Where I Belong

DIY Cleaning Aids...

2012-01-21T19:30:00.003-06:00

I have been trying different ways to live "frugally" lately (another New Year's Resolution). I thought some of you might like to try out these cleaning aids for yourself. I have been totally amazed at how they work and best of all they are saving me moolah! :-)

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
About a year ago, my father in law made me homemade laundry detergent to try out. I have to say that I was pretty skeptical at first and had my doubts that it would work very well. Most people who know me well, know that I am pretty picky about the way I do laundry and there is nothing better to me than putting on good smelling clothes and using good smelling towels. I have been totally converted to making my own laundry detergent and have been doing so for about a year. It works very well and it is much cheaper! I still use good smelling fabric softener, which by saving so much $ on my laundry detergent makes me feel less guilty about spending the money on good fabric softener. For those of you who would like to try this out, this is what you need:

1 bar of Fels-Naptha bar soap (grated)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Powder

This is for one batch. I usually make about 6 batches at a time so I don't have to make it very often. Hint: open your bar(s) of soap and let set out for 4 - 7 days to dry out. It is suppose to make it easier to grate. Or if you don't want to wait that long, my hubby has found if you put the soap in the microwave for just a little bit it makes it easier to grate as well. Use 1 Tbs. for a regular load.

= HOMEMADE SUPER CLEANER:

(I found this online somewhere and recently tried it out for myself. Pretty amazing stuff!)

12 oz. Vingar
12 oz. Blue Dawn Liquid Dish Soap
Spray Bottle

Heat the vinegar in the microwave until warm. Pour into your spray bottle and then add the dish soap. Shake it around a bit to mix. Then use away.

I have used this to clean my shower, stools, and sinks. It is amazing at how sparkly and clean my showers are now. :-) I spray my shower and let it set overnight and then wash it off with a rag and I was totally surprised at how easy the soap scum disappeared.

= HOMEMADE DISHWASHER DETERGENT

1 box of Borax
1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
3 cups Epsom Salt
24 packets of Kool-Aid Lemonade

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Then just use 1 Tbs. per load. I have found that you will need to use a rinsing agent with this soap such as Jet Dry (I just buy WM generic brand - and it works great)! If you do not have a rinsing agent of some sort there will be hard water spots on your dishes. This makes A LOT of soap and will last a very long time.

Just thought I'd share these few homemade cleaning aids that I have found to be very good and very cheap!

Happy Cleaning!

One of My Favorite Things...

2012-01-19T12:06:00.000-06:00

Lately, I have been cleaning like crazy around here. With college classes starting right around the corner, I have been trying to find easy, cheap, fast ways to clean and stay organized (another blog post altogether) I thought I'd share my review of one of my Christmas gifts that I recently got ~ the Shark Steam Mop!

This has become one of my favorite little things to use around the house. We have white tile floors in the kitchen, dining room and both bathrooms. As you can imagine with 4 kiddos, the floors get quite dirty quickly. This awesome little mop is so easy to use. You just put water into the little tank (I add vinegar to it as well), plug it in and voila! It has re washable pads. I absolutely hate messing with a mop bucket and mop. And another great thing about this steam mop is the floors dry quickly, where as regular mopping seems to take forever to dry. So for you other mothers of many kiddos who are looking for a fast, easy, cheap way to mop your floors, try out a Shark Steam Mop! One other little piece of advice, if you go out to get one, be sure that you get one that swivels. It's been worth it to me to spend the extra few buck towards one that is easier to move around!

It's College Time...

2012-01-11T22:20:00.001-06:00

I'm excited, anxious, nervous, ready... I decided to enroll in college again for my second semester to work towards my B.A. in Church and Family Ministry. I am taking a very full load this semester (5 classes) whereas last semester I only took 2 classes (very good ones, I might add). I am so thankful that God has opened the doors for me to do this and I am so thankful for a husband who is so supportive of me and has committed to helping with the kiddos. I couldn't do this without him. I have always enjoyed school and I totally enjoyed every bit of last semester's classes. This semester will be challenging and the classes that I have enrolled in will be so good, I'm sure. My heart is in the ministry and although, I may not always be in the pastorate, I am sure I will always be in some sort of ministry no matter where I am. I begin my classes in about a week and I would so appreciate your prayers as I stay on this journey that God has brought me to. I don't know where this degree will take me, but I know that God has a plan and a purpose and I'm excited to see what He has in store for my life!

Power of the Tongue...

2012-01-10T22:17:00.005-06:00

I am thinking tonight (dangerous, I know)... Lately, I have gotten myself into trouble with my tongue (imagine that). Then, after the fact of doing and saying such stupid things, I immediately felt the chastisement of God. I had to make some things right, I had to fall before God and ask His forgiveness, and I had to believe He heard my prayers and trust his forgiveness for what I had done. Something much easier said than done at times.

Through this experience, I have learned much. As I proceeded to do my Bible study homework for the past week, I thought to myself, 'WHY didn't I work on this lesson sooner, BEFORE I said and did such stupid things?' As you have probably guessed it, the lesson was about the power of our tongues. Our tongues have such power to be used in a negative way by cutting people down, hurting, deceiving, lying, gossiping, backbiting, cursing, etc. And think of the effects the negative power our tongues can have. All it takes is one word, one lie, one rumor, etc to hurt ourselves, others, and most importantly, GOD. Others may have so deeply hurt and crushed us that we feel this need for revenge, we feel that God can't take care of our hurts, so we take matters into our own hands and usually use our tongues to get back at whomever hurt us.

I was also reminded of the power our tongues can have in a positive way, God's way. I love how Beth Moore put it. She said,

"Our tongue is the instrument of His greatest potential use. Think how many of Christ's New Testament commands involve our mouths. We've been called to share Jesus with the lost and give our testimonies anytime we have the opportunity to tell another person of our hope. We've been called to pray. Yes, we can and do pray silently, but some of our most explosively powerful praying will be aloud. We've been called to disciple others, teaching God's Word and His ways. We've been called to resist the devil so that he will flee. If we're going to resist the devil as Christ did, we are going to strike with the spoken Word of God. Beloved, we've also been called to speak to some mountains and tell them to move!"

Isn't that wonderful? I was immediately hit hard with this message, especially after using my mouth for the negative. I had disappointed God by using my tongue for evil instead of good. I felt so ashamed and I wondered why God allowed me to go through with the things I said and did. Why didn't He stop me? Then, I thought maybe God allowed it because He wanted me to see the impact and power a negative tongue can have. Maybe He wanted me to realize the awfulness and trouble it brings to our lives. I think I needed my eyes to be opened to that. And I am so thankful He has showed me this.

May we always think before speaking and acting out in times of deep hurt. Instead of seeking revenge, may we always pray for the ones who bring such pain. Instead of giving in to the temptations Satan throws in our path, may we always resist him with the spoken Word or God so that he will flee from us. May we use our mouths to witness and win others for Christ.

2012-01-07T13:00:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year, Fellow Bloggers...

2012-01-07T12:00:00.001-06:00

Well, one of my (several) New Year's resolutions was to begin blogging again... regularly. The past couple of years have been downer years for blogging. I won't entertain you all with the details as to why. But, I have to say, THANKFULLY, those years are past and it's a brand new year with new beginnings... and endings.

New Year's is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a time to reflect on the past year and a time to look ahead to the coming year, anticipating what God has in store next. And I am anticipating 2012 to be a year of many changes and challenges. Bring it on, 2012!

