Happy 18th Birthday Kate!

This one, my only girl child... she turned 18 in February. 

Yeah, 18. I can't believe it either.

Visit with the Little Boys

We had a visit from our little nephews just after Christmas. These are the little guys we had in foster care when they were 2 years old and 9 months old. We had them for about two weeks while the Lord was making ready their forever home. If you missed it, you can read about that  here.

sweet brothers

Will's First Year of High School at Home

Well, this school year has come to a close, and the new one is just around the corner. Well, kind of :). This year will be the first in a long time that I am choosing not to follow along with the school calendar (public or private) for our homeschool. Kate graduated in May and will be starting college classes at the end of August, so I'm thinking Will and I will probably wait to start school when she does.

Wedding Anniversary

I recently (like in August) celebrated 22 years of marriage to the love of my life. I've been thinking back over these wonderful years that God has given us. Of course it hasn't been just picture perfect. We've had our share of ups and downs, to be sure. But, if I could go back and do it all over again, I'd still choose him. I know, in the deepest recesses of my heart, that God picked him out just for me.

 

Busy Summer Days Give You Something to Think About

I have used my last few posts trying to get caught up from our overly busy summer. I've talked about all of our various road trips,  and our comings and goings. We did have a few lazy days at home, with nothing on the agenda.

 

I tried to focus most of my time over the summer on my kids. They're growing up so fast... changing so much.

 

Now, more than ever, I can see the importance of spending as much time with them as I can. Even in all of our busyness this summer, we were together. We were busy as a family. This time with them is so fleeting.

 

I used to think, when they were babies and toddlers (and even preschoolers),

A New Way of Seeing Things

Yes, we're still sick. But we are on the mend. None of us have much of an appetite, but there has been no fever among any of us today. Yay! We have all spent most of the day cuddled up in blankets on the couches.

Of course I have been a little down-hearted about us being sick for so long. But I know that I have a choice in my reaction. So... I've asked the Lord to show me something positive in all of this. And of course He did. Not just one thing, but lots. And isn't that just like Him?

So here are some things that I am thankful for amidst all this sickness:

Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Husband

Today is my husband's birthday.

his birthday celebration in 2007

We probably won't do much school today, just the basics. I want to have time to prepare a celebration for him! There are decorations to hang, a gift to wrap and brownies to bake (he prefers them to a cake!) And since we are trying to eat a little more healthy around here, I decided to try the dark chocolate brownies this time (hehe).

I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, but my husband likes it. So... we shall see what he thinks about his brownies!

I am so thankful for my husband. I am grateful that God picked him out just for me! Do we argue? Of course. Does he have quirky little habits that get on my last nerve? Certainly. (Don't we all?) But he is also kind-hearted and compassionate in his role of husband and father. He provides for us and tries hard to meet our needs.

So when his birthday comes around, we try to make it extra special for him! Of course, our goal is to show him our appreciation every day, but on his birthday we really want to show him just how special he is to us.

his brownies

his cake, which he might not want, but the rest of us do :)

So today we will celebrate. Tonight we will eat pizza with friends after church, and we will thank Him for another year with a wonderful husband and father. We will celebrate the life that He has given us, and we'll be careful to give the glory to our God, the source of all life and the source of our joy.

Happy Mother's Day

I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be a mother.

There is no feeling quite like holding your newborn baby in your arms and experiencing that rush of joy, that mix of emotions known only to a mommy. Watching your child grow, seeing him or her learning, living, and loving... there are no words to adequately describe these "mommy" feelings.

There is a saying that goes something like this: "your children hold your hands for a little while, but your heart forever." And another one says, "your children step on your toes when they're little, and then your heart when they're older."

I guess there is some truth in both of these sayings. They don't hold my hands much anymore, but they certainly have a hold on my heart! And they aren't stepping on my toes anymore either, but they sure have a way of hurting my heart sometimes.

Despite all of the growing pains we've experienced, I wouldn't have it any other way! I am so thankful for the privilege of being a mom to these gifts the Lord has entrusted to my care. My desire is to be a joyful momma, leading my children by example and directing them to the Lord. God is still working on me in this area (among others!). I'm so thankful He hasn't given up on me. I want to walk worthy of my calling.

my blessings

Mother's Day is always a little bittersweet for me. My own dear mother went to be with the Lord when I was 19. Although I love celebrating with my children, I do miss my momma terribly. I had a dream about  her a few nights ago. In my dream, I was in heaven and she was the first person I went looking for. When I woke from the dream, I felt guilty that she was the first person I wanted to see (instead of Jesus!) I don't really know if there is any significance in that dream. I would like to think that the first person I look for in heaven will be my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I guess I just miss her so much, even after all these years.

