Happy Monday!

We had such an amazing weekend...a fast one, but fun, nonetheless. I could not help but feel extremely blessed as we spent our entire weekend with friends and family. In the midst of Jonah's and Noah's birthday party Saturday night as I looked around, I got really choked up. God has blessed our family and friends so much. And He has blessed us by giving them to us. I love them all so much. I truly felt that all of our best friends were here with us that night. Our families know and love them, we know their families and fit right in, there's just an invisible line between us and them. We fit into each other's lives perfectly.

God has also blessed me with some amazing girlfriends...the kind of friend that Proverbs 27:17 speaks of: "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." I have that with several different girlfriends, and I feel blessed because of it. I challenge you to spend some time this week with your gal pals, whoever they may be. Cultivate those relationships...it takes extra time, but it is well worth the effort. I know that some of us say that our husband is our best friend, and while he very well may be, there's just something DIFFERENT about a girlfriend. Women can love and care for each other in ways that men cannot. And I don't mean that in any sort of negative way, but men just don't understand all that we girls need and want. Of course we could tell them, and they could try to fill in those gaps, but it won't be the same. I can't help but think of the word nourish when I think of my friendships. Nourish, according to the Webster's dictionary, means to promote the growth of, to furnish or sustain with nutriment. Some other words for nourish are nurture, rear, feed, maintain and support. Can you honestly think of better words than those to describe our friendships?

I didn't mean to get off on that subject this morning, it's amazing where God takes me with this whole writing thing. My prayer is that He will use this to His benefit...my blog, that is. I hope this gives some of you some encouragement for this new day. Well, I have to run...love to all, and Happy Monday!!!

Good Coffee and Chatty Company

My darling little Jonah~bug woke me up at the crack of dawn this morning. Way too early for a very busy Saturday. We came home @ 9:30 or so and were in bed about an hour later. It was just the little guys and myself; Todd and the older boys camped out at Mom's and Bill's. And apparently got woken up @ 2am from the wind trying to blow them over! It was a gorgeous night for camping...they went out at 9 and it was 60 degrees or so and a perfectly clear night. All the stars were showing off their brilliance. It was beautiful.

I slept blissfully...until 7am when I heard someone singing in the bathroom. My precious little Jonah. God bless his little heart. He's just so happy. I went ahead and put on "the boot" and came downstairs with him. I drank coffee and checked email while he played his gameboy. Then he put it down and we started talking. He does love to talk, my sweet little boy. We talked about deer, and how they're a lot bigger than Santa's reindeer, and we discussed why the deer's antler's came off (we were watching a show about animals). He thought that was sad, but I explained that it didn't hurt the deer. Then we talked about their party today. He is really excited about his friends coming over. He asked if he was 6 today, or on Tuesday when his real birthday is. It's funny how he still doesn't really get that. He's just precious, though.

We talked a little more while I drank coffee and he drank his chocolate milk, then finally he went upstairs and woke poor sleeping Noah. Who fell asleep on the couch in 2 minutes last night at about 9:45. God bless his little heart. They ran all night at Mom's last night. For like 2 hours, that was all they did. He wore himself out. Anyway, so now they're upstairs playing and catching up since the last time they spoke, and we're waiting on the rest of the fam to get home. I texted Todd, but didn't get one back. I'm about to just call him and see what they're doing. We have a super busy day!!! Lots of work to do before this afternoon.

Well, speaking of that, I'm going to get off here and get started. Laundry is calling my name ever so loudly. And the vacuum. And the dust bunnies. AND...AND....AND....aaahhhh, such is life. Y'all have an amazing Saturday! Love ya bunches!!!!

