Christmas Time at the Raineys

We had a fabulous Christmas! I can't believe it's come & gone so quickly! We had so much fun together. We made cookies, cards, Chex Mix. We decorated 7, yes 7 trees! The boys had one in each of their rooms and we had 4 downstairs. It makes me happy to see trees everywhere I turn. We got to spend lots of time with family & friends. We are very blessed. Christmas Eve, we read the story of Jesus' birth then celebrated His birthday on Christmas morning with yummy coconut cupcakes. Then we filled our tummies with HoneyBaked Ham, homemade biscuits and hashbrown casserole! YUM-O! Enjoy the pics in the slideshow, but be prepared to 'stay' a while... there's 100 pics, and that's just a brief glimpse into our fun. I think I have over 400 pics for the month of Dec! My hard drive is threatening to shut me down!
Anyway, we hope you had a blessed Christmas!! We love you all and are so blessed to have each of you in our lives!! God Bless You!
Kelly & Family

Dance Baby Dance!

Merry Christmas!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Allan's 34th Birthday... Darth Vader Style!

Happy 45 Year Anniversary!

Today is not only Nate's 5th Birthday, but it's also Allan's parents 45th Wedding Anniversary! Your marriage is a testimony of what can be accomplished by putting God in the center of your marriage! Ecc. 4:12 Thank you for being an example to us & giving us something to strive for!
We love ya'll & hope ya'll have many more fabulous years together!!

Our "Baby" is FIVE Today

I can not believe how fast five years have flown by! We are so thankful for the blessing of Nate. He's such a smart and funny boy and we can't imagine our life without him. We love you, Nate!! Enjoy the pics of him growing so fast!

Nate's 5th Birthday Bucaneer Bash

1 Peter 5:5-11

Yesterday, Our Daily Bread had an awesome devotion. I think one of my most favorite verses right now is 1 Peter 5:5-11 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Verse 8 -9 really keeps me on my toes. I firmly believe Satan is lurking everywhere trying to pull me away from my Creator. I have to be careful and watch my words & tone, my attitude and my actions. I have to keep my eyes & my heart focused on God and constantly renew my mind with His word or else I'll fall into Satan's trap. So, yesterday when I read the devotion, I was happy. I know that the LORD is continually working on and in me. I'm not perfect, but He is refining me and I welcome it. Here's the devotion. Hope you all enjoy it and get as much from it as I did.

October 26, 2008
The Ripening Self
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DownloadREAD: 1 Peter 5:5-11
May the God of all grace, . . . after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. —1 Peter 5:10
In his early years of ministry, the English preacher Charles Simeon (1759–1836) was a harsh and self-assertive man. One day he was visiting a friend and fellow pastor in a nearby village. When he left to go home, his friend’s daughters complained to their father about Simeon’s manner. So he took the girls to the backyard and said, “Pick me one of those peaches.” It was early summer, and the peaches were green. The girls asked why he wanted green, unripe fruit. He replied, “Well, my dears, it is green now, and we must wait; but a little more sun, and a few more showers, and the peach will be ripe and sweet. So it is with Mr. Simeon.”
Simeon, in due time, did change. The warmth of God’s love and the “showers” of misunderstanding and disappointment were the means by which he became a gentle, humble man.
The God of all grace works in all His children, humbling the proud and exalting the humble, to make them ripe and sweet. Our task is to take hold of God’s grace to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary.
In time, He will “perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle” us (1 Peter 5:10). We must “wait on the LORD” and “be of good courage” (Ps. 27:14). — David H. Roper
Our fruitfulness and growth in ChristWon’t happen instantly,But meditating on God’s WordWill bring maturity. —Sper
Salvation is the miracle of a moment; growth is the labor of a lifetime.