As I was lying in bed a couple nights after that dream, I was pondering it and thinking about her... and it dawned on me that I am now older than my momma lived to be. That's a weird feeling.

I miss her so much, but I am comforted just knowing that she is in heaven and I will be able to see her again one day! In the meantime, I pray that I can be half the mother to my children that she was to my brother and me.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  3 John 4

Our Oldest

Another year has been added to the life of my firstborn. I can scarcely believe that he is 19 years old.

Here we are out celebrating his birthday at his favorite restaurant in our small town, Village Pizza

You can tell that he is thrilled about me taking his picture!

I know I say this EVERY time we celebrate another birthday in our family...but really, WHERE does the time go? I guess while they're little it seems as if we'll be in a certain stage of life forever, but it truly does go by faster than we think!

I'm reminded of the words in the song, Don't Blink, by Kenney Chesney. I'm not a big country music fan, but I do like a few songs, like this one, with poignant messages. The chorus goes like this:

     Don't blink

     Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you

     Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

     Don't blink

     You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

     Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your better half

     Of fifty years is there in bed

     And you're praying God takes you instead

     Trust me friend a hundred years goes by faster than you think

     So don't blink

Lately we've been having some struggles, my oldest and I. I had such a hard time when he moved out for college, and then when he moved back home at Christmas, you'd think I would have been thrilled! I guess the young man that moved back home wasn't exactly the same one who moved out a few months before.

I think it has been a series of power struggles for us...him becoming the independent young man God created him to be, yet me, trying to hold onto his youth and keep him under my wing, so to speak.

Yes, I know there comes a time when I have to really let go...and let God. I thought I had already reached that place, but apparently God is still teaching me how to let go. It hasn't been easy, but I daresay that we have grown in our relationship with each other, as well as with God.

I have two more following closely behind him...

Hopefully, God will help me have this parenting thing all sorted out by the time we reach this point with them. But, most likely, He will not. After all, if I had it all figured out, then I guess I wouldn't need Him. And that would be a sad day, indeed. May I never get to the point where I feel like I don't need God!

I am proud of the godly young man he is becoming, and I am genuinely thankful for the blessing he has been to me. I can see that God has great things in store for him; I can see that God is growing him in wisdom, and in his relationship with Him. I am thankful....

A Dear Friend

I had the opportunity this weekend to visit with an old friend... actually, she was more than a friend.

My former pastor's wife was my Sunday school teacher, my bible study teacher, my mentor and my friend for more than 12 years. I often refer to her as my spiritual mother, because my own dear mother went to be with Jesus when I was just 19 years old and when the Lord moved me to south Georgia when I was 24, she just sort of took me under her wing, so to speak.

My heavenly Father drew me to Himself under Mrs. Faye's teaching and ministry, and she challenged me to grow in my relationship with Him. She inspired me to study God's Word and to seek Him diligently. She encouraged me in my role of wife and mother. I will be forever grateful for her influence and guidance in my life.

I will admit that I was saddened when the Lord led Dr. Pete and Mrs. Faye away from our church approximately 7 years ago. God used their ministry to accomplish His will in so many ways. Mrs. Faye was a "Titus 2" role model and she delighted to know that the ladies under her tutelage were walking with the Lord, and just as pertinent, she admonished us when we weren't :).

In case she looks somewhat familiar to you, she had a role in the movie, Fireproof. In addition to teaching a weekly bible study at her current church, she also speaks at women's events. If you are interested in scheduling her to speak at an event, let me know and I will be glad to give you her contact information. My, the wisdom you can glean from this lady!

I am so thankful that I was able to have such a delightful visit with her!

Our Week With Granddaddy and Billy

Our week-long visit with Granddaddy and Billy has come to an end...they are back at home now. I've posted before (last year about this time) about how they stay with us for a week while my dh's sister and her family go away for spring break. Granddaddy is my dh's 83 year old father, and Billy is dh's 58 year old mentally and physically handicapped brother. Neither can live alone or even stay by themselves for very long. My sil remodeled her home last year so that they could move in with her after Granddaddy's hip replacement surgery.