As I have reflected over 2011, I would say it was probably the most eventful and life changing year for me ever. It was a year of many joys, many smiles, many answered prayers, many miracles, many life changing decisions, along with many heartaches, many tears, and sad good byes to dear loved ones. All of which have impacted my life greatly. I won't share every detail of 2011, but here are some things that have been so life altering:

One highlight of my year was getting to see Beth Moore in Little Rock, AR. I love Beth Moore! If you haven't done a Bible study of hers, do one! A dear friend and I drove the 4 hours south to see her. At this point in my life, I was feeling quite defeated and shared with my friend what I was struggling with. She and I prayed together and cried together over what my struggles were. Wouldn't it be just like God to tell Beth exactly what I needed? Beth's whole message was as if she knew my exact circumstances and prepared her messages just for me! My friend and I could hardly believe it! We cried more tears together over what God had done for me/us during our little weekend getaway. It was amazing! My friend and I are planning another trip north to see Beth again this coming spring. Ladies, if you're interested in going, send me a text, email, or call for more details, we'd love for you to join us!

In May, my husband and I received a message saying that there had been a tornado in Joplin and it had taken my BIL and SIL's home. We immediately headed to Joplin, Mo (we live an hour away from there) as soon as we got the news, not knowing if our loved ones were ok. I can't even begin to put into words the horrific scenes that were displayed before my very eyes when we got there. The devastation was almost unbearable for me. I was in a total state of shock as we drove through areas that were completely wiped away, where people were desperately searching for loved ones, chaos all around. I grew up around Joplin and knew the area very well. But, with the familiar landmarks gone, it was easy to not know where I was at. This disaster impacted me in ways that I can't even explain. My heart was so shaken, so shocked, so heartbroken as I drove through areas where they were still searching and finding bodies, where people were gathering what little of their belongings remained, people standing at where their homes once stood with such faces of shock and disbelief. My heart broke and I cried with them wishing I could make things better for each one. I don't want to ever forget this tragedy because God used this situation to really speak to me and work in my life. It was as if God was reminding me of the heart He gave me ~ a compassionate, loving heart that desires to minister to others. And at this time, my heart was not that at all.

This past summer, a little boy named Jack (our friend's nephew) showed me the love, the strength, the will, the timing, and the miracle of God! Little 5 yr. old Jack had a heavy piece of furniture fall on him, crushing his skull. Through several weeks in the hospital, many setbacks, many prayers prayed in his behalf, God intervened and brought this boy around full circle. This event so impacted me and truly showed me that yes, GOD STILL PERFORMS MIRACLES TODAY!!! God took little Jack's situation and made the impossible (humanly) possible! Jack, who by doctors was told he should not be alive, is a thriving little boy that is back to his self again. God is truly amazing! Jack's uncle Jon was in a bad bike wreck recently and was in very critical condition and God has worked yet another miracle. Jon is awake and recovering. There's nothing our God cannot do!

Balloon Release in Honor of our friend

August brought along another tragedy that changed my life. The tragic death of a friend that I have known my whole life. So hard to understand... yet, I know that God has a plan. This personally affected my life and many tears were shed as we grieved with the families that were involved. I have to believe that God will bring only good from this tragic situation. God has used this situation in my life to help me draw closer to Him and to realize life is a true gift.

At the end of October, I lost the most wonderful person in my life ~ my dear grandmother. I was extremely close to her. She was the one who taught me all about God and showed me love and what it really means to be a Christian. She is the whole reason I am here. No doubt it is by her many, many prayers that has kept me throughout the years. I hope that I can be just half the person she was. I know I have failed her. I hope someday I can make her proud of me. Losing her was very hard for me, but of course, I would never wish her back from the place she so eagerly looked forward to going her whole life. Heaven is definitely sweeter...

Tonight, I can't help but think of the many mistakes I have made and not being all that I could and should have been this past year even though I'm reflecting on the things I felt God was shouting at me with to change some things and ways in my life. I doubted Him and blamed Him many times. I write these things down because I don't want to forget what God has showed me. I know Satan would love nothing more than for me to dwell on the wrongs I have done. But, I'm not going to. It's a New Year... It's a new beginning... It's time to move on... It's time to draw closer to my Savior. As my husband's dear grandmother would always write in each letter she wrote to us, "Keep pressing onward and upward." Great words to live by.

I'm sure I could write a book of the many things that happened in 2011 and how they have impacted my life. But, this post is quite long enough...

Anticipating much for 2012!

I AM WHO I AM...

2011-09-13T14:03:00.003-05:00

Exodus 3:13-14 (New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³ Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

As I read through the Book of Exodus, none of the words grabbed me like the words, "I AM". Just think about these two little words. What great, awesome meaning they have! God is ALWAYS PRESENTLY BEING! The same God who was PRESENTLY active during the Israelites Exodus thousands of years ago is the SAME GOD who is PRESENTLY with us during the "exodus" in our lives today! Wow, what a tremendous thought! There is nothing that can change the fact that our God is the self~existent One (Beth Moore)!

I am currently doing a study on the Book of Revelation under Beth Moore's teaching. And I was in awe of her lesson that went right along with what I have been pondering since reading through Exodus. Revelation 1:8 says:

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The same God who was with us when we were born, is the same God who is with us at this very moment.
The same God who was there when we faced the trials and temptations in the past is the same God who is with us this very day to help us through.
The same God who was with us in the joyful times in our past is the same God who shares in our joys today.
The same God who has witnessed everything in our past and was there to bring us through, is the same God who is witnessing everything in our lives today.
The same God who is all seeing and all knowing about our future is the same God who looked ahead and knew exactly where we were going to be this day.

"We can NEVER have a moment without God, we can NEVER take even a single breath without God, there is NOTHING we can ever do without God because He is ALWAYS PRESENTLY BEING!" - Beth Moore

He is the GREAT I AM! He is the One who is, the One who was, and the One who is to come! He says so Himself and His Word is faithful and true! I don't know about you, but this does something to me! This brings so much encouragement to know that I have NEVER BEEN, NEVER AM or NEVER WILL BE ALONE - EVER!

Those of you who feel all alone and that there is no help for you in your darkest moments, take heart, I want you to know that the GREAT I AM is ALWAYS PRESENTLY with you and NOTHING can ever change that! Believe me, I have had some very dark moments in my life where I have felt all was lost, I was all alone and there was no hope, but praise God - HE was ALWAYS there, carrying me when I could not carry myself. And I know He will carry you too. Look up to THE GREAT I AM ~ He is ALWAYS there!

Obligate Ram Ventilation...

2011-09-07T13:05:00.004-05:00

Charles and I took off for a couple weeks this summer to really "refocus" on our marriage, family & ministry and set some goals for us to reach in the coming days, months, years. He sent this article to me and I thought it was really simple and yet great advice. It refers to careers, but these ideas can definitely be applied when working toward success in your marriage, family and other areas in your life. Thought I'd share:

Re:Focus: Obligate Ram Ventilationhttp:

sinekpartners.typepad.com

Careers are like a shark, to be successful we have to keep moving forwards. In order to breathe, most sharks have to keep moving at all times. The forward motion allows the oxygen rich water to pass into their mouths over their gills and out through the gill slits. If they stop moving forwards, their
gills won't work, they won't be able to breath and they will sink to the bottom and die. This system is called "obligate ram ventilation."

Obligate - as in obligatory, as in they need to do it.

Ram - as in forward moving.

Ventilation - as in air.

We've all been at points in our careers when we feel like we have trouble getting air. We're suffocating doing whatever we're doing. What resuscitates is often something very simple: moving forwards. Sometimes that means getting a new job, sometimes that means taking the bull by the horns with the job we have. But it always means looking much further beyond where we are now and swimming in that direction.

It doesn't matter if we go in a straight line to get there, as long as we're moving. Stop moving, we die. Keep moving, we live. It's that simple.

