no name post

Sometimes thinking of a title for every post stresses me out.  I am choosing not to title this one...and yes, I realize that in calling it "no name post", I am titling it.  Oh well.  Who knows what will happen for the next one.  ;)

We did some fun things this weekend.  Including getting this pretty little thing:

It's been ages since I've gotten a new purse.  I found this one at Target and fell madly in love.  It's kinda hard to tell in this picture, but the color is a bright, poppy color.  Think coral on steroids.  I've been carrying it by the handles, but it's got a strap you can lengthen to wear it cross-body style.  I love it!

I got to hang out with my mom for a few hours on Saturday.  It's been a long time since we've done anything together, since before Christmas, I think, so it was a fun time.  Sometimes a gal just needs her mama, ya know?

I almost feel redundant by telling you how amazing Sunday was.  But it was!  I love the tenth grade girls.  And the ninth grade girls, but I saw the tenth grade ones first.  ;)  We had a sweet time of getting caught up with everything, and we started a new study together.  It's on being spiritually disciplined...and let me just say that if I had this book in my life as a teenager, I would have been in a lot better shape!  I am so thankful for the youth pastor of these kids, and that he is doing such a great job of shepherding them along the way.  I love hearing them talk about him, and especially when it's something that he's been talking about in church.  I love that they listen and that they just get it.

I would not trade our Sunday mornings for anything in all of the world...and that same thing can be said of Sunday nights.  We have home groups each week and this is quite possibly one of my favorite things of all time.  This week was extra special, because we got to hear all about a mission trip some of the girls went on to Guatemala.

These girls have part of my heart.  To hear each of them share what God did in this trip, and how He broke their heart over something that breaks His, had me in tears.  It was a night that I didn't want to end, and one I won't ever forget.  My boys would be so blessed to marry girls like these, and being around them reminds me to pray for their future spouses.

Speaking of marriage, and relationships, that is one thing we talk a lot about.  They're at the age where they love stories of romance, and any time I tell them anything at all about my marriage, they're all like, "Awwwwwww!!", with a bunch of giggling that follows.  :)

I love that.  And I love them.

I found this picture that I love today.

It's always good to be reminded to enjoy the differences in yours and your spouse's personalities.

I stayed home from Bible study tonight because my poor hubby is sick.  I'm hoping it's not a virus, but if is, I'm praying that nobody else gets it.  He already said he was going to sleep on the couch if he still felt sick when he goes to bed.

Also, an update on my sister Terri, who has been in the ICU for two weeks now...she is having a lung biopsy tomorrow afternoon.  Please keep her in your prayers...I know she's tired and worn down, and answers would be great, so they could properly treat whatever is going on with her lungs.  Thanks, and I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy your night!  Love to all.

Friday

We have had such a great week at home for spring break.  Jonah's and Noah's neighborhood friend Alex has spent the night with us every night since Sunday, and they have loved every second.  These boys are as close as brothers can be, but without the fighting, if you can even imagine that.

Today we went to my dad's house.  It's been so cold, or he's been gone, so his Christmas lights were still up.  It's okay, though, because he lives in the country and nobody cares out there.  ;)  Needless to say, the six pairs of hands got the work done much faster than just his own set.  It worked out so great, that he was able to do nothing but tie the twisty-ties to keep the lights bound together and supervise.  His grandsons love to chauffeur him around on the riding mower, so even him walking was nonexistent.

I snapped some pictures.  Imagine that.

Before we got started, we ate lunch.  He grilled hamburgers out on the grill for us.  When we were all finished, I cleaned up while he got the boys started.

I love a window above a kitchen sink.  I would wash dishes all day if I had one.  ;)  (Years ago I did have one and I adored it.  I miss our old house!)

When you're eleven years old and you have sensitive eyes, this is how you roll when you take down the Christmas lights.  The stick he's got in his hand is an old cane fishing pole.  My dad rigged this thing up with a hook and some duct tape on the end to help put up and remove the lights.  Pretty ingenious, huh?  My sister Trish is a madwoman with this thing...we're all still perfecting our skills.  And Trish, we missed you so much today!  Not for the help, but just the company.  It wasn't the same without you.

