Remember the Story

This past Sunday the girls did their Christmas musical at church. I can't say enough times how thankful for I am for our church and for the precious friends the Lord has given us to share life with.

When we got home from our "Cookie Cooking" I took the girls over to Gigi and Grandaddys. Gigi made the girls their Christmas dresses this year. She wanted to have a "beauty shop" night.

Meanwhile, Ash's friend, Claire, was hanging out with me. The girls get home and Hanna is fit to be tied. The child is tired, and that girl is a girl who needs her sleep!

However, she is always happy when she is in her Daddy's arms!

It was so funny when I went into her room to kiss her goodnight. She was laying on her stomach and had her chin propped up on her pillow. She didn't want to mess up her curlers. I told her, "Baby, you know you can lay on your curlers. It won't mess your hair up." She said, "I know. I actually like sleeping like this!" Yeah right!

But, the next day my sweet little "Mary" was all smiles!

Sort of . . . . :)

Here is Ash and her sweet friends. I wanted a picture of her in front of the Christmas tree (next week hopefully). But, there was a musical to be performed and Mama was too late to get a picture!

Ash looked beautiful though.

She had several speaking parts and she did such a fabulous job. She spoke clearly and slowly and articulated her lines so well! I'm so proud of her! She's growing up way to fast on me!

Here is Mary getting visited from the angel Gabriel.

I just love this picture with Hanna's silhouette behind it.

Now Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus are all together.

Next, the shepherds join them!

Then come the angels who are usually a hoot and a half!

Hanna also had a singing part! It just amazes me with her extreme shyness how she will sing into that microphone!

Then, the angels, shepherds, and Mary and Joseph joined the rest of the choir.

Absolutely precious! I'm telling you if a children's musical can't move your heart, I just don't know what can. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I see my children, or any children for that matter, singing about the Lord tears just well up in my eyes! It just moves me so! I'm so very thankful for Faith and Teresa who put so much time and dedication into making these things happen!

Wordy Wednesday

This morning begin really bright and early for me. . . 3:45 a.m. to be exact.



A sweet friend of mine was going to have a decision made for her. . . by someone else. . .that could literally change the rest of her life. She was heavy on my heart all day on Tuesday. I decided I need to go and be with her, which meant leaving my house at 8:15 (makeup, hair, heels, and all). So, work had to be done. I was so glad I made the effort. This is true Biblical fellowship. . . not a potluck dinner with everyone socializing. . . Since studying 1 John the original meaning of the word "fellowship" means life-on-life. You hurt-I hurt. You rejoice - I rejoice. You're going through a trial -I'm going through that trial with you. THAT is fellowship. And, THAT is what took place this morning. Me and 3 other people went to stand alongside our sister in Christ. . .



The girls won a lunch with our children's pastor. With the homeschool students she just goes out to eat with them. It was actually Hanna who won the lunch, but she wasn't going unless Ash went with her. Sweet little thing. . . sometimes I think Ash is her security blanket. I dropped the girls off at Taco Bell with Ms. Renee.


Meanwhile, Alec and I went and got guitar strings for his guitar, then headed to Chick-fil-A. It was such a sweet time. I just love alone time with each of my kids and I don't do it nearly as much as I should. Alec blessed our food and said, "Thank you God for this time me and Mama have together." Just touched my heart so much. If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you will know he has not been easy for me since about age 8. I was really hoping this would make the teen years easier since he's been hard for so long. It really has. He is very delightful and enjoyable. I'm hoping since we've had so many struggles leading up to this point, that our struggling is over and his teen years will be enjoyable. .. . so far, so good.



Alec and I headed back to pick the girls up. "Miss Chatty Cathy" Ashley wasn't finished yet. She'd spent too much time talking. Hanna only said a few things; therefore, was finished with her food.



We then headed home and started school. . . finished school. . . then headed to church.



I've been kind of frustrated with my Theology class. It is Trinitarianism and it is SO.STINKIN'.HARD. It is just so far above my head, which just causes me to check out. I've been tempted not to go (which I didn't last week). However, I decided not to abandon Jenn. G. and Jon and hang in there.



So glad I did. Tonight was our BEST discussion yet. So, guess I'm in for the long haul:)

152. For our amazing church!!!!

153. For Godly leaders.

154. For my husband's heart and desire to be more like Christ.

155. For the body of Christ.

155. For learning.

156. For true, biblical fellowship.

157. For dates with my son.

158. For laughter.

Pack-A-Thon

Toward the beginning of September our church took a group of children to pack meals for hungry children. I was so very excited about this ministry opportunity for my children.

We headed out bright and early on the church bus.

The one thing our children's pastor did not tell us was that we were going to have to wear hair nets. She didn't want to discourage anyone from coming . . . ha!ha!

Hanna isn't too sure about the hair net.

Ashley loves anything that will get her attention. . . hair net or not!

I literally felt like a lunchroom lady!

I learned so many neat things!

For example, did you know that most of the world is vegetarian. Meat is too expensive or not available.

Rice is known as the universal food. Any mother, anywhere in the world can receive rice and know how to cook it.

The room was so full of excitement. This was not a job for slackers. We all had a goal to meet!

Another thing I never realized is how corrupt some governments can be. . . after we finished packing the food we all corporately prayed over it. They said that only 3 shipments of food have ever been returned to their ministry .. . where the government refused to accept it. This is only the power of God that it hasn't been more boxes.

The girl in pink is literally like my 4th or 5th child. I love this girl so.very.much! She and I talked so much about all the places in the world we want to go to share the Gospel. She's really trying to convince me to go to the Ukraine with her next year. . .

The girls had to miss their first soccer game. Miss "Super Star" was quite upset. I used this to teach her life is not about her. When we left she said, "Mom that was so.much.fun. I'm so glad I didn't go to my soccer game."

