199 plus 1 = 200

199 Blogs in Review.....makes Blog 200!

New site HIHO makes Texas to Tulsa old news

Packers Pack, Movers Mover, Tulsa goodbye, Ohio Hello

New Time zone, New Home, Fireworks

A New Friend, Corporate Wife, Summer ending

Back to school, Home Owners again, Moving in

Boxes, Paint, 121.5 hours without Electricity, IKE

Just random blogging, My Father and Cancer, SUCKS

Blogging, getting Tagged, 1st Blogiversary, Working at church

Recipes, Getting the Bean, Two for Tuesday, My front Porch

Days of the week, Thankful and Soulful, Pumpkin Carving

One more week of Hair, 1-2-3-4 Ponytails, Locks of Love

My first SITs-mas, Snow, Trees, Merry, Merry, Merry

Girl Scout Cookie Time, Snow Days, School Days

2nd Prize, Valentines, High Energy Bills,

Daddy Daughter Dancing Happy Birthday to me

Mary or Martha, Blog Hijacked, Spring Break in Texas

April Fools, Soccer Mom, Manic Monday, Hook 'Em

Ouch, 13 Years of Marriage, Mother's Day, Thanks Max

School's Out, 4th Grade over, Memorial Day,Girl Parts

Campbell's Nine, Basketball Party, Post Vacation

Post Vacation Interrupted, Rivers, Kipper's Birthday

Mouseland, Disney, New Schools, It's all about the shoes

John G. Craig, I love you Daddy, H1N1, Halloween, Veteran's Day

Happy Birthday Daddy, Thankful for, Festive Friends

Joy, Christmas and number 200

Thanks for reading my blog....it has been FUN!

See you next year!

On the second day of Christmas...........

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: the true meaning
With the Twelve Days of Christmas nearly completed, we thought you would be interested in the tradition of the meaning behind that traditional song.

People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that lasts for days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 - the Day of Epiphany - when the Church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi.

From 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practise their faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution.

The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church.
Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit (Gal.5).
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the 12 points of belief in the Apostles Creed.

There you have it, the HIDDEN meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the secret behind the song.

(Taken from http://jmm.aaa.net.au/index.htm)

Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things are. Joy is not necessarily what happens when things unfold according to our plans. --Marianne Williamson

Festive Friends

Our annual (second year) trip to Valley Vineyards was as much fun as ever! Can't wait until next year!

simple and powerful

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them. --Ralph Nichols

5 more posts

I was looking at the blog world today and realized that after this post, I have only 5 more to reach 200. Now for some that is not a big deal and for others it is a big deal. For me, it is neither really.

I began blogging in the fall of 2007 right before I moved from San Antonio to Tulsa. My first blog was TEXAS TO TULSA BURKES and then only 3 months after arriving in Tulsa, we got news of our move to Ohio so I changed my name to HIHOOHIO....thought it was kinda cute! We moved to Ohio 4 days shy of 5months in Tulsa.

Since blogging all began for me, I tried to stay in touch with my family and many friends around the US. Mostly my Texas family and friends, but a few others. I still stay in touch through blogging but I actually use FACEBOOK more often.

FACEBOOK is like crack I think....at least it was for me at first. I started trying to find anyone and everyone I knew....now or past....and to my luck, I have reconnected with a couple LONG LOST school friends and otherwise.....(LESLIE & KELLIE) But even FACEBOOK is getting a little less interesting to me.

Part of that is I just do not have time like I did after my surgery this summer to just sit and look around on the computer, but part of it is that FACEBOOK has changed a bunch since I started. Not as easy to get around.

So, I will continue to check into my little blogging world. I am still grateful for the opportunity to check in and post information for my far away family and friends. My goal is to post my 200th post on December 31st! Seems like it is fitting to end the year with a blog bang!

Until then, I just need 4 more reasons in 3 weeks to stay in touch.......so stay posted....no pun intended.

I am thankful....

God

Family

Health

Friends

Love

Peace

Freedom

Chocolate!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

This is funny.......

Winter is creeping in on us.........

Veteran Day Memorial for my Daddy.......

CRAIGJohn Grant Craig age 73, of San Antonio, born November 22, 1935 in Boston, MA, died Sunday, September 20, 2009. He completed USAF training command in 1956, traveled extensively in the Air Force and served as a navigator for the Air Force during a tour in the Philippines. John attended the University of Texas, University of Minnesota and received his B. A. from Trinity University. He was a proud member of the Pilgrim Society. He was preceded in death by his parents, Addison Bradford and Pearl Frances Craig; brother, Charles B. Craig. Survivors: wife, Mary Alice Craig; daughters, Cindy Craig Timmins and husband, Tim, and Catherine Craig Burke and husband, Kipper; brother James P. Craig and wife Vivian; grandchildren, Catherine and Caroline Timmins, Addison and Campbell Burke, Ryan Thang, Erin and Alex Deakyne, and Madison and Grant Silianoff; stepdaughters, Wendy Thang and husband Mark, Stacy Deakyne and husband, Jeff and Lori Silianoff and husband John; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Dr. Rohit Kapoor and his staff and the caring nurses of the oncology ward of N. E. Methodist Hospital.