Those are my sunglasses, in case you couldn't figure that out.

We finished in a little over an hour (the cold wind made us rush) and then we headed to the garage to put them back where they belong.  Inside my dad's garage is a little work room where he keeps all his tools, and in that room, high up so he can still easily open the door, are hooks where he keeps all his lights.  I wish I'd gotten a picture.  My dad has got himself quite the setup for easy put-up and take-down.  The boys hung all the lights for him, while he sat in a chair and watched.  Which is EXACTLY how it should be, since he's about to turn eighty-three.  I encourage him regularly to put my boys to work!

While Graham hung the lights and Jonah and Noah handed them to him, Drew and Alex found ways to stay occupied.

Drew is such a goofball.

I also took a picture underneath the largest magnolia tree ever known to mankind.

This tree is probably ten to twelve feet tall, and her leaves reach down to the ground.  I love this tree!

I also took a picture of my dad's backyard.

I love his house.  It's like coming home.  The swing set is one that he and my brother Paul built sometime before I was even born.  It used to hold a bar, a rope in the middle and a swing.  Many, many hours were spent on this swing set playing circus.  My friend Stacy and I used to put patio tables in front of and behind us, and we would pretend to be trapeze artists.

Sigh.

Today was a really good day.  I love our Friday's, and I cherish every single second we all spend together.  Before we headed to Dad's, I stopped and paid our water bill and returned some library books.  While Graham went in to pay our bill, I snapped this picture of the town hall.

I do love our little town.  The library is empty, apparently, on spring break.  Maybe I should have stopped.

Well, that was our day.  It was wonderful.  Enjoy your weekend!  Love to all.

some things and Thursday

This kid.  I don't know if I'll ever get used to him driving!  I'm sure that eventually the newness will wear off and I'll quit taking pictures of him on the sly.  Or maybe not.  ;)  He still needs practice before he's allowed on major roads.  According to me, anyway.  Last night his Papa let him drive his truck to the pizza place on back roads.  Papa is braver than me.  Maybe he can come and let him drive all the time!

Last night, I had so much fun!  My mom-in-love invited me out to dinner and a movie.  The movie was a sneak preview of a new movie coming out on May 9th, Mother's day weekend.  It's called Mom's Night Out.

Y'all.  I didn't have high hopes for this movie, I'll be honest.  Usually these movies can be low-budget movies and the acting can be a little on the hokey side.  But this movie was not like that!  This is quite possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen.  I laughed so hard that I cried at one point.  I won't spoil it for you, but it is the perfect movie for the mom who thinks her life is crazy and chaotic.  And don't we all think that, at one time or another?!

There were well-known people in this movie, too, including Patricia Heaton (The Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond), Sean Astin (Rudy), Sarah Drew (Grey's Anatomy) and Trace Adkins.

If you are the movie-going type, go the weekend this comes out!  You won't regret it-especially when you're wiping the tears from laughter rolling down your face.

Phyllis and I also participated in an after-the-movie-interview.  Who knows, you just might see us on tv!

It was a great night.  This sneak preview was at the Paradiso, a really nice movie theater in Memphis.

Forgive me for the blurry picture.  I was trying to hurry and get this before driving off.  There were a couple a people in a truck behind me that freaked me out.  I know...I am so paranoid.  And possibly for dumb for stopping to snap this picture all for my blog, and the three of you who read it.  That's okay, though.  ;)

I took my time getting home, I am not going to lie.  The weather was amazing last night and the sky was gloriously full of stars.  I rolled the windows down, opened up the moon roof and sang along to K-Love at the top of my lungs.  I also made a stop before coming home.

I've been wanting to try the new vanilla macchiato from Starbucks, and last night was the perfect excuse.  That, and a gift card burning a hole in my wallet that my sister gave me.  I bought my favorite man a drink, too, a caramel macchiato.  I even got the venti.  I know, I know...total splurge on calories AND money.  Thank you, Trish, for giving me your gift card!

