Prayer Request Sunday

For more prayer requests, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/ .

Please be in prayer for the following -


Pappy's family and friends - I requested prayer for Pappy several weeks and although the Lord did allow him to live beyond what doctors expected, Pappy died on Christmas Day. Please remember those he left behind.

Billy's family and friends - I also requested prayer for him several weeks ago... he also died Christmas Day. Please remember those he left behind as well.

Christy - sick

Angela (me) - that I would lose the extra weight I gained over Christmas (see my weight loss blog!) and I am also having some major family issues... God knows what they are.

Thank you so very much for praying with me!!! I will be posting praise reports as soon as they are received.

If you have any requests or praise reports, please email me @ thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net or leave a comment.

Awesome New Year's Giveaway!!! :-)

Saw this on http://overflowofaforgivensoul.blogspot.com/ (Thanks, Jessie!)

Laced with Grace is having a New Year's giveaway. Hurry over and sign up. They are drawing for a winner in just a few days. You could be the winner of package that includes Women of Faith study Bible (NIV/Hardcover); Lisa Whelchel’s Bible study tool for busy moms; a coffee mug from “Mugs of Truth“; the DVD “The Nativity Story“; the book “Love and Respect“; and a music CD by Becky Knight.

I stopped by and signed up!!! What an awesome giveaway!!! :-)

The Bell

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom.8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God(Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16)I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1)I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected(Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14)I have been adopted as God's child(Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

who you

are!?

To My Secret Sister :-)

Just wanted to let you know I received the wonderful gift and I am loving it!!! (I actually got it last week... sorry for the delay in letting you know!) :-)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the coming year is going to be awesome for you and your family!!! (((HUGS!!!)))

Merry Christmas... I'm Back!!!

I have been unable to get on the internet for the last two weeks. Thankfully, I am back!!! :-)

If you tried to send me an email over the last couple of weeks, I probably didn't receive it. I know a few people have told me that the emails they sent were returned so I apologize if yours were sent back! I am able to receive emails again so please resend any emails that may have been returned. :-)

I do hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas!!! We are headed out to spend time with family so I'm not able to write much now, but will write more later... :-)

Holiday Open House 2007 - DS's Favorite Traditions / Memories

WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!


I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!


Today, DS wanted to share his favorite things to do at Christmas and also his favorite Christmas memory -


"Some of my favorite things to do during the Christmas holidays are baking cookies and going to see Santa Claus.

My favorite Christmas memory is the Christmas when I received a Sonic DX game for my Game Cube.

I think the most important thing about Christmas is Jesus!"

For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .

Personal Prayer Requests

Please be praying for the following -

Sally (my mom) - chest hurting, hurts to breathe
Danny (my dad) - stomach problems
Timothy (my brother) - home was broken into while he was at work yesterday!
Scottie (my brother) - was in car accident this morning.
Scooter (my nephew) - has swimmer's ear and an outer ear infection ... very sick!

Thank you so much for your prayers!!! I will post praise reports when I receive them!!! :-)

Holiday Open House 2007 - Favorite Songs and More Favorite Memories!!!

WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!

I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!

Today I wanted to share some of our favorite Christmas albums / songs.

Our list includes:
DS's favorite - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

DH's favorite - Silent Night
My favorite - Breath of Heaven & Away in a Manger

We also love singing along to -
Let it Snow
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
O, Christmas Tree
Come All Ye Faithful
Rockin Around The Christmas Tree
Winter Wonderland
and, of course, Jingle Bells!!!

We enjoy listening to Christmas music throughout the Christmas season. It is one of our favorite things to do each year!

In my last post, I shared some of my favorite childhood memories. Today I wanted to share some of my other favorite memories.

DH and I met in Nov 1992, but didn't actually start going out until the end of Jan 93. We had only been dating for 2 months when he left home to join the Air Force. We continued to keep in touch through letters and phone calls. In July, he asked me to marry him over the phone and, of course, I said YES!

He was able to come home again in August, but wasn't able to give me my engagement ring just yet. A few months later, he came home for Christmas. I was unaware that he had a special gift for me until Christmas Eve.

We were at his grandmother's house with a lot of his extended family. I really didn't suspect anything until his cousin asked me how I liked my ring??? LOL DH later confessed to wanting to kill her because he had planned on giving it to me later when we were by ourselves. LOL

A little later I had to go to the bathroom and when I opened the door he was waiting for me. We went into one of the guest rooms and that's when he officially popped the question (on his knee!) and gave me my engagement ring! It was beautiful!!!

Another one of my favorite memories took place 6 years later when we were able to spend Christmas together with our new baby!!!

We had prayed for a baby for over 5 years when our miracle baby finally arrived! It was a very special Christmas and one that I will always cherish!!! :-)

Many Christmases have gone by since these events took place and each Christmas seems to get bettter and better. I am really looking forward to all the memories we will be making this year and in the years to come!!!

Please join me again tomorrow when DS will be sharing all of his favorite memories of Christmas and what he's hoping for this Christmas!!! :-)

For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .

To My Secret Sister -

Thank you so very much for the lovely package I received earlier today! What a nice surprise!

Everything was absolutely beautiful!!! :-)

(((HUGS!!!)))

Praise Report!!!

Pappy - Dr. re-examined him and said he has 3 - 6 months left!!! (He was told earlier this week he only has a week left.) AMEN!!!

Please continue to pray for him!!! I am believing that God can touch him and completely heal his body. God can give this man many more years!!!

Thank you for praying and for your continued prayers!!! :-)

Holiday Open House 2007 - Favorite Childhood Memories

WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!

I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!

My earliest childhood memory of Christmas was when I was 5 years old. I don't remember too much except I received a Sindy doll along with her Dining Room table. I loved her and remember that I spent a lot of time playing with her!

The very next year I remember I asked for a record player. Being one of six, it was sometimes hard getting everything we wanted so I was especially surprised when I went into the living room that Christmas morning and found the record player along with a huge stack of records... there's a word you don't hear anymore! LOL

That was the same year I received my favorite doll of all time - Betty Jo. I'm not sure if anyone will remember it or not, but she was a Love N Touch Big Sister doll. I had actually named her Cindy (after my cousin), but later on I loved to watch Petticoat Junction. The youngest daughter on the show, Betty Jo, was my favorite character and that's when I changed her name. I still have her today, but due to all the attention she received from me as a little girl, she's not quite as lovely as she used to be! LOL

Well, those are a few of my favorite Christmas gifts, but more than the gifts I received as a young girl, I remember mostly the time I spent with my family.

Every year on Thanksgiving afternoon, we would help my mom set out a few of our Christmas decorations. One of my favorite decorations (my mom still has them!) are a couple of swan candle holders with red candles. I'm not sure why I loved these so much except that every year these were usually the first decorations my mom would put out.

I also loved helping put up the Christmas tree every year! We always had a real tree (love the smell!!!) so we normally waited until right before Christmas to put it up. My mom and dad would put all the lights on the tree followed by garland and different colored glass ball ornaments. When they were finished, all of us kids would add icicles! This was always so much fun!!!

After the tree was up, I loved to look at myself in the glass ornaments. I also loved to sit on the couch, watch the lights blink and listen to the Christmas music my mom would play every day. We listened to the same 2 or 3 Christmas records every year while growing up so whenever I hear any of the songs played now, it always takes me back!!!

