Tomorrow is…

…my little Kerry’s birthday!!  He will be 6 yrs. old…so hard to believe!!

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Little Kerry, Happy Birthday!!  I love you SO much!!

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Here’s a couple of links (from last year) about my precious little boy:

—“Five years”

—“Happy In Hats”

Happy Monday!

Ever had this feeling?  I sure have, but it’s never been this funny:

Latest Happenings

Recent Updates:

—June 13 at 7:19am:

Little Kerry’s got his last t-ball game this morning. They’re going to give out little trophies…

he will be so tickled! 🙂

—Yesterday at 4:17pm:

Went to Lazy O Farms yesterday…Having VBS at church all week. The kids are lovin’ it! 🙂

—at 4:28pm June 17:

At Lazy O Farms, the kids and I got to make home-made ice-cream and butter, visit the farm animals, feed the goats,

go on a hay-ride, etc. We went w/ our friends Suzanne and Ethan, and my niece Rachel. Despite the drizzle, it was a lot of fun!

–My daughter, Sarah made a post on her blog about VBS. See the link. VBS #2 « God’s Love

—Wed., June 17th:

Only 2 more nights of VBS! So far, we’ve learned that God’s love is a gift,

His love changes us, and His love is always w/ us! 🙂

Lemonade’s A Good Thing…

…and I LIKE it!

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I got an email from my brother Johnny today, entitled, “When Life Gives You Lemonade…Dedicated To All Pet-Lovers.” Of course, since I love dogs, lemonade, and all things inspirational, I thought I must share. Below is part of the message I received:

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This is ‘Faith’

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs – 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which needed to be amputated.

He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore, he was thinking of ‘putting him to sleep’.
By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him.
She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him ‘Faith’.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfing board to let him feel the movements.

Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him to stand up and jump around..

Even the other dog at home also helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jump to move forward.

After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him.
He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows.
There is even one book entitled ‘With A Little Faith’ being published about him.

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**I say it’s always good to be reminded…of how to make lemonade! 😉

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**P.S. I discovered Faith’s official website, here. The book, entitled, “With A Little Faith,” can be found over here.

A Very Long Week

Well, last post I wrote about how hectic things had been. The very next day, things began to change. This past week, our little family has HAD to slow down, whether we liked it or not! Here are some high-lights of the week (as posted on Facebook):

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May 25 at 2:02pm “Alright, you yucky germs, you shall rue the day you invaded my head & body!! O.k., maybe not…but don’t get too comfy! Your abode here is only temporary…This too shall pass!!” 🙂

at 2:14pm May 25

Been sick since Sat…Difficult to breathe, hear, think, walk around. However, I refuse to be an hospitable host…this is war!!! O.k., yes, I may be a little addled and dizzy between the fever and medications….
So, I may have to lay back down now, but once again I say, “This too shall pass!!” 🙂
…And yes, your prayers are appreciated! 🙂

May 26 at 11:25am Feeling a little better today…Think I’ll be on the mend soon! 🙂 Thank You Lord! 🙂

at 11:29am May 2

P.S. I’m prepared…I just got re-stocked on Mucinex, saline nose spray, Robitussin DM, & tissues! 🙂

May 27 at 1:00pm

Hubby’s sick too…home from work today. I’m still strugglin’, & the kids aren’t feeling

too good either. Yep, 1 sick little family, but we’re here together!! 🙂

at 7:19pm May 27

O.k., I’m SOOOO bored w/ T.V.!!!!!! Must find something more productive…still don’t feel up to doing much, though.

at 8:52pm May 27

Scott’s still having fever, so he’ll probably be home tomorrow too.