To keep alive, we need to make decisions. We can't sit around and wait...or we die.

To keep healthy, we need to know where we're going, we need to have a purpose or a cause or a belief, a reason to get out of bed. Without something to swim for...we die.

To innovate, to have ideas, to contribute, we need do things outside our job specs: read books, watch movies, travel, meet new people, do new things. If we do the same thing everyday over and over with no forward momentum....we die.

To make progress, we need to execute, produce something, ship. If we spend all our time trying to make it perfect and never get it out the door...we die.

So the next time someone asks you the secret to a good career, tell them it's simple: obligate ram ventilation.

Moving forward,

First Day of School...

2011-09-04T00:02:00.003-05:00

August 15, 2011

Sabryn & Landen ready for the 2011-2012 school year

Rylan had the chickenpox when school began so he wasn't able to start until Aug. 24.

We had an awesome summer and we were even able to take off for 16 days for a much needed, very relaxing and fun family vacation together! But, we were all ready for school to begin and get back to a more "normal" schedule. We are so blessed to send our kiddos to a wonderful Christian school and we thank God every day for this privilege. They are all adjusting well and seem to really enjoy their teachers and classmates. We're looking forward to having a wonderful school year! :-)

Dear Blogger...

2011-09-01T12:59:00.043-05:00

OH, HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU!

Seriously... it has been entirely TOO LOOONG since I have blogged!!! And I will have to say, I have truly missed blogging. Well, life has a way of getting... um... let's just say, a little out of sorts. But, with God, all of that is now behind me and here I am!

Wow! Where to begin??? Hmmm.... Well, first off, I want to say I have so appreciated all my family and friends who have sent me e-mails, texts, FB messages, phone calls, etc. wondering where in the world this blogger went to! Even though a year has past since I last blogged I am still being asked (especially from you all that don't do FB) ;-) where's my blog at??? :-) Wow! I didn't know I had such a "fan club" :-)

Easter 2011

I'll begin with a little update on our lives since a year has past since my last post:

Charles and I are still pastoring our little church in the beautiful state of Arkansas! We feel blessed to be here and to be able to minister to such wonderful people. We are beginning our 9th year here! Aside from being a wonderful pastor/hubby/father, Charles is also a Chaplain at the hospital nearby and everyone there just loves him to pieces... can't imagine why not? He has such a passionate and caring heart for people. This job has been perfect for him! And I am proud of him and admire the wonderful job he does there!

I am keeping extremely BUSY!!! I am still a SAHM momma to the kiddos. This year, I took on a little extra job of teaching piano lessons. It has been a challenging and wonderful adventure. I have also taken on the job of teaching the Adult Sunday School class at my church and have been leading 2 women's Bible study groups, which I have thoroughly enjoyed! I am also very happy to announce that ~ I AM GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! I feel that this is where God is leading me and I am super excited about it! I am working toward my B.A. in Church & Family Ministry! After all, this is truly where my heart is! God has opened all the right doors and has provided all the right finances (Praise the Lord!) for me to begin this journey! And I am beyond words of excitement to think of where this journey will take me! I know where I have come from and how far God has brought me and I have this burning desire to help others come to know and love God too even through the midst of trials! God has truly been gracious and merciful to me!

Landen is now 11 and is in the 5th grade! He is getting so tall! It won't be too much longer until I'm looking up to him! He keeps busy with outdoor activities and has a love for baseball! He is such a big help to this mama! It's so nice to see him taking responsibility. He is beginning to have an interest in girls and I nearly had a heart attack when he announced out of the clear blue that he had a "crush" on someone. Needless to say, we had a LONG talk about girls and he knows that mama won't allow it until he's 30! HaHa JK But, he does understand where mama stands on boy/girl relationships at this age!

Sabryn is my little girly girl! She is now 9 and is in the 4th grade. She loves to socialize ~ I think she is a lot like her father! ;-) She is just a loving, caring 2nd mama to her two younger brothers. She is learning to do the laundry and is interested in cooking, which makes me happy! She keeps us thinking with all of her questions and observations about life. She is interested in playing the violin and we hope to get her into lessons soon. Being the only girl has been a little challenging for her and she keeps begging for a little sister... and that's all I'm going to say about that... ;-)

Rylan is 4 and has started preschool this year. He has been the first of our kiddos to NOT cry when I took him to school for the first time. He was just fine with it, no problem. But, this mama had eyes full of tears as I walked down the hall after leaving him there. Seems like he was just born yesterday. He is loving school and especially loves painting! He is also my little romantic, sweet man! He loves to give compliments to me and it melts my heart! What mama's heart wouldn't melt to, "Oh, Mama, you look so pretty"??? And not to mention all the pretty flowers he seems to find and pick just for me! What a little charmer!

Ian is now 2 years old and is the life of our house! He is a tough little guy, but then again, he really doesn't have much choice but to be. ;-) He loves his older brothers and sister! He and Rylan are about 2 years apart and are quite good little buddies. His favorite thing are cars, trucks and trains. He can literally play with them for hours! He also loves hats, which I'm loving! I tried so hard to get my first 3 kiddos to wear a hat with no success, so I'm happy Ian has found a love for them!

Well, that's about all in a nutshell of what we're up to lately. Hopefully, I will be back to blogging on a regular basis in between the busyness of life. Truly, I have missed my blogging buddies and blogging myself. Thanks again to all of you dear friends who have encouraged and kept at me about blogging again.

Until next post,

Cozumel ~ Day 6 (June 23)...

2010-07-06T00:55:00.007-05:00

Day 6 was one of my favorite days!!! :) Thankfully, Charles and Lori were feeling much better, so we all decided to go out on 2 boat dives to 2 different reefs. We got on the boat about 11 am that day and didn't get back until about 4 pm. They took us to Palancar Horseshoe (the first reef), then they took us to Paso del Cedral (another reef). Palancar Horseshoe was pretty awesome and yes, a little scarier to me than the other dives I went on. Our dive master took us through many large rock formations and there were several dark places that I was a little nervous about. I was a little concerned at what might be hiding in those little dark places. ;) But, it was overall my favorite dive! The second reef we visited was pretty awesome too. We got to swim next to a sea turtle there and several barracuda, and saw a HUGE Grouper. Grouper & Sea turtle ~ cool, Barracuda ~ not as cool. ;) There were so many schools of fish that surrounded us at times and that was AMAZING! I will try to get some videos up soon. After we were finished with the second dive, we all surfaced and had to wait for the boat to come pick us up because the current took us about a mile away from it. Also, the boat had another group to pick up as well before getting our group. This was probably the most uneasy feeling I had with the whole scuba experience. Reason being, we were all out in the middle of the ocean surfacing like little bobbins waiting... and waiting... And not only that, we were right above the ocean wall, which is just a big black hole. Yeah, uneasy feeling... ;) And it felt as if the boat was never going to get to us. But, it finally did! :)
Scuba Diving was just the most awesome experience and I hope to go again someday! I can't even put into words of the many beautiful and amazing things we saw! So INDESCRIBABLE! :) By the time we got back that day we were all pretty T.I.R.E.D to say the least. Each time we went down, we stayed down for about an hour. So, 2 hours of that can be exhausting. When we got back to the hotel I think we all crashed for a nap. :) I got up in time to watch the sunset from the balcony of my room! :) Another amazing one! This time I tried to catch the sun coming down from the clouds and going into the ocean. Thus, the MANY, MANY pics of the sunset. :)

Cozumel ~ Day 5 (June 22)...

2010-06-28T01:24:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, Charles and Lori got sick. :( So, day 5 consisted of taking it really easy. Shawn went diving, Charles stayed up in the room most of the day and Lori and I spent a lot of the day resting on the beach and snorkeling some. I have never snorkeled before and it was a lot of fun! It was also really nice to just be a beach bum for the day. But, then again, what are vacations for? ;)

Cozumel ~ Day 4 (June 21)...

