atlee is making good grades in school as well. They are in the same classroom and so the only competition is who finishes their homework first. It has worked out beautifully for us. She is finished with all of her extracurricular activities and Ian only has one more week. Atlee is independent and growing up fast. She loves her friends and has many. They both love to read and we are very happy about that. She enjoys riding her bike and singing. She wants to write and sing her own music someday and Ian wants to make "legos". Maybe they will make a fortune on both.....

Bubba has a show tomorrow at the elementary school and we are very excited! This will kick off our show season and also buy me some tires on my van. Woo Hoo! I need them badly. The next show will be Art on the Lake here in Guntersville in April. In May, we go to Homestead Hollow in Springville, AL. Make plans to come see us. I am so proud to call Bubba an artist. You should see his stuff.. AMAZING.

Me, well I am loving life and all that goes with it. The only thing I would change is my 12-15 loads of laundry a week. God has been amazing to all of us and held our hand along the way of our new adventures. Happiness is wanting what you already have......

We are very involved with Blessings in a Backpack each week and will do that during the school year. We are still in need of a babysitter each Thursday night for us to go and volunteer. We also need volunteers each week at 5:45 at the Guntersville Church of Christ. We are packing over 700 backpacks a week.

Thanks for letting me share my family with you.

Blessings,

Wendy

Curls & Pearls

Dear friends and family,

We are so excited about the first two days of our adventure with Curls & Pearls, our new business. We had such a good time working together. Bubba is in the back making jewelry and I am up front doing hair. The space is just perfect and "we are better together"! We were blessed with four green plants that make our new home comfortable. Come by anytime and get a cup of coffee with us and check out our new inventory of Lucky Buck Jewelry.

We will be packing 700 backpacks for Blessings in a Backpack tonight. We will be moving our efforts to Church of Christ around back on the second floor. They have created a space for us and we are ever so grateful. We are adding to GES, Cherokee, Asbury and Claysville. We are expecting new volunteers tonight and I need for CALG to make a good showing.

God bless,

Wendy and Bubba

Wow, it's December already!

Dear friends and family,
I am so sorry to have skipped November. Whew, the time flies. We are well on our way to opening Curls & Pearls in January. Tomorrow is painting day. We are making several ideas come to life and I hope you like them as well as we do. Bubba just finished his shows for the season and he has a home show next week. His jewelry goes to a new store tomorrow and we are excited about that. That will make Lucky Buck Jewelry available in three places; Baker's on Main, Brindley Family Pharmacy and Darlene's Salon and Day Spa (until December 22nd). My last day there is the 22nd and then we will open Curls and Pearls on January 3rd.
Pray for us as we make these life changing decisions and go on another adventure.
Love,
Wendy

Sweet Brody....

One of my favorites...

Reach for the stars...

Me as the model....

Like the butterfly? or the watermelon?

Dear friends and family,

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Today Brody got down the chips, handed them to me and then walked me over to the fridge for the salsa. It was so cool that he "paired" them together. We have always tried to get him to match items together, should have known some of the firsts would be food.

Bubba is working hard on his Lucky Buck Jewelry for the Albertville Main Street Festival coming up on August 6th. He has some beautiful things and I know you will love them! My favorite so far is going to be the one with African trade beads. We have a lot of turquoise to choose from this collection also. Be first to be one of the first ones there to get your favorites before they are gone.

My boss announced last Wednesday that she is ready to sell her salon and so now we start another journey. God has been with us the whole way so we will continue to count on his blessings. I know that there will be a perfect spot for me to call home and hopefully it will find me. I sell Lucky Buck Jewelry where I work as well and I will need a space for my cabinet. Can I ask for your prayers please?

I am including some new pictures of his work that make up Lucky Buck Jewelry.

Blessings,

Wendy

A great vacation!

Our Christmas Adventure in Myrtle Beach!

