Golden Odyssey

CYT Robin Hood

2009-11-01T12:10:00.026-06:00

The highlight of Chad's year so far has to be CYT Robin Hood. After all of the lines were learned, music memorized, sets completed in was time for the show! The opening song Chad appeared as the main character that he played King Richard.

In Act I Chad appears as the Mysterious Stranger...

The next costume change saw him as one on the Merry Men singing and dancing to "Men in Tights" It was one of the funniest songs in the show!

The 4th costume change for Chad was when he became one of the King's soldiers and did a incredible fight scene.The fight scene was one of his favorite scenes.

The very last scene of the play King Richard the Lionhearted returns to set all wrongs right again! He first deals with the evil Sherriff of Nottingham.

Next King Richard takes care of his brother Prince Phillip who had tried to take over his throne.

He knights Robin Hood and suggests that he take the fair Maid Marion to be his bride.

The entire cast comes out to sing "Never Defeated" and song that I have heard so many times I don't think I'll ever forget!

One of the best things about the show, even though it was alot of work, that he really enjoyed were all of the new and old friends he met that he got to perform with!

Another Robin Hood rehearsal

2009-09-30T20:07:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday I took my camera to the CYT Robin Hood rehearsal where they were choreographing one of the fight scenes between the soldiers and the Merry Men. Chad had been asked to be a soldier in this particular scene since King Richard is not in it. Hmmmm....Chad having to sword fight. What a tough part for him to have to add :). It was fascinating watching them teach these boys a very complex fight involving rolling across backs, knocking out swords and rolling to retrieve them all to a musical score in which they have to keep the count and do everything together. There were 6 teams of guys fighting. Chad had a blast! These are just a few of the pictures that were not blurry from the constant movement.

Augustus playing at Nana's

2009-09-20T18:29:00.009-05:00

Gus enjoys playing at Nana's house! He even had a sleep over last week and did GREAT!

Finally got tired of playing and decided to take a rest.

On another sad note our boat broke down again on Labor Day. Yes, the boat was full of people and we had to be towed in. Not so much fun. It was then towed back into the repair shop across the lake and we just found out that it is the EXACT same part that broke in the EXACT same place!! They are replacing the part again and hopefully they won't charge us an arm and a leg since it part broke again in about 6 weeks. They are replacing the plastic part with a metal part. To get to the part the entire engine has to come out. We hope to get it back in time to spend a few more hours on the lake before it gets to cool.

The other thing that is keeping our lives very busy is Robin Hood. Chad auditioned for the CYT drama production of Robin Hood and was cast as King Richard. CYT (Christian Youth Theater) is the largest youth theater organization in country. Chad is having a blast! I spent yesterday working on building and getting ready to paint sets for the production. They are performing in the historic Crighton Theater in Conroe October 23-25. There will be 6 performances those 3 days. It is a musical and quite funny. I'll try and get some pictures at some point and post.

Where did the rest of the summer go?

2009-09-07T10:01:00.019-05:00

Where did the summer go??? Since my last post was so long ago I thought that I would post pictures that would show a few of the highlights of the second half of our summer. We were blessed with a trip to Colorado to my nephew Mitchell's wedding. Days on the lake were always great fun. Spending time with Gus and Lisa has been such a blessing. As I look through my pictures it becomes apparent that family was what made this summer '09 so wonderful.

Our boat is fixed!!

2009-07-18T19:53:00.009-05:00

We finally got our boat back from the repair shop! It had been sick for months and then spent over a month in the boat hospital, but was finally released this morning! We were able to spend a couple of hours on the boat. Chad was able to finally try out his new knee board that he got for his birthday. Jed (Josanna's brother) came with us and got to try knee boarding for the first time. Both boys did really well. I tried also. Last summer I was able to make it up...not so lucky today. Maybe another day! It was a beautiful day and I was very excited to get back out on the lake again.

And the day wouldn't be complete without some time with my Grandson. Gus came over this evening to hang out. He played with Nana and was a really happy little guy and then he fell asleep. Here he is sleeping at Nana's house.