2010-06-28T00:55:00.002-05:00

Day 4, Charles and I decided to go on a boat dive to Paradise Reef. We went with another Dive Master, Oscar. He was pretty cool. He has been diving for 25 years, so I felt pretty safe with him. It was just us 3 that went down, so it seemed a little more relaxed. We saw a large barracuda and he didn't look very friendly, but he was cool to see. Our dive master took my camera and got some shots of him. I had NO desire to get that close to him. ;) We are not certified divers so we are really only suppose to go no more than 40 ft. down. Oscar took us 48 ft. down! :) It was AWESOME! :) Shawn went deep diving with another group and poor Lori was sick the whole day and stayed in her room. :( Felt sorry for her. All in all, it was another GREAT day in COZUMEL!!!

Cozumel ~ Day 3 (6/20/10)...

2010-06-28T00:25:00.002-05:00

Day 3, we took it a little easy. We rented a jeep and went driving around the island. We stopped at a couple different beaches, went swimming, found a starfish and some pretty cool shells, and tried to find the Mayan Ruins, which we did not find. It was a VERY enjoyable and relaxing day! :) The sunset that day was AMAZING!!!

Cozumel ~ Day 2 (June 19)...

2010-06-27T23:23:00.002-05:00

Day 2 was a fun day! Shawn talked Charles and I into going Scuba Diving. He and Lori are certified divers and were looking forward to going diving there. People from all over the world go to Cozumel to dive because the visibility underwater is like 80+ ft. It's amazing! The resort where we stayed at had a dive shop nearby and we took a beginner's course. Pedro was our Dive Instructor and he spent about 45 min. with us teaching us what we needed to know. Then, he geared us all up and took us in the pool to try it all out. Then, before we knew it, we were between 30 ~ 35 ft. down in the ocean!!! :) WOW!!! That was quite an experience! It was awesome down there with all the beautiful schools of fish! So much fun! :)

Cozumel ~ Day 1 (June 18)...

2010-06-26T23:23:00.011-05:00

A few months ago, we made plans to go to the island of Cozumel with our good friends, Shawn and Lori Gaddy. We picked out an All~Inclusive Resort to stay at, got our flights lined out, got our passports and FINALLY, the time came for us to leave on June 18. :) :) :) We had SO MUCH FUN! Our first day there just consisted of traveling there, getting through customs, checking out our resort, and resting. Here are some pics from our first day:

Getting to Mexico

The clouds were so beautiful!

Getting to the island of COZUMEL!!! :)

This little guy came to greet us as we pulled into our resort :)

The main pool area

Awesome view from my room :)

Ian ~ After Haircut...

2010-06-26T23:01:00.002-05:00

Ian ~ Before Haircut ...

2010-06-12T23:30:00.001-05:00

I finally broke down and cut Ian's hair for the first time today. He now looks like a little man. These are some pics I took before his very 1st haircut. I will post more later of his new doo. :)

This is how I felt about cutting it! ;)

WHAT IF??? Then, GOD...

2010-06-11T15:16:00.007-05:00

WHAT IF _____??? I have been doing a lot of "WHAT IF" questioning lately. I read a quote that went like this:

"WHAT and IF, if used alone, have to be the most harmless words in the world. But, put them together and they become something that have the power to haunt you."

WHAT IF questions have definitely haunted me. I can ask those questions until I drive myself crazy! Lately, I have been struggling with WHAT IF this, and WHAT IF that. I have become overly anxious about things I have no control over. Bottom line is, I have simply failed to trust the One who knows what's best for me. This morning as I lay in bed praying, something I remembered from a Beth Moore Bible Study I attended came to mind.

Beth said, "The enemy and our own self ~ destructive natures combine to taunt us with "WHAT IF's." Our distrust of God tattles on us, telling our enemy exactly how to get to us. Once Satan sees what we believe would be the end of us, he threatens and torments us with it. The most critical breakthrough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to a place where we trust Him --- period. We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear most. We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us. We have no greater victory and can render Satan no harsher blow. Most of what we fear never happens. Our only steadfast defenses against life's certain uncertainty is unconditional trust in a Savior who loves us more than His own life."

When we are wondering WHAT IF, we should remember:

IF _____, then GOD will take care of me.

IF _____, then GOD has a plan.

IF _____, then GOD desires to accomplish something monumental in me.

IF _____, then GOD's going to demonstrate His sufficiency to me.

I am so thankful that God brought this to mind. It has been a great encouragement to me today. May God help me to fully trust Him and leave all my "WHAT IFs" in His hands.

My Littlest Man...

2010-06-10T22:06:00.004-05:00

These are a few pictures I took tonight of my little man! He is almost 15 months old now. Such a little joy to have around! He can always bring a smile to my face! :)

Nature ~ A Beautiful Gift from God...

2010-06-09T20:23:00.006-05:00

The other night I was in the mood to just get out of the house and drive out into the country. I love discovering new places I have never been to. This is a picture I took with my cell phone of a spring I have never seen before. It was much more beautiful to see in person, the picture doesn't do it justice. It was so peaceful and so quiet. Nature is one of the many gifts from God that I so enjoy and I am so thankful for! :)

Even When I Don't See, I Still Believe...

2010-06-06T14:20:00.003-05:00

Jeremy Camp

Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
Seems I don't know where to start
But its now, that I feel, Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip, washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It's my heart I see You prepare
But its now, that I feel, Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Well the only place I can go is into your arms
Where I throw to you my feeble prayers
well in brokenness I can see that this was your will for me
Help me to know that you are near

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Happy Birthday to My Landen...

2010-06-04T23:01:00.003-05:00

Today, my oldest baby turned 10 years old! I told him the other day that I really think he should stop this "growing up nonsense." ;)

Landen has brought so much joy to my life! It doesn't seem possible that it was 10 years ago on this night that I was holding him in my arms for the very first time! What a miracle he was, so precious and perfect in every way.

Happy Birthday, Landen!
I love you so very much!!!

The Difference Between Strength and Courage...

2010-06-04T15:18:00.004-05:00

It takes strength of be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle

It takes strength to stand guard,
It takes courage to let down your guard

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain

It takes strength to hide your own pains,
It takes courage to show them

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

~Author Unknown~

Congrats to my BIL...

2010-06-01T15:03:00.002-05:00

Wow! Time flies by so quickly. It seems like it was only yesterday that this young man was 3 years old (when I first met him). And now he is 18 and graduated from high school? I am so proud of you, Michael! Congrats!

Great Reminder from Sunday School...

2010-05-30T22:06:00.002-05:00

It's not too often that I get to sit in on the Adult Sunday School Class, but today I got the privilege to since we did not run the Bus Ministry today. Mr. Kinnamon shared this scripture today with his class and it was something I wanted to share with you all:

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
JAMES 1:2 ~ 6 (NKJV)

Something I needed reminded of...

Thanks...

2010-05-30T14:27:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all my friends and family that sent me emails and FB messages in regards to my blog post. I feel so overwhelmed and blessed by your words of encouragement. I know that many of my closest friends and family read my blog and I was a little scared of what some of you might think or say. But, I felt it was something I needed to share. I am feeling so blessed and encouraged by the kind emails and messages I have received! I truly do have some of the greatest friends in the whole world! And I thank God for placing you all in my life! :)

1st Day of School...

2009-08-19T14:30:00.003-05:00

August 17, 2009

Savior, Please...

2009-08-18T07:41:00.001-05:00

On My Heart Today...

