A milestone to honor and remember...

Happy 55th Anniversary Pap and Gram!
We love you!

On July 16, 1955...55 years ago today...two special people committed to each other and to a marriage that has stood strong all these years!

Obviously I wasn't even thought of at that time...but this marriage and the commitment these two wonderful people made to each other...began a journey that would shape and influence the lives of many people along the way.

I am thankful for their commitment to God and to each other. I am thankful that they were committed to raising a family and teaching them the importance of serving God. I am thankful for so many things about them...but right now I am most THANKFUL that God has allowed me to have 35 wonderful years with them and that my children are getting the opportunity know these wonderful people!

Just because...

I love this man! Shane, thank you for ALL the help you have given me and for being such a great dad and husband! The children and I are blessed beyond measure in so many ways...but you are one of our greatest blessings! I could not do this without you and I am so thankful you are willing to take on whatever comes our way! Love you so much! Thank you for loving all of us so much!

Best Buddies...

Above is a picture of Pap holding my dad, Danny....probably taken around 1957. Too cute! Below is a picture of Pap and Parker....it just don't get any better than this! Warms my heart!

Across the miles...

All around this world I've traveled
Through it all I've come to find
The ties that bind can come unraveled
I've had to face some lonely times
But when I'm tired and feeling low
Oh what a comfort it is to know

Across the miles there's someone praying for me
Across the miles there's someone on their knees
Lifting my name to the Lord above
In joy and pain I can feel the love
And see you smile
Across the miles

Life can be so complicated
Walking through it on your own
When kindred hearts are separated
It gives love a chance to grow
And even though I'm so far away
Oh I'm reminded every day

Across the miles there's someone praying for me
Across the miles there's someone on their knees
Lifting my name to the Lord above
In joy and pain I can feel the love
And see you smile
Across the miles

-Karen Stayley

Don't wait...

I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:25-27).

Take advantage of the beautiful day that God has given us and show others Christ living in you! Tell those special people in your life how much you love them and how special they are to you...don't let the time slip away!

So meaningful...

This song is one of my new favorites. I am not sure how I stumbled upon it today...but I did and I am so glad I did! We have so many people that we love that are struggling and going through very difficult times in their life and this song is such a great reminder to all of us to remember to pray in the good times and the bad!

If you want to hear the song, you can go to this site: I'll Pray for You .

I'll Pray for You

I saw an old friend at the market, standing in the checkout line,

She began to share her story, then I told her mine,

It was clear we both knew heartache so before I turned to go,

We made a simple promise, that would lighten both our loads

I’ll pray for you, you pray for me,

And together we’ll touch heaven from our knees,

Anything can happen in His name when we agree,

I’ll pray for you, you pray for me

What a privilege and an honor to know that God is there,

and to have His full attention, any time and any where,

sometimes when we’re talking, conversation turns to you,

as your name and needs are mentioned, God lifts my spirit too

I’ll pray for you, you pray for me,

And together we’ll touch heaven from our knees,

Anything can happen in His name when we agree,

I’ll pray for you, you pray for me

Barbara Huffman & Marcia Henry / Christian Taylor Music / BMI
a division of Daywind Music ( admin by ICG)

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

Some days I just can't believe how fast time really passes. It really does just seem like yesterday in so many many ways.

From this precious baby...

To this precious child...

Happy 7th Birthday Kennedy! We Love you so much!

Another one bites the dust!