Me too, sweetie. Me too!

106. For children who are being fed both physically and spiritually.

107. For the opportunity to help feed the poor.

108. For a God-given desire to help those in need.

109. For where God has placed us.

110. For children who served joyfully.

111. For my spiritual children.

112. For a wonderful children's minister.

113. For an organization that is legit.

Saddle Ridge Ranch . . .

Last week our church had VBS. I always, always love VBS. . . so full of so much energy and excitement. . . just makes me want to hoot and holler.


I had one of the funnest jobs I think possible. . . recreation. . . And. . . to boot. . . Alec helped me out.

I also got to "meet" a sweet girl at church who reads my blog. I knew who she was, but we'd just never had a face-to-face conversation. She is just a delight to be around. I am sooooo looking forward to getting to know her (in real person) better :)

This is my friend, Angela. Isn't she A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E?!? I just love her painted on freckles.

We had a great time with all of our games. . . This was a relay race called "Big Ole Boots". The kids had to dress up like a cowboy, carry an egg to the other side and change out their cowboy clothes and give them to the next person. . . SO!MUCH!FUN!

I just have so many kiddos I love here!!!

This crazy guy decided he was going to dress up as Alec. .. See the hair? Had me in stitches I tell ya!

The kids especially loved the water games. . . so did us grownups. It was dreadfully hot. See the picture up above with me and Jessica? See how wet my shirt was? That was sweat. . . good, ole, GA sun sweat!

Alec was such a tremendous help. He really enjoyed it too. In fact, we didn't have rec on Friday. I came home to pack for our trip to the beach. Alec stayed and helped Angela out in crafts. He really enjoyed serving. . . which really just blesses my heart. . .

He did get some time with his buddies. He'd have snack with them.

Lisa and Faith did preschool music together. We all got a chance to gab in the teachers lounge while we ate cream-filled donuts, grits made with Rotel tomatoes, pastries, even homemade egg rolls. They really treat their VBS teachers right!!! I drank a soft drink EVERY.SINGLE.DAY (which I NEVER do. . . not daily like that anyway!!!)

My very favorite day of VBS was Thursday. In rec, we had a water balloon toss, then we surprised the kids with a water balloon fight!!! We had a little balloon drama. We had nearly 700 balloons to fill up. We had a group of older boys use all the sinks in the men's restroom and we did the same in the ladies bathroom. We were on quite a roll until Mr. Larry (the maintenance guy) informed us we would have to go outside . . . which meant only 1 water hose versus the 8 sinks we had going. We ALL felt a little like this . . .


Talk about PRESSURE!!! My friend, Trish, worked her charm and got us permission to go back to the bathrooms. We were like an assembly line in a factory filling up those balloons. Y'all we laughed so much!!! And. . . I just love laughin'!!!

I was able to catch this picture of Hanna during her balloon toss.

This is our VBS rec crew after getting soaked with water balloons. You take a couple of goofy adults and teenagers . . . add in a whole slew of kids . . . then about 700 water balloons. . . you get a whole mess of fun!!!

YEE-HAW for a wonderful week of VBS!

Well. . . Finally. . .

Or, maybe some would say, "That's typical of them. They always take a long time." Others might say, "I thought they were already members. They're here every time the doors are open."

Wondering what I'm talking about? Today, we finally joined the church we have been visiting now for almost a year (we're about a month shy of a year).

Honestly, in the beginning, I really didn't think we would end up at this church. Our preference was a church that was a little farther away. But, God had something else in store. I'm so thankful He did and He's the one in control.

Over the last 11 months at our church Jon and I both have grown more spiritually than we have in years upon years combined. Jon and I talk about this quite often. One day Ash over heard us and said, "Yeah, all y'all talk about now is the Bible." Sweet, sweet words!!!

I never ever thought I would find as loving of a church family of what we came from. Dayspring, our old church, wasn't the biggest church, didn't have the best programs, but it had incredible music and people that would love the socks off of ya!!! I didn't think that would exist anywhere else.

Boy, was God going to prove me wrong!!! Dayspring will always have a special place in my heart. I made special friendships there that I still carry with me. I went through so much during our 8 years at that church. I learned, I grew, I fell, I scraped my knee a couple of times, but I was always surrounded by people who loved me.

After we left the people I missed the most were the older ladies. . . Granny, Lane-Lane, Nannie, Shay-Shay. . .those good Southern cooks who made me want to sit under them and have cooking lessions for hours. I still saw all of my close friends. Now, I've found me some new older ladies at our church to love on. . . Ms. Jean being one of my favorites :) She teases me about my high heels. . . Yes, me and my high heels have already developed a reputation at our new church.

I don't know when our now church started feeling like home, but I know it was very soon. When I was waiting on Jon to get finished talking so we could leave. . . I knew it must be love - hee!hee! It was amazing how these people wrapped their arms around us and loved on us. . . how everyone was so friendly in this big church (Dayspring was a really small church). Our kids love it, we love it. It is GREAT!!

Although there's great people, great programs, great Bible curriculum, etc., the thing that we love most would be our pastor. He's a man of great conviction. One of the most sincerest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He preaches the Word of God. . . not just the touchy-feely parts, but the whole counsel of God's word.. . even the hard stuff. . .controversial issues, tough doctrine. He truly loves his flock and it is evident by his actions. Jon and I am so honored to call him both our pastor and our friend. I've alwyas been a girl who had favorite Bible teachers, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur being my top two. I've never been at the point where I could say my pastor was my favorite teacher of the Word of God. Now? Well, now, for the first time in my life I can say, without hesitation, that my pastor is my favorite Bible teacher.

We are so very honored and blessed to now be "home folk".