2009-07-28T13:23:00.006-05:00

"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down

and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Just Can't Let Go...

2009-07-25T13:14:00.002-05:00

Rylan is having a hard time breaking his habits ~ ears & pacis :D Ever since Rylan was a baby he has had this thing with holding ears. Every chance he gets to hold someone's ear he does. He LOVES Ian's ear! Also Rylan is having a hard time of letting go of his paci. So when we take Rylan's paci away from him, he will go and get Ian's, even if it is attached to him. This is a scene we see quite often around here. :D

Brothers...

2009-07-25T02:41:00.004-05:00

Landen and Rylan spending a little brotherly time together eating watermelon. It was so cute to watch them chatting back and forth. ;) They're my sweet little men! :)

Cake Idea...

2009-07-25T02:28:00.002-05:00

I made this cake for my mom yesterday. If you're looking for any easy way to go, I strongly suggest going with ribbon and artificial flowers. ;) EASY and FAST! :) This was my first cake to use ribbon on ~ faster than putting an icing border around for sure. :) Also, I went to Hobby Lobby the other day and met this really neat lady in the cake aisle. We started talking and she has been decorating cakes for years. She shared a neat idea that I have never heard before (maybe you all have). She uses different designed paper towels (the quilted designs), puts it face down on the cake after the frosting has dried some and then uses her spatula or hands to rub the back of the paper towel on the cake. When you lift up the paper towel, your cake has this really neat design on it. Anyway, yeah it's late...just thought I'd share that little bit of neat info with some of you cake gurus out there. ;)

Latest Pics of Ian Charles...

2009-07-21T16:01:00.005-05:00

Tuckered Out...

2009-07-20T14:58:00.005-05:00

Charles found Rylan like this just dozing off in the backyard Saturday evening. He was SO tired, poor guy! So, he just dropped where he was. He was only there long enough for Mommy to get this picture before Daddy carried him off to bed.

Trip to Beaver Lake...

2009-07-20T14:56:00.002-05:00

Bob and Shar came to see us the other day and brought their boat! We had a lot of fun! It was a perfect day to be out and SO relaxing! Thanks Bob and Shar! :)

This Little Guy Makes Momma Smile...

2009-07-15T18:22:00.001-05:00

Ian ~ 3 Months Old

Ocheleta Youth Camp 2009...

2009-07-12T01:14:00.004-05:00

July 6 ~ 10

The Crew we took to OYC from Rogers

Our Junior Team ~ High Access
(they were great kids!)

Random Pictures from the week

A Late Birthday Celebration...

2009-07-03T10:32:00.006-05:00

Landen with his Army Cake

Sabryn with her Littlest Pet Shop Cake

We had a little Birthday celebration for Landen and Sabryn with our families in KS last evening. June is such a crazy month for us, so momma was a little behind on getting their party together.

Happy Birthday To...

2009-06-26T11:11:00.005-05:00

MY SABY~BABY!!!

Momma and the Birthday Girl
June 24, 2009

The most sweetest, precious girl in the world turned 7 years old on June 24! Time flies by so fast! Doesn't seem possible for her to be getting so big! Breaks Momma's heart. :( But, I have so enjoyed every stage in my kiddos lives. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!!!
I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

Sabryn Leora
4 Days Old

2 Months Old

This is one of my most favorite pictures of Saby! She is 1 year here.

Schenck Family Reunion...

2009-06-13T13:50:00.005-05:00

On June 5 & 6, we went to KS to spend some time with the entire Schenck Family at my In~Laws place.

What a great time! Good Memories! :)

Gorgeous Sky...

2009-06-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

I took these pictures last night after VBS. We had just got some rain. After it passed, the color of the sky was absolutely AMAZING!!!

My E~Man...

2009-06-10T12:44:00.000-05:00

IAN CHARLES
2 Months old

Weekend Getaway...

2009-06-09T12:30:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, my friend Lori Gaddy, and I decided to get away for the weekend. We took our girls, Lindsay and Sabryn, and our boys, Evan and Ian with us. We rented a condo that overlooked a beautiful golf course in Branson, MO for a couple of nights! We took the girls to a concert, went shopping, watched UP, took them swimming, sat out on the balcony, and just had a great time. It was so RELAXING to just get away!

Boy Scouts...

2009-06-07T12:20:00.003-05:00

This past year has been Landen's first time in Boy Scouts. He has thoroughly enjoyed it! His first night there he came home and said, "Mom, my Boy Scout leader is a GIRL!" :D HaHa! He didn't quite know what to think of that or how he was going to like that. But, she is an outstanding leader! We think very highly of her! :) And Landen loves her too! These pictures below are of Landen's ceremony of him going from being a Wolf to a Bear. We're looking forward to another great year!

May 21, 2009

Happy Birthday to...

2009-06-04T17:59:00.003-05:00

My Landen~Manden!!!

Landen and Momma
June 4, 2009

9 years ago today, my oldest baby came to bless my life! Where has the time gone?!? He's halfway to 18!!! Ugh!

Happy Birthday Baby!!! I Love You SO VERY MUCH!

Getting ready to leave the hospital

4 Days Old

Right after his 1st bath

Lake Atlanta...

2009-05-29T12:34:00.003-05:00

Lake Atlanta is a place not far from our house that we occasionally go to. It's my little getaway, actually, when I want to get out of the house to be alone and think. ;) It is so BEAUTIFUL and relaxing! Last night we took a drive around it. The water was so still and view of the mirror image was amazing! Below are a few pictures I took last night.

The thing swimming in the water in the above picture is a beaver.

Last Day of School...

2009-05-29T12:14:00.002-05:00

May 28, 2009

Landen and his teacher, Mrs. Yates.
Sabryn wouldn't cooperate with getting her picture with her teacher. Therefore, no picture. :( I think they had super wonderful teachers this year!!!

Song on My Heart Today...

2009-05-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

The song below is sung by the Collingsworth Family. It is so good and has been encouraging to me! I have found myself singing it a lot lately and wanted to share.

HE ALREADY SEES

When the storm raged about them
The disciples were afraid
For the waves were high and the ship was tossed
They could not find their way

Then they awoke the Master
Saying Lord please save us now
He rebuked the winds and the sea grew calm
And they all wondered how

God sees the storm from the other side
He knows the lessons learned
And just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies
He speaks peace to the raging storm
When peace cannot be found
He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds

Like the man on the sea did I have called on God in prayer When it seemed to me all hope was gone And in my deep despair
I remembered what the Lord said
When He calmed that troubled sea
And I know once more how He sees the storm And peace floods over me

God sees the storm from the other side
He knows the lessons learned
And just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies
He speaks peace to the raging storm
When peace could not be found
He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds
And when the storms of life come crashing in and trouble me I can feel God's arms around me and He whispers Let it be, Let it be

God sees the storm from the other side
He knows the lessons learned
And just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies
He speaks peace to the raging storm
When peace could not be found
He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds

Click link below to see the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzfaDEaw7-o

Leora is BAD...

2009-05-21T15:42:00.002-05:00

Wow! April 7?!? The last time I updated? Shame on me! Life has been pretty busy with not 3 but 4 kiddos. :) It's a good busy though. :) Well, I am here, finally updating. Below is LOTS of pictures that we have taken in the past month. Hopefully, I will update a little more often than I have. I also haven't checked blogs in a while either. :( So my apologies to you all for not hearing from me lately. I WILL get back on track ... one of these days ... I hope. ;)

Ian's 1 Month Pics...

2009-05-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

April 23, 2009

Family Time...