The most important part of Christmas back then (and now!) was Jesus! I remember always feeling so close to God around this time every year. Times weren't always perfect back then, but there was always such a peace during the Christmas season. I do remember one year in particular when I wasn't able to go to sleep because I was so happy that Jesus had been born and that we were allowed to celebrate His day with Him!!! What an awesome feeling that was!!!

That's just a few of my favorite memories! I have always loved Christmas so there are many, many more memories I would love to share, but I'm not sure how long it would take to write them all down!!! LOL

Please join me again tomorrow when I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas traditions and memories!!! :-)

For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .

Prayer Requests

Pappy (previous request update) - he is in the Hospice House right now. His kidney's have shut down.They have given him til the end of the week. Please remember his good friend, Denise, in your prayers. She is taking this hard, as he has been a good friend and counsel to her.

Billy - back in ICU, his oxygen level dropped to 40.

Charlotte - her mother is having brain surgery in the morning.

Jamie B - has kidney failure, on dialysis 3 times weekly, is on a transplant list.

If you have any requests or praise reports, please email me (thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net) or leave a comment.

Thank you so much for praying !!! :-)

Holiday Open House 2007 - Family Traditions

WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!

I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!

My husband was in the Air Force for almost 10 years and we finally came back home in 2002. (I can't believe it's been 5 years already!!!) Right after we moved back, DH had a very hard time finding a permanent job position. That Christmas we were very low on cash!

One day while we were riding around looking at Christmas lights, my husband suggested we look at a wonderful lights display at one of the local parks. He said these were supposed to be awesome and it was free!

We all agreed and drove over to the park. When we approached the gate we found out that it was going to cost $5. We stared at each other knowing that all we had until the next pay day was $10, but also realizing that cars were lined up for miles behind us!

So DH paid the $5 and we rode through the park looking at the lights and really tried to enjoy them. I know DS had a blast, but both DH and I didn't say much the entire time. After we left the park, the comment was made that the lights display cost us half of everything we had!!!

Since then, DH has found a great job and we haven't had anymore Christmases like that first one. And every year since then we have gone back to the see the lights display in the park! Nowadays, spending the $5 has not been a problem! :-)

The very next year they opened a Santa's Cottage along with the lights at the park and so that is where we've taken DS to see Santa every year since then. After he sees Santa, we get hot chocolate and we all roast marshmallows over a fire right outside the cottage. It's always been so much fun and we always laugh when we remember that first Christmas back home!!!

(Sadly, this year the lights display hasn't been set up and there is no Santa's Cottage! I am really hoping that we stopped by too early, but I've checked out their website and there are no dates for this year. Prayerfully, we'll be able to go back next year!!!)

Besides watching Christmas movies and going to the park, other traditions we enjoy every year include:

- We always try to buy a new ornament for the tree each year.

- We always try to buy at least one new decoration for the house.

- On the Saturday night before Christmas, we bake cookies, turn out all the lights except for the tree and watch "It's A Wonderful Life". After the movie, DS gets to open one of his presents from under the tree.

- On Christmas Eve, we visit with each of the grandparents. We start early in the day and spend several hours with each one. When we're headed home, we stop for egg nog or hot chocolate and ride around looking at Christmas lights.

And one of our very favorite family traditions started about 4 years ago. DH's grandmother has started joining us every Christmas morning and gets to see DS open all of his Christmas presents. She is unable to drive so we leave early Christmas morning, pick her up and bring her to our house. After we open the gifts, we eat breakfast together and then we just hang out.

The most wonderful part of this tradition is that DS doesn't mind waiting to open his gifts until "Nanny" is at our house! And another wonderful thing is that we've got her on video watching DS play with all his new toys and telling about what Christmas was like when she was a little girl! :-)

These are only some of the ways we enjoy celebrating our holiday season, but first and foremost, we always remember and emphasize the birth of Christ during this time!!! :-)

Please join me tomorrow when I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas traditions and memories!!! :-)



For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .

On A Funny Note...

Today was my Dad's birthday so DS and I spent the day with him and my mom. :-)

Within our family, everyone who has a birthday gets to hear me sing them a very special Happy Birthday song. I have a lot of fun with the original birthday song, but I like to sing it as off key as I possibly can!!!

Over the years it has become something that everyone expects and normally everyone laughs and we have a good time! Except for DS!!! DS absolutely despises the birthday song sung by mom! He is the only one who has ever become angry when I sing this special song!!!

Today when we arrived at my parents' home, I offered to sing the song to keep with tradition and DS immediately made his objections known and my dad declined. Later in the afternoon, my dad asked DS if he was going to sing the birthday song and I have to admit my son did a great job!

A little while later we were preparing to leave and I offered once more to sing my beautiful rendition! DS yelled, "No! You sound so horrible you make my ears throw up!"

LOL

Holiday Open House 2007 - Fav Christmas Movies

Welcome to my Holiday Open House!!!

I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!

First of all, we begin celebrating Christmas on Thanksgiving afternoon following our Thanksgiving meal.

One of the first things we do is pull out all of our Christmas CDs, videos and DVDs!

Our top 5 favorite classic Christmas movies are:
It's A Wonderful Life
Charlie Brown Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Twas The Night Before Christmas

And some of our newer favorites include:
Mrs. Santa Claus
Santa's Christmas Crash
Veggie Tales The Toy Who Saved Christmas
The Santa Clause
The Muppet's Christmas Carol

We have a lot of fun watching at least one Christmas themed show or movie each day beginning Thanksgiving night. We don't watch any of these throughout the year until then so it makes getting to watch them a lot more enjoyable!

Please check back tomorrow when I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas traditions and memories!!! :-)



For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .

Prayer Request Sunday

Please be in prayer for all the prayer requests from the last few weeks that are still awaiting an answer!!!

NEW REQUESTS:
My husband - Stress!!!

For other requests, please see http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/Prayer%2BRequest%2BSunday/ !!!

Thanks so much for your prayers!!! Please email me or leave a comment with any requests you may have or any praise reports!!! :-)

Their Song...

I heard this song earlier today and I cannot listen to it without my heart breaking!!!

This song was written for kids who are waiting to be adopted. It is a letter written from a waiting child to Santa.

We are planning on adopting a child (or children) sometime hopefully in the near future. I wish I could take in every child out there who is waiting for their special someone, but I know it's not possible. So I'm praying that God will put this desire into the hearts of others as well.





Lyrics:

All I Really Want

Well, I don't know if you remember me or not
I'm one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old, green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me, I was standing off alone.

I didn't come and talk to you 'cause that's never worked before
And you'll probably never see this letter, anyway
But just in case there's something you can do to help me out
I'll ask you one more time.

All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win
There's so much I could ask for, but there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family.

Well, I guess I should go ahead and tell you now
If it's really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I'm really trying hard not to be bad.

But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I've heard, it sounds like the greatest gift on earth
Would be a mom.

All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win
There's so much I could ask for, but there's just one thing I need -
All I really want for Christmas is someone who'll be here
To sing me happy birthday for the next 100 years
And It's okay if they're not perfect or even if they're a little broken
That's alright, 'Cause so am I.

Well, I guess I should go, it's almost time for bed
Maybe next time I write you I'll be at home.

`Cause all I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
Tell me I'll never be alone, someone whose love will never end
Of all that I could ask for, well, there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family.