And just so she doesn't feel left out, a couple of pictures of Elisabeth Joy who is so happy in these pictures since she just realized that she will get to see Nana in less than 2 weeks!!

This is my Mom holding Lisa during her visit to Albuquerque last week. Lisa's showing off her red hair in this shot!

4th of July

2009-07-06T19:16:00.011-05:00

We had a great time celebrating the 4th of July this year at Daniel and Josanna's home. Gus was happy it was Independence Day!

We went to the Walden parade. Gus decided he would rather sleep since his cousin Abigail was blocking his view anyway! Later in the afternoon we spent some time floating on the lake. Gus tried out his new swim suit and life jacket. It was so relaxing he decided to sleep while we floated. Are you beginning to see a theme? Meanwhile, over in Albuquerque, Lisa was giving a shout out to her cousin Gus!

Gus is giving Lisa a shout back. He can't wait to meet her in Colorado so that they can shout together!

Lisa is such a "joy"!

2009-06-17T16:46:00.013-05:00

She is still just too cute! She is in the outfit that her Great Grandma Crandell made for her with the matching quilt!Trying out her folks rings for size...a little big still!

Just after after her bath...

Hangin' with Mom...Hangin' in her crib with the bears... The funniest picture we have of her so far!
She is just one cute gal with lots of personality! We are so blessed!

Chad's birthday

2009-06-17T15:40:00.015-05:00

Yesterday Chad turned 13! I am still not sure how that happened. It seems just yesterday that he was the size of Gus and Lisa. We had a wonderful day here at Kathryn's celebrating this important milestone in his life. It was made all the more special since he was able to celebrate with Elisabeth Joy.We gave Chad his purity ring. It was a special time as his Dad prayed for him and his continued growth into a godly young man. Of course he had to try his new Wii game out with his brother-in-law Matt!

He had to blow out the inferno on top of the cake... We ended the evening with a movie. Lisa decided that she needed some snuggle time with her Papa. He has just the right touch!

It was a GREAT day! Happy Birthday Chad!

Elisabeth Joy the video star!

2009-06-13T18:50:00.003-05:00

Here is a short video that I took of Elisabeth Joy while she was hangin' out with Nana!

Lisa - 5 days old

2009-06-13T14:45:00.013-05:00

Lisa is 5 days old today. She has been a very good baby. She's sleeping, eating well and making her Mom and Dad very happy. Here are a few pictures..she has already changed so much. She's having some snuggle time with Nana.

Lisa is thinking about waking up, but is still not sure!

Proud parents!

Three generations

Elisabeth Joy Stafford

2009-06-10T15:16:00.018-05:00

Elisabeth Joy Stafford was our gift from the Lord on June 8th at 11:10 p.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 10.4 oz. and is 18 inches long. A beautiful, sweet little girl with wonderful auburn hair has now changed our lives forever! I have posted below some pictures in chronological order of the first 36 hours of her life. Matt and Kathryn are going to call her "Lisa" for short and she is very quickly wrapping her daddy around her little finger.

Waiting in Albuquerque

2009-05-31T22:07:00.008-05:00

I flew into Albuquerque on Friday morning and have spent the weekend with Matt and Kathryn. We are all ready for Miss Elisabeth to make her appearance, but she seems to have a mind of her own when it comes to showing up!

Matt and Kathryn are trying out the rocker and Matt is testing out the toys and we keep waiting.

These are a few pictures I took of Gus when he was over spending some time with Nana before she left to be with Kathryn. As you can tell his favorite pass time is still sleeping!

It won't be too long before I can post some pictures of Gus' cousin Elisabeth!!

Puddleduck pups

2009-05-19T21:22:00.024-05:00

I thought tonight I would share a few pictures of the "other" babies that we have been spending quite of time with the past few weeks. These are the puppies of Maggie and Levi Puddleduck and they officially belong to Dan and Josanna. Yesterday, Chad and I decided we needed to name them, so we did.

May I present the ladies first:

Big Mama (the Alpha female of the group)

Precious (She's much more reserved than her sister)

Now for the Fella's:

There are two black and white pups: Cow and Curly.