Kennedy pulled another tooth! She is getting good at this and doesn't want me to even come close now when she has a loose tooth! (That might have something to do with the fact that Gram pulled a loose tooth during Christmas Break without telling Kennedy that she was going to do it....hint...hint) :)
It had been loose for a little while and she came home on Weds. telling me she was sad because she couldn't even eat her rice krispy treat at snack time....because it hurt her tooth to try and bite into the treat! Well, I knew then that the tooth was ready to come out. Kennedy LOVES rice krispy treats and if she didn't eat it at snack time....that was a sure sign.
So, we ate supper and went on to church that night. After class was over and we were all sitting in the auditorium...during the time that the invitation was being given...she YANKED it out! She was so excited and started trying to get sweet Mikayla's attention (she sits in front of us at church). It was a fun night and so funny to see how excited that she was about loosing her first top tooth! She had fun the next morning drinking her juice...she said..."Mama, look the straw fits in the spot where I lost my tooth!" Needless to say, she is having lots of fun being a snaggletooth this week!
Hard to believe that all of the kids are just GROWING UP sooooo fast! I can't believe that this little precious will turn 7 yrs. old on Sunday! I know it is inevitable....but I am selfish about my babies!

Strong Woman vs. Woman of Strength

When I decided to get back to blogging and to use it as my "journal" of sorts...one thing I wanted to make sure I included was a section that would help me to be better at setting time aside daily for personal Bible study. I think it is safe to say that many of us "plan" or have a goal to make time to read our Bible's daily...but in all honesty, I know for me...it doesn't always go as I plan. Even as much as I like things to be on a daily schedule and my lists to all be in order (yes, I am a major list maker)...sticking to an organized schedule hasn't been so easy over the last year.

I will admit that the majority of my reasoning behind doing this daily is to benefit me and improve the amount of time I spend reading and studying God's word and the principles found in it. I know that I have learned over the years that the best study method for me is writing and repeating the information I need to learn.

This section of my blog is strictly for growth. Spiritual growth, growth as a wife and mother, a daughter, a friend...however you want to apply it to your life. I won't claim that everything posted here will be a masterpiece...because it won't be. However, it will be a scripture, poem, or a thought that I came across in my own study and wanted to share with others.

Last night came across this poem in a book titled Worthy Women written by Mary Alice Wilhelm. She could not give credit to the original author because it was a poem that she had found somewhere on the internet.

I have read this book before and decided to start reading back through it again. I am sure I had read this poem before...but I guess I never really paid as much attention as I did last night.

Strong Woman vs. Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...
but a woman of strength give the best of herself to everyone.

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

I loved reading this poem and must admit that it made me a little emotional...but more than that it gave me a little kick in the pants...which I needed so badly! I plan on posting this somewhere in the house where I can read it DAILY to help me remember that strength does not come from myself but from God!

In Christ Alone

 

 

A good friend of mine brought a copy of the sheet music to several of us at church and wanted us to learn this beautiful song.  So we gave it a shot... I had no idea when I first saw the song.... how awesome the lyrics would be!  So beautiful!  Take the 5 minutes that it will take you and listen to it....and really absorb the message.  This should brighten your day and reset your focus about what is truly important.  Have a great afternoon!

We're back! Life will get back to "normal"....right?

So, we finally got back home last night. Our plane landed in B'ham safely and we began the trip home. We had a FABULOUS time! We had such great FAMILY time! We tried not to worry about work, internet, phones, bills, whatever....and just tried to have fun and relax! We had a few obstacles....but what family vacation wouldn't have obstacles?

We are tired, but in a good way! Today, I have several things I could be doing....but I decided that since I have only two days left with the girls for Fall Break....who cares! We need to spend time together! I want to spend time with them....after reading my good friend Telah's blog this morning.....I had a few tears and re-focused a little.

Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. Of course, there is much more to share a little later. Enjoy!

On the airplane....and the kids are just excited to be on the airplane for the first time. They keep asking....how are we going to get to school this morning? This is at about 6:45am....notice it is still dark outside.

The girls just opened their gifts and found out we are going to Disney World. More of that story later...

Had these shirts made for them to wear on the trip down to Disney.

Finally! We have arrived!

More later!

Are you ready for some football?

First, let me say....WOW!  Sorry it has been so long since I posted!  Time just flies by around here these days!

