Praise Him

Psalm 66:20 ~ Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

BENIGN. What a wonderful word.

Psalm 149:15 ~ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD definitely heard my cries and has fulfilled my desire to not be sick. Thank You LORD. I know it could have just as easily gone in the other direction. But, I know He heard the prayers from me & those who were lifting me up and he most graciously answered.

Amazing Space Vacation Bible Camp 2008

This week we'll be in high gear! It's Vacation Bible Camp at our church all week. The boys this morning looked at me crazy when I woke them at 7 to get ready to go. I have to be there by 8:15 to help out with the four year olds. It's going to be an 'amazing' week. But, I know all three boys are going to be exhausted since it'll be so go-go-go and we're normally homebodies.....

To Eternity & Beyond!!! Blessings.

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, we had to have Brutus euthanized. It was very sad and emotional for Allan & me. But, we also know it was for the best. We still think of him every day and all the little quirks about him. Hopefully, one day when the boys are a bit older, we'll try to find another dog. But, we also know there will never be another Brutus. He was truly one of a kind! Man's best friend. We love & miss you Brutus Tugboat Rainey.... our Boosie Dog!

National Doughnut Day.. June 6th

Today I get an email letting me know that tomorrow is National Doughnut Day.

Have you ever heard such garbage?? Like I really need an extra excuse to scarf down a Krispy Kreme Doughnut!! So, to celebrate, they will be giving away a FREE doughnut of your choice. They're smart little cookies..err, I mean doughnuts. See, they know that Krispy Kreme dougnuts are like Lays Potato Chips.. no one can eat just one. So, they lure you in with one FREE doughnut and bank on you buying at least a dozen. Genius. I can't tell you how many times we've gone for the freebies and ended up coming home with a dozen. I'd probably be embarrassed to tell you. Hello... I am on Krispy Kreme's email list!! What does that tell you??

We just devoured a dozen of those things last Sunday evening... 12 of them and I can guarantee Allan & I ate more than half of them. We ate 'em so fast the boys didn't have time to whine for one! hahaha
So... if you need your doughnut fix.... stop by your local Krispy Kreme tomorrow, June 6th & celebrate National Doughnut Day and pretend like you needed an excuse to eat a FREE doughnut!! I'm sure the light will be on all day long!!

Where my peace comes from....

I've had several people ask me about my thyroid issues lately. And, my response is that I'm at peace with whatever comes of the biopsy on Thursday. I've prayed for peace and that's what I've been given. I know that no matter what happens, my God is in control & I trust in Him that He knows what's truly best for me.

My daily devotion for today...

Matthew 8:23-27
As Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up and waves swept over their boat. Incredibly, Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Him and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25). In a gentle rebuke, Jesus asked, “‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (v.26).

Like the disciples, the more we learn about Jesus, the more we trust Him. Our greatest risk is failing to depend on Him when life seems out of control. — David C. McCasland

Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll soon lose sight of your fears.

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!

God Does Exist

I got this email from a friend and thought it was too good not to share! Enjoy!

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

HAPPY 31st BIRTHDAY TO ME

Today, I had an awesome birthday to celebrate my 31 years!
I woke up to breakfast in bed & was serenaded by Nate & Alex. Allan had made me yummy french toast, fresh strawberries, homemade hashbrowns, yummy bacon & OJ. It was served all fancified on our Noritake china that we NEVER use & a Mikasa iced beverage glass that we never use. KUDOS to my hubby for that. Nothing like waking up to a yummy breakfast brought right to you!
THEN... he even made me a yummy birthday cake & did a great job decorating it himself. I'll upload a pic later.
My mom watched the boys for us to get out alone for a while. So, for lunch, we headed to downtown Lawrenceville to The Lunch Box on the square. I like to support small restaurants like that. Most of the time they are so much better than chain restaurants. The food was very good. We got to enjoy the beautiful 78 degree weather out on the patio. Then we walked into a couple of the antique shops on the square. It was a lot of fun walking around the square holding hands. Seems like it's been forever since we got to go out alone & hold hands. We need to do that more often. Wonder if Dave Ramsey allows that?? hehe...
Then for dinner, we loaded all three boys into the van and hit up Waffle House. That's right... Waffle House! It was very yummy, too. The boys were very good & so it made for a great night. Although I have to say we splurged a bit there b/c we spent $7 on drinks for the 5 of us. * Note to self: bring kid drinks next time!*
God has blessed me so much to have such a caring husband to do all that he did JUST FOR ME! Thanks, Tic! Today was wonderful & I love you very much!

Spring Break on Lake Secession

On Thursday we drove up to SC to spend a couple of days on the lake and get away before Spring Break was over. We enjoyed great family time. The boys absolutely loved "fishing"! They loved it so much there was no mention of TV. That was awesome. We fixed their rods w/ a float on the end & they casted and reeled it in all day long. Never mind it didn't have a hook on the end of it.
After fishing all afternoon Thursday and all day Friday with no one getting any bites, I was the only one who caught a fish late Friday afternoon about 7PM! WOO HOO Mommy! It was a whopping 5-6" catfish. We could have fed the family on that... just kidding! The thing had swallowed the hook and everything. Now, I'll bait my own hook but I still haven't mustered up the courage to take a fish off and certainly not a catfish! That night, the neighbors around the cove had some fireworks, so we hung out on the screened porch ate peach ice cream and enjoyed the fireworks show. A few minutes later, we got a "light show" of a different kind. A big thunderstorm came from no where. All our fishing poles, chairs etc were still out on the dock. So, poor Daddy had to run down there in the pouring rain, pounding thunder and flashing lightning to retreive our things. He got everything minus one chair that had been blown into the lake. Thankfully, the next day he was able to fish it out of the lake. We had such a great time that we look forward to spending many, many weekends on the lake this summer! The boys are going to love it & many priceless memories will be made!
Enjoy the pics...