Thu 10:49am

In the words of King Julian (ya know, Penguins of Madagascar)…

“HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?!!!!” {I have tried declaring that I will no longer

be sick now…sadly this has not yet worked!}

at 11:41am May 28

O.k., patience is not always one of my best virtues! 🙂 Good thing the Lord is still workin’ on me! 🙂

Thu 11:39am

“Our Daily Bread” for today says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit

has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…to the end of the earth.” –Acts 1:8

Fri 1:34pm

“ODB” for today says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be

able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” –Eph. 6:11

at 1:59pm May 29

Yep, it’s been kind of a long week ’round here. The Lord is my strength. Praise the Lord that we’re starting to get back to “normal.”

…Well, ya know, “normal” is such a relative word!! 🙂

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**Latest Update: I had missed last Sunday morning church services, and we all had to stay home Wed. night. I was so glad to be able to

attend church this morning! Of course, I did have to come straight home and take a nap, but still very glad that I was able to be at church today! 🙂

Yay, It’s Friday!

Things have been rather hectic lately…busy week, but good. Between homeschooling, co-ops, field trips, play-dates, church, t-ball, softball, spring cleaning, organizing, planning, etc…I’ve been a little busier than normal. Also, about 2 weeks ago, I started a “job/chore chart” for the kids, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. The first day, Kerry was outraged and fought it every step of the way. (In fact, that morning, Kerry informed me that he hated the new chart, that he was not going to do it, and that he would tear into little pieces!) However, I forged ahead, not giving up on our new system quite yet. By the end of the day, I had cried, prayed, and disciplined until I had quite a headache. However…Kerry also had smiley faces for each of the jobs (including making his bed, cleaning up his room, doing his math and reading, etc.)! To my amazement, by the next day, Kerry had totally changed his mind about the chart. Now, he is actually excited and eager to get the the day filled up with smiley faces! In fact, Kerry’s an early bird, and he often has most of his work done by 8:00 am! Usually, Sarah’s not even awake by then, so she finds his accomplishment more than slightly annoying! 🙂

Yep, these kids sure are keeping me busy and “on my toes.” All this trying to keep them active often wears me out, while they’re just getting warmed up! 🙂 Sarah, especially, is hard to wear out, unless she’s sick or something. She may not like to get up early, but once she is awake, she likes to “go, go, go” all day!

Last night, Sarah made it to a softball game for the 1st time (this was the 2nd game…she cried about missing the 1st one while she was sick). She got to bat twice and hit the ball both times. Her team won 8 to 3…Sarah was soooo excited! All the girls played hard, and the coach was very supportive and encouraging.

I am glad though that we have no t-ball or softball games on the horizon for tomorrow! I’m glad it’s Friday, and I’m definitely looking forward to a little rest and relaxation with the family. Hope you all have a great weekend, and God Bless! 🙂

I’m Thanking The Lord…

today for His blessings. I have been pain-free today…no migraines, stabbing sinus pain, or headache of any kind!…Thank You Lord!! I also haven’t had any nausea or upset stomach.

I also thank the Lord for friends…other moms and kids to get together with for co-op lessons, play-dates, support, fellowship, and fun.

I also thank Him for:

–Sarah doing well on her standardized test

–Kerry improving on his reading and math

–His guidance and provision in our purchase of another vehicle & other financial matters

–All the little ways He has shown Scott and I that He is with us…helping us all along the way

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Thank you Lord for all Your many blessings on our family!!

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Who Is Really At Risk?

Last week, Scott forwarded this email message to me:

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If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a “dangerous breed” category

and you also have a small child please take this as a warning.

Don’t leave your dog with the child unattended under any circumstances.

Only a little moment was enough for the following to happen.

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The Thing With Commitments…

…is that…there’s all this committing involved! 🙂
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Well, to those who know me personally, it may seem like I’ve taken a step back. You know, like I’ve started disappearing from some things and haven’t been as involved as I once was. Some friends, extended family, and fellow church members have started to notice this, and I have to agree that it’s true. (I may not be as present on the web either…less memes, daily stuff, and long-winded posts…maybe more quick posts, blurbs, and comments; on occasion.)

