Happy New Year!!

Even though it is the 14th day of January, I'm still going to say.....Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!  For the record, I did NOT chow down on greens, black eyed peas etc. YUCK! LOL!

2011 was a good year overall! So much happened in my life. LOTS of changes and if you know me, you know I don't like changes and don't handle them well, but the Lord helped me to get through them and I'm hoping that 2012 will be even better! Here's a few of the things that happened last year, in no particular order......

Buds team was #1!

April 27, 2011...May we never forget!!

Mom and her high school sweetheart , Gene, got engaged!

All Stars!!

My precious Ittie~Bittie passed away. She was so loving and a wonderful baby for 15 years. I miss her so much!! :(

Mom's wedding day!!

First beach trips with friends! Had a blast!!! :)

My beautiful girl!!

Lost his first tooth!

Sweet times with great Granny B.!

Allison and Rodney got engaged!!

We added a new member to the family, Lillie Grace!

First day of 4th grade, 2nd grade and Kindergarten!!

First time hunting!!

 

                                                                              

AND LOTS OF SILLINESS!!! :)

Praying the Lord will bless you in 2012!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Our family hopes you and your families have had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS celebrating the birth of Jesus and spending time with friends and family!! :)

BIG Day of Thanks!!!

Day 10 ~ Today I am SOOO THANKFUL for my FUTURE BROTHER IN LAW, Rodney !! I'm so excited that he will be apart of our family!! :)


I am so so so so super excited!! YAYNESS!!!! My bestest twin sister in the whole wide world just got engaged on Tuesday!! Yes, I knew about it but had to keep it hush hush!!

CONGRATULATIONS ALLISON & RODNEY!!!!!!!

Seven, Eight & Nine

So I decided to write several in one post.  If you are on Facebook, then you are seeing these daily anyway! :)

Day 7~ So thankful for the freedoms we have in this country! The most important to me would be the freedom of worship. I love being able to worship my Heavenly Father openly in my home, in my car, at my church, wherever and whenever!! We so often take this particular freedom for granted. I think about the pastor in Iran who has been on trial for preaching the gospel and denouncing Islam. I can't even comprehend what he and his family are going through. Please forgive us Lord for taking our freedoms for granted.

Day 8 ~ So very thankful for such a beautiful and colorful world we live in!! I can't even imagine a place with no sunshine, no blue sky, no beautiful flowers and trees to look at. Thank you Lord for showing us Your Presence through your creation!!
  

                                  

I took the above picture on my iPhone. Beautiful!!!!

Day 9 ~ Today I am so thankful for my sister, Allison! Thankful for her sweet and giving heart. Thankful for her willingness to help out when I need her and she expects nothing in return. Thankful that she loves my babies and treats them as if they were hers. Thankful for the things she has been through in her life that have made her into a strong and independent but truly loving and caring woman. I pray that God will bless her tremendously in all areas of her precious life. ♥ you Dee-deed!!

Two In One

Day 5 ~ I am so thankful for unexpected blessings. God knows just what we need when we need it. :-)

Example:  A few weeks ago, Mimi came home with some papers from school that said her class was going on a field trip.  Yay!! Ummm no, not when I got the details. 

The field trip is in December....about two weeks from Christmas and they are going to the Tennessee Aquarium, an IMAX movie and then to Rock City.  For my child to go was going to be $83 and if a parent or chaperone wanted to go, then it would be $109.  WHAT????  HOW MUCH????  $200 TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS???? AND THEY ARE JUST NOW TELLING US ABOUT IT!!!! Grrrrrrrr!

Immediately my thoughts were....who planned this trip? They must have money because no one in their right mind would plan a trip that costs this much two weeks before Christmas and with them only giving us about two paycheck periods to pay for it.  Who is this person? I have some words for them!!!

After I calmed down, David and I talked it over and said that if she was going to be allowed to even go on the field trip, then one of us would most definitely have to go with her since they would be traveling so far away. 

Then we talked back and forth about whether or not we could afford  to go. I mean, it's two weeks before Christmas.  In adult terminology....that's Christmas money.  We made the decision that we probably shouldn't spend the money to go with Christmas being so close and we had, for the most part, told Mimi that she would not be able to go. I think it bothered her some, but I think she understood it. 

Well, this past Tuesday, my dad called me and started asking me about the trip.  Like, when it was, how much, when did the money have to be turned in etc.  I told him that we had pretty much decided that is was a no-go for us. Then he started talking about how him and Judi had never given me a birthday present.  My birthday was in August. And honestly, I hadn't thought about it at all.  His next words were......"well, Happy Birthday! We are going to give you the money so that you and Mimi can go on her field trip.  We know that it would mean a lot to her to go and for you to be able to go with her, so, Happy Birthday!"   I was shocked! Grateful! Thankful and so appreciative! I hung up with my dad and started crying! God knew in my heart how much I wanted Mimi to be able to go and how much I wanted to go with her. It broke my heart to have to tell her she couldn't go and God provided a way for us to be able to go! He is so good and loving and I am just so thankful for the way He demonstrates that love to us. He cares about the little details of our lives.....not just the big ones!! I feel so blessed by Him and by my dad and Judi.  Thank you!!

Day 6 ~ Today, I am thankful for my friends. Friends in the past who have helped shape me into the person I am today. Friends in the present who love me for who I am now and not for what I could be or because I do or don't fit some mold, and friends who make me laugh and are there for me no matter what. I'm even thankful for the friends I haven't met yet but know that they will come into my life in God's perfect time. If I've known you for a really long time or just a short time, or if I see you all the time or hardly at all, please know you are special to me and will always be considered a friend!

Day 4 ~ It's the Little Things

Today I am so thankful for the little things in life.  Little things as in : my children are healthy and safely tucked in their beds sleeping soundly, the messes they make because it means that I have children who are able to make the mess, spending time with each of them individually, seeing how and hearing how their little minds work, the little nicknames we have for each of them, their personalities, the random hugs and kisses I get, the blessings that they really are that I sometimes take for granted.  Each moment with them is precious. 

This morning I was sitting in traffic and watched an ambulance and firetruck zip past me with their sirens blaring only to find out a little while later that they were going to the call of a head on collision involving acquaintances I know from the ballpark.  Children were involved that my children know from school.  One of the children was airlifted to Children's Hospital and has been undergoing tests and scans to see what kind of trauma his body went through.  Last I heard, his 1st and 3rd vertebra was fractured.  This child is the same age as one of my sons.  I can't even begin to imagine what his parents are going through tonight.  I know they must be scared and worried but also thankful that he is alive. 

It's the little things sometimes that make you really stop and think. As someone said today, what is happening with the "C" family today is the reason we should hug and kiss and tell our kids we love them every chance we can! 

Blessings......that what my babies are!! 

Please lift up the "C" family and their little boy, Seth, as they wait to hear if he will have to have surgery and then have to go through the long haul of recovery.

Every moment is a gift!