In other happenings, I had to share that the Lord has been showing off for my family the past couple days.  He answered two major prayer requests and one minor request, all in the last twenty-four hours.  He is so good to us, and I had no doubt that He would handle the situation the best way He saw fit.

One of the major requests was for my friend's mom-in-love that I mentioned on here last week.  She pulled through her surgery with flying colors, and I am confident that the Lord will carry her through the rest of her recovery.  The minor request was the fact that Jonah's brand new bike (his birthday present) was stolen two nights ago.  He wasn't at home when it was stolen, he was on the trail that's near our road.  He had left his bike on the trail, and he, Noah and Alex were in this ravine thing.  A few teenagers were walking on the trail, and one of them rode off on Jonah's bike.  Long story short, my Super Man of a husband found the teens and got the bike back.

I prayed the entire hour we were driving around looking.  I know it's just a bike, and I know that the Lord has more important things He can answer, but I think He knew that we couldn't afford to buy him another almost hundred-dollar bike if this one hadn't been found.  My mom-in-love was praying the entire time, too.  ("The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16)

Our other major request was one of the financial variety, and once again, God heard our pleas and He answered our request.

"All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen." Jude 1:25

I tell you these things, not to brag, but to glorify my Lord and Savior.  And to encourage you in your prayers...if you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel, don't!  The way I pray is this: I thank Him, I praise Him, I lay out my heart before Him, but then I tell Him that I trust Him and that I know He will answer my request according to whatever His will may be.  And whatever His will is-whether what I want or what He thinks is best, and not necessarily the way I want it to turn out-I know and trust that He will carry us through.

He is so good to us...more than I can ever comprehend.  I know He can be that for you, too.  So, whatever you're praying earnestly for, keep on praying!  He knows and He hears.  

One last thing I want to share on here and that is that my sister Teri desperately needs prayer.  She was in the ICU for one week in a hospital near where she lives in North Carolina with double pneumonia.  They moved her to a regular room on Saturday or Sunday of last week, and she still was not improving the way they had hoped.  They had her transported to another hospital for some testing on her lungs, one of which was a biopsy.  Yesterday, in case they had to do surgery, they put her on a ventilator.  Please keep her in your prayers...she really needs them.  

Thanks, in advance.  I hope you enjoy your day...and that you get to enjoy the outdoors if the weather is nice.  Love to all!

Graham

My oldest boy is officially legal to drive on the road!  It's hard to believe he's fifteen.  I can remember back to when he was a baby, thinking we would never get out of a certain phase.  And now, here we are.  I know it sounds so cliche, but time does go by so quickly!  Especially once those baby and early toddler years have passed.

For his birthday breakfast, he asked for blueberry muffins.  I made some and stuck a candle in one, and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him.  I did not get a picture...it was rather impromptu.  ;)

Also, on his birthday, he wanted to get his driver's permit.  I took him, and three and a half hours, we walked out with it!

Even though he has driven before, I didn't let him drive home.  The road he would have been driving on had a very high speed limit, so I let him drive to my mom-in-love's house, once we got to her neighborhood.  I think he did really good, considering my vehicle is huge.  He definitely needs more practice before getting onto a major road, but we will work on it.  (He just asked me if he could drive up to our church.  I told him yes.)

We rushed home after this picture, and he left at 4:30, with some friends.  He went to a soccer game, and after that, they all went to Red Robin.  It was kinda sad to me that he wasn't even here the night of his birthday, but I think I'm getting a taste of what my next few years are going to be like.  And really, it makes my heart happy to know and love these kids he's hanging out with.  The Lord gave him these sweet teenagers, and trust me, they are an answer to many prayers!  

Well.  I guess I need to get off here and get to my day.  Breakfast needs to be made and eaten, and laundry needs to be folded.  They're going to spend the next few hours at church.  I hope your day is great!  Love to all.  

Jonah & Noah

They're the very best of friends.

They've only been apart a couple times, and that was because of sickness.

They randomly hug each other.

They don't fight.  (Well...they don't fight like regular brothers.)

Noah once saved Jonah's life in the pool.  (That might be a little dramatic.)

Jonah once blacked out when he found out Noah had been hit by a car.