Something Neat For Our Troops!!!

I got this in an email from a dear friend of mine. :-)


Something neat that Xerox is doing.

If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com , you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

You can ' t pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site.

Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Prayer Requests

Please add these requests to Prayer Request Sunday list --

Alicia - virus

William - His son died in a car accident. Funeral was Wed. His girlfriend was in car also, she is in ICU. I do not know her name but God does. Please remember her and her family also!

Martha- may have had a cyst rupture. Wants pain to leave her body!

Church building program--please pray about our loan!

Pappy - has cancer in liver, lungs, ribs, and spine. Also has tumor which cracked his pelvic bone.


Thank you so much for your prayers!!! I'll post the praise reports when I get them!!! :-)

Our Thanksgiving Weekend!!!

I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone again!!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! We got up early and DH started the turkey while me and DS watched the Macy's parade. It was so much fun and, to my surprise , DS enjoyed the parade as much as I did. I had let him in on a little secret that Santa Claus is at the end of the parade so I'm guessing that was the clincher because he had already told us he wasn't interested in the parades... only football!

After our wonderful dinner, we ventured off to Kmart to pick up a gift for DS since the one I ordered did not arrive in time - I still haven't gotten it. :-( I did tell him what the gift was I had ordered so he's having a good time waiting for the mail to run every day! :-)

After we left Kmart, we went to the movie theater and saw "The Bee Movie". It was such a cute movie and a lot funnier than I thought it was going to be.

The next day, DH only had to work for a few hours so we were able to spend the afternoon with my mom and dad. And, yes, I enjoyed my mom's Thanksgiving leftovers! I don't care how old you get or what you've eaten, there is no cooking like Mom's cooking!!! (My mom, anyway!!! LOL)

On Saturday, along with 2 of our nephews, we saw Santa Claus!!! The boys had so much fun with Santa! DH even sat on Santa's lap - I'll post the pics as soon as I get them! LOL

After we saw Santa, we stopped by and picked up a few pizzas. While we waited on the pizza, we stopped in at the pet store next door and got to see turtles, rabbits and lots of fish! After that we went to my sister's and ate pizza while watching Spiderman 3.

The rest of the weekend, we mainly hung out at the house except for church and eating lunch out on Sunday.

This Thanksgiving turned out to be one of the best we've had so far!!! I do hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the Christmas season will be a joyous one!!! :-)

PRAYER REQUEST SUNDAY

No new requests this week. For a list of prior requests that are we are still praying for, please see:

http://angelamthomas.blogspot.com/2007/11/prayer-request-sunday_18.html#links

http://angelamthomas.blogspot.com/2007/11/prayer-requests.html#links

For more requests, please see: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/Prayer%2BRequest%2BSunday/

Please take a moment and pray for all of these requests. (I will post updates as soon as I get them.)

PRAISE REPORTS:

Loretta - Dad is doing better!

If you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or email me at thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net with your request. And please be sure to email or leave another comment with any praise reports as well!!!

Thanks!!! :-)

Spirit Of Christmas Award!!!

Amy (Journaling Back To Joy - http://osbornz.net/amy/ ) has awarded me with the Spirit Of Christmas award.

"This award is for those who talk about and show the spirit of Christmas in their blogs.
What is the Spirit of Christmas you ask?
Quite simply it is those that have a generous and giving nature. Those who care about others. Those who have a kind word to say or a broad shoulder to lean on in the times that others need that. Those who display the “Spirit of Christmas”.

I am giving it to five and you should too. Those that have touched your heart with their kind and giving and caring nature."

Thank you, Amy!!! :-)

I would like to award this to:

Lynn @ Eclectic Education http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/eclecticeducation/

Tiany @ Less Of Me~More Of Him
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany

Valerie @ SOCALVAL-JUSTFORHOMESCHOOLFAMILIES
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval

Tamara @ Training Hearts
http://www.traininghearts.com/blog/

Pam @ Mom's Mutterings
http://homeschoolblogger.com/hip2schoolathome/

To you five, I am so blessed by reading your blogs and am inspired by you!!! :-)


(For more about the Spirit of Christmas award, please go to http://santasmailbox.blogspot.com/2007/09/spirit-of-christmas-award-2_23.html )

Prayer Requests

Please add these to Sunday's Prayer Request list --

Alicia (my sister) - Migraines

Hannah - 14 wks pregnant and is high risk. She has had several miscarriages.

A little boy (not sure of name, but God knows) has just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Also, please be praying for my pastor concerning some decisions he has to make. He will be meeting with several people about our new church building this coming week!!!

PRAISE REPORT -
Linda - A lady we've been praying for was told she might have ovarian cancer. She had surgery to have some cysts removed and no cancer was found!!! GOD IS GOOD!!!

Thanks so much for praying with me!!! If you have any requests, please email (thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net) or leave a comment with request... or praise report!!! :-)

Prayer Request Sunday

My mom, Sally - dealing with depression and has been diagnosed with diabetes. May have to go on medication for diabetes.
My sister, Alicia --- To have a baby. No luck for the last 4 yrs.
My aunt, Thomassene --- has herniated disc and may need surgery. Also over the past week has been dealing with vertigo!
Nancy - is still very sick. Doctors are saying it still may be lyme disease.
Rodney Cain -- is a diabetic, part of his foot has already been amputated. May need to have whole foot amputated. Also is having kidney problems. Please continue to pray for him.
Harriet - depression esp this time of year from deaths in the family.
Rita Moore - her husband fell and broke hip in 4 places last week. Please continue to cover this family.
Betty Whitlow -- has appt. with Heart Doctor on Dec 27.
Loretta--Dad still in hospital.
Our Church - building a new church building, praying God's continued favor over this project. Please continue to cover this in prayer!!!
Angela (me) - As I try to lose weight again this week! That I will not grow weary, but continue to rely on God during this process.
Tanya's Family - was killed in a car accident last Friday. Please remember her family, esp the three children she left behind!

For more requests, please see: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/Prayer%2BRequest%2BSunday/

Please take a moment and pray for all of these requests. (I will post updates as soon as I get them.)

PRAISE REPORTS:

Loretta - husband is out of hospital after appendectomy and is doing well!

Angela (me) - After more than 5 years, I have received a complete physical healing over the last week!!! Also, lost almost a pound (0.8 lb) this past week!!!

If you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or email me at thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net with your request. And please be sure to email or leave another comment with any praise reports as well!!!

Thanks!!! :-)

Thanksgiving Is Almost Here!!!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away!!! This year has gone by way too fast!!!

I do love this time of year though! And I love Thanksgiving!!! Not just for the food, which is always wonderful, but for the time we get to spend together and the memories we get to make each year.

I have always loved waking up and watching the parades while the turkey's in the oven. Our tradition is that DH cooks the turkey -- and he is an AWESOME cook! -- and I prepare all the sides. This is the way it has always been when we stay home for the day. We usually eat our Thanksgiving dinner around 12:30 pm... that is except for the year I accidentally forgot to thaw out the turkey.

This was actually DS's first Thanksgiving and my brain had been missing for quite some time. LOL We had bought the turkey only 2 days before and instead of putting it in the fridge, I put it in the freezer. We didn't discover this until around 8:30 am Thanksgiving Day!

