Saturday, November 29, 2008

Praise


The Tuesday before Thanksgiving my church always has a Thanksgiving service where we eat, sing, and hear a wonderful message. This year's service was one I will never forget. I was asked to sing and as I got up before the church and started my song I saw Isaac standing up with his little hands raised up to heaven, his head bowed, and his eyes closed. It took everything in my to keep it together and with God's help I made it through. When I got down and went to sit with Isaac I said.....

Me: "Isaac, were to praising God?"

Isaac: "Yes, I was just thanking him for you because I love you so much."

Me: "Do you know what that means when you raise your hands like that to God?"

Isaac: "Yes, it means that I love him and I want him to be proud of me."

I could not have asked for more than that. It was truely one of those moments that will be with me forever. Not as much for him expressing his love for me, but his love for God. I pray he always has a desire to praise our Lord.
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Two peas in a pod


These two nuts love nothing more than to act like loons and drive me up a wall, but I love em!
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Happy Thanksgiving





I have to say, there is nothing like Thanksgiving. I recognize the smell as soon as I walked in the door at my mamma and daddy's. My Daddy makes the best dressing in the world and I eat myself sick. The day was spent eating, laughing, telling old stories, playing horse shoes in the back yard and throwing the football around. Since I can remember it has always been the same way and I love it, it's home. Although this Thanksgiving I got a special gift....I had been complaining to PHillip about my sucky camera and told him how all my friends had Nikons and I was just nothing without one. He of course said my camera was fine and when it gave out we would talk about it. After taking these pictures my brother-in-law grabbed my camera and starting shooting silly pictures when crash.....it was dead. Devine intervention I call it. My Nikon should be here next week!!!!
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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Then and now.....



It is so funny to look at these pictures, those babies in the top picture are the same exact kids on the bottom one. Avri was just as sassy and amazingly observant then as she is now and Isaac still hides the most unbelievable mind behind that adorable grin. They are night and day, polar opposites, but perfectly matched for our family. They each bring things into my life that I wonder how I ever lived without. Avri's quick wit, Isaac's tender heart, they are the best parts of Phillip and me.

OHHHHH..... I don't even have the words. I am so proud of these children that God has entrusted to me. So many days I wish I could just hold them still and keep them from growing even one day older, but I love being there for every new phase of their lives. I pray daily that I am guiding them in a way that the Lord would find pleasing and that as they grow older they will be proud of me too.
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In my head all day....

This song has been in my head all day and maybe somebody needs to read these lyrics, so I am posting them.....

When I'm weak, you make me strong
When I'm blind, you shine your light on me
Cause I'd never get by living on my own abilities
How refreshing to know you don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So, I'll stand on your truth
And I'll fight with your strength
Til' you bring the victory
By the power of Christ in me

Casting Crowns "In Me"
It is the second song on my song list (which I know has no rhyme or reason, but neither do I half the time)
Listen to the words. It has such an amazing message and can always lift my spirits when I feel powerless against a situation. I hope somebody can find comfort in it like I do. We serve such an awsome God!

Happy Birthday Shelli!!!




For those of you who don't know who Shelli is, she has been my best friend since High School. So, Monday night we headed out for an early Birthday celelbration of homemade sushi at my house (curtosey of lessons from Devon and Gregg) and painting at the new Sips N Strokes! As always, we had such an awsome time. There is nothing like spending the night with someone who has known you for what seems like forever. It was funny because as I sat down to write her birthday card I realized that we have been friends for half of our lives. We have been there for eachother through high school, getting our license, first dates, graduations, weddings, my babies, sick parents and just about anything else you can think of. I know that right or wrong she is in my corner and she also thinks I am hillarious which is a big bonus! I love you Shelli. I hope this year is your best one yet. I can't wait to be there for the moments that God has in store for you and Mark, they will be amazing!
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It feels like the first time!


Ha, ha, now you will have that song in your heads for the rest of the day! Today was a really great day. I had the opportunity for some good ol' girl time with my (old/new) friend Sherry. We had lots of catching up to do, so we started out with a day at the gym, but somehow ended up at Purple Onion...odd how that works out. I just had to write a blog about it as that was one of our main topics of conversation today and I am so glad that we can now laugh about the things that once made us want to cry. It was a day full of laughing and reminising, you just can't beat that! I do not have a recent picture of us, so I drug this one out of the files (please excuse my moon like face). I love you Sherry and I am thankful we have found our way back into eachother's lives:)
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My little helper




So the other night as I was running around complaining there were not enough minutes in the day Avri asked if she could help me. I smiled and said of course thinking her help would probably be another mess I would have to clean up later on that night. To my surprise I walked in and saw she had made up her bed, my bed, and was working on Isaac's. I was as proud as a peacock. I told her what a great job she had done and told her that I really appreciated her help. She said "Your welcome Mom, now you will have more time to do other stuff" It is moments like these God reminds you maybe you are doing something right!
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Thursday, November 13, 2008

10 years and still going strong!