Cow is on the left and Curly on the right. They are both as cute as can be!

Last but not least is Chewy and Fritoe!

You have to admit these are some of the cutest puppies that you've seen in a very long time!

Home sweet home

2009-05-17T14:26:00.011-05:00

It has been so great to have Gus home the past several days. He is doing really well at home and seems to be settling in just fine. He is sleeping and eating well for his Mom and Dad.

He got a chance to meet his Great-Granddaddy Golden yesterday. He just snuggled in and seemed quite content on Granddaddy's arm. We were able to take a picture of 4 generations of Golden men. Gus decided he really didn't need to be awake for that.

Uncle Chad got to spend some time with Gus as well. He remarked how much smaller he was without the blanket all around him.

It is so great having this little man part of our family! He is easy to love!

Gus comes home!!

2009-05-13T22:47:00.010-05:00

Gus was finally able to break out of the NICU last night and arrived home about 11:15 last night. Tom and I were able to welcome him home.

Gus had a good night and a really good day his first full day at home. His Papa Joe was on hand to help out while Dan was at work. His Mimi is coming tonight and Papa Joe will return home. He got to meet his Aunt Jinnon and cousins Abigail and Amelia. Then Uncle Chad dropped by to meet his nephew.

Uncle Chad had to check out his little fingers. "He's so small!"

Gus enjoyed chillin' with his Dad in the late afternoon.

He still is one cute dude!

He is such a sweet blessing in our lives. God is the giver of all good gifts and Gus is one of the best gifts ever!

Gus 15 Days old

2009-05-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

Gus grinin' at Nana! Tom took this on Saturday and I thought it would be fun to post. Notice he has the feeding tube out and seems very happy about it.

Augustus & Nana time

2009-05-06T17:55:00.011-05:00

Tom and I were able to drive down to the hospital yesterday afternoon late and have some time with Augustus. When we got there Daniel was already with him and he was sleeping peacefully in his Daddy's arms. Such a sweet picture. Dan left to get home to Josanna and let his Dad come in to spend time with Gus and I. We were able to hold and cuddle this little guy. He feels so small and vulnerable.

I handed him off so Papa Tom could have a little grandson time, but he was beginning to get a little hungry so, Gus was just a tad bit fussy.

But Papa Tom had the magic touch and soon Gus was chillin' quite peacefully in Tom's arms.

Augustus though, smart guy that he is, remembered that he really was getting hungry and just got side tracked enjoying snuggling with Papa Tom. Gus decided he needed to remind everyone that it really WAS dinner time!

So, back to Nana he came! Now, that's more like it!

First things first though...I need to have a diaper change, before I can enjoy my meal! Nana, would you like to change me?

That feels so much better. Now, back to the fact that I'm hungry. Ok bottle, here I come!

Gus decided to show off to Nana and Papa Tom and drank his whole bottle (48 ml.- a little over an ounce) in about 25 minutes! Whoo-hooo! After he finished his meal it was time for the nurses shift change and we had to say goodbye to our incredible little guy. I'll update again in another few days about this blessing that God has blessed our lives with.

If you would like to keep up with Gus and his progress Daniel and Josanna have created a website that you can go to. It is www.caringbridge.org . When you go there you will enter "Augustus" in the box for which website you would like to visit. It will take you to a page where you will need to create a profile and choose a password. That will allow you to log in to Augustus's page. Daniel and Josana have his story posted, a journal update, photo's and an opperturnity to sign a guest book for messages to Gus.

A Tale of 2 Grandchildren

2009-05-03T18:02:00.011-05:00

I thought that I would start with a quick update on my grandson Gus. It looks like he will be staying in the NICU for a few more weeks.

He continues to have trouble eating so he will need to stay until he gets this all figured out. As soon as he can eat without being tube fed and maintain that for a few days, he can break out of the NICU.