The good news is that it’s not because I’m severely depressed or anything. (I know there have been such times in which I’ve started slinking away from life because of fear, anxiety, stress, or great sadness.) However, my reasons now may still be difficult for others to understand, nonetheless. You see, lately, I’ve had to start making some tough choices, and it’s certainly not been easy nor fun…but necessary.

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I’ve never liked feeling like I’m letting others down, so I often try to take on more, whether I can handle it or not. I also, like many people, don’t like to admit when I can’t do it all! Some may look at me and think that I can do a lot more than I have been doing, and for me to cut back even more would seem ludicrous! However, this is truly one time in my life that I have to make a concerted effort to not let what others think, guide my actions. I do not state this in anger, but only in absolute truth, with love. It’s just the way it is.

I have made a commitment, and I know it’s time that I start giving it 100%! My husband and I made the decision 3 yrs. ago to home school, yet somehow along the way, I’ve lost focus. Home schooling was supposed to be a top priority, yet I’ve let so many other things sneak in and take precedent.

The simple truth is that home schooling my children, keeping a home, being a good wife, and taking care of my family takes EVERY little ounce of everything I’ve got! There’s just not a lot left over! It takes all the faith, perseverance, energy, discernment, wisdom, brain-power, brawn, will-power, motivation, love, courage, patience, resources, money and time that I have! No doubt about it…yep, EVERY BIT!! 🙂

Sooooo, that being the case, what am I to do? In order to do the very best job that I can, I HAVE to start letting some things go. I’ve at least got to back off from some other activities for a while to give this a real chance!

Some may think that the price is too high or too unfair, but that is not really for anyone else to judge. Actually, it’s also, no longer the way I see it anymore. This is a season of my life, and this is what I need to do for now to have success in homeschooling. (In fact, as the kids get older, the instruction time will actually have to increase.)

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Well, I don’t know, some may want more explanation, and some may want MUCH less! 🙂 Anyway, just know that I’m not depressed, I’m not mad, and I’m not giving up on life. No, the truth is, I’m actually just beginning to live…to live the life God has for me…one day at a time!

Walk On Faith

The past several days, “Walk On Faith” has been my theme song. I’ve been playing it over and over…on my computer and in my mind. Every time I start to get a little discouraged, I say a prayer, and I recite a line or two of this song (along with Bible verses). I especially love the line “just keep putting one foot down in front of the other,” and I find that acting on it is very helpful!

I can really identify with the line “when everything inside wants to give up.” No matter how much I may feel that way, I must press on (Phil. 3:14). I’m definitely walking on faith, stepping out and trying new things; trusting in the Ultimate Love. I’m depending on my Savior to carry me through, and He gives me a stronger, deeper love for my family. He challenges me to give more, to do more, and to put my love into action!

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Walk On Faith

By: Mike Reid

We have come to this place in our love
Where faith must be stronger than fear
For if true love is our destination
Through every storm it must always be clear
The surest way to get there from here

CHORUS
Is to walk on faith
Trust in love
Just keep on putting one foot down
In front the other
When the valley so wide
We stumble in stride
And everything inside wants to give up
Walk on faith; trust in love

Farther on beyond the shadows of our doubts
We will live where true love never dies
Though the road we must travel is uncertain
There is a truth in our hearts that never lies
It is by such grace we are bound to arrive

Is to walk on faith
Trust in love
Just keep on putting one foot down
In front the other
When the valley so wide
We stumble in stride
And everything inside wants to give up
Walk on faith; trust in love

Come on walk on faith when the valley is wide
And everything inside is telling you to give up
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**You-tube video here.
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**P.S.  There's another Bible verse that we've had on our bulletin
board this week that has been a great source of encouragement 
for me. As I've been going along throughout my day, I've looked up 
at it several times. Colossians 3:17 says, "...And whatever you do
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks 
to God the Father through Him." This scripture reminds me to keep 
trying and to give my best in all that I do...whether great or small; 
giving God the glory.