I know this is a few days late and that I actually should have posted this last Saturday...but better late than never.  College football season is here and I can't tell you how happy that makes our family!  Shane's countdown to the first Alabama football game of the 2008-09 season began back February....I think  :) 

I will admit that growing up I was never a sports nut...did not care too much for any sport...however, Shane has converted me to a Crimson Tide fan.  There are a few other teams that I root for....like Marshall University and I love me some Indiana Hoosiers basketball! 

So for the Labor Day weekend we were in Huntington, WV...which is normally where we travel on the Labor Day weekend each year for a little family get together....my aunt has season tickets to the Marshall football games....and everyone was going....so we decided to give it a try this time.  Normally, Shane goes with my aunt and all the family and I stay behind with the kiddos.  We decided that this year all of the kids were old enough and could handle it...so we were going to give it a try. 

Daddy's little man!

The girls with their cousin Koral.

This was the first college football game that my kiddos have attended and despite the heat and all the walking....they did GREAT!

I love this boy!!!

Kennedy did not get in the above picture because she was too busy crying because she could not stand by Koral.  So I got a picture of just the two of them...and that seemed to make her happy! 

We had a BLAST!  Especially Parker....who has now learned how to say TOUCHDOWN and  FOOTBALL! 

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share from the BAMA games yet.  We are hoping to get to travel to Tuscaloosa for a couple this season and you can bet if we do I will have lots of pictures to share with you.  However,  if you are a CRIMSON TIDE FAN...you will want to  visit Cheryl's Blog .... which is all about ALABAMA FOOTBALL!

Wordless Wednesday....'nuff said!

No schedule today. Picture overload and Goal #5.

Our day has been a lot of things...but on a schedule is not one of those things!  :)

For whatever reason, all three of my children have snotty noses and a slight cough.  Now, I might expect my school age girls to catch a little bug during the beginning of the school year.  Why is it that my 2 year old is the worst one and running fever today?  :)   Poor little man!  I hate it when he feels bad...because when he does sometimes there is no consoling him...no matter what you try to do to help.

So, I scratched trying the new schedule...and just tried to take it one hour at a time. 

As for #5...I am working on it and still have a lot to learn.  But as of right now, I am REALLY enjoying a new little toy we got a few days ago. 

We finally took the plunge and decided to purchase this little number:

Of course, whenever I get a free second or two...I start snapping.  I have pretty much been shooting in automatic mode and have a lot to learn about everything with this camera!  However, even with a rookie like me...I think I got some pretty good shots over the last day or so and thought I would share them.  So be prepared to see a ton of pictures of my kiddos!  

 

I think this picture about says it all!  :)

Finally!

Remember this post?  Well, it has taken me a little time...but I finally am posting some pictures from my brother's wedding back in June.  It was definitely a memorable day with all the weather related inconveniences....but still a great day!

I am definitely a person who likes to combine and conquer as many things as I can into one project...and that is what you get in the pictures below.  Not only am I finally getting to post what I had promised weeks ago...but I am catching up on my memory keeping too.  I have finally been able to somewhat conquer  my severe "OCD" about having to scrapbook chronologically....or even that every picture must make it to a scrapbook...or that each scrapbook has to be made in a tradition 12x12 album....  So, now that I have been able to try some new things in my scrapbooking....it has been amazing at how much more I can accomplish in my few spare minutes each day.  Also, the fact that I have been gravitating toward doing more digital pages helps too....they are SOOOOO simple and easy for me to complete!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox greeting

So if you remember my post from the other day....it listed 5 goals of mine to complete and then I will tackle the next 5?

1. Increase the amount of time I spend in prayer and bible study.
2. Get our family on a schedule and routine that works without us stressing over being somewhere at a specific time.
3. Make and document memories more about all the little things my kids are doing....this translates to scrapbooking for me!  I would like to set aside two hours a week to work on catching up on the kids scrapbooks.
4. Keep a journal of everyday events.
5. Recognize my talents and gifts and not focus on what I CAN'T do...(with that being said...my goal for this is to learn more about photography and improve on my designing abilities and hopefully make a full time hobby/business from it...)