I would appreciate your continued prayers for Gus, Daniel and Josanna. Since the hospital is an hour and a half drive from home, it has limited the amount of time they have to spend with him. Tom and I were able to see him this afternoon for about 10 minutes each before shift change and took a few pictures. We were not able to wait for the 45 minutes to go back in to see him since Dan had ridden with us to the hospital and needed to get back to Josanna since her Mom had to leave today. A long drive for a short visit, but he is worth it. He's changed alot in a week although his weight has remained about the same. They are allowing Dan & Josanna to bring up his "premie" clothes so it is fun that he is no longer just in a diaper. Today he slept through most of our visit as you can see. All of the work to eat just wears him out!

Getting some love from Daniel which he seems to enjoy.

Augustus did wake up to fuss at Papa Tom for disturbing his nap!

We left him all snuggled in waiting for his afternoon feeding (tube style!)

My granddaughter Elisabeth Joy is counting the days until she can start her exit strategy from her Mom Kathryn. She keeps trying to decide if she wants to arrive in 33 days as scheduled or keep things exciting and arrive at a more unexpected time. She has decided to turn so she is head first in case she really wants to cause some excitement. However, she likes being snuggled right up against her Mom's ribs and is not sure that she really wants to exit this comfy home.

Here is a picture of Kathryn at 35 weeks taken last Friday. You will just have to use your imagination to see Elisabeth.

I am excited that I am going to get to go spend some time with Kathryn & Matt a week before the "official" due date of June 5. That way if Elisabeth decides on a suprise entrance, Nana will be there with Kathryn.

Sunday afternoon

2009-04-26T14:58:00.005-05:00

Here a couple of pictures that I took yesterday afternoon. Since it is Sunday, and Sunday is a day of rest, that is exactly what everyone is doing today. Resting! Josanna, Dan & Augustus are all trying to catch up on their sleep. Tom is taking his traditional Sunday afternoon nap. Chad is playing (he doesn't hardly ever take a nap) and I am about ready to go out into the sunshine and rest in my hammock. Gus is doing well today. They are not bottle feeding him today, just using the NG tube and the IV for him to get enough nourishment without burning up so many calories trying to suck on a bottle. He weighed in last night at 5 lbs. 4.2 oz!! Dan told me to expect that weight to go down when they take him off of the IV glucose. Dan also told me this afternoon that he had changed Gus' diaper for the first time. Whoo Hooo. First of many!!

Augustus day 2

2009-04-25T15:17:00.008-05:00

Here's a few pictures of Gus. He is still in NICU trying to get his glucose numbers up. They put his IV back in to supplement the feeding tube. Trying to drink from a bottle is so much work for him it wears him out. Josanna and Dan have both been able to hold him as well as Josanna's folks and me. He's really sweet.

Augustus Sioux Golden

2009-04-25T00:11:00.025-05:00

My precious grandson, Augustus Sioux Golden made his grand entrance earlier today April 24th at 2:47 in the afternoon. He is 5 lbs. 1 oz. and 17 1/2 inches long.

He is 5 weeks early but is amazing. He is spending the night in the NICU, but overall he is doing remarkably well. All of these pictures are when Gus was only hours old.

He is so cute! I got to spend some time with him today in the NICU. No one has gotten to hold him yet, except Josanna on the delivery table. I was able to touch him and talk to him.

He had his eyes open for quite awhile when I was with him. He is so tiny. He is going to look just like Daniel and Josanna-blond hair and blue eyes.

He does seem to have Daniel's long legs. When he wakes up, he scrunches his face up just like his Mom does. Nana and Papa Tom are so blessed with this miracle that God has given to our family. "Behold, children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3

Refreshed and back with the family!

2009-04-02T22:18:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, I returned from a Wives of Men in Ministry Retreat. It was a wonderful few days of relaxation, excellent food and wonderful teaching and laughter. Jani Ortland spoke. She and her husband Bud were my youth leaders growing up. It was so neat to get to talk with her after so many years.
Yesterday was an email/work catch up day. Today was a relaxing day with Chad. He worked on his Modern Art project for school and his convocation project. I got some things organized. We both spent time outside in the sunshine reading.