WASTING TIME

Texas Tuesday

Let there be no question as to where my loyalty lay!

Halloween!

Spider Girl & "Alex" from Wizards of Waverly Place
Nadya & ?????


My Octo-Babies!

Some Tricks and Lots of Treats!

H1N1

Well, I have survived!

I was in bed from Monday evening until Saturday afternoon!

Fever Spiked to 102.9 on Wednesday.

Kids never got it. (AMEN)

Hubby had it, but much milder case.

WASH YOU HANDS AND COVER YOUR COUGH!

Use your Heart today

The brain gives the heart its sight.

The heart gives the brain its vision.

--Rob Kall

John Grant Craig

November 22, 1935-September 20, 2009

Rest in Peace Daddy,

I love you and miss you.

The Fire of Your Heart

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

September 18
The Fire of Your Heart

My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart.
Psalm 40:8 (NCV)

Want to know God's will for your life? Then answer this question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits?
Heed the fire within!
Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing! Are you stirred to manage? Then manage! Do you ache for the ill? Then treat them! Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them!
As a young man I felt the call to preach. Unsure if I was correct in my reading of God's will for me, I sought the counsel of a minister I admired. His counsel still rings true. "Don't preach," he said, "unless you have to."
As I pondered his words I found my answer: "I have to. If I don't, the fire will consume me."

What is the fire that consumes you?


From: The Great House of God
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1997) Max Lucado

M.I.A.

I have been M.I.A. from Blogging for quite some time now. I have had several reasons I guess and none really.

1. Summer makes me crazy
2. Having had surgery at the beginning of summer made me crazier
3. I have spent too much time on facebook
4. Back to school is always hectic
5. Schedules are nuts with soccer, scouts, piano, school, homework, etc
6. I am back to volunteering weekly and not home as much
7. Had some work done on our house that was a repair and needed doing so I stayed away a bit
8. Had to visit San Antonio to see my Daddy who is dying from lung cancer
9. Been sad for a dear friend with pancreatic cancer and is so young and beautiful
10. I am leading a bible study on Monday and loving that
11. Been busy as a deacon for my church
12. Helping with two PSA (like PTO) projects
13. Trying to be a great mommy to my girls
14. Trying to be a good wife to my husband
15. Trying not to waste time on the computer..........Ha!

So, that is my latest in a list.

Pray for my Daddy. He nears the end of his battle with Lung Cancer and struggles to breathe. Quit smoking or you too may suffocate like he is, slowly. Pray fro my friend Julie that her battle be courageous and painless.

Pray for Julie's family, her two daughters and husband, that they may find peace and healing too.

Pray for a cure for cancer. All cancer. Any cancer. It is awful and SUCKS.

I will be back to blogging, just not as often. Still check in with you all, just not as often. Hope everyone is having a blessed Wednesday. Still my favorite day of the week.

First day of school was a success!

And it is all about the shoes!

one more day, thank goodness

School Starts Tomorrow....."I'm Bored" ends tomorrow!!!!!!!

Disney is Rockin!

Life is still good in Disney World!

May be limited photos as we left our camera in a cab and I am sure the driver is enjoying a great SLIDE SHOW of our first three days!

Oh well, it is just stuff!!!!

Home later this week....will report back in while the laundry is spinning in the basement!

Mouseland

.......................off to pack for Mouseland, Florida, Disney, heaven for kids, rides and fun, walking and eating, shows and princesses, mice, rabbits, dancing girls, lions and tigers and bears, OH MY! Staying in the heart of the animals! Then riding and spinning and waving and parading and swimming and oooohing, wowing, oh coolinging and look at thating and more oooohing and aaaahhhhing! More upon our return and photos I am sure by the millions...........stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Kipper, Daddy, Christopher, "The Flip", Honey........................................

Happy Birthday Dear Kipper,

Happy Birthday to You!

And many more.........

We love you!

Rivers

I have several rivers in my life and stories to tell about them all.

I have spent many an hour showing people around in downtown San Antonio and riding the barges of the San Antonio River. Not to mention I was in a National Coca Cola commercial at 15 that was filmed in a boat on the SA river!

I have floated and sat in the cool waters of the Frio River in Leakey (lake-ee) Texas for the past 15 years thanks to my sweet husband, this is a small but lovely piece of paradise. (even when it is over 100 degrees)

And now I live in a city on a Real Working River. The Ohio River. Dividing Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington/Newport Kentucky, the Ohio River sits at the heart of downtown. Kipper's office overlooks the river and it is the life blood of our city.

Rivers, the water of life. My life!

Post vacation post #3

The kids we encountered on vacation in varies places and in varies forms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(no particular order)