 

As you can see...I have succeeded in at least beginning a process...not to say that I don't have room to improve and will continue to move forward on these items.  #1...well, that will always be my first and foremost area to improve upon....so it will never be crossed off the list.   I have started and we are working towards #2 and #5 and I will post about them tomorrow with some photos I took this afternoon and a new schedule that we are going to begin tomorrow.  So check back for that info!

Have a great evening everyone!

Just buzzing around like busy little bees...our normal weekend routine

How cute is this?  Couldn't resist getting a picture of my little man!

Five on Friday

Let me just start by saying that I am a LIST maker!  I feel most organized and able to complete projects if I have a list made in my handy little notebook that I carry around everywhere I go.  I started to post yesterday and get back on track with Thursday Thirteen...and I will get back to that next week...but decided that thirteen items in this next list was a little too much to start of with for me.    In the meantime, I wanted to share some thoughts with you about my goals for the near future.  Hear me out....don't go clicking that red X up in the top right corner of your screen and telling me goodbye just yet.  :)

Life is a balancing act.   Wow!   I know that the first statement comes as a real shock to most of you.  However, it has taken me 33 years, 4 months, and 1 day to learn this very important lesson!  I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and I am trying to do some self-renovating (is that a word?)  I have said all summer...as soon as I get both girls settled into the school routine...there are many things I want to focus on for myself.   So now that we have completed our first full week of the school year...I think it is time to begin!  I know most people set goals in January...but I have chosen to start fresh now....a new school year for my girls and a new year for me too!

Yesterday I was going to list 13 goals that I have set for myself to accomplish during the first semester of this new school year.  My goal is to have these things accomplished, active and working, or just plain finished by Christmas time. Do you think I will make it?  :)    After contemplating that for a long time....I decided to break it up into smaller, more attainable lists.  I don't want to feel overwhelmed!  I don't want to bite off more than I can chew (which is usually what I do  :) )  So, for today I thought I would share the first five goals I have set.  As I complete things or begin to see them working well....I will mark them off and list a new 5!

I believe we all have room for improvement in our lives...even in what seem to be the most insignificant areas... I KNOW that I do and this is just really something that I need to do for me to feel like I am improving ....but also for the good of my family.   I have always used this BLOG as sort of my journal....mainly because I find it very easy to sit and type and express my thoughts.  So, I plan to record and update progress on this site to help me stay on track.  Here we go!

Here are the first 5 things:

1. Increase the amount of time I spend in prayer and bible study.
2. Get our family on a schedule and routine that works without us stressing over being somewhere at a specific time.
3. Make and document memories more about all the little things my kids are doing....this translates to scrapbooking for me!  I would like to set aside two hours a week to work on catching up on the kids scrapbooks.
4. Keep a journal of everyday events.
5. Recognize my talents and gifts and not focus on what I CAN'T do...(with that being said...my goal for this is to learn more about photography and improve on my designing abilities and hopefully make a full time hobby/business from it...)

I know these first five are not quite as tangible as "Make the bed everyday."  But it is a starting point for me...and I am happy to say that I have already started making progress.  One last thing is this:  I know I am not perfect and don't think I have set unrealistic goals....these are just starting points and things I am going to try to focus and improve on one item at a time.  I still will have days where I don't feel like I accomplished many if any the goals...but I can wake up the next day ready to start fresh again!

See I can go ahead put a checkmark by #4 and #3...I am back to journaling here on the ole' blog and have scrapbooked a little this week.  Great start....I think!

 

 

Rain, Rain Go Away...

We pulled in the driveway from school....and as soon as we got out of the van...this is what happened.  Guess what?  I just let them go and have fun...because one of the goals I have set for myself (which you will see in a post really soon) is to let go and just have more fun with the kids....stop worrying about laundry, making beds, cleaning the house, and just all together being too caught up in things to enjoy the simple precious moments with them!

As you can see...I definitely need to work on my photography skills...but in my defense...it is hard to hit three moving targets just right every time!