Yesterday, Maggie, Daniel and Josanna's dog had puppies. Seven. So Maggie beat Josanna in the birth race! Josanna is still able to be home on bedrest for one more week. We are all thankful for each week she is able to keep little Gus in the oven. She was told to bring a suitcase next week in case they need to admit her. Augustus will make his entrance sometime in the next 4 weeks. Elisabeth Joy isn't set to debut until early June. God is blessing me beyond measure! To see how much my children love the Lord and live that out in their lives every day. I am blessed with an incredible husband who is so patient and kind. He has such a servants heart. I have such a wonderful family!

Time to update

2009-03-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

Wow! Where has the time gone? Oh, that's right, 2 weddings, 2 pregnant kiddos, church, PACES, travel, conferences, laughter, tears, well let's just say life.

I decided that I really need to start this back up again since I am soon to be a "Nana" to my first grandson and granddaughter. I will need a place to post all of the pictures of the 2 cutest babies on the planet. Can you tell that I am excited?? I am praying to the God of all Creation for the health of both mama's and babies. I will try and be more diligent with updating my blog and letting eveyone know what is on my mind and my heart.

I am so blessed with a wonderful husband who graciously allowed me to have a wonderful afternoon with some great friends. I am so blessed with a wonderful son who is still at home with me to hug each day. He almost always brings me coffee early in the morning, too-if that's not a blessing I don't know what is. I am blessed with the church that God has called us to and the work that He is doing there. I am blessed with the sunshine, the flowers and the signs of spring. I am blessed with a husband who encourgaged me to go to a retreat next weekend that will refresh me. I am blessed with friends who make me laugh.

I am blessed that God loves me enough that He is patient with me and is slowing helping me in so many areas to be more pleasing to him. I am just blessed.

Today was the day

2007-12-18T00:45:00.000-06:00

Today was the day that my son put a ring on her finger. So many thoughts run through my head. How good God is that he has blessed my son with a wonderful woman to be his bride. How blessed we are to have such a sweet godly woman join our family. I am excited about what the future holds for them. It brings back memories of my engagement to the love of my life. My marriage has gotten better with each passing year. Tom is my best friend, my husband, my encouragement, my love. He laughs with me, teases me, listens to me and gives me his shoulder to cry on when I need it. I can't imagine life without him. That is my prayer for Daniel and Josanna, that they have years to spend loving each other, laughing together, depending on each other, praying for each other and growing closer to Christ with each passing day. Today was a wonderful day!

Christmas

2007-12-12T22:56:00.000-06:00

It's December already! Where has the year gone? Today was Chad's first day of Christmas break and boy did he enjoy it. It started last night with Teddy and Bobby spending the night. Unfortunately, Bobby had to leave early, but Teddy stayed all day. Wade then joined the fun. They played hide and seek in the dark at 2:00 in the morning and then later at 4:00 in the afternoon up at the church. (Lots of places to hide there) We then had a family movie night complete with a fire in the fire place and popcorn. We ended the evening with our Advent readings. What a great day! The boys made me smile as they laughed and enjoyed being together. That is some of what I enjoy the most about Christmas: laughter, love, family, celebrating the Advent of the coming of our Lord. This Christmas will be especially fun as we enjoy celebrating the Christmas season with the newest member of our family. My prayer for each of you who may read this that this year would be a special one filled with laughter, joy, smiles, tickles, gifts, family, friends, surprises, and a reminder that it took the miracle of Christmas to have the redemption at Easter. I am truly blessed.

Consider it all joy...

2007-11-04T21:42:00.000-06:00

When I have hard days the only way to get through them is to focus on truth. God's truth. He doesn't promise "happiness" in our journey. He does promise "joy" in our journey if our relationship with Him is our highest priority. Sometimes in the dark days all that you can do is cling to His Word, His promises, His hope. "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not; I will help thee."
Isaiah 41:33

Things are not so dark now. I try to focus more on my relationship with my Lord which I love

more than life itself. I try to laugh more. I try to relax more. I try to schedule in time to have fun with my family and friends. I try to love more. I try to reach out more. I try to encourage others. To serve others.

As I ponder my life and the blessings God has given me I walk down memory lane. These are some pictures that show just how much God has blessed me. These are pictures that make me smile.