One Proud Boy = Happy Mommy & Daddy

Tonight was Nate's next to last game. All season long we've tried so hard to get him to run. He can hit and back up first base very good, but no matter what we said, he just wouldn't run when it came to running bases. I had almost given up hope that he'd get a game ball. There are so many more experienced players on his team. However... I would like to CONGRATULATE Nate & his friend, Nicholas, on them both getting game balls!! Nate for running & getting hits off of pitches and Nicholas hit at least 3 balls all the way to the fence! Their team won 12-8! They did a great job & we're so proud of them. After the game, we took our boys to Dairy Queen for an ice cream!! Nate is so proud of the gameball that he will not turn loose of it for anything! I can pretty much guarantee that he'll sleep with it tonight! Mommy & Daddy are so proud of you, Nate!! Gooooo YANKEES!!!!























Nate & his good friend, Nicholas














Nate backing up 1st Base

Baby Say Turns TWO

Today our sweet Seth, also affectionately known as "SaySay" by his brothers and friends, turned two years old. "Say" became his nickname when after he was born Nate & Alex would introduce him as "Baby Say". It was one of those names that just stuck! I know people in public probably wonder what in the world we named him when I call him Say Say!!
Today, to celebrate his BD, we met up with friends at the new McDonald's near our church for Happy Meals & Cupcakes. 8 Boys and 1 Girl! We are very blessed with such great friends & family! Seth really had a great time playing & eating! He partied so much, he just couldn't take it anymore & layed down in the floor & went to sleep! What child goes to sleep in a McD's Playground?! haha.. he was beat! Mommy was very thankful that it's a brand new McD's or else she may not have let him take a little snooze!! :) Ben & Clara, we missed ya'll today!! Thank you to the rest who were able to join us! Love ya'll bunches!

Enjoy the pics of our sweet Seth & his pals!

Seth's 2nd Birthday Party

Seth had a fantastic time at his Curious George Birthday party. He was surrounded by family & great friends. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us in celebrating our baby turning TWO! I think everyone had a great time playing, eating & toasting marshmallows on the fire!

Note To Self.... Never Leave Kids Unattended...

...even if it's only to watch the VP Debate!

I heard the water going in the bathroom, but I just figured it was Seth washing his hands over & over as usual. Well, Allan goes to get him out & calls me in there. Apparently, Seth thought his feet & socks were dirty because there he sat! UP on the counter, water wide open & he thought it was the greatest thing ever. Crazy Kiddo!

We'll Give You Something to Blog About

Ok... so I've been having a touch of bloggers block. Not much going on and I guess the kids must have sensed that. Today while putting together Seth's BD Party Invite, I hear Nate say, "This is a great slip-n-slide". I go in the kitchen to find about 1/2 a bottle of baby powder dumped ALL OVER the floor and they are running and sliding in it. They were even making snow angels in it ! So, I go get Allan to let him see and what does he do?? He joins the party! The whole kitchen was so smoky from all the powder in the air **cough cough**!

Now.. what to clean it up with?? Enjoy the pics!

Meeting the perfect Father

I can't believe that 20 years ago today, my Uncle Billy lost the battle with pancreatic cancer. It seems like it was just yesterday that Mama & my Papa came home from the hospital to tell us the news that he had passed. It was the first funeral I ever experienced and I remember being broken & so sad. Even at the age of 11, I had a heavy heart for my cousin losing her Daddy, almost 1 week before her 3rd birthday. I, too, had grown up without a daddy and knew that it would be a difficult road. I spent years in school & life feeling left out when there were events that required attendance of two parents. I wanted to be a Daddy's Girl so badly. But, NOW I know that all along I had a PERFECT Father...He resides in Heaven and sits on the Throne & can perfectly meet my every need far better than any humanly father ever could! Oh, how I wish it didn't take me almost 30 years to figure that out. I am a daughter to the King that created the heavens & the earth (Gen 1:1) and later created me, for I am fearfully & wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:4) And, I can do everything through Him who gives me strength! (Phil 4:13) See what I mean by perfection... He is perfection at it's finest.
I am so thankful for His faithfulness to never leave me when I walked away from Him. Praise Him for his discipline, forgiveness, grace & mercy!!

