Waterpark fun

A few pics from the Waterpark this weekend, some MUCH NEEDED time away with the familia...

TRYING to count it all as joy...trying being the key word here...

This past week has started a new chapter in my life, one I never thought would be included in my book. It has been a wake up call, a reminder (as if I really needed one) to how cruel this world can really be. How people can ever make it though suffering and trials without having hope in our Savior, is beyond me. He is the only reason I am able to move forward, trusting there is a plan. Looking back on trials in my life, as hard as it was to go through them, as much as it hurt at the time, I believe I truly came out of it ALL a better person. My suffering made me draw nearer to Him, and that can only result in a positive outcome...if you get my drift. I mean, the outcome may not be what you want, but ultimately He knows better than we. I have noticed that the closer I become with God, the more I know Him, the more the world is against me. I think that is probably true for all Christians who really do TRY their best to live for Him.

This is the verse that spoke to me...

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

It's from the book of James...
and while it sounds like a great idea, to count all suffering as joy (such a perfect, Christ-like idea), it is definitely easier said than done. So, I am trying my best to count it all as joy, but even if I don't succeed, I know my Father is here with me, helping me/us through, and in the end of this trial, I know I will be able to look back and see how He walked me/us through...I will owe ALL the praise to The Famous One. :-)

my reminder...

I am nothing. I am unworthy of His mercy, His healing, and His grace.
But, He continues to fill me with ALL of this, anyway.
I am thankful that even on the darkest days, the Lord holds steadfast to me.
He is amazing. He is strong. He is my true Father.
I am thankful the Lord knows our heartbreaking stories long before we ever reach the reality of them. You cry out to Him, but He already knows. I am even more thankful that He already has a plan of healing set in place. I am so thankful that I can find comfort in His name, alone.
His greatness really does shine through in our times of weakness.

If your heart is broken, If you are lost, If you are in despair...cast it all at the foot of the cross, He WILL bear your burden. He WILL restore your soul.

Thank you, Lord, for my reminder today.

Not me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.





Noooooo...this is not my first post since my last "Not Me Monday" post...that, my friends, would make me a slacker. And a slacker I am not.

No. I did NOT use the back of my son's homework and pink craft paper to print out coupons just because I had let my regular computer paper run out .

And no, I am not pretending school is already out for us and letting the kids stay up a little later than usual. I mean, if they stayed up later, that would make them somewhat more difficult to deal with...and I would NEVER do that to their teachers.

I did not feed my husband, who worked a 13 hour day, chips and salsa for dinner just because my dad took the kids out for Chinese and I didn't want to have to cook. That would make my husband start wondering why he ever married me in the first place, and that's silly because I am a fabulous wife.

I didn't allow my kids to watch Stuart Little today, because you know, that cat says the "D" word. Only a sinner of a mother would let her kids watch that filth.

I do not have a weeks worth of mail/paper/bills/fliers/junk stacked up waiting on me to sort through. Again, that would make me a slacker. Which, I already said, I am not.

Last but not least, I did not misread the info on my son's school calender about the day/time of his awards ceremonies. Because, if I had misread it, I would've called his teacher, all in a tizzy about the mixed up days. That, in turn, would have gotten said teacher all in a tizzy as well. I would never stir up drama like that just because I don't double check what I "thought I read". I am a perfect mother, and I'll have you know I would NEVER make a mistake like that.

Nope, not me. And certainly not on a Monday.


Have a blessed week, ladies!

My very first NOT ME MONDAY post...

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.




Last week, I did not get so mad at my husband for misplacing my car keys that I left him a less-than-sweet voicemail. And, I didn’t feel only two inches tall when he used his keys to unlock my car, only to find I had left my own keys in the console. And, I didn’t forget to apologize. That wasn’t me.
I am not the mom who had 8 billion loads of laundry piled high on the bench in the living room, waiting to be separated, folded, etc. Nope, not me.
And if you come over to my house, after I’ve had all weekend to work on it, you would not still see 2 billion loads of laundry still sitting on the bench…You should know better than that.
That was not me who pulled into the gas station, after taking the boys to school, to pick up a nutritious breakfast of packaged donuts for my four year old. I mean, HELLO, what mom does that?
It was not me you saw in the drive through to buy my favorite, ridiculously priced coffee drink, when we are trying to adhere to a budget. I would never…
No, I did not ignore your call, email, text, etc, the other day just so I could get some quiet time, and I certainly didn’t ignore my mother’s phone call. No way.
Did you hear about the mother who forgot to read a library book with her son two nights in a row, even though it’s required homework? Yea, well, you know it wasn’t me.
I also would have never let the X-Box entertain my son while I checked my email, blogs, FB, etc…I am most assuredly NOT one of those mothers.
And you know, the rumors are not true, we did not have Sonic three nights in a row because I haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping…That would be ludicrous.
Last but not least, I did not let the two youngest of my brood sleep in our bed the other night. I mean, they are wayyy too old for that, and I am a real stickler for rules. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen at our house…


HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

Fashion Week

Well, I FINALLY re-Learned (I know, what a word) how to Sync my phone to my computer...Suhhh-weet! I had a TON of pictures I wanted to save, and while they are really horrible quality, I love them all the same :-) So, without further adieu, Here are several pictures of my miniature fashionista, and some of the fabulous ensembles she has come up with all on her own (PLEASE don't give me the credit, Please...really) over the last several weeks:

Here she is modeling the Snow White crown, pajama top from China, and pink cowgirls boots...

and here she is in her custom swim suit cover up, fall stripe tights, and black dress shoes...

the pink boots again! fancy purple headband, and hospital gown from when she got tubes in her ears (yes, we stole it), and no, I don't know why she holds up one finger???...

Here she is showing off a variety of hair decor, Tinkerbell pj top, black velvet skirt, and I can't even tell what shoes because the pic is so dark...

Another fabulous look...silk cherry nightgown, fall stripe tights (again), brown fur boots complete with bright orange nail polish all over the sides, and her custom crown tee from cousin Em...

she totally has on her cousin Keke's jacket here, it's pink with brown dots, and that goes perfectly with her blue and white dress, mind you! She couldn't complete this ensemble without her black/white striped tights and purple patchwork shoes...

mmm...I would have to say this is her least creative get-up, white tights, striped shirts, and again with the purple patchwork shoes (that at this point were taken from the bag of clothes I have cleaned OUT of her closet)...

& my favorite look of the season...a few shirts of multiple colors, a tutu, striped tights (have you figured out she loooves tights), jelly's for shoes, way too many hair and jewelry items to even start on...


I loooove this little girl, she brings our family so much joy. It cracks me up to look at these pictures, this post would have been so much better if these were quality pics, but oh well, you get the idea...

And I kinda adore these two, as well...
Last, but not least, my pirates, errr boys dressed as pirates...Ok, they are not really dressed as pirates, but they put on the paper pirate hats at Long John Silvers..and even though they don't look that happy, they were doing this to make me laugh...It was pretty funny...guess ya had to be there...

Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.
We are going to church, then my extended family is going to gather at my house and we are going to cook out (rain or shine!)and visit. It's not a fancy celebration, but it sounds good to me. And honestly, even though I am a mom, and it's Mother's Day, celebrating myself, or even my own mother, is not what I am thinking about.

(Though...let it be said that I do have a beautiful, awesome mother who I am VERY thankful the Lord blessed me with...)

I think about the people I know, or even just read/hear about, who have very sick children, or children who are in a really bad place, & especially those who have lost their children. My heart just breaks for those families, those mothers.
I. can't. imagine.
Honestly, I don't want to imagine.
I think about those who have lost their mother's as well, and my heart goes out...how do you get used to life without a mother? Sure, you learn to cope, and life goes on, but I would have to imagine that you always have a still, small hole, permanently scarring your heart...
So, tomorrow, instead of worrying about how my day will go, or what my family will do for me, or what gifts I will get...I am just going to be thankful that I am a mother...that my children are healthy and here with me and safe...and that I have my mother here with me, still.
I am going to say a special prayer for those that are hurting, for any reason. I am going to pray that these mothers & children can somehow find healing, peace, and comfort in their hearts.
So, weather you get a hand drawn picture, or a vacation to the Bahamas...let's take a minute to be thankful for what we've got and remember those who are in a much harder place than us...
Happy Mother's Day to you all...
& to my own, very precious mother...
& to my grandmothers in Heaven...