Hard Days

2007-10-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

Some days are just hard days. Do you ever just want to runaway from life? Today is such a day for me. Yesterday would have been my neice Kelsey's 17th birthday. I came to Dallas on Tuesday to be with my sister and the rest of my family. We planted a pink crepe myrtle in their yard to be a reminder of life... as it blooms pink every spring. Sometimes my heart hurts so much the only way to get through the day is to remember Who is my sustaining strength. I try to remember the God of the mountain top victories is also the one who holds my hand through "the valley of the shadow of death." Some days it is hard to "count it all joy when you encounter various trials...". It is still a journey to rest in this command. Today it is hard to count.

Old friends or better yet friends from the past...

2007-10-19T12:54:00.000-05:00

Tommorrow my husband and I travel down memory lane to a reunion of some our college friends in Nacogdoches. OK, not this far back, but I don't have any of my college day pictures in digital format....so use your imagination. One of our friends from college and seminary is Michele Easley (who is now president of Moody Bible College). He and his wife will be there for the weekend to speak at Grace Bible Church (the church we went to while in college). It will be interesting to see what God has done in the lives of our friends. Each of our journey's since college will have been different, but in some ways I'm sure the same. Many of us will have married and have a family. Many of us will be ministering in one form or another. Many of us will look older (if not wiser...wait, how do you look wiser?) I digress. We should have a great day, visiting, remembering, laughing... I'll let you know how it goes.

2007-10-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Memories of Kelsey

2007-10-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

On October 3rd at 5:30 in the morning my 16 year old niece Kelsey went to be with the Lord. She glorified the Lord in her life and has through her death. Many lives have been changed since the Lord took her to be with Him. She is where I long to be. As Paul says, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." Kelsey has gained what I long for: to see my Lord face to face. To worship at His feet. Lives have been changed. Mine has been changed. I have had to re-focus. I have had to look closely at my priorities. I have had to balance the "peace that passes all understanding" with the human emotion of the grief that I feel as I miss Kelsey. She was a joyful, funny, dramatic, talented musician who loved the Lord and loved life. My life will never be the same. My family has felt the many, many prayers offered the past 12 days. They have sustained us. Thank you to all of my friends that have been faithful to pray for me and my family.

Colorado High

2007-08-24T16:38:00.000-05:00

What could be better...the mountains, the blue sky, the GREAT weather, the stimulating/stretching interaction of Plutarch & Shakespeare. God has truly blessed me with this unbelievable conference. His timing. His grace to me.

Look to The Light

2007-08-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I frequently need to remind myself to focus on the true Light, the Light that is always there to light my path through darkness. My desire is for His Light to shine in me and through me. It is still a journey...my odyssey.

Elvis is in the house!

2007-08-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

Where has the summer gone??

2007-07-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

I keep wondering what happened to summer this year. Last May is was just around the corner and now it is almost August! I'm not ready for it to be August. I still have too much of summer to enjoy. Flowers to smell, books to read, time to relax on the lake, play, laugh...enjoy the sunshine. Someday when we are not bound by time and space I will enjoy sitting, standing, singing, dancing? with my Lord. I think I will enjoy asking Him questions the most, well, I probably won't even care at that point and just get back to praising Him. These pictures I took last weekend when Tom and I were away. They remind me of summer. I'm clinging to it as long as I can. :) Notice the butterfly on the bottom picture? It enjoys summer too!

Birthday celebrations Golden style

2007-07-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

Our weekend away to celebrate our birthdays was fabulous! Taking the stage though did have it's advantages!

Having fun...

2007-07-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

The siblings goofing off!

A Day at the Lake-Mom kneeboarding!!

2007-07-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

A little about me..

2007-07-14T12:10:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Golden Odyssey! I am on a journey to becoming more Christ like. I am on a journey to my heavenly home. I am on a journey to learn more about my Lord and how to serve him with all that I am. Sometimes my journey leaves the path He desires for me, but He is always there waiting when I return...loving me, being patient with me, encouraging me. I have met lots of friends on my journey. This is my best friend & husband!