2009-05-21T15:28:00.003-05:00

April 20, 2009

(The Schenck Family)

Darrell and Lizzy were passing through on their way to Branson for vacation time. We all met up at Bob and Shar's and had a wonderful evening together. Aunt Shar had an Egg Hunt for the kiddos and the guys grilled hamburgers for all of us. It was so nice. Then a few days later, Charles, I and the kiddos went to Branson and spent the day with Darrell, Lizzy and Shar. It was a lot of fun! We went out to eat, and then spent the afternoon riding go~karts and bumper boats. :) We won't say who smoked who, right Darrell? ;) HeHe

8 Days Old...

2009-04-07T09:45:00.004-05:00

March 31, 2009

My Little Man...

2009-04-03T04:04:00.002-05:00

9 Days Old

Grandma & Ian

Ian Update...

2009-03-27T23:58:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the comments and prayers! :) Thankfully, I am feeling better. I am posting pics that were taken today. A HUGE THANK YOU to my wonderful In~Laws, Uncle Bob and Aunt Shar for keeping my other 3 kiddos for us while I have been recovering. It was such a huge help to us and so much appreciated! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! They brought them home to us today and needless to say, this Momma was one very happy girl to have her kiddos back again. :) :) :) They have been an excited bunch and have given Ian lots and lots of attention, as you can imagine. :) Ian won't go unloved that's for sure, but this Momma might lose her nerves. :) Just kidding! :)

)

Baby Ian is Here...

2009-03-26T20:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay on a baby update. In case you haven't heard yet, our little bundle of joy arrived early Monday morning, March 23. Ian Charles, weighed 7 lbs., 0.3 oz., 19 inches long and was born at 3:45 a.m. Momma has been VERY sick since he has arrived (flu bug), thus the lack of an update and pictures. But, I hope to update with more pictures soon. In the meantime, please pray that I will get over this sickness SOON. ugh!

6 Days Before...

2009-03-26T20:06:00.005-05:00

These pictures were taken 6 days before our little Ian arrived.

Baby Update...

2009-03-20T12:36:00.004-05:00

No baby... yet... :) I went to the doctor yesterday (my due date) and now we are just waiting. He has scheduled to induce me next Thursday morning at 6 am if this little guy has not made his appearance by then. So, we wait... :)

In the meantime, I am enjoying this BEAUTIFUL weather we are having here in AR! It has been so wonderful! I love Spring! The trees and flowers are blooming and the grass is getting green! Good Bye Winter!!!

Landen and Sabryn are going to be on Spring Break next week, which is coming at a good time. :) They are so excited about baby and ask everyday if this is the day baby will be here. Rylan, on the other hand, has no clue. But, will be filled in all too soon, I'm afraid. ;) I am sure that he is going to be a really good big brother as he loves babies!

This past year, I have been attending a Women's Bible Study group at the church next door to us. I have so enjoyed going and being with other Christian women. Last Monday night, at our study, they surprised me with a "mini shower". They gave me a basket full of goodies for the baby along with a gift card to Wal~Mart. One lady made a quilt for me with our baby's name embroidered on it and another lady made a hooded towel. It was such a special surprise! Those ladies have been a true blessing to me and I am grateful for their friendship. I will try to post pictures soon. :)

Well, we will keep you all posted when our baby decides to make his grand appearance. :) I am a little nervous, anxious, scared, excited, etc. etc., you know all those emtions mixed together. But, am trusting that everything goes well. We appreciate your prayers.

Still Here...

2009-03-14T15:50:00.000-05:00

Yep, I'm still here and still very fat! Just 5 more days until my due date and I am sitting tight just patiently awaiting the arrival of our little guy. :)

Here's a little of what has happened recently:
I took a trip to Lebanon, PA to meet my friend, Sharron, to go on to the Pocono Mountains to enjoy a whole weekend of scrap booking fun! But, before we headed to the mountains, we were able to meet up with an old Florida friend for breakfast, Arlene and her daughter Kalina. It was so nice to see her again. I haven't seen her for a couple years and this was the first time I got to see Kalina in person. We had a nice time catching up. After breakfast, Sharron, Laurie and I packed up and headed to Hershey, PA to stop at Hershey World. YUM, YUM! It was a lot of fun! We took in a 3D movie and rode a little ride that told us all about how the candy is made. Very enjoyable! Then, on to the mountains we went. There were 9 of us ladies out there in the mountains in a beautiful cabin and we had a very enjoyable time together. I think I got 24 pages done. I worked on Rylan's baby book and maybe I will share some pics of it at a later time. It was just so relaxing hanging out in our pjs, talking, eating DELICIOUS food, staying up WAY TOO LATE, etc., etc. Although being 3 weeks away from my due date had some worried about me. ;) I am thankful that God kept me safe and brought me back home ... ALONE. :) It was a GREAT weekend that I won't ever forget!

The weekend after I returned back from PA, we had a Teen Lock~In for our kiddos here in Rogers. They had a really great time. I think the world of those kids! They are so well behaved and just a lot of fun to be around. Charles and Nate did a lot of the planning for the evening with a lot of different activities and such. But, I think the highlight of the night was the Jumbo Marshmallow Fight. :)

Well, there is just a little update as to what's been going on here. Right now I am just feeling VERY GREAT with child and am looking forward to having this little bundle SOON... hopefully. ;)

On another note:
Annie Thompson and her family are still very much on my heart. Please continue to pray for them. You can click here for recent updates on Annie.

GRRR... FRUSTRATED!!! And a little update...

2009-02-14T11:48:00.007-06:00

Well, I thought I would catch up a little on what has been going on around here. I was hoping to do so with pictures because I'm really not good with words. But, my camera card has been erased!!! And I have now lost 100's of pictures!!! UGH!!! I am so frustrated! My camera has been acting up lately and when I took my card out to put into the computer to retrieve my pictures ~ they were GONE!!! Oh, well. :(

Well, anyway...
Life around here is life. Nothing much going on. We had an ice storm recently (which I had some good pictures of). We were without electricity for almost a week. During that time, we were reminded of things we take so much for granted. I am so thankful that God protected us and took care of us during that time. We spent a couple days in MO with my sis~in~law, Shar and her hubby, Bob, and we had a nice time with them. Then someone loaned us a generator so we could be at home. We were SO THANKFUL for that! The ice was pretty, but... I am glad it is GONE!

BABY UPDATE:

I have 5 Weeks left!!! And yes, I am feeling, well, you know, like a whale. :) HaHa We found out recently that we are having a BOY, and not a girl like we thought we might be having. The upside is that Rylan's baby stuff has never been put away. So, I don't have much to do to be ready for this little bundle. We had a girl's name all picked out and ready, but am now having to come up with a Boy's name, which has been hard for Charles and I to agree on. Charles has a name, but I am not sure about it quite yet. I guess that will be the name we use unless we just come up with one that will top that one.

Landen was VERY HAPPY that he is having another brother! Sabryn, on the other hand, wasn't so happy at first. She almost cried, but by the evening she was over the fact that she won't be having a sister and has agreed to share her room with her new little brother. Rylan, well, just doesn't understand...yet! ;) I'm afraid it's going to be quite an adjustment for MOMMY'S little boy. :)

Well, guess that's about it for now.

Annie Update...

2009-02-12T00:38:00.000-06:00

Mary Ellen is very good at giving updates on Annie. Click on her name for the latest news. Many of you who read my blog may know Ken and Vicki Thompson. This is their granddaughter. Please continue to pray and support this family.

Update on Annie...

2009-02-05T23:15:00.002-06:00

Again, the information below is from Mary Ellen's Blog (thank you!) :

PET scan showed stage 4 neuroblastoma that has metastasized into the bone. Tomorrow they will install a port to start chemotherapy and also biopsy a mass in her stomach. They will get more detailed test results in the next couple of days.