We ended up throwing a pizza in the oven for lunch and didn't get to enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner until almost 7 pm. It was still great and we still get to laugh at ourselves about it every year - actually DH still gets a lot of joy out of it! LOL

We still had an awesome day that year! DS was only 5 months old and that was also the year we began our own family tradition of giving our child(ren) a gift after we eat our Thanksgiving dinner to bring in the holiday season at our house. Every year since then we have done this and it's so much fun!

After we "bring in the holiday season", that's when we begin listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas shows / movies, decorate the house and we usually try to put up the tree within a day or two after Thanksgiving.

I am so looking forward to this week and DS is also very excited this year. Before now, he was a very picky eater and now he eats anything and everything! (Thank God for answered prayer!!!) He is especially excited about all the turkey and, yes, all the football!!! :-)

I hope that everyone who's reading this will have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas season with your family!!!

God bless you!!! :-)

Walk By Faith

I found this great song along with a wonderful testimony by Jeremy Camp on Youtube. I was going to post it on this blog, but there was no link to use to embed it on this page.

Here's the link to the page itself -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKaJr5ZWby4&feature=related

This is one of my very favorite songs by him and one that has gotten me through some really tough times. It's weird that I even found this clip of this song because I was actually looking for a different song!

Before performing the song, he shares the story of why he wrote the song and why the words of the song are still as true today as they were back then. Hope it touches your heart as it touched mine!!! :-)

Why God???

These last few years have been really hard at times, but whether I can see it or not, God has been so faithful!

Even though I can look back now and see where God's hand was in many of the situations, I am still unsure of why we had to go through certain things. There are things that don't make any sense to me and I'm not sure if they ever will or not.

I do know that God has called me to walk in faith and because of that I am trusting that these things were necessary or He wouldn't have allowed them to happen.

I say that completely by faith because at times I still deal with lots of different emotions. I still get upset and even angry sometimes, but I do know that even if I am not ready to completely give these situations over to Him at that moment, He will be waiting when I am.

Before now I have always held onto things and let them control my thoughts, emotions, etc. But now, even though I haven't fully given everything over to God, I am slowly beginning to release these things to Him. Even when these things come to mind, I am trying not to dwell on them anymore.

And God knows that I'm not perfect nor will I ever be. He's not angry with me that I still struggle with things, but He gives me His mercy whenever I am not strong and still covers me when I don't want to be touched.

Thought This Was Awesome...

Not only do I love this movie, but paired with this song, many of the scenes in this video remind me so much of my walk with God over the last few years!

Adopting... or not???

A few people know that we have been considering adopting a little one for a while. We haven't talked about it lately because we feel that we are currently going through a process to prepare us physically and financially so that we can adopt. We are also waiting on God and His timing if this is to happen.


Since I began losing weight several months ago, I have been a little bit confused as to whether we will have another biological child before we go through with adoption. I have a weird feeling that as soon as I reach my goal that I will probably get pregnant. Of course, I was unable to get pregnant before I starting gaining the extra weight and when I did get pregnant, it was an absolute miracle. (I'll be sure to share that story soon in another post!) Not sure if this is just me or if it is in fact God telling us to wait a bit longer before beginning the adoption process. ???



As I said, we haven't really talked about adoption lately even between the two of us. We sent in a preliminary application last December and was told that we would more than likely be able to proceed with an adoption with no problems. Even with that being said, along with wanting to be a lot more financially secure, in April we felt that we should wait another year before starting anything.



We have always felt that God was leading us to adopt from China. I know that there are plenty of babies here in the US as well as a lot of other places. We simply feel called to go to China. And I understand all the new restrictions and that waiting time has gotten even longer, but I still feel God saying China.


I know that God may change His mind and redirect our path at some point. I also know that sometimes God takes us down a certain path to lead us to another one that may be totally different than the one we started on. And if we are to have another biological child anytime soon, I would rather wait until that child is at least a few years old before adopting. Regardless of when it will happen, I feel in my heart that at some point in our lives we will be adopting a child... maybe even several children. I don't think God would have given us this desire so strongly if we weren't supposed to.


Anyway, a couple of days ago I received an email from the adoption agency and I decided to go to their website. It's the first time I've been there in a while. As I read through the articles and looked at all the pictures, I prayed and asked God to remind me if this was still in His will for us to do this. My heart became heavy once again and I realized that the desire is still very much there!


I got off the computer a little bit later and while I was spending time with DS watching one of our cartoons, I noticed there was something flying around. Then I saw two, then three and then I noticed a few more. Finally, I realized that these were lady bugs! Since then, we have had a lady bug invasion and even noticed that almost the entire ledge over our front porch was covered with them!!!


If you know anything about China, you know that lady bugs are a symbol of good luck and have also become the symbol of hope for adoptive parents waiting for their new babies! Coincidence or could this be another confirmation???

I guess we'll see... :-)

SECRET SISTERS!!!

"I am signed up for the Homeschool Moms Secret Sister Session #3!"

PRAYER REQUEST SUNDAY

My sister, Alicia ---To have a baby. No luck for the last 4 yrs.

My aunt, Thomassene --- has herniated disc and may need surgery.

Nancy - may have lyme disease

Rodney Cain -- is a diabetic, part of his foot has already been amputated. May need to have whole foot amputated. Also is having kidney problems

Harriet - depression esp this time of year from deaths in the family.

Rita Moore - her husband fell and broke hip in 4 places

Betty Whitlow -- has appt. with Heart Doctor on Dec 27

Loretta--Dad in hospital and husband had to have emergency appendectomy early Sat morning.

Our Church - building a new church building, praying God's continued favor over this project.

Me - As I try to lose weight this week! That I will not grow weary, but continue to rely on God during this process.

Also, a friend of mine, Tanya, was killed in a car accident on Friday. Please remember her family, esp the three children she left behind!

For more requests, please see:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/424753/

Please take a moment and pray for all of these requests. (I will post updates as soon as I get them.)

If you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or email me at thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net with your request. And please be sure to email or leave another comment with any praise reports as well!!!

Thanks!!! :-)

MONDAY MEANDERINGS

To see my Monday Meanderings post, please go to my homeschooling blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/thomasjaz1999 .

Prayer Request Sunday

Ally Keown--teacher--gave birth to a baby boy which was in birth canal 45 mins. without oxygen. He is in ICU and breathing on his own. Things seem to look good. Please keep this family lifted. Little Rylan could have brain damage or seizures from lack of oxygen for so long.

For more requests, please see:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/420648/

Please take a moment and pray for all of these requests. (I will post updates as soon as I get them.)

If you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or email me at thomasjaz3@bellsouth.net with your request. And please be sure to email or leave another comment with any praise reports as well!!!

Thanks!!! :-)

Trusting Even When I Don't Believe

We are definitely having a better week! We were even able to take a day trip earlier in the week!!!

It was so good to get away even if it was only for a day. The weather was perfect and traffic wasn't bad at all. If I could sum up our trip in one word, it would be peaceful!

Autumn is such a great time to travel. All the trees were changing colors and everything looked so beautiful! I enjoyed every minute of it!

Besides the scenery, I noticed there were also changes in me.
We were in the Air Force for 10 years and I don't remember ever feeling so peaceful while traveling.

Over the years I have learned to trust God a little at a time. I go through things and don't understand why. It's always later on when I realize the changes that God has allowed to take place in me.

