30 day of Thanksgiving #13

Today I am thankful for...hmmmm...I know there must be something...

I guess this would be writer's block, or better yet, blogger's block. tee hee hee

I reckon I'm just glad to be here...glad and thankful to be alive. Thankful to be able to smell the roses.

Sorry this post seems so thoughtless, but I am just not full of words tonight, I guess.

BTW...please say a little prayer or a big one if you've got it in ya...for my sweet mother as she goes for her 3rd Chemo treatment tomorrow. God love her...she has been an amazing trooper through all of this. If I got anything from her side of the gene pool, I pray it is her stamina and perseverance.

Also...please lift up my friend Daphne's dad as he is having some issues with his liver and in the hospital.

Thanks for tuning in!!! LOL

This day I am thankful for...

...my village. "It takes a village to raise a child." author Unknown

I believe that statement ten fold. I think my parents did a pretty darn good job raising me, but I don't think they would mind if I gave a little credit or maybe a lot of credit to the other influences in my life as I grew up. To name a few were, my Pastors, Youth Pastors, Sunday School teachers, Training Union teachers, GA teachers, Girl Scout leaders, school teachers, school counselors, college professors, mentors...this list could go on an on.

Thankfully, I am in a village with my children that has a slew of wonderful leaders. E is experiencing a great deal of love and encouragement here. Our little school is awesome. The staff there truly cares about the inner child and works every day to encourage self acceptance. Her Brownie Troop leader last year was wonderful. She has had great cheerleading coaches (one being fellow blog friend, Julie), soccer coaches, basketball coaches, softball coaches, all who have volunteered their time to teach them talents. The Children's Pastor, Pastor Colleene, at our church is "THE BOMB". Her intern/assistant Candice is just as wonderful. They both clearly love our children and relate to them in a way that I cannot. Pastor Laura loves the children and greets them with smiles and love as well. All three take time to be with our children on their level. But at the same time, all three will jerk a knot in these kids to lead them in the right direction. Yesterday, Pastor Colleene and Candice threw together a trip to the movies at the last minute. They knew the kids were out of school and they ususally have Allies (after school christian group) on Tuesdays. Those two could have taken the afternoon off. But instead, they chose to find a way to spend it with our kids. These kids (and their parents) will remember that forever. Pastor Rick loves our children as well, and hugs them up any time they pass by. Their love for Jesus is expressively evident and what a witness to us. The children here are blessed beyond measure to have these influences in their lives.

REVELATION...as I was writing this post I felt the love of God over me. You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get and you know it is Him wrapping his arms around you. Well, I just got it...WOOHOO...thank you Jesus. He reminded me that I need to remember these people in my daily prayers. So...OK God...I here you...I WILL lift them up to you. I realize Bo and I could not do this "raising" thing all by ourselves.

30 Days of Thanksgiving #11

In the true fashion of Veteran's Day, today I want to say thanks to our Veterans. Those who have fought for our freedom many, many years past, as well as, to those who have been a part of our most current war. We owe a debt to these Veterans and their families we will never be able to repay.

Thanks to all of you for your bravery!!

30 Days of Thanksgiving #8 & #9...

Sorry I have let a couple of days slide. My mother came over for the weekend so I did not spend too much time on the computer. What time I did spend, I spent reading all the other blogs I stalk. HA!!

So, due to the fact that I have two blessings to catch up at the same time, I think this is the perfect time for me to share my thanks for my girls. Emily and Brooke will never know the value they have added to my life. I am crazy in love with those two little girls. They are absolutely at the top of the list of the best things (aside from my salvation and their daddy) that ever happened to me.

Ten great things about Emily are...

1. Emily has a big heart. She loves to make/give things to people. Example: Anytime I bake something, she thinks of someone she wants to take a piece of whatever it may be. She loves to write cards. Anything to lift someone up. I pray this is the preparation of a servant heart and she will use it someday to minister to others.

2. She loves her family. She adores her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (even extended ones) and lights up when you bring someone up and is very interested in what is going on with them and when we are going to get to see them again.

3. She has a love for Jesus. The sweetest thing ever was when she was trying to get Brooke to say "I LOVE JESUS" and "JESUS IS MY SAVIOR". She accepted Christ at the age of seven.

4. She loves, loves, LOVES, Taco Soup.

5. She loves to go hunting with her daddy. I'm not sure how much they get to hunt...she is a pretty high maintenance little girl. Although she will never admit that. HA!!

6. She adores her school, her teachers, her church pastors. She is very trusting and loving to the leaders in her life. She does not want to let them down.