Just to be clear from something I had said in an earlier post, she does NOT have cancer in her brain (the grey matter) but it is in her skull (the bones). Cancer terminology can be misleading and hard to understand. It is not just in her skull, but in other bones as well, but I wanted to make that clear as there is a difference between having it in your brain and having it in your skull.

Rachel (Survance) and Kristen Ehr will be traveling all day tomorrow from the Carolina's, they will be staying in the Thompsons home to care for the other three girls in their own home starting on Saturday - please pray for them as they travel.

Please continue to hold the entire family up in your prayers and please give to the fund to help them with expenses if you can.

Hobe Sound Bible Church has set up a fund for the Thompson family so donations can be made and receipted for this urgent need.

While they do have insurance there are always many added expenses (food, lodging, gas, etc.) during a time like this.

Checks can be made payable to Hobe Sound Bible Church with "Thompson" on the memo line and mailed to:

Hobe Sound Bible Church
PO Box 1065
Hobe Sound, FL 33475

Cards can also be mailed to the same address under Bart & Julie's name. Above all, please continue to pray for this family

Please Pray...

2009-02-04T12:01:00.007-06:00

I am posting the information below from Mary Ellen's blog (with permission). My heart is saddened. Bart and Julie are friends of ours from Florida. Please Pray for them during this difficult time!

Late last night, Annie (17 months old) Thompson was diagnosed with neuroblastoma (a form of cancer) that has metastasized to her brain. Annie is the youngest daughter of Bart & Julie (John and Joy Budensiek's daughter) Thompson.

Please pray for wisdom for the doctors as well as for Bart & Julie as there are always a lot of decisions to be made during a time like this and especially for a touch from God for their little angel - and for Annie's three big sisters - Kati, Janie, and Sammy.

Today little Annie will be undergoing more testing at Miami Childrens Hospital, including bone marrow testing, to try and find where the cancer originated.

If you would like to help Bart & Julie with expenses for meals, gas and lodging you can send cash, checks, gas cards,etc. to:

John & Joy Budensiek
PO Box 1065
Hobe Sound, FL 33475

Mark it to help with expenses as needed for the Thompson family.

Christmas Program...

2009-01-09T12:23:00.004-06:00

We had our program on Sunday, Dec. 14. I am a little bummed that I didn't get more pictures than this. I had a lot going on so pictures were the least of my worries that night :) My teens put on a puppet show. They worked really hard for several months on this and I thought they did an outstanding job! I was really proud of them and felt God really helped us! Many parents turned out that night and we were really happy to have them there.

Silver Dollar City w/ Kiddos...

2009-01-06T17:09:00.003-06:00

December 13, 2008

The Frosty Show

A Dickens Christmas Carol Show

Landen and Sabryn looking at the beautiful tree

Ry~Guy...

2009-01-06T17:07:00.001-06:00

December 9, 2008

Landen's Christmas Program...

2009-01-06T17:00:00.003-06:00

December 9, 2008

Silver Dollar City...

2008-12-03T10:39:00.006-06:00

A couple weeks ago, Charles and I went Silver Dollar City for a little birthday celebration for him. All the Christmas lights were so beautiful! Thanks Mom, for keeping our kiddos for us! :)

Happy Thanksgiving...

2008-11-26T20:52:00.004-06:00

We Have SO MUCH To Be Thankful For!!!

Hoping You All Have A Safe And Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I Can Trust Jesus...

2008-11-20T13:53:00.004-06:00

God picked up a sparrow that could no longer fly
He brushed off its wings, and then watched it soar into the sky
If He's mindful of creation, ON THIS I CAN DEPEND
I AM HIS CHILD, AND I CAN PLACE ALL MY TRUST IN HIM.

I can trust Jesus
I can trust Jesus
He never once has failed to meet my needs
He is my strong tower
The strength in my weakest hour
I can trust Jesus
He takes care of me

I HAVE PRAYED SOME PRAYERS, AND FELT THEY NEVER WERE HEARD,
But I held to God's hand and kept right on trusting in His Word.
MY WANTS AND GOD'S DESIRES, DON'T ALWAYS AGREE
But I lean on His will, for HE ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR ME.

I can trust Jesus
I can trust Jesus
He never once has failed to meet my needs
He is my strong tower
The strength in my weakest hour
I can trust Jesus
He takes care of me

HE IS MY STRONG TOWER
THE STRENGTH IN MY WEAKEST HOUR
I CAN TRUST JESUS
HE TAKES CARE OF ME

I CAN TRUST JESUS,
HE TAKES CARE OF ME.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been singing this song a lot to myself today and wanted to share it with you all. It is sung by The Collingsworth Family. It has been an encouraging reminder to me that I CAN trust Jesus when I feel like the man in the picture above that is sinking. Sometimes the things of life can seem hopeless and confusing, but God NEVER once has failed to meet my needs, whether it be physical, emotional or whatever. I just need reminded of that. And I myself need to TRUST Him more, that He knows what He is doing and knows what is best for me. I hope that this song is encouraging for some of you as it has been for me today.

More 60th Anniversary Pics...

2008-11-19T14:57:00.001-06:00

November 8, 2008

Workin' Hard...

2008-11-19T14:53:00.001-06:00

Rylan's Favorite Past Time...

2008-11-18T08:46:00.002-06:00

Rylan LOVES taking showers, but was a little tired this day...

He was sound asleep with the water running on his back.

Happy 60th...

2008-11-17T20:09:00.005-06:00

To Grandpa and Grandma Schaper!!!

Saturday, Nov. 8, we celebrated Grandpa and Grandma Schaper's (Charles' grandparents) 60th Wedding Anniversary. It was a very nice celebration!

Grandpa and Grandma with their children.
Charles' mom was the only girl... poor thing... J/K... she has AWESOME brothers :)

The Grandchildren and their spo uses

The Great~Grands

The whole Schaper Clan (I think 2 families were absent that day) :(

A Prayer on My Heart Today...

2008-11-17T19:14:00.003-06:00

I heard this quoted on the radio last week and it has been sticking with me ever since. I so want the serenity or peace to ACCEPT the things I cannot change and the COURAGE to change what I can. Many of us have heard this prayer all of our lives, but to REALLY think about what it says... Something I am longing for in my life right now is peace to ACCEPT. Just thought I'd share what's on my heart lately. I don't mean to sound down or whatever. I am very blessed! I just sometimes need to open my eyes and be reminded of that. I am still here in the land of the living even though I don't post as much as I use to. Hope all of my family and friends are doing well. :)

My Lil' Trick~or~Treaters...

2008-11-06T19:00:00.004-06:00

My Lil' Ninja

My Lil' Princess

Pumpkin Patch...

2008-11-06T18:53:00.004-06:00

Last week Sabryn's 1st grade class went to the pumpkin patch and she had a really fun time.

Learning about pumpkins

Crazy Sock/Slipper Day...

2008-11-06T18:45:00.003-06:00

The school had Crazy Sock/Slipper Day in support of donating used shoes to the Salvation Army. Here are a couple of pictures of Landen and Sabryn with their teachers and classmates.

Sabryn's Class

Landen's Class

Thank You...

2008-11-06T18:35:00.003-06:00

For all the comments left on my post of our big news! It is exciting to think another blessing is on the way! Landen and Sabryn are excited too! Sabryn has been praying for a little sister for quite some time now (although her specific prayer was for twin girls) :) She is very happy just to get one. I hope she isn't too disappointed if it happens to be a boy. :) Just a funny little story, the other night while having family devotions, Charles asked the children if they had any prayer requests. Sabryn right away said, "I want to pray for my baby sister that she will be all right and get here soon." Landen then piped up and said, "Well, I am praying it's a BOY!" :) He thinks that having another sister will just "be trouble" (his words). :)

News...