Dear friends and family,
Whew, the vacation is almost over. We had such a great time and it was full of adventure. This year we traveled on a budget and realized just how much fun a family could have on a nickel. We only ate out once and that was a to-go order today. Today we fed the seagulls, watched the waves, built sandcastles and went swimming in the outdoor lazy river. As soon as Brody got in the water he signed, "thank you". It is so wonderful to see him so happy.
Ian and Atlee have gotten along great this week and have been a joy. Ian got a Robin costume for Christmas and has not taken it off except to swim for six days. Do you think he loves it? Atlee's favorite toy was a giant stuffed white tiger. She has slept with it and carried it around for days. It is twice the size of her and she named it "tink". They have had unlimited TV and that is a big thing since they don't normally get to watch it except on weekends. We also got 8 six packs of Sundrop from my brother for Christmas and they have had their share; another big splurge!
Brody has almost learned the word "soup" and school has about eight others for homework. He is doing well and learning everyday. I wish I had a week with him once a month or so just to teach him. I have to admit though it is hard to be with him 24/7.
We are blessed with the opportunity to minister everyday on vacation. You can only imagine what people think when they see 3 children, a service dog and two OLD parents. Millo is some better and has been a "child" on this trip. We have had extra potty breaks and medicine three times a day as well as a little extra TLC. Please continue to pray for us and his recovery.
God bless,
Wendy

All because two people fell in love......

Dear friends and family,
It all started with the innocence of any new beginning. Bubba sent the largest plant to the funeral and I had known him since we were teenagers. We exchanged a few emails and phone calls then he helped me with the chores that were so overwhelming on a farm of 54 acres with horses, hay and lots to mow. Before we knew it, we were exchanging"I love yous" and making plans for our future.
All of it had been so graciously given to us from above and we are so thankful. We started out our marriage with Fred and Sabrina who we love and adore then quickly added Ian, Brody and Atlee. Life as we knew it had changed forever. God gave us a forever child in Brody and Ian and Atlee round out the sweet, sour and special!
This Christmas we are so thankful for all of the ABOVE....for nine years of marriage and all that life has in store for us. Everyday is an adventure in the Griffin household. We are thankful for friends, family and fellowship that we share with others.
God bless you and your family this Christmas!

I believe there are angels among us!

Dear friends and family,
Some days you are the bug and some days you are the windshield. Today was a very difficult day for me and for our family. We were invited to New Market, AL for a Happy Birthday Jesus party. There were three other families with adopted Guatemalan children and Ian, Atlee and Brody were well received. Brody cried the whole way there, ate everything in sight once we got there, and cried all the way home. It was so hard for all of us and for Ian and Atlee who have to tune it out. Not fair for anyone, yet nothing to do about it. A friend had given us a VCR player for the van and it died on the way up. With Brody and his licking things, they don't usually last long for us. Without a movie in the car, he just fell apart today.
We are at home now and he has finished a bowl of soup(which makes everything better) and is watching TV. Bubba is cooking spaghetti and I am doing laundry. With three small children there is always something to do.
We were very blessed this weekend as Katie and Brent Turner hosted a Christmas open house in Brody's honor and we were delighted. Everyone brought soup, diapers, wipes and Gatorade. We had so much fun at her house and the kids had a ball with her children. They set Brody up with a TV of his own and Atlee enjoyed the cookies. Ian terrorized the LEGO city and wanted some of his own. Whew!
We have had the adventures this weekend. Please keep us in your prayers as we go to the doctor tomorrow with Ian for a wart removal and Millo is not out of the woods.
God bless and Merry Christmas.

Lilly and Sissy.....

Dear friends and family,
Today was truly a miracle for us to see Brody interacting with another child. Her name is Lilly and she is the niece of our new babysitter Sissy. When we got home from the Mountain Valley Arts Council honoring Bubba and Lucky Buck Jewelry, we got to see Lilly and Brody chasing each other around the house and giggling. She was doing, "Where's Brody? peek a boo!" It was the sweetest thing EVER! We had no idea that he would make such good eye contact and have social skills. I found out that she rides her grandmother's bus every afternoon and plays with Brody everyday on the bus. I was so proud of their friendship and the sweet little Lilly's compassion for Brody. It was the best ending to the perfect day. Thank you Lord for blessing us with Ian, Atlee and Brody and for allowing us to marvel in your miracles no matter how small.
Wendy

Hairshow in Birmingham!