It's weird to see that written down because only a few weeks ago I broke down because I felt like I honestly didn't trust God. It's not that I didn't want to, but I felt like I could not even trust Him with my own son. It broke my heart to realize that I still didn't wholeheartedly trust Him as I know I should.

Then the other day as we were driving along, I noticed that I was totally at peace. I realized that I did trust God after all. I trusted Him with the car, the trip itself and, ultimately, I trusted Him with our lives.

It was then that it hit me - I do trust God, just not always and not with everything. But I do know that the more I grow in Him and the more I learn to rely on Him, the more I will learn to trust Him completely!

We're Still Here!

We are still getting over this bug, but are feeling a lot better than we were!

DS's cough got worse, then better and then worse again. It seems to have cleared up a good bit this morning. He's still stuffy and sneezy, but he's feeling pretty good.

I am beginning to clear up as well. I'm still a bit congested and my ears are stuffy. I am also having some major sinus headaches that have been keeping me up most of the night. DS actually slept in a bit this morning so I was able to get a few hours of rest before starting the day. Prayerfully today will be a better day for all of us!

As for DH, he is feeling a lot better this week. His eye healed on its own and his hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to grow back already. I covered him in prayer all day Tuesday since the last two were pretty hectic. :-) Thankfully he made it through and everything seems to be getting back to normal again.

It has been so hard not to be discouraged over these last few weeks! With everything that has been going on, it has been so easy to lose my focus at times. There have been several times when I've felt helpless and completely overwhelmed. I began looking at the situation rather than being secure in who God is and knowing that everything we've been going through is part of His plan.

I'm not sure why everything happens the way it does sometimes, but He does. He can see the big picture when I can only see what's going on right now.

It really is all about attitude! Even when I'm feeling my worst and all hell is breaking loose around me, if I can just remember that God is still in control no matter what else may be going on. There are so many things that I can't control no matter how hard I try, but He can. I am called to simply put my faith in Him and know that even though He may not take it all away at that moment, He promises to get me through it and that I'll be ok when it's all said and done.

What A Week!!!

Actually the last couple of weeks haven't been the greatest! I was definitely not prepared for any of this, but I am thankful that God has given me a peace about everything and I know that eventually this will all pass.

It started last week... Tuesday to be exact. DH had to travel to out of town for a few days for some training for his job. He decided to take our car on Tuesday morning, return home that night and then leave again the next morning and travel with a few of the guys from work. They would stay over Wed night and return home Thursday night. And it all went according to plan except for on the way Tuesday morning (or sometime soon after) it was discovered that the passenger side rear tire was completely flat. Thankfully the instructor had some fix a flat or something similar and it worked well enough to get DH home.

Needless to say, I was left without a car over the next two days. We figured it would be ok to drive around town, but there was something deep down that told me not to. Wonder what it was??? :-) It was a good thing I was listening because after DH arrived back home and I picked him up after work, the tire was almost flat again. Luckily we made it to Walmart right before the auto center closed and got a new tire.

After all this, we wake up the next morning and DS is complaining of a sore throat. Then later that afternoon, DH gets sick as well. So to make a long story short, both were really sick over the weekend. DH was feeling a little bit better by Monday, but sadly DS developed a cough and has been coughing ever since.

And Tuesday... DH goes to work. Around 10:30 am he calls to check on us. Then he proceeds to tell me that a propane burner had just blew up in his face and he was headed to the emergency room. Luckily he wasn't hurt bad (it could have been so much worse!) and his lungs, nose, ears and throat were fine. His left eye did get burned, but according to the doctor, it should've healed itself over the following eight hours. I was a little bit nervous about seeing him, but it didn't look as bad as I thought. His hairline was singed a good bit on the left side as well as his eyebrows and his left eyelashes were burned off almost completely. But we are praising God because as I said earlier, it could've been a lot worse.

And on Wed morning, after DS had coughed most of the night, I wake up with a sore throat, stuffy ears and really congested. I decided not to give into it and carried on through the day as I normally do. Prayerfully I will be feeling a lot better tomorrow... or later today... and hopefully DS will, too. :-)

Just an update... :-)

I hope everyone is doing well. We are doing ok!

We've been staying busy with homeschooling and still trying to get the house in order. We are loving the new house and especially love living closer to family. DS and I have been able to get out a lot more since we moved than before. It is so much easier to keep the car these days. Of course, I am still praying that it won't be too much longer before we are a 2-car family again! :-)

As for homeschooling, DS is doing very good and I am still having a lot of fun, too. It's amazing that I had forgotten so much over the years, but thankfully it all comes back to me very easily. We are going to start a homeschooling blog soon so if anyone's interested, I'll be posting the link on this blog as soon as we get get it going.

I have started another blog for my Weight Watchers so if you are interested, you can find the link by clicking on my profile link. I decided to start it as another way of keeping myself motivated and so those who are trying to lose along with me can keep up with my progress and prayerfully be motivated by it as well.

As for other things, church has been awesome! Our Pastor hosted Nite Line last Wednesday and some people from our church were also there. Sadly, we weren't able to go, but we did get to watch it from home. The program was great and we can honestly say that the presence of God was heavy in our home!

It was during this time that DS told us that he felt God calling him to preach when he was grown. If you know DS, then you know that he likes to be go into detail when he tells you something and it usually turns out to be very entertaining. This time was no different!

After he said he was going to be a preacher, he said that God was calling him all over the world except for Antarctica. When we asked why, he said that it was really cold there and that there were hardly any people there anyway because everyone was afraid of the polar bears!!!

He then told us that the only way to get rid of the polar bears was to use a bow and arrow. With that being said, he requested to take archery lessons just in case he ever needs them. :-)

Why DS is NOT a Falcons Fan!!!

If you know us at all, you know that DH is a HUGE Georgia football fan!!! He loves the Bulldogs and the Falcons. The first time I felt DS move when I was pregnant was when the Falcons won the playoffs and were headed to the Super Bowl. (Yes, believe it or not the Falcons went to the Super Bowl!!! LOL) Anyway, DH was yelling so loud that he scared our puppies and apparently freaked our child out!!! :-)

Now that DS is older, he is beginning to like his own teams instead of just going along with Dad. I'm not sure if he really does like them better or if this is an early form of rebellion - I'm praying that it's just that he has a mind of his own!!!

The fact that DS prefers the Tigers (Clemson) and Carolina Panthers has been causing quite a stir at our house lately. It's really funny, but a few days ago, it became hilarious!

DS got a Falcons sweatshirt from his cousin and when I showed it to him, DS made the comment that he couldn't wear it! I was kind of surprised that he was serious about not wearing so I asked him why.
He said very seriously, "I can't be a Falcons fan! Big cats eat little birds!!!"

And the war continues... :-)

And A Child Shall Lead Them...

Last night we didn't make it to church because we only have one car and DH ended up working late. I thought this was a good reason - until we sat down to eat.

I said our blessing and when I finished DS added a prayer of his own. He thanked God for the food and then asked Jesus to forgive us for not going to church.

When he was finished, I explained to him why we didn't go. He replied, "You know, Mom, when we don't go to church we're abandoning the word of God."

OUCH!!!

A New Year!

I am officially one year older now!!! Surprisingly, I wasn't depressed at all about having a birthday this year. I guess I am getting to a point in my life where I am getting more excited about what God has planned in the upcoming year!