Hebron Baptist Cardboard Confessions

WOW. I was so moved by all the testimonies of several of our members in church this morning. It's so amazing to see how God has moved mountains in their lives. People on the brink of divorce, addicted to substances, anger & depression, suffered the loss of loved ones... all the stories are different but the one thing that remains constant is that God was with them every step of the way & saw them through the various storms in their lives. He is faithful!
To watch and I want to encourage you to do so... it is well worth your time... but let me tell you, have your Kleenex handy! You will have tears of joy streaming down your face when you see the hand of God in these people's lives! PLEASE WATCH!!

Go to http://hebronchurch.org/media/media.htm and scroll down and select "video on demand
To watch past services, click here. "

Go down & select to see September 7th 2008 What's Your Story? Personal Testimony. Be amazed!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame....

..... in the 95 degree heat! Wow... what a day to open the season. Nate, Alex & Seth were all in a fantabulous mood *sense my sarcasm*, it was scorchin' hot and they were all hungry. That combo didn't make for the best day. I had a pretty hard time adjusting to the new rules in Tball. Going from Pre-T to T is a big jump. These coaches are pretty die-hard coaches and it's hard for me to see my baby getting "coached". Granted, he wasn't running his best, but I wanted to say give the kid a break... they had batting practice for an hour BEFORE the actual game! They are tired and HOT. Anyway, I might as well suck it up b/c alot of other moms have told me it gets more intense. We had about 20 minutes in between games to come home, eat a Sonic corndog and get back to the field for Alex's game. Thankfully, today is the only day we have 2 games on the same day. Otherwise I'd be saying Game Over!
Here's a couple of my fave pics from today.

Goooo Yankees & RedSox!!

First Day of Preschool 2008-09

Today was a fabulous day! Nate & Alex started Hebron Weekday Preschool again. We missed Daddy this morning. He had to go into work, so I took as many pics as I could so he wouldn't totally miss out. I made them their initial pancakes. They love them & ice cream sprinkles make them extra special! We just love Hebron Preschool! Their teachers love the LORD and love our boys. You just can't get much better than that! I know they are going to have a fantastic year. They were both so excited to pull into the parking lot & couldn't wait to get out of the van. They both walked right into the school like they owned the place & didn't even look back at me. *SNIFF SNIFF* Our boys are growing up so fast! After dropping them off, Seth & I headed to Community Bible Study where I'll be teaching children with my friend. That is going to be exciting as well. So, all of us started a new year this morning & we're going to be busy, busy!
Here's a few pics of the boys getting ready for their first day of Preschool!

My Poor Neglected Blog

Well, I feel bad. I said forever that I would NOT join facebook. I held out and was strong for about 2-3 months. Then, I joined and because of it, my poor blog has suffered.

What have we been up to?? ... well, let's see...we're getting geared up to start back preschool, we're running around for 2 different Tball practices and about to start Tball games for 2 different teams and I am teaching older 2's in my Community Bible Study which I am super excited about. I think that's about it.

We took the boys to the movies for the first time last Thursday night. It was a lot of fun. We saw Wall-E and treated them to Steak & Shake afterwards.

I've been on my quest for a healthier me since 8/1. So, that meant that last Friday marked 3 weeks. I am on a mission to run 4 miles, 3 days per week. I do have to say I'm a bit bummed I haven't lost any weight. I feel better though, but I am hoping for weightloss to come soon. I have been eating so much better with the exception of a couple indulgences. Maybe I need to run 4 days per week instead of 3.. we'll see what the final weight is this Friday when the month has officially ended. I'm trying to only put "weight" on the end of the month weigh-in instead of going by my daily weigh-ins.

So, for my couple of faithful readers... I will try and do better about posting!

Tagged...

Okay - so Andrea tagged me on a random blog quiz. So I thought I'd be a good sport and participate!! here it goes . . .