Happy Friday

So I am loving this weather! This is Jonah's and Noah's weekend that they're having their party, and it could not be better outside. Amazing weather! I'm so happy! I cannot believe that in 4 days my babies will turn 6. How time flies. It has been an incredible journey with them, and while it was hard at first, I would not trade one second. I am so honored to be their mom. They are fun, lovable, funny, imaginative, creative (articulate as Jonah's teacher says), smart and just down right adorable. I love them. And want to squeeze and kiss them. Which I do. I love being their mom. And lest you think I don't love the other 2, I do! Every single ounce as much as I love the twinks. I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

I am so excited about this weekend! I'm checking them out early today~@2~and we're going to Mom's and Bill's for a yummy dinner. Chicken and dressing. Does it get any better? The boys will be camping out for the first time tonight! I don't know who's more excited, Todd or the boys. It is great camping weather. I will be sitting this one out, however, and will be coming home for some quiet time. And maybe a movie or two. Chick flick, I mean. :) Ahhhh, happiness surrounds that thought. Tomorrow we have a birthday part to attend (Happy Bday, Camo!!!), a wedding to go to, and a party to host. Whew. And about 30 people all up in my house. I love it. The more the merrier!! I just found out that a community theatre is putting on the production, Tuck Everlasting, and am thinking about taking Drew. Third grade book club is reading that book right now and I think he would love it. Plus the tickets are only $7. Seriously.

It's gonna be a busy one, but an amazing weekend. I can't wait to start it! In the meantime, here are some yummy words that I will leave you with. Love to all and Happy Friday!!!

1 Peter 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are holy priests.

9 ...for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of darkeness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.

Ch. 3:8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

Oh, and one more thing....I have some HUGE decisions to make, so will you pray for me? I am losing sleep at night and am seeking God's will for what could be a life~changing experience. And no, I am not becoming a missionary to a third world country. Just thought I'd let you know that. Although....lol, kidding, kidding, kidding. I will share more about this someday, but not yet. I am unwilling to talk to anyone about this because I don't want anything or anyone to influence my decision. So pray, pray, and then pray some more!!!! Thanks in advance!

A New Person

So we all know that God is the great Make~Over Artist, right? Well, for those of you who don't know me all that well (yet), I used to be a rude, prideful, horrible, revenge~seeking person. Gasp! Yup. You read it. I did. And I can still revert back to those same old ways, but then I quietly whisper, "God, change me. From the inside out. Give me a new attitude for this day and the ones to follow." And just like that, He does. I am nobody without Him. Or at least nobody that any of you would like to be friends with. So I am thankful that He has changed me, and that He has given me family and friends in abundance. Here are some words on what the Lord has to say about newness in Him.

Hebrews 12

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice~the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection , and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

I was pretty much the exact opposite of these verses. Really. So if you are reading this today and thinking, "No way could I ever do what those verses tell me to", well then sister (brother), you are wrong. W.R.O.N.G. We are all God's masterpiece...He has created us anew in Him! Eph. 2:10 is where that comes from. I never in a million years would have thought I would be who I am today...and I'm still not, at least not on my own. God has made me new. This is that Spiritual birth the Bible talks about...we are born again when we ask Him for forgiveness and invite Him into our hearts. We no longer want to be who we were before we asked His forgiveness~we want our words and our actions to be pleasing to Him, we want to know what He wants us to do in order to do that. That's why the Bible is my life's instruction manual. There is no greater book around...it speaks on marriage, parenting, everything and anything you could ever imagine is packed into 1488 pages. Why do you think I have at least one in every room of my house? I want it nearby at all times.

The above that I spoke of was about 4 years ago, by the way. Not all that long ago. God took me down some crazy paths, and someday I will share more of it, but He was preparing the way for me to draw closer to Him. There was a time when He was all I had. I went through one of the darkest phases of my life a few years back, and while I loved my family, I was alone, with no one to care for me, except for my Heavenly Father. I learned to completely lean on Him and to depend on Him. Was that a fun time? Heavens, no! BUT you know what? I rejoice in that trial that I went through now...it was part of that molding process He was doing in me.

So if this you today, then you have hope! You have hope in the Lord. If you are discouraged (like I was), God has not forgotten you. I would encourage you to read some of the book of Proverbs. There is some amazing wisdom in that book of the Bible, and it's one of my absolute favorites. I honestly have to read it in small doses because if you read it too quickly, nothing will soak in. There is tons of information packed into that one short book!!!!