I had a really great birthday this year. I asked everyone NOT to make me a cake this year, but I did have a couple of scoops of ice cream... chocolate ice cream to be exact! I have to admit earlier tonight I was craving at least a bite of birthday cake, but I'll be so glad I didn't have any later this week!!!

I spent the first part of my day with my parents and DS. Around 3 pm, I picked DH up at work and we met with a very nice couple and signed the paperwork for our new house. That's right! We are moving this weekend!!! What a birthday surprise!!! :-)

We are so looking forward to living in our new house! We absolutely love it!!! DS's even excited about the move this time. Last time we moved, he ended up having a really hard time with it (totally unexpected!) and even made the comment that we left his whole world back at our old house. He thought nobody would know where he lived! It was really sad, but he finally managed to get over it. So when DH and I decided to start looking for a new house, we thought he would be upset again, but much to our surprise, he was all for the idea. I am sure part of it is because we will be living a lot closer to one of his favorite people in the whole world! :-)

We are just looking forward to beginning this new chapter in our lives. It's awesome how God allows you to go through really difficult things that make the good things in life so much sweeter! We are amazed at how everything fell into place for us concerning this house. We had people praying with us and as soon as the request was made, miraculous things started happening. I am still in awe of it all! Isn't it funny how we walk in our faith and we believe with all that we are that God will do it. And when He does it, we can't believe He did it??? (Does that make sense at all??? LOL)

I am so glad that our house hunt is over!!! I do want to personally thank my sister, who is the one who sent me the email with pics of the house. (I haven't forgotten about that finder's fee!!! LOL) And of course, I want to thank God that He allowed everything to fall into place as only He can do!!!

***********************************

UPDATE ON WEIGHT WATCHERS:

As of this past Saturday, I have lost a total of 17 lbs!!! God is so good!!! :-)

This Week At Our House...

I have finally gotten every thing we need to start our school year in two weeks... I think I have almost everything!!! I am really excited about the new year, but after seeing how much more work there is to do compared to last year I think I may need to take an extra month off to fully prepare!!! I am amazed at how much more there is to learn this year. God help me!!! LOL

DS is looking forward to being in the third grade, but he has told me that he really likes summer vacation, too! LOL He's excited about all of our new books, folders, etc - I don't think reality has hit him just yet... that's probably a good thing! :-)

Besides getting ready for homeschool, I reopened my online store about a month ago so I've been really busy with that the last few weeks. It is going even better than before so far and I am having a lot of fun with it. It's always a little bit of work trying to get everything set up and going, but I know that eventually all my hard work will pay off. It's already picked up a bit just in the last week. I shipped 12 packages off this past Saturday!!! Praise God!!!

We are also in the process of finding a new house. If you pray today, please remember us during our search. We have found several houses we like, but we are really interested in one and hopefully if it's God's will we'll be able to get that one. It's a lot closer to hubby's work and would cut out over an hour and half of driving every day!!! We'll be able to see him more and the money we save in gas will be awesome, too!

Oh, did I mention that we have a new pet bird!!! I've never had one of these before, but honestly they're not much work at all. He's a blue parakeet named "Blue" and he's adorable. He was my mom's bird and she decided to give me an early "birthday present" so I ended up bringing him home a few weeks ago.

On a funny note, when we first saw the bird, my Mom had him in one cage and had another empty cage sitting over to the side. DS asked her why she had the empty bird cage and being silly, I told him that she had an imaginary bird. He seemed to be ok with that answer and I didn't think he had taken me seriously.

The next time we were visiting the empty bird cage was gone and DS asked my Mom what had happened to the invisible bird. Laughing , I told him that she had gotten it an imaginary cage and once again I thought he knew I was kidding.

Well, on the day my mother gave me Blue, DS asked her if she would be keeping the invisible bird and she told him he could have it! To this day, about a month later, he tells everyone that we have 2 birds and his bird sits underneath my bird cage. I didn't realize how serious he was until one day I put the bird food and grit underneath my cage and then he got upset and reminded me that his bird cage usually sat there!!! I moved the food and apparently his imaginary bird, Crush, has been sitting there ever since!!! LOL

Update on Weight Watchers...

Well, it has been 2 months since I started Weight Watchers. After 8 weeks, I have lost a total of 12.6 pounds. I know that may not seem like a lot to some people, but when you're only 5 ft 2-1/2 inches it does make a big difference! LOL
I'm already fitting into smaller clothes and my BMI level has gone down over 2.5 points!!! And I'm on my way to being healthier and more fit!!! :-)

I am so glad that this actually works. Even if you don't exercise one week, if you stay within your point range, you still lose! Of course, if you do exercise you lose even more. I upped my two mile walk to a three mile walk twice this past week and I lost 2.4 lbs!

This program is a Godsend for me!!! Of course, alot of people will probably never realize the time it took to reach a point where I was disciplined enough to even start something like this. I actually prayed and fasted for months beforehand asking God to give me self control and the discipline I needed to get into better physical shape. I also asked Him to show me what to do and how to do it. And as always God came through for me and directed me to people I knew who got back into shape through WW and also He allowed me to discover Leslie Sansone videos and DVDs!!! These are actually the best workouts I've ever done and I actually enjoy doing them!

As for the reasons why I decided to seek God about getting back into shape, I believe it's His will for us to be healthy and physically fit. I know that God has big plans for me in the future and I know that there's no way I can do what He's called me to do if I am always feeling bad about myself or having physical problems that are caused by being an unhealthy weight. I do know that it's going to be a process, but now I am well on my way to reaching my goal simply because I stepped out in faith and did something about it.

I am loving Weight Watchers, exercising, starting to feel better about myself, etc. But as with any journey I go on, there have been a few bad days when I ate a little bit more than I should have or I started feeling like it's taking too long and I want to lose faster! I've noticed that these days only come around when I lose my focus and instead of looking at the big picture, I focus on that moment. I have learned that when this happens if I just remind myself of the reasons why I am doing this and I ask myself where do I want to be this time next year, I usually refocus and everything starts going smoothly again.

One thing that I've heard that really keeps me motivated is this: You are becoming today what you will be tomorrow! So when I want to sit down after walking only a mile, I remind myself that if I can hang in there for another 30 minutes or so, I will reach my goal even quicker. If I sit today, I'll still be sitting in the same place a year from now. But if keep on going today, only God knows where I can be tomorrow!!! :-)

Reflections

I am beginning to realize how much of a reflection of God we are as Christians. If we claim to be a Christian, our lives, regardless of how we live them, are always a reflection on Him.

As Christians, aren't we supposed to reflect God to others, especially those who don't really know Him. If that is the case, then I wonder how others see God when they look at me???

Do they see a kind and gentle God or a God who is mean and harsh???

Do they see a God who is compassionate and forgiving or an uncompassionate and unforgiving God???

Do they see a God who is approachable and trustworthy or a God who will push people away and can't be trusted???

Do they see a God who sees the best in others or a God who is judgemental???

Do they see a God who will help those in need or a God who doesn't care???

Do they see a God who uplifts others or a God who puts others down???

Those are only a few of the questions I have been asking myself lately. But, the big question is when others look at my life, do they even see God??? Am I living a life that reflects Him or am I just another face in the crowd? Does the way I live my life make others want more of Him???