3 random facts:
1. I was never a cheerleader, but like Andrea always wanted to be one. Still don't know why!
2. I had 2 of my three children w/ no drugs and would do it again if given the chance!
3. I can write backwards!

3 current obsessions:
1. managing my weight by eating better
2. reading food labels
3. getting the greatest tunes for my iPod for jogging on the treadmill

3 goals:
1. lose weight and take better care of my spirit's tabernacle
2. to be the wife & mother God created me to be
3. to have a set quiet time every morning BEFORE the kids wake up

3 fears:
1. public speaking
2. snakes
3.

3 joys:
1. when the scale is lower than the last time I stepped on it
2. sitting on the back deck drinking coffee chatting w/ my hubby after kids go to bed
3. scoring crazy great grocery deals using my coupons... (it wow's Allan, too)

okay - now I tag Susan Johnson, Billie Beddingfield, and Joy Stallworth. . . have fun!!

Mad Rant...

I am so mad right now. I'm mad that there are people killing and just being down right cruel to children everywhere I turn. Yesterday morning, the first four news stories I read were: 1. Man & wife indicted on charges they nearly starved their 13 month old twin boys. 2. woman's 6 week old baby found dead, later found mom in nearby county-dead. 3. woman in SC shook a newborn baby to death b/c he wouldn't drink his bottle. 4. local man, Boy Scout leader suspected of molesting 10 boys. Then today I read a 25 year old woman left her 6 week old son in the back of a car with the heat index over 100 degrees. The child died. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?? Are they just as stupid as stupid gets or what?? Senseless killing and cruelty. I get aggravated & frustrated b/c I want to help children like this but I have no idea how. These kids needed a voice to help protect them. The people who were charged w/ the starvation thing were hooked on prescription drugs I read. Why are kids in these types of environments?? Where are child protective services?? Where are the other family members who could protect the kids?? Just makes me sad to know there are children everywhere without anyone to help shield them from the stupidness of others. ...SIGH...

Observations

I can't believe I almost forgot to blog about this. We went to Barberitos tonight for dinner. A (ahem) larger sized man walked by. Nate points and blurts in the loudest voice possible...'Daddy, Look at his big ol' belly'!
M.O.R.T.I.F.I.E.D

I just looked at Allan and asked, "Did he just say what I think he said??" And, sadly the answer was "yes". I knew the day was coming when the kids start noticing the differences in people, but I was realllllly hoping it would just bypass our household. Oh well, he was just making an observation, but it was pretty embarrassing.

What would your mosaic look like?

I really liked this RBC devotion today. Wow, makes me think about how I live my life daily. I hope & pray that my daily life is glorifying to my LORD. It's my mission each day to live according to His truth and that others around me can see Him through me.

July 30, 2008

Snapshots Of Time

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12

The designers of an innovative Web site call their creation a “snapshot” of our world. Every hour, computers monitor international news sources, select the most frequently occurring words and pictures, then display them as an interactive image. Over time, these hourly snapshots compose a mosaic of unfolding world events.
If a computer could track our words and actions, what would a snapshot of yesterday reveal? Over the weeks and months, what patterns would emerge? And what theme would dominate the final mosaic of our lives?

Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses the man of God, is a powerfully honest look at the brevity and significance of life. The writer compares an entire lifetime to a dream or a blade of grass, and cries out to God: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v.12). Our days often seem so insignificant, yet they add up to so much. The Message renders verse 12: “Teach us to live wisely and well.” It is a prayer for the snapshots of life with the final image in view.

When all the pictures of our life are laid on the table, they will reveal our recurring words and actions. What story will they tell? It’s worth considering as we make our choices each day. — David C. McCasland

God has given life abundant—Live it fully every day;Though our time on earth is fleeting,He goes with us all the way. —Hess

It’s not how long you live that counts, but how you live.

Out of the mouths of babes...