I love you all and am praying for you today. May God bless you.

My Word Gift To You

So I am sitting here, reading my oh~so~loved women's friendship devotional book (they should pay me for bragging on it this much) when I came to today's entry. I love it so much that I am going to share it with you.

Today's verse comes from 2 Thessalonians 2:16&17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Remember one of yesterday's random thoughts about me being a loyal wife/mom/daughter/sister/friend/aunt? Well, I admit that I was having a bit of a hard time with always being a giver in my relationships. I know now (by spending quiet time before the Lord this morning) that one of the gifts He has given to me is encouragement. Hence this blog, my need to comment on silly little things to even strange people, and my need to please any/everyone. But last night, as I vented to Mom on the phone (Thank you, Mom), I was a little at my wit's end. Okay, okay, a lot at my wit's end. Then I read my devo of the day, and the Lord had something for me. He spoke to me through this devo. These are the words I read:

"What if your own heart is discouraged? What if people in your home or at work aren't being encouraging to you, and your "emotional tank" is empty? In times like these, look to the Lord, for He is your greatest Encourager. God's word, his love letter to you, is full of encouraging truth and precious promises that will infuse you with courage and hope: that He loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love and that He chose you before you even existed (Eph. 1:11 "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan."). He promises to be your strength, to help you, to uphold you, and to guide you continually (Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well~watered garden, like an ever~flowing spring."). He will hide you in times of trouble (Psalm 27:5 "For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock."), and His plan for you has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, " says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."). When you pray, your Father hears you (Psalm 120:1 "I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer.") and is attentive to your voice. When you call on Him in even the greatest distress, He will answer you and set you in a large place. He is for you, not against you, and He is on your side (Psalm 118:5&6 "In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"). ***All of this one paragraph was taken from this book: "The One Year Women's Friendship Devotional" written by Cheri Heath Fuller & Sandra P. Alrich.***

Was that meant for me for today or what? Is it also meant for you? The Lord struck me with the thought that it doesn't matter if my emotional tank is empty, He is what fills me up. When I am low on the giving aspect of my relationships, if I look to Him, He will refill me with what I need so I can start all over. He is Rock. He is my Strength. He is my Refuge. No one else. Just Him. It's all about HIM.

So come on day, bring whatever you may. I am ready, and my tank is full. What do you need from me today? Can I pray for you? Can I do something for you? Do you just need to read these words and know that there is ONE who loves you regardless? Breathe in these words of life~these words from the Living, Breathing Word of God. I am here for you today and praying for everyone who reads this.

Isaiah 40:3~8 "Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hill. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!" 6 A voice said, "Shout! I asked, "What should I shout?" "Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the LORD stands forever."

RaNdOm ThOuGhTs

So, this is what I've been thinking about over the past 24 hours. Just in case you want to know what goes through my head.



Why do I keep on watching The Bachelor? Especially after last night's episode. And, of course, I'm watching Part 2 of After The Final Rose.

In reference to the above statement, girls are catty. Thank You, Lord, for my boys. All 4 of them.

Referring to my children's education...do I continue to let the public school system educate them, or do I do it here, at home? Do I want all the political correctness to forever dampen the way they learn? Do I really want all the junk to continue? Like not being able to speak about their beliefs, or to continue to put up with mean kids?

What the heck was I thinking taking a job when I'd only had two weeks of freedom?!?!?!

I wish I was going to Israel with my dad. He leaves Thursday for the Holy Land.

Will I be able to remember all of the boys' childhood so I can retell it to my grandkids? If we're still around, that is...

Dear Lord, come quickly.

Why is money so important? It truly does NOT make the world go 'round. What does make it go 'round is only found by looking above.

Why do people not get God? If only they would stop analyzing and pondering...He wants us to have the unwavering faith of a little child.