My hope is that my life would be pleasing to God and that I would be a wonderful example of God's heart. My prayer is that I would be used to draw others to Him and not drive them away!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

To the most wonderful guy in the world!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

... Oh, Yes I Did!!!

What A Great Weekend!!!

DS had a great birthday and our birthday celebrations lasted all weekend! We had the party on Saturday as planned and then we had a full day with family on Sunday as well.

The birthday party was a lot of fun! We started the party around noon and lasted until almost 5. After the party we took DS to Toys R Us where he got 2 Gameboy games with his birthday money. While he was there he also got his birthday crown and even though they were out of helium at the customer service counter, they tracked down a balloon for him. (I thought that was so sweet!!!) He did get a few Happy Birthdays from other shoppers and proudly wore his crown while I got to carry his balloon through the store.

After we left Toys R Us, DS wanted to eat at KFC. If you know DS, you know how sociable he can be so when we went into KFC he proudly (and loudly) announced that it was his birthday. LOL The manager just happened to be standing close by and gave him a free Kid's Meal! Way to go!!! LOL (I thought that was so sweet, too!)

After KFC and since it was so late, we offered to buy DS a DVD instead of going to the movies. He was all about getting a new DVD and ended up getting two older (and cheaper!) releases. His picks were The Spongebob Movie and The Pacifier. We let him stay up until 11:30 and watch the Spongebob movie while eating lots of popcorn.

The next morning, we went to church... which was AWESOME! If you want to visit a church that is awesome and the presence of God is truly evident then you should come to church with us one Sunday or Wednesday . God is really moving and wonderful things are happening!!! I have honestly never felt the power of God so strong as I did on Sunday morning. The presence of God was so heavy that I had a hard time even standing up!!! So again, if you are interested in being part of an awesome church, leave a comment or email me and I'll give you directions!!!

After church, we had to stop in at Walmart to pick up a few things for the barbecue that afternoon. My father in law and his wife showed up around 2. We had a great time with them, too!

We visited with family until almost 8 that night and then we emptied the pool and played with our puppy, Brisco, for awhile. We let DS stay up until after 10 and then we watched a little bit of tv before turning in for the night.

Overall, we had a GREAT weekend!!! We are all a little bit tired, but it was worth it. :-)

TO MY BABY:

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!!!
I LOVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS... :-)

LOVE, MOM

Tomorrow's The Day!

Tomorrow is the big day!!! DS will be celebrating his 8th birthday and we will be having a party for him with some of his dearest friends and cousins. He is so excited!!!

DS has actually been planning on having a Pirate's themed party since the day after his 7th birthday. If you see our family on a regular basis, then I am sure that you have been invited to DS's birthday party at least a time or two... or more over the last year! LOL

We are praying that it doesn't rain because it's looking like it may. We've already decided that if it does, we will just have cake and ice cream in the house. I doubt we'll be able to do the treasure hunts or play in the water, but I'm sure we're still going to have a great time.

After the party on Saturday, we are planning on spending family time with DS for his birthday. This means just the three of us hanging out together. Every year we take him to Toys R Us and then we go out to eat. For those who aren't aware, Toys R Us has a birthday club for kids. After they sign up at customer service, Toys R Us will send them a birthday card every year for their birthday. This card contains a gift card and also a card to give to the customer service rep on the day of their birthday. When you give it to the rep, they give the child a balloon and a birthday crown. They also announce the child's birthday over the intercom. It's a lot of fun and every year since we signed DS up we have made it part of his day. He loves it and can't wait until he gets his card every year!!!

We are also doing things a little bit different this year as far as our family time. We usually take DS out for a Happy Meal, but since he's a little bit older and really enjoys eating a lot more than he has in the past, we are letting him choose the place to eat this year. We are also going to take him to see a movie afterwards. He's really wanting to see Spiderman 3, but is also interested in seeing Shrek. I guess we'll have to wait to see what's playing when we get there.

On Sunday, we are planning on having a birthday barbecue with DH's dad's side of the family. Until earlier tonight, DH thought it was a barbecue to celebrate only DS's birthday, but I have secretly been planning all along to make it a celebration for both of them since DH's birthday is June 19. I finally told him because DS knew about it and I made him promise me that he wouldn't say anything. But every time the barbecue would come up, DS would start whispering (loudly) and asking if we were still not telling Daddy about it being for him, too. I honestly thought DH had figured it out, but to my surprise he didn't have a clue until I told him. Me and my big mouth!!! LOL

We are so looking forward to a very fun and busy weekend. We have always had such a great time on DS's birthdays and I am sure that this birthday will be lots of fun, too!!! :-)

Missing God

I am at a place where I don't want to miss what God has for me anymore! So many times in the past I know that I have come up short and given up right before God opened the door to my miracle. I know that sometimes God was probably standing there with the right door wide open and I missed it because I wasn't completely focused on Him at the time.

Even though I was headed in the right direction, at some point I took my eyes off of Him. By doing this, when I thought I was hearing Him say one thing, it wasn't really God I was hearing and then I missed the opportunity He had set aside just for me. Work that only I could do, but will never be completed because I failed to be obedient. And even if I am given the opportunity again later on in life, how many people will have missed out because of my delay.

It is so sad when we've worked and went through hell for some things only to give up right before God shows up. I don't want to be in that place anymore. I've learned that just before God moves, all hell breaks loose and it gets so hard to keep on keeping on. But I do know with all that I am that sometimes I have to let God carry me when I can't stand on my own anymore and simply wait on Him. It is then that whatever it is I have been working for and/or waiting for will happen just when I least expect it.

A New Journey

As of this past Saturday, I am on a new journey to become more healthy and fit. God has been dealing with me for quite a while on this issue and I have finally decided to obey.

I have been exercising regularly (3-5 days/week) for the last 4 months. I have really enjoyed it, but exercising alone isn't going to help me reach my ultimate goals. This past Saturday I joined Weight Watchers and so far this week I've been able to stick with it and am doing very well. Those who pray, please pray for me that God will use this program to help me become more disciplined and eventually lose down to where I need to be. I will not go into specifics, but I do have a lot of work to do!

I had been praying and asking God to help me in this area. During the Christmas holidays, I was visiting with my step mother-in-law who had lost a LOT of weight recently. I found out that she was going to Weight Watchers. It's a lot easier to believe that something will work when you've seen the results with your own eyes! Right then, I started thinking about going myself. I started praying about it and asked God to confirm what I was feeling and also to provide the finances. Within a month or two, I began hearing of more and more people (that I know) who decided to try Weight Watchers and were being successful with it. I also found out that it doesn't cost much at all!!! Later on, my own sister started going and so now I had a partner. Doors began opening and everything fell into place ... that's when I was sure it was God.

The journey has been easy so far with only a few minor bumps. I know that it may not always be this easy, but I do know that with God's help I will get through this and I will be successful in the end. It was God who gave me the desire to do this and it will be God who will give me the strength to accomplish it!!!

This Week At Our House

We finished our schooling last Friday and are already enjoying our summer vacation. We haven't done too much except DS has been allowed to watch more than enough TV so far this week and I am slowly catching up on getting some things done around the house. I still have to get all of the paperwork done and sent into our homeschool assoc before our year will officially be complete so that's another thing I'll be doing this week.