7. She still believes in Santa Claus...or she hasn't let on to ME that she doesn't. I hope she never does. I love the magic of Christmas and will never, ever tell her any different.

8. She enjoys riding her bike, playing school, cheering, basketball, softball and dancing. If there is music playing she is going to jiggle...no matter who is around. I love this about her because it tells me she is comfortable in her own skin. As long as it is appropriate, I hope she dances to the music forever.

9. She loves praise and worship at church.

10. She is crazy about High School Musical and Hannah Montana.


Now for my sweet Brooke. A list of 10 great things about Brooke will not seem as extensive as she is only 2 years old and I have not had as long to experience deep, emotional things with her as I have Emily. So here you are.

1. She loves "HAPPY" (aka Angel) the cat. This is Emily's cat named Angel that Brooke has called Happy since day one. This is the best cat EVER because Brooke picks her up by the tail, the ears, the skin on her hiney... and she has never once scratched or tried to hurt Brooke to get away. Go figure. God knew which cat to bless us with.

2. She loves, loves, LOVES candy. This child has a sweet tooth bigger than anyone I have ever seen. She has candy radar. I can hide it and forget where I hid it and she finds it. If she hears a candy wrapper being opened from another room in the house, she will beeline to get to it. "I ont CONDY...PEESE!!"

3. She loves her mommy. Until the last six months, no one could do a thing for her but me. As a teeny, tiny thing she would let you know you could not do whatever the task for her, only mommy.

4. Aside from #3...at bedtime she is a Daddy's girl. Yes, I am one of THOSE parents who let their children sleep with them. When it comes to night, night time, she wants to be right up under her daddy and no one can touch her or her daddy. I have to be in the bed with them for her to go to sleep but can hardly look at her without causing a disturbance. HA!

5. She absolutely adores her "Sissy". She lights up when Emily comes home from school. She wants to do everything Emily does. When Emily and her friends are cheering or dancing, she has to be right there with them. Watching her try to do a back bend or forward roll is hilarious.

6. She loves to go outside. She can get away from you in a split second.

7. She loves to ride her tricycle.

8. She loves her Nanny. Bo's grandmother, Nanny, keeps her for me while we work. She has Nanny wrapped around her finger.

9. She loves to sing "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and "Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man".

10. She has a way about her that makes you want to kiss her like a brownie...and I do as often as I can.

I love both of my girls more than life itself and thank God everyday for sharing them with me.

I love you both more than ice cream my sweet angels. Love, Mommy

Today I am thankful for...

...TAKE OUT. TGIF...a trip to Wally World (aka Walmart) and take out from Guthries is all it took to satisfy my family tonight. What did folks do before "take out"...besides enjoying being their ideal weight, not having heart problems (I don't have this yet thank goodness) and having good blood sugar levels. Tonight...OH WELL!!

Love ya'll...enjoy your weekend.

30 Days of Thanksgiving #6

Today I am thankful for these "30 days of Thanksgiving". Thanks to all who are participating, as well as, all who are reading. It has only been 6 days, not even a full week yet, and I am already feeling blessed. If you know of someone suffering from depression...all you have to do is tune them into the lists that these ladies are preparing and there is no way they can stay in the dumps. Thank you ladies for sharing your blessings.

Friends are friends...WARTS and all!!

Today I am thankful for my BFF of OMGOODNESS "19" YEARS. Oh my...that's a long time. We will have a twenty year anniversary next Fall. Can you give, or better yet, GET presents for 20 year BFF anniveraries like you do marriages? There should be a list like there is a wedding anniversary list of appropriate gifts. I'm sure there should be something good on that list...tee hee hee. Anyhoo, her name is Dee Dee and she is amazing. We met the first day of our 6th grade year in Social Studies. It was BFF at first sight. We truly have been all this time. We met...buddied up...and here we are. We played the same band instruments (bells and xylephone). We even worked together in the same department at a bank while we were in college. I know we had to have had a spat here and there but we never called off our friendship that I can remember. We have been there for each other since day one. I love her because she is always there for me. Whether there is anything going on or not...she is content to talk a lot about something or a lot about nothing. We love a lot of the same things, especially shopping, although because of the distance we live between each other we don't get to spend a lot of time doing those things. It never really mattered what we did/do when we were/are together just as long as we were both there. We planned our weddings with each other...that was a wonderful time for both of us. (Scroll down to my BIG HAIR blog and you will find a pic of us at her wedding. WOW...a then and now!) There was nothing we would not do for each other. We were, and still are, inseperable even though there are miles between us. We talk on the phone almost daily. If not more than once daily if we get to talking about something serious. She homeschools her children...Lord I don't know how she does it. But I am very proud of her. I thought she was crazy and honestly did not have a whole lot of faith that she would be successful at that. Only because I could never try that myself. I would be crazy after the first day. She will tell you, I asked her, "are you sure?" more than a thousand times as she was setting up to be a homeschool mom. But in spite of me, (she has a greater BFF relationship with the man upstairs) she has done it and is succeeding greatly. Her children are wonderful and thriving and loving life. She prayed about it...got the go ahead...and did it. REMARKABLY!!! She has a heart for Jesus first, her husband second and then her children. It is evident. She declares it daily and that's what I love about her. She has no problem putting the stops on me and reminding me of a scripture or story in the Bible to keep me in line. God just knows who to fit together doesn't he? Go check her out...she's a hottie...www.praises2sing.blogspot.com. She will bless you with her blogs as she has me.