So sweet.
I took Nate to the doc today b/c he's had a cough now for 3 weeks. Bad mommy waiting it out. But, I really thought it'd clear on it's own. Turns out he was wheezing and is in need of breathing treatments every 4-6 hours. This should earn me the Mom of the Year Award! Ha Ha!
Anyway, while we were there, Nate just got real comfy w/ the doc. He was chattin' her up like they were best buddies. He's taken an obsession to pointing with the finger that's not so great to point with. You know the one I'm talking about. Well, I was so embarrassed. But, he was trying to tell her that he cut his finger on his watergun. That happened to be the finger that was cut. Then she asked if it was feeling better. His response, "Yes, Jesus is making it all better!" That made me smile!! Then as she was listening to his heart, she asks him if he could hear his heart beat. And, he just looks at her and says, "Jesus lives in my heart."
I just melted. Even when I think all my energy is wasted trying to teach him things... it's good to know that some of it- the most important part of it, really is sinking in! I really believe the LORD knew I needed an encouraging moment b/c the past few days have been very trying and I really have felt that I'm just spinning my wheels and they'll never get anything. Thank you LORD for the reminder of Galatians 6:9...Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Front Yard Baseball

The Battle was On

Oh yes, the battle was on! Mix' N Scraper vs. Dishwasher Heating Element!

Guess who won?? Yeah.. and it stinks... literally!

I think they need to add a side note to their description of the utensil on their website. It plainly states 'Handles won't separate from the heads'! BONK... WRONG!

Also says heat safe to 650 degrees... hmm, hope I never accidentally touch that heat element!

Man, I really liked that thing, too. Off to call my dealer.. pampered chef dealer that is!

Kitchenware: Mix 'N Scraper®
#1657 $13.50
Our scrapers are a staple for every kitchen. Heavy-duty silicon heads won’t crack, stain or melt. Handles won’t separate from the heads. **Unless it meets the dishwasher heating element** Heat-safe to 650°F. Tackles thick batters and dough. **but can't tackle the dishwasher heating element** Mix, scoop and scrape with the same tool.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Seth has to do absolutely everything his big brothers do.

Here, he joins the effort to rip my bannister off the wall.

Gusteau

We have been watching Ratatouille like it's going out of style. The boys call it Ratatootie! LOL!!

So, the other day as I'm unloading the dishwasher, Nate grabs a pot & pan, crosses his arms and says "Look at me, Mom! I'm Gusteau"... haha!!

Jumpy Fun

Yesterday, we had the absolute best time ever!!

We had a jump party as a summertime playdate. 16 of the boys closest friends joined us in Athens for a fun time of jumping followed by yummy pizza and cupcakes. But, the party didn't stop there. After that, we hit up McD's for some more fun playtime inside where it was nice & cool!

Again, thanks girls for driving out to Athens & making Nate & Alex's day by seeing all their bestest buds!!

Praise Him In Everything...

Here was my devotion today from RBC.org
Very good reminder to praise Him daily!

July 15, 2008
Silent Helper

I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things. —Isaiah 25:1

The discovery of penicillin revolutionized health care. Prior to the 1940s, bacterial infections were often fatal. Since then, penicillin has saved countless lives by killing harmful bacteria. The men who recognized its potential and developed it for widespread use won a Nobel Prize in 1945.
Long before the discovery of penicillin, other silent killers were at work saving lives by destroying bacteria. These silent killers are white blood cells. These hard workers are God’s way of protecting us from disease. No one knows how many invasions they have stopped or how many lives they have saved. They receive little recognition for all the good they do.
The Lord gets similar treatment. He often gets blamed when something goes wrong, but He seldom gets credit for all the things that go right. Every day people get up, get dressed, drive to work or school or the grocery store, and return safely to their families. No one knows how many times God has protected us from harm. But when there is a tragedy, we ask, “Where was God?”
When I consider all the wonderful things that God does silently on my behalf each day (Isa. 25:1), I realize that my list of praises should be much longer than my list of petitions. — Julie Ackerman Link

God keeps giving us reasons to praise Him.