They are definitely a blessing! And we really enoyed their visit. I wasn't sure how well Billy would do because he is so dependent on his routine, and sometimes he is easily annoyed to have anything out of his normal routine. He loves to watch several preschool programs on nick jr, so we upgraded our tv channel line-up to include this particular channel for him (lol). I think he enjoyed his visit. I think he has had to adapt to some changes since they had to leave his home (that he's lived in for all of his 58 years!) to move in with his sister and her family. So I think that had some impact on how well he handled being out of his comfort zone for the past week.

We really love being able to spend time with them, and we especially love listening to Granddaddy tell us stories. My, the wisdom he has to share with us from his 83 years on this earth! He regaled us with tales from his childhood, from his early days of marriage, stories from his military service during WWII (my children sit spell-bound during his stories!).

There are other benefits from their visit. We all learn to think of others more and ourselves less.  Having them here to take care of gets US out of OUR comfort zones, as well. The kids have to make sacrifices, such as giving up their rooms for the week, and giving up their tv time so that Billy can watch his shows on nick jr (lol). That's kind of funny in itself, because they started the week saying things like, "Man, we have to watch these baby shows on tv!" Then later on in the week I noticed that they were sometimes sitting with him watching those "baby shows." :)

While we were tired after having them here, I like to say that it is a good tired. I'm so glad that we have these opportunities to spend time with them, to grow and to learn. And it gives us a healthy appreciation for what my sil does on a daily basis. But I know that she would have it no other way. I hope that I can take care of my parents in the same way when the time comes!

Here are some snapshots of our week.

Kate and Granddaddy

Granddaddy and Will

Billy, sitting in Will's room, "reorganizing" some of Will's card collections (remember when I mentioned sacrifices earlier? I just had to tell Will, "It'll be alright. You can put them back exactly like you had them after he's gone. lol)

my dh and Granddaddy, planning our route to take them to meet my sil

Mike, Kate and Granddaddy

Kate, Granddaddy, Ryan, Will and Billy

Billy and Kate

Celebrating Another Year

We had the privilege of celebrating another year with our dear daughter yesterday; she turned 14. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. What joy she brings to my heart (of course there are many times when she brings feelings other than joy into my heart, but for the most part, it is with joy that I look upon my dd...insert smiley face here).

her little brother gave her these cute flip-flops she saw and liked in Wal-Mart

some clothes we gave her

a new camera

$ from Granddaddy

her big brother gave her iTunes $

We went out to eat pizza with some friends after church last night. She made cupcakes to share with everyone. The only sad part was little brother was sick and daddy stayed home with him. :( But we will try to do something to celebrate as a family this weekend, when he is feeling better.

Kate, with friends Alyssa and Bethany

Kate, with our youth pastor's wife and their daughter

(He is in the background, on the left)

They have played such an integral role in her walk with Jesus

and have been a HUGE blessing to our family!

 She was a little embarrassed  that we were singing

happy birthday loudly enough to draw the

attention of everyone in the restaurant!

I thank God for the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful young lady. I am so very thankful that He saved her and is working in her life right now. Watching her grow in her relationship with Him has been awesome, to say the least! I thank Him for the joy and privilege of being a mother, and I pray that He will allow me to celebrate many more birthdays with my children!

Independence Day Celebration

Our July 4th celebration lasted all weekend long.... on Friday, we bought a few "little" fireworks to do at home. We always have fun...even if they are not the big magnificent ones that we see at fireworks shows!

On Saturday, the 4th, we played outside (well, first we did alot of yard work...trimming shrubbery, etc.) Then dear hubby grilled out for us...yum! The puppies enjoyed a leftover bone from our meal!

We went to see the "big" fireworks display...fun! Here we are waiting for the show to begin...

Watching the fireworks....

And on Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed our time at our church's annual picnic at the lake....and there was much fun to be had by all...from swimming in the lake to watching the kids from the shore or the dock...from riding in the boats to riding the jet skis...from tubing to skiing. And of course, there was all the great food!

Of course, we had a great time. And this weekend is certainly a reminder of how blessed we are to live in a nation where we have so many freedoms...especially the freedom to worship the One, True God in a right and proper manner. And may we always remember those who gave their lives to ensure that we live in a free nation. While we owe our forefathers and the service men and women a debt that can never be repaid, may we never forget the One who gave His life to truly liberate us from darkness. How grateful I am to be blessed so abundantly by a God who loves so greatly!

Blessings!