Dear friends and family,
I am at a hairshow in Birmingham, Alabama with some friends and I have had such a good time. My sweet husband is watching the kids and they had a good day at church today and hopefully a good night. My cell phone is out of juice and I am in the motel lobby. Fun. Fun. Fun.
I love you Bubba.

No one could have prepared us......

Dear friends and family,
No one could have prepared us for the FUN we would be having in our new adventures; and on the same hand no one could have prepared us for the "adventures". The fun times are just that, things that money can't buy and only more time with your family will allow.

It has NOT been hard to give up "stuff", ie. clothes, shoes, purses, movies, shopping at the mall, because we have replaced it with meals together at the dinner table, playing UNO almost every night with the kids, taking walks in the afternoon with the whole family, and going fishing for supper. The hard part has been the unexpected, the eyeglasses because I failed my driver's test $200 from the sale table, the a/c unit going out $850, the last tax payment for CW Cuts $500, the broken crown $900?(can't get fixed), Millo hurt $priceless(can't go to the vet), new stroller for Brody $1500(have borrowed a wheelchair to make do), no insurance, and so many more.

How do we do it? How do we have time with the family and be able to afford life. Our new Doctor called it an "experiment" and I believe him. There is no book for situations like this and who do we ask? There is no more "date night" and no more respite for Brody except at church and then sometimes you feel like it is a burden for those who help.

How do you follow your dreams for your life and live out God's calling on your life except through faith. It is with FAITH that we believe that our purpose will continue strong even through tough times like these and only build us up. Please continue to pray God's blessings on our family and complete healing for both Brody and Millo. We are pioneers in this type of lifestyle change and I know that we will be richly blessed by it.

Blessings,
Wendy

Guntersville Elementary School

Dear friends,
Only one more day and then we move on to 2nd grade with Ian, Atlee and Brody. They are all excited. Pray that Brody has a good transition on the bus ride in Monday morning. We chose the bus for Brody because he has the same routine that way. We will see how long he can tolerate it and then go from there.
Alabama has been more than wonderful for us. We are in our house and almost unpacked. Whew! It is a special place and it feels like home.
Darlene's Salon and Day Spa has been more that I ever imagined and then some. All my friends and clients love it there. She is a wonderful boss and I have some amazing co-workers!
Bubba is praying for a job in the school system. Please keep him lifted up.
Love,
Wendy

Guntersville, Alabama

Dear friends,
We did it! We took the plunge and moved our family to Alabama. We sold our home, we sold our business of 20 years and we DID IT! It feels as though we are on permanent vacation. I didn't know life could be so good.....I had a great life with Bubba and the kids and our friends and family but God had other plans for us and now we have it even BETTER! Still have our friends, still have our family(mom and dad moved too) and have made new friends. I have a wonderful job at Darlene's Salon and Day Spa and I love my co-workers.
Everyday there is a new adventure. It took us a few weeks, but we have learned how to fish as a family. We put Brody in the boat with life jacket and Millo by his side and he loves the gentle rock of the boat and the beauty of the water. We then get to fish off the dock without worrying about him and Millo is happier on the boat than the dock. He had a bad abscess this week, but is so much better. Marshall County North hospital in Alabama did an outstanding job. A sweet girl named Amy even spoke to Brody in sign language.
I am sorry that I haven't posted since the move but I am just getting settled. We hope to be on here more often. Thank you for loving Brody and keep us always in your prayers.
We are in need of a way to transport Brody when we go bike riding if anyone has outgrown their bike, stroller or other option. Brody is about 60 pounds.

It is a new year, 2010!

Dear friends and family,
Bubba had two surgeries this past November and December and I am awaiting some test results myself. We are blessed, but very busy. We moved in December and are adjusting to a new house and love it. There will be time to slow down soon. Please be patient with us. Brody has adjusted amazingly well.

We are home from vacation!

Dear friends and family,

What a wonderful trip we had to Destin, Florida. We took the children and Millo and everyone had a great time. We experienced so many "firsts" and they were all amazing. Brody loved the beach of course; anything to do with water. Millo was a little afraid of the water rolling in but he adjusted. We mastered the elevator before we left and really enjoyed the trip. I am posting a new picture of the team with Bubba. Please share it with your friends.