"I will arise, when He calls my name. No more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagles' wings, before my God, fall on my knees, I will rise." ~new song by Chris Tomlin

Are friends truly forever? Is family more loyal than anyone else? What am I doing to be a forever friend, a loyal wife/mom/daughter/sister/aunt? Am I doing all I can do to reach the lost in my life? Will they care that I am trying to reach them? Do they know What I want them to have? WHO I want them to know?

What does GOD want for me? Will it come to fruition?

Am I too hard on my kids? Do I expect too much? Will they remember me in a fun sort of way?

I wonder if there's a good time for me to start a Bible study. I wonder if I could do it, if people would come, when would we meet, do I really want to head it?

How long will I continue to come up with cheesy names for this blog?

Why can't I get up early every single day without hitting the snooze button?

Will I pull all the birthday parties together without pulling out all my hair?

Why do I feel so much pressure to go way above the norm for these parties?



Well, I have another dvr'd show to watch....the newest Jon and Kate from last night. Love to all, and good night!!!

My Weekend, In A Flash

Wow. It's been THREE DAYS since I've posted??? What is my world coming to? I think that's an all time record for me. Well, if you've been just DYING to catch up, here you go. I'm smiling as I write that, by the way.

Our incredible friends and neighbors, Travis and Katie, came over and had dinner with us. Katie made some fantabulous chicken spinach lasagna. Y.U.M.M.O. And it was. I am shocked there was any left, but surprisingly, there was, just a tiny bit. We sat around and talked and caught up, since we never see them. Well, at least we hadn't seen them in 24 hours or so. Hey, Katie and me~we have a lot in common, ya know??? And I don't talk on the phone anymore. Well, I do talk to her, my sisters and my mom. Only because they always call. :) And let me end that statement with adding, "And I would soooo miss them if they didn't!!!" I really would! Sleepiness was crowding in, so I retired upstairs to get some decent sleep before I had to wake up early the next morning.

Which brings me to Saturday. Phyllis, my friend Christa and me went to the Women of Hope women's conference together. Lysa Terkeurst was there speaking. For those of you who don't know her, she's the cofounder of Proverbs 31 Ministries (proverbs31.org). She captivated us for the next three hours. It was amazing. Her testimony is awesome, and if you're interested in reading more about her, I have a link to her blog on my blog list to the right. Wow, I would have made a great flight attendant. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please focus on the links posted to the right of the screen." Picture my 2~fingered point to that side. Anyway, it was great. Phyllis and I had lunch afterwards, which was nice. We don't get to be alone much.

Last night, amidst all the snow (rain, sleet, hail), we ventured to the Amazing Andy's birthday party. And had a blast. Sunshine fed us some yummy food (don't expect that next week, by the way!), and the kids ran and played and laughed their little hearts out while us adults sat around long after the festivities ended and played farkle. Fun times. It's cool when you're part of your friends' family, ya know??? Which, Katie and Travis, if you're reading this, party at our house next Saturday at 4:30 for Jonah and Noah. Don't feel obligated to buy a present for them, but we'd love to have you over as part of our fam. :)

We came home (with reluctance), and went to bed. Well, me and the boys. Hubs sat up until 1:30 in the a.m. Yes, you read right. He was watching the snow fall! And fall, it did. It was beautiful when we woke up this morning. We stayed home from church and just relaxed. And the kids played in the snow. We met my Dad & Sandy for lunch at TGI Friday's for their bday dinner. They all got new sleeping bags for when we go camping! Well, I see "we", but I may have been ousted of this all~male occasion. They are trying them out tonight to see how they work. Hey, I couldn't resist. It's the least I could do, since tomorrow will not be a snow day.

So, after lunch, I came in and took a nap, then went over to Katie's to watch a movie (chick flick) with her. It was great. Nice, dark, and quiet. Ahhh, the sound of silence. It's a beautiful thing. So now, I'm writing, and they're watching Sunny With A Chance, a really dumb new show on Disney. But they're happy, so what can I say?

Well, I hope I haven't bored you to tears. Such is my life. Hope you all had a marvelous weekend! I'll try not to take so long to post the next time...