They've always had their own special language.

They're individuals, but they come as a two-for-one-deal.  It's both of them or neither of them.

They will fight anyone who messes with the other one.

They sometimes switch personalities.

They are almost always next to each other, whether in the car, at the dinner table or in church.

They are eleven years old today.  :)

May today be the happiest of eleventh birthdays to my beloved Jonah Raymon and Noah Lloyd.

Love to all.

Birthday Season

 Yup.  It's what I call this time of year.  Everyone who knows us, knows that after Christmas comes birthday season.  Jonah and Noah turn eleven tomorrow, and Graham turns fifteen on Tuesday.  Poor little Drew has to wait to turn fourteen until April third.  I thought I would share some pictures from a while back.

 

This was in 2009, when they turned six.  I love the look on Jonah's face, and Noah...oh my goodness.  I miss these days, back when they had no opinion on what their hair looked like, and when they knew how to smile for my camera.  ;)  It's okay, though.  I really wouldn't trade where they are now for anything.  I loved them well during those days, and I honestly can say that I have no regrets.

We do very low-key birthdays around here.  They usually only invite a couple friends, we have hot dogs and macaroni and I make a cake from a box.  Usually with sprinkles.  ;)  We spend all the next day just doing whatever, and since tomorrow is their actual birthday, their friends are staying all day, and we're going to picnic at the park.  Our families are coming tomorrow night for cake and ice cream.

Here are these same three cuties from five years ago.

This is Andy, their lifelong best friend.

And here is them just a couple months ago.

How time flies, when you're having fun.  I cannot believe these guys will be eleven tomorrow.  How I wish time would slow down, because you know it speeds up with age.

Well.  It's almost time to cut their cake.  I'll write more about these two tomorrow.  Love to all!

the park & sunny days & upcoming birthdays & family time & lots & lots more

I'm officially putting my kids on spring break this coming week.  But, in order to celebrate, we started yesterday.  We are in need of just a fun week, and I think it'll do us all some good.

Yesterday was beautiful and in honor of that, I took my kids and an extra to the park at Shelby Farms.  We love it there!  I packed a picnic, and later on, Graham, Drew, and their friends Zack and Kyle met us there.  I do love my kids' friends, and I was so glad they were with us yesterday.  There were seven boys, total.

I cannot believe that on Monday, Jonah and Noah will be eleven.  It seems like just yesterday that they were crawling and toddling all over my house, making me crazy, hiding in all the fun new spots their big brother Drew kept showing them.  :)  Sigh.

And then.  THIS ONE.  He will be FIFTEEN on Tuesday!  We'll be celebrating by going to get his driver's permit first thing that morning.  And yes, I will be letting him drive me home.  :)

He started studying for the test today.  :)

Speaking of today, it was a good day.  Graham worked, but the rest of us were at home, and the boys played outside all day.  Todd did some wiring on his truck and I read.  And painted my fingernails.  :)  Pink, in anticipation of the beautiful spring weather we'll be having this week!

I cleaned off the dresser in my bedroom and in doing that, lookey what I found!

My very own tiara.  I posted this on Instagram, and the caption was #IalwaysknewIwasaprincess.

Yes, I speak in hash tags now.  :/

We loaded up and went to my mom's and Bill's for dinner.  The boys found out why it's never a good idea to scare Auntie Lisa.  Jonah and Graham scared the daylights out of her (and me) and this is what she did to them.

She sat on them and gave them noogies.  I have no idea how you spell the word 'noogies'.  I was laughing so hard that I cried.

I found this picture on Drew's phone.

My boy loves to take pictures.  I would love for him to have a camera to play around with.  We'll have to see about that, but he's so good!

We have a crazy next few days~Jonah and Noah are having a small sleepover tomorrow night, the whole fam-damily is coming over Monday night for cake and ice cream, Todd is traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday is church, Thursday is our homeschool group and somewhere in the middle of all that we'll be helping my dad take down his Christmas lights.  Are you tired, just from reading that?  I am.  I hope I start feeling better so I can have the strength to do it all!  Well.  Speaking of, I'm going to bed to read.  Love to all!