Memorial Day 2008

We had a pretty great Memorial Day. We started the day off by going to watch the annual Dacula Memorial Day Parade. It was a great parade, lasting nearly 2 hours! The boys loved the tractors, horses, the fire trucks, police motorcycles and all the fast cars & monster trucks. In my opinion, the absolute best float was the Marines float who depicted the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Now, I'm no history buff and I have no idea what we were fighting for and whether or not we were right, but that image brought tears to my eyes. It made me very proud to be an American, extremely appreciative to the men and women who defend our country every day and thankful for all the freedoms I have that others in the world can only imagine.

I have to say though, that as much as I appreciate the soldiers who defend our country, it scares the beejeebers out of me the possibility of the boys deciding to join the military when they turn 18. Everyone says it's such a noble thing to do, but I don't know how I would take it. But, I know if that's truly what they want to do, I will embrace it...even if I am gritting my teeth the whole time.

So, after the parade, we came home & grilled out bacon cheese burgers and they were sooo good. The boys played in the kiddie pool all day and had a great time splashing.

Here's the pic of the Iwo Jima float....

Ok.. now I feel bad....

After we finished working in our new garden last weekend, we went to sit under the trees to relax in the cool shade. Well, once I sat down, I saw 2 snake skins. Last year after finding a skin, it wasn't long before I found the snake... in the kids playground area. So, I've been on the lookout for the one who decided to shed it's skin near my firepit. Today, he decided to make his appearance. I just happened to be looking over the edge of the deck & there it was, coming out from under our deck, slithering along the basement walls.

Oooh, gives me creepies thinking about it. So, I was sooo thankful Allan was home. I got him to kill it. It was about 4.5-5 feet long. Then I start looking up black snakes on the web & found that it was a black rat snake. They eat birds, eggs, squirrels and other rodents and are virtually harmless to humans. But, I can't help but be scared of those things. I mean, he looked like the Godzilla of snakes. What if the boys stepped on him while running in the yard?? Now, I worry that a snake will fall out of the tree on me if I want to relax under the trees. I hate being scared of them, but I really can't help it. Maybe if we see another, we'll catch him & turn him loose in the woods.... maybe.

Goooo Astros!

Tonight we had our Post-Season Tball Party at the Pavilion at Dacula Park. Great food & great fellowship. Nate & Alex were super excited to get their trophies. They had a terrific season. We were very pleased at the boys progress during the season. We're so proud of them!! Here's a few pics from the party!

I Love Our BackYard

OK. So, I know this isn't the greatest picture. But, I really love our backyard. The trees provide the perfect shade. We have big hopes & dreams of a pool one day, but that's pretty far off in the distance. In the mean time, we'll enjoy what we've already been blessed with. Thanks to our SS teacher, we've been reminded to renew our minds with all that God has done for us. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in wanting more or thinking we have less than. But, look at this backyard. WE ARE BLESSED ABUNDANTLY!

.... blessed too abundantly w/ squirrels! :)

Life's A Garden... dig it!

This year, we decided to plant our own garden & test out our green thumb. The past few years we've gotten lots of vegetables from both of our parents gardens. We thought it'd be a good idea to work our own garden & let the boys have a little fun seeing God's hand at work growing the vegetables. It was a lot of fun even though it was a lot of hard work in the blazin' sun. It'll be worth every drop of sweat when we get to eat the fruits of our crop! We planted 103 plants total, 2 rows of corn & one row of okra. I know God is going to bless it abundantly! I want to be able to share with friends and neighbors! We should have corn, okra, tomatoes of all shapes & sizes, hot peppers, red & yellow bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, & zucchini. I don't think I left anything out. Looking at the pics, it appears that I didn't do any of the work, but I did help out. I promise!But, you know, I have to take pics for the ol' blog!

Silly Seth

I just had to post these pics of Seth.

Today, he brings me Nate's baseball socks and sits in my lap wanting me to put them on him. Mind you, they went all the way to his hips! Then he crawled over onto the couch and watched Dora & tried to solve the Rubix Cube!... that's our Seth.

Thyroid Schmyroid

Monday, I found a lump/knot at the base of my throat near my collar bone. Of course, I panicked and quickly made an appointment to have it checked out Tuesday. The doc seems to think it's a thyroid nodule. Well, after being sent for an ultrasound on Wednesday, I got the call today that the results are in & my appointment to discuss the findings is scheduled tomorrow morning at 11AM.
I have to say that my nerves have been calmed and I'm okay with whatever the doc tells me tomorrow. Then I log onto RBC.org to find today's devotion about letting God surprise us... read below...

May 15, 2008
Surprise Me!

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. —Isaiah 55:8
When our family went out for an ice cream cone, my dad would ask my mother what flavor she’d like. Often she would reply, “Surprise me!” She told me she was rarely disappointed in his choice.
Do you like surprises? Would you ever dare say, “Surprise me!” to God? A lot of us are a little scared to do that. Yes, we have faith that God is good and that He loves us. Yet we’re afraid we won’t like what He chooses for us.
Throughout the Bible we read that God delights in doing the unexpected. Sometimes it’s folding back the waters for His people to cross a sea on dry ground (Ex. 14:21-22). Or forgiving and embracing those who repent of their sin (Ps. 130:1-4). Jesus’ time on earth was filled with amazing events that pointed people to His Father—He turned water into wine, calmed storms, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
What kind of God do we serve? One who is not confined by our finite imagination (Eph. 3:20). God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours (Isa. 55:8), and He wants to bless us with far more than a special flavor of ice cream. He delights in His children who trust Him and are willing to say, “Surprise me, Lord!”
— Cindy Hess Kasper
O Lord, give me the grace to beContent with what You give to me.No! More than that, let me rejoiceIn all You send me—it’s Your choice! —Anon.
Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.

I'm looking forward to what surprise God has in store for me tomorrow. He knows what's best for me & I trust that!