2008-10-31T10:06:00.005-05:00

DUE DATE: March 25, 2009

Yes, we are expanding our family! :)
We are so blessed and excited!!!

The ultrasound showed that we are having a girl. But, no one really never knows until the big day. :)

A Baby Shower...

2008-09-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to my little sister, Bobbi, who will be having her baby on Oct. 14! She is expecting to have a little girl. We are excited for the little one to arrive. Today I attended her Baby Shower in Oklahoma. Below are a couple of pictures. Note the adorable diaper cake that was made by the hostess of the shower.

An Encouraging Song...

2008-09-17T21:16:00.008-05:00

This song (lyrics) below is sung by The Collingsworth Family and is such an encouragement to me when I am going through rough times. Today this song has blessed me so and I thought I would share. :)

HE ALREADY SEES

When the storm raged about them
The disciples were afraid
For the waves were high and the ship was tossed
They could not find their way
Then they awoke the master
Saying Lord please save us now
He rebuked the winds and the sea grew calm
And they all wondered how

God sees the storm from the other side
He knows the lessons learned
And just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies
He speaks peace to the raging storm when peace could not be found
He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds

Like the man on the sea did
I have called on God in prayer
When it seemed to me all hope was gone and in my deep despair
I remembered what the Lord said when He calmed that troubled sea
And I know once more how He sees the storm
And peace floods over me

God sees the storm from the other side
He knows the lessons learned
And just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies
He speaks peace to the raging storm when peace could not be found
He already sees the rainbow when we see only clouds

And when the storms of life come crashing in and trouble me
I can feel Gods arms around me and he whispers
Let it be, Let it be
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To hear this song you can click on this link : http://www.last.fm/music/Collingsworth+Family/_/He+Already+Sees

Congrats Kelly and John...

2008-09-16T12:07:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday, I attended a baby shower for Kelly and John (a couple associated with our church). They are going to be having a baby in Nov. Joyce Gaddy had the party for her and did a great job. Joyce writes poetry and wrote a really cute poem about a stork who visited different ladies in the church, but somehow got chased off, but then landed at Kelly's and gave her a precious baby to call her own. It was very sweet.

Joyce reading her poem

A Wedding and Camping...

2008-09-11T17:12:00.003-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we attended Charles' cousin's wedding. It was a very nice wedding. I was asked to help with the fruit arrangement for the reception and felt honored to do so. Below are some pictures of the wedding that I took. Sarah made a very beautiful bride, which is not surprising as she is a very beautiful person. :)

Congrats Adam and Sarah!!!

After the wedding, we went camping at a lake in KS with the Schaper clan for the rest of the weekend. It was a lot of fun and we are definitely looking forward to it again next year. There were probably about 40 of us camping out in tents. I enjoyed it so much! Again, here are several pictures I took of our weekend.

Pics From Today...

2008-09-09T18:32:00.004-05:00

Today we went to visit Harvey and Melba Dean Johnson. Their neighbors have horses that are quite friendly. Rylan enjoyed seeing them and even fed them some food that Harvey had for them. We had a nice time visiting with the Johnsons today. They are dear people that mean a lot to me.

(I took these pics with my phone so that is why they are a little blurry)

Harvey helping Rylan ride the tricycle.

Lessons Again! YaY!

2008-09-09T16:22:00.005-05:00

Aunt Esther and I

I have taken Piano Lessons from my Aunt for several years. But, in the past two years I have been unable to. :( This year I have started again and I am really excited about it! :) She is the BEST piano teacher in the world, in my opinion. I am really looking forward to all that she has to teach me! She has already taught me a lot! This is one of the highlights of my life at the moment. :) Now... if I can just get my practice time in... :D

Aunt Esther, Me and Uncle Phil

I think this pic was taken at my last piano recital

First Day of School...

2008-09-07T23:21:00.003-05:00

August 18, 2008

My Sweethearts!

Off they go...

Catching Up With Friends...

2008-09-07T22:30:00.008-05:00

Class of 1996

While I was at camp in August, I had the privilege of catching up with some of my classmates from high school. It was a great time of fellowship. There were 7 of us out of 13 of our graduating class (1996) plus their spouses. My cousin, Timmy, and I were without spouses, so he was my "date" for the night. ;) Charles couldn't make it. We had a really nice time. I haven't seen my friend Cherita for a long time and I enjoyed seeing her and catching up! It was so much fun reminiscing about the good ole days with lots of laughs. Wow! The things we did back then... crazy... :) Thanks, Seth and Natalie, for having us over to your home for the evening!

Natalie and Seth

Mandy and Bill

Wendy and Adam

Neil and Becca

Cherita and Johnny

Me with my cousin, Timmy

Camp...

2008-09-07T22:16:00.002-05:00

I attended our General 10 day Camp in Ks in August. I was asked to help with the Children's Services teaching memory verses and doing puppets. I enjoyed that very much. I have helped out the last 5 years and I look forward to it every year. This year the theme they picked was Kings and Queens of the Bible. It was a very neat theme to work with and some of the ladies from KS did an outstanding job decorating.

View Album

Get your own

I'm Here...

2008-09-03T10:53:00.002-05:00

Wow! Has it really been over a month since my last post? Well, I have a lot of updating to do and lots of pictures to share. Don't have time to right now. But, thought that since several have been wondering where I am I thought I'd let you know that I am still here. :) I will try to get some updates up soon! I am working on downloading pics to my computer now. So, hopefully soon. :)

Checking Out...

2008-08-01T08:02:00.001-05:00

Well, I am off to Kansas for our General Camp. So, I won't be posting for awhile unless I get a chance from there. Hope everyone has a great couple of weeks!

Silver Dollar City (again)...

2008-08-01T07:59:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics from our day with Tim and Sharron at Silver Dollar City. LOTS of fun, as usual! Wish I would have gotten more pics though.

SDC Trip with Teeds July 29, 2008

VBS Program and Cookout...

2008-08-01T07:56:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday was our VBS Program and afterwards we had a cookout. It was a nice turnout and several parents came. Pictures below:

VBS Program and Cookout July 27, 2008

Catching Up...

2008-07-31T12:13:00.004-05:00

Well, Youth Camp and VBS are behind us now. It has been a wild and crazy few weeks, but I survived! =) YaY! Well, in all of the busyness around I failed to put up anything about our Anniversary. Charles and I have been married for 11 years now as of July 26! I put a slide show together of some wedding pics. Enjoy!

Last Night of VBS... Whew... =)

2008-07-25T21:28:00.001-05:00

Click album to view:

Last Night of VBS July 25, 2008

VBS, Night 4...

2008-07-24T21:34:00.001-05:00

Click Album to view:

VBS Night 4 July 24, 2008

VBS, Night 3...

2008-07-24T21:21:00.004-05:00

Click Album to view:

VBS Night 3 July 23, 2008

VBS, Night 2...

2008-07-22T22:19:00.002-05:00

Click on album to view:

VBS Night 2 July 22, 2008

VBS, Night 1...

2008-07-22T22:01:00.005-05:00

Sharron Teed and her sister Laurie Crocker, are heading up the VBS this year for us. It is a Western Theme and they are doing a good job! Looks like I have some pressure from Laurie's blog to keep everyone updated
(He He ~ just kidding!).

Here are some pictures from the first night (click on album to view):

VBS Night 1 July 21, 2008

Visit From PaPa and Gramma...

2008-07-22T21:56:00.003-05:00

PaPa and Gramma came to visit us Saturday and stayed with us a couple of nights. We were so happy to have them here!

Thanks so much for coming!
See you all next week!

PaPa and Ry~Guy