On October 30th Phillip and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. I know I am late, but I am always late and thank God he still loves me for it!

When I look back on our 10 years to together it amazes me we how far we have come. We married when we were just babies. I was 18 and he was 19 and we just knew we had the whole world figured out. Boy were we wrong! I guess I would have to say that we pretty much had to finish raising eachother, but I think we did a pretty good job! He has stuck by me through the bad times, rejoiced with me through the good times, and cried with me through the most terrifying day of my life. He is my best friend, my protector, my provider, my biggest fan, and the only person in this world who knows all of my flaws and embraces them as so much of what he loves about me.

I know there are probably lots of people out there who look at our relationship and just don't understand it. We never laugh at eachothers jokes, we are constantly picking on eachother, and we always love a good laugh at the others expense, but that is what I love about us. We love eachother for who we really are just a couple of dorks. We are eachother's family and I will be there to stand by him for richer for poorer, in sickness and health, til death do us part....
I love you Phillip! I can't wait to see what the next 10 years have in store for us......................
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Charity


So the other day Isaac's school was asking for gently used donations of stuffed animals for Children Hospital and I grabbed a bear from Avri's toy box she has probably never touched. When she saw me take it, she immediately went into a panic and confessing her undying love for this bear she probably had no idea she owned. Yet of course in her mind as soon as she saw it again it became new and she loved it to peices. I explained to her that we needed to donate a stuffed animal to some children who would be sick and in the hospital for Christmas and that her bear could help to make somebody feel better, but ultimately the decision was up to her. If she wanted to keep the bear than we would find something else. A few minutes later I heard her in her room crying and went in to check and see what was going on. She was sitting on her bed hugging the bear and crying the biggest and saddest little tears I had ever seen. When I asked her what was the matter she said that she really loved her bear, but would rather give it to a sick little girl that would not have a bear to hug for Christmas. I don't think I had ever been prouder of her. Usually when we give to charity we give the things that we don't desire to have ourselves, but she gave something she really wanted to keep for herself and that was a big step for a 4 year old little girl. So, we took this picture so that she could remember her bear and so that I could remember the day Avri taught me a lesson about giving.
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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Isaac's take on the Election


Phillip: "Isaac, Obama is our new president"


Isaac: "Why?"


Phillip: "Because more people voted for him than John McCain"


Isaac: "Well, that's okay. John McCain is still president in our hearts"


If only it was that simple:)

It's been a good week

It amazes me when God can make something that seems impossible and so hard to even consider making the first step at such a smooth and easy resolution. In two instances this week I was given the opportunity to make some amends and also say I am sorry. Sometimes just saying "I was wrong" can feel so right:) I never saw the opportunities coming, but when they presented themselves I knew that God had something amazing in store for me and of course, as always, he delivered.

Recently on a blog I read that friends leave their marks on your heart and that is so true. Even if they are gone for a season that mark is permanent. I hope my heart looks like those walls down town covered in graffiti:)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

A star for a day!




A few weeks ago one of my bestest friends Brad was helping to coordinate a little community concert back in my hometown and invited me to sing! I did some Loretta Lynn classics including Coal Miner's Daughter, You and woman enough to take my man, and a duet with Brad "Jackson" by Johnny and June Cash! It was soo much fun! We had a great time. You will have to excuse the picture quality, my husband was the photographer!

Georgia Aquarium and Coke Factory





























A couple weeks back we went with my mom, dad, and uncle Joe on a little day get away to Atlanta to let the kids enjoy some of the attractions!

Halloween 2008




It was was an wonderful night of roaming the streets of our neighborhood with all kinds of ghosts and gobblins looking for thier next sugar high! Avri and Isaac has the best time and was sure to drag us to the front of our neightborhood to take a walk through the haunted house (some people around here go all out!) My sweet mamma came to walk with us while my daddy stayed behind to give out our candy. Just another sweet memory!

God has blessed us with such a wonderful life and I want to share it with you!