DS's birthday is next Saturday (June 9) so I am also planning for that. He wants to have an outdoor party this year so depending on the weather, we're trying to accommodate. We're planning to do a Pirates themed party complete with a treasure hunt. DH's going to draw up several different treasure maps for the hunt. Each child will pick one and then set off to find their treasure. All maps will lead to a treasure, but only one map will lead to the ultimate treasure... haven't quite figured out what just yet. :-) Anyway, we are really having fun getting everything together. Hopefully I'll have all the invitations sent out by the weekend.

I am always a little bit sad about DS getting a year older and this year isn't any different. I do try to stay focused on the good things about it such as he is growing, he is healthy and we have another great year to look forward to seeing him develop more into the young man God is calling him to be. As I said in an earlier post, I do tend to reminisce a lot about when he was born, when he was younger, all the cute things he's done... and said! LOL But ultimately, I am praising God for this precious gift He's given me!!!

WOW!!!

We had revival at our church on Sunday and all I can say is "WOW!!!" God was definitely in the house. I could literally feel the force of His presence during both services!

How awesome is it when God confirms what you've been feeling He's telling you over the last few months by someone you've never met before. How much more awesome is it when that person also gives you the same word you received 10 years ago!!! God is so awesome!!!

God is really moving right now!!! Especially in our church, but also in our personal lives. We are starting to see not just a miracle, but several miracles at a time. I truly believe there is an open heaven right now and God is just waiting to hear what we're going to ask of Him.

One Week To Go!!!

Only one more week of homeschooling until our summer vacation begins!!! We are both excited, but I have to admit that I'll probably miss it a little bit. Of course, we could homeschool year round, but I want DS to be able to enjoy a school-free summer like most kids his age. We usually start in early August (usually the first Monday) and are finished with the school year by the last Friday in May (before Memorial Day).

It's hard to believe he'll be in 3rd grade next year! It's even harder to believe that I've been doing this for 4 years already!!! I have to admit that I was very nervous about it at first, but the longer I do it, the more confident I become. I actually have a lot of fun homeschooling DS. It still amazes that I am the one who taught him to read and write!

My favorite part of homeschooling, aside from teaching, is the fact that I get to spend one on one time with him for several hours a day. I usually stay very busy during the day, but when we homeschool, I have to make it a point to sit down and focus on nothing but DS. So if I don't get a chance to sit in the floor and play Spiderman one day, it's ok because I have already spent a good deal of time with him already.

I am planning to homeschool DS until he graduates. I admit that I am a little bit nervous about 11th and 12th grade, but I know that when the time comes, God will get me through it. DS did ask me a few weeks ago if I planned on homeschooling him through college!!! LOL Well, at least he's already thinking about college!!!

Resting In God

To rest in God is to trust Him completely. It’s knowing that, regardless of what our situation is or how long we have to wait, God will eventually come through for us.

HAPPY ONE DAY AFTER MOTHER'S DAY!!!

DS woke me up this morning and led me to the kitchen. He had made me breakfast!!! He made a bowl of cereal and orange juice. He had placed them both beside my Mother's Day flowers. (This is the first time he's ever made me breakfast!!!) -- So sweet!!!

A little bit later, he was drawing in a book he had received from the Post Office. The directions on the page said to create a stamp by drawing something you think is wonderful - anything you want. He drew a picture of me on the stamp! -- Even sweeter!!!

When he showed me the stamp he had created, I gave him a big hug and kiss. I told him that he was being very sweet to me today. He replied, "Happy One Day After Mother's Day!!!" -- Priceless!!! :-)

Definitions By DS :-)

With DS's birthday being right around the corner, this is the time of year that I like to reminisce and if you've known me for awhile then you already know that I usually talk about him a lot during this time of year. Because of this I'll probably blog more about him over the next month or two. I know that this blog is supposed to be about me, but if you know me at all, then you know DS is a huge part of who I am!!!

I love to scrapbook and I love to write down anything and everything about DS... especially during the early years. It's always fun to look back and remember things that I know I would've forgotten if I didn't write it down.

One of the cutest things I tried to keep track of is what he thinks a word means. Here are a few favorites from over the last few years that I thought I would share -

1. China Cabinet - It's a place where the Chinese keep their ancestors.

2. Discipline - It’s when parents get mad and punish their child.

3. Fire Hydrant - It's where a dog uses the bathroom.

4. Boldness - It’s when you don’t have any hair.

5. Tithe - It’s when you lay down and go to sleep. Also, it’s what men wear around their necks to go to work.

And last, but not least... :-)

6. Banjo Players - crazy people who don't have much, live in log cabins and play the banjo.

Mother's Day 2007

I really had a great Mother's Day today!!! I was running extra late this morning, but still made it to church on time. We got to hang out with the kids today and make potted plants and cards for all the Moms. I purposely didn't watch DS make mine, but when I told him how lovely it was after church he replied, "You saw me make it!" I guess it really wouldn't matter if I had watched! LOL

I also received a devotional and, yes, a rose! I love getting flowers on Mother's Day and getting the rose kind of took me back to my very first Mother's Day!

I also got to see my Mom and spend a few hours with her. I really missed getting to do that while we lived out of state so it's extra special now when I get to do that especially on a holiday. After we visited her, we visited my nephew whose birthday is actually tomorrow. He is only 26 days older than DS so they are very close and enjoy each other a lot. They always say the other one is their best friend - it's really cute!!!

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On a funny note, Tia (our puppy) unexpectedly "reached maturity" earlier this week and DS thought she was dying!!!

Those who have dogs who have not yet been "fixed" should understand why. We noticed Monday night that she looked like she might be ready, but it became official the next day when we saw the "red" spots on the bathroom floor.

We've been keeping her in the bathroom and although DS knows a little bit about the birds and the bees, we have never discussed dogs with him. I had told him that Tia needed to stay in the bathroom for the next couple of weeks because she was having puppy problems, but I forgot to mention the "red" spots.

He went into the bathroom later that afternoon and started yelling for me to come fast. He said, "Mom, hurry up! Tia's bleeding and I think she may be dying!" POOR KID!!!

I finally explained to him that she wasn't dying and, if you know DS, he was full of questions!!! So I ended up explaining that if Tia was married, she would be able to have babies and this was her body's way of getting her ready. I then explained that since she wasn't married she couldn't have babies right now and so her body was getting rid of some stuff. He was satisfied with that explanation, so I left it at that!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this weekend and we are really looking forward to spending time with our Moms on Sunday. We are planning on celebrating my "day" on Saturday.

Mother's Day is a very special day to me! It's always a reminder of how much God must love me to have blessed me with such an awesome little boy. I remember my very first Mother's Day after DS arrived. After waiting for so long to have him, I finally got to stand up along with the other mothers during our church's Mother's Day service. They gave all of the Moms a rose - I still have mine! :-)

After church, we took DS to have his pictures made ... my very first Mother's Day gift from my guys! Even though DS was a turkey when we had the pictures made (you can't tell it by looking at the pictures LOL), those pictures are still very precious to me and always take me back to that day when I look at them.

Since then, Mother's Day just seems to get better and better every year. As DS gets older, he says and does the sweetest things for me on my special day. He came to me out of the blue a few days ago asking when May 13th was and, honestly, I didn't realize what he was actually asking about and thought he had it confused with our last day of school. So I told him that we still had another few weeks to go. He said, " No, Mom. I need to know when Mother's Day is going to be because I want to buy you a present because I love you and you're my mom!" :-)