I love you Dee Dee and thank God he put us together. BFF
XOXOXO

30 Days of Thanksgiving #4

Today I am thankful for Target and after Halloween clearance. I had the best time today prowling the "ghostly" clearance items. WAAAHHHH!!!! I have a storage box full of fun stuff for next year. Everything was $2 or less. I LOVE A BARGAIN!! Do they have a twelve step program for "Bargain Addiction"? In my case, they probably should. HA!

Hope you voted today...if not SHAME ON YOU!!!

I'm thankful for...

...My husband. Hmmm, let me see!! He is the apple of my eye, my knight in shining armour, my peanut butter and jelly. HA!! Okay, seriously...he is truly the love of my life though. He never fails to amaze me. He loves me unconditionally and I do him. We are not perfect in any way, shape or form at this whole marriage thing. We have our ups and downs as any marriage does. Thank God there are more ups than downs though. But one thing I can say is that no matter how difficult a time can be, whether it be between us or about something outside of us he is my ROCK. I am the worrier, he is the passive one. Isn't it funny how the very things that can drive you crazy about someone are the very things that keep you coming back for more. Bo has a lot of hobbies (hunting, racing, piloting) and he is very passionate about them. A lot of people think I am crazy for putting up with him and his hobbies because they do take up a lot of his time. But, although I may complain on occasion, I am thankful he has a passion to enjoy life. I did not marry him to make him miserable, but to make him better at whatever he chooses to do. Bo is a great Daddy...he is a big teddy bear when it comes to the girls. They love him dearly as well and I enjoy experiencing their love story with their daddy. I pray when they get older they have a profound sense of security in their daddy. I want them to be able to go to him for anything and I think they will. Heck... they already do...they know who to go to for the things that Mom will probably say no to. HA!

We saw the movie "FIREPROOF" together today. I'm sure it was not his choice of movie, but he let me pick...Thank you Lord. If you have not seen this movie, I strongly recommend it. This movie reminded us where we don't want our marriage to ever go. It also reminded us that we do have unconditional love for one another and that we can concur anything we face together.

Thank you Lord for my husband... I love him like crazy and look forward to growing old with him.

So...be careful baby as you have to be here for a veeeerrrryyy long time.

Thirty days of Thanksgiving #2

Thanks to Daphne...a new friend via Blogville...I now have a tag for the Thanksgiving Challenge. If you are joining me in the Thanksgiving Challenge to name thirty things you are thankful for in thirty days, feel free to copy and past the tag and use it in your blogs.

Today, I am thankful for Sunday afternoon naps. Oh how luxurious they can be. I know Emily will get me for posting this pic, but I couldn't help myself. I love those two little girls and love that they love each other. Don't get me wrong, they have there moments. However, Brooke loves her "Sissy" dearly and Emily is becoming more and more protective of her.

30 days of Thanksgiving...

Today is the first day of November and the first day of the Thanksgiving challenge. Today I spent the day with my girls. We slept until 10:00 am. Can you believe it...I don't think I have done that since college? We went to Target and Walmart for the after Halloween markdowns and then grocery shopping. I met Bo when he got off work to pass off Brooke to him. Emily and I went with a friend to "Judgement House" at a local church. It was awesome. I was truly moved by the production. Thus for my first day of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for Jesus Christ. I do not know how someone who does not know him can get through this crazy life. I find myself falling before him more and more. He is amazing. If you do not know him I encourage you to find someone, or just ask me, to fill you in on how you can know him. Your life will be changed. No doubt about it. You don't have to be and won't ever be perfect. That is the beauty of his mercy and grace. He loves us no matter what. He just wants us to come to him no matter what. It's just that easy.