Keep On Keepin' On

My daily devotion from RBC.org ....
Just wanted to share with anyone who reads the ol' blog!

July 12, 2008
Marriage Before Love
Genesis 24:61-67

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun. —Ecclesiastes 9:9

A man went to his pastor for counseling. In his hands were pages of complaints against his wife. After hours of uninterrupted listening, the pastor couldn’t help but ask, “If she is that bad, why did you marry her?” Immediately the man shot back, “She wasn’t like this at first!” The pastor, unable to hold back his thoughts, asked, “So, are you saying that she is like this because she’s been married to you?”
Whether or not this story is true, it does suggest an important lesson to be learned. At times, feelings toward a spouse may grow cold. But love is much more than feelings—it’s a lifelong commitment.
Although most people choose to marry only because of love, in some cultures people still get married through matchmaking. In the lives of Isaac and Rebekah recorded in the book of Genesis, love came after marriage. It says in chapter 24 that Isaac married Rebekah and then he loved her (v.67).
Biblical love is about our willingness to do what is good for another. Husbands are instructed to “love their own wives as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:28).

So, walking in obedience to the Lord, let’s keep our marriage vows to love “till death do us part.” — Albert Lee

“For better or for worse,” we pledge,
“Through sickness and through strife”;
And by the help and grace of God,
we’ll keep these vows for life. —D. De Haan

Love is more than a feeling, it’s a commitment.

Jesus Bring the Rain

We have prayed for rain & the Lord has provided... in abundance! This is the view from my upstairs bathroom window.
We have the n'hood retention pond on our lot & it has never filled up before. Every now and then it'll get a puddle, but nothing like it did today. Even our swingset box was floating!! I told my neighbor, I had a lake front property for about 30 mins today! HAHA! Hope you're getting rain where you are!

Side note: My baby sister & brother-in-law are on their way to Brazil for her to begin her career. Hopefully their flight left as scheduled! Anyone reading my blog, please say a prayer that the Lord gets them there safely and for His protection and provision for them while they are there for 2 years And, also for them to transition into their new life there easily!! LaLa & Christian... please be safe while you're there. We'll miss you guys a whole lot & think of you often!! Love you bunches!!

Red, White & Blue 2008

We had a great loooong weekend on the lake, again. Wednesday we drove up to SC to spend time together as a family at my parents place. The plan was to leave Wed by 530 but somehow we didn't end up on the road until 830 and we got up there at 1030. The boys enjoyed some yummy and super nutritious Sonic corn dogs and Mommy & Daddy enjoyed Arby's 99 cent sandwiches on the ride up.
Thursday morning we woke up and were all jazzed up for a day in the water. We hadn't been out in the water floating around for 15 mins when Alex started screaming bloody murder. Bless his heart, there was a snake about 2 feet from his little face just coming towards him. Eventually, his screams scared the snake off in the other direction. We were all scattered and Allan & I felt so bad that we couldn't get to him fast enough. So, that put a damper our swimming and floating for the day. We decided to stay dry and do a little fishing. My mom couldn't stand that I was out-fishing her. haha.. Seth was none too happy about having to wear his life-jacket. He would pitch a fit everytime. Oh well. Got to be safe Baby Boy! Everyone in the cove seemed to be enjoying the great weather everyday also. Over the course of the weekend, the neighbors around the cove killed 2 more snakes. We aren't sure if one of them was the one that scared Alex or not, but we're hoping it was. The neighbors crack me up though b/c when they get ready to kill a watersnake, they just whip out their guns! haha.... One guy used a 22. The neighbor right next door had a handgun. It was dark and we were doing a little night fishing, so I couldn't see what kind of gun it was. He asked permission first b/c he didn't want to scare us or the kids. I'm assuming it was a revolver of some sort b/c he looks like a revolver kind of man. I'm just glad he killed the snake. On Saturday before we came back home, Allan, Nate & myself braved the water one more time. We had a blast having races on our floats. And, we were so happy we saw no snakes. However, once we were out of the water and packing the van we heard commotion. Another snake had been spotted around the cove. Everyone was shocked at how many had been seen over the weekend, especially with all the noisy people out in the water. Their cove is like a cul-de-sac but with water. So, all the neighbors alert one another when they see something. Despite all the snakes over the weekend, we had a great time! We got to see an awesome fireworks show put on by some neighbors. They realllly spent some money b/c it was one of the best, non-professional fireworks display that I've ever seen! The boys enjoyed it while eating some yummy ice cream.
Here's a slideshow of our weekend. But, beware!! When we go to the lake I don't put on any make up or do my hair. It's a ponytail/hat weekend. So, don't be too scared!! To see captions, you'll have to scroll over each pic.

Growing, Growing

Our little garden is just-a-growin'. And, our tomatoes are turning into bushes. We HAVE to go get more tomato cages. Already we are getting squash, zucchini, banana peppers, cucumbers, a few cherry tomatoes and bell peppers. Our corn, hopefully, will take off soon. When I prayed for rain the other day, the LORD blessed us with some 2 days in a row that filled the boys kiddie pool! So, the garden got that rain plus we got the kiddie pool to use on days there isn't any rain. I trusted Him to send rain, and indeed He did!

Now... if we could just keep the deer out of it!

Deeper Still...going deeper into His Truth

Oh-my-goodness. I had the most amazing time last night & today. Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, & Priscilla Shirer and the Travis Cottrell praise team along with Mandisa... combining them all just made for an amazing time! The event was sold out.. over 19,000 women in attendance. So great to be surrounded by all my sisters, gathered to worship and praise our King and be filled with His Truth!

Our hotel, Hyatt, was super nice except one minor thing.... 100 bajillion teenagers in Hotlanta for FBLA conference. Kind of scary to see who will be leading the business industry in just a few short years.

The girls and I had a great time getting to know one another better. Nothing like Hard Rock Cafe at 1130 PM... made me feel young being out that late! It was the only thing open that late. McD's was open but they had ran out of hamburgers, cheese, chocolate and french fries. Who runs out of food when they're expecting over 20,000 women in town?? I think someone needs a new inventory manager! Too bad my feet don't make me feel young. I made the absolute WORST decision about shoes. And, boy, do I have blisters to show for it. I hope I'm able to hobble into church tomorrow. Want some cheese to go with my WHINE?!?!

But, seriously, if you ever get the chance to see any of these ladies... I highly recommend it! You will not be disappointed. These ladies are all truly gifted in their ability to deliver His word. I look forward to seeing them all again one day.

Deeper Still Conference

I'm so excited for tonight because I'm going to see Beth Moore at Philips Arena for the Deeper Still womens conference. Priscilla Shirer & Kay Arthur will be there as well, but I'm not as familiar with them. Beth Moore wrote the "Believing God" Bible study that I did last fall and it was an amazing study! I'm super excited also that Mandisa will be at the conference! She was on American Idol and Simon criticized her for singing a Christian song that she sang beautifully. She has an awesome voice & I can't wait to hear it in person! I'll update with pics as soon as I return tomorrow evening if they allow cameras! :)

Rainey Produce Dept.

Here's what the garden has produced so far.
A few squash, a few hot banana peppers & a few tomatoes. Actually, last night I did pick 1 zucchini & 1 cucumber. So, slowly but surely we're getting veggies! We really need more rain, a bit more than the sprinkling we got today. But, rain is forecasted for the next 5 days! And, I am BELIEVING it to rain, rain, rain!! I'm going to find me a mountain top like Elijah and pray for rain. God will send it just in the nick of time. I just know it!
Allan has been working so hard in the garden. We have tons of green tomatoes that I hope turn bright red really soon! We also have a couple of cantaloupes coming on. Nothin' like a big hunk of cantaloupe with salt & pepper. YUMMY! Can't really say too much for our corn, but I'm still holding out hope of having home grown corn on the cob... grilled w/ yummy butter!