New Glasses!

Well ALL the kids got new glasses this time around! I guess Kristen had glasses las time as well but didn't really need them. She actually lost them! But now she HAS to wear them.

Here is Kristen with her new glasses. They are a mix between pink and red. She looks cute in them!

Here is Nicholas with his new black frames looking sharp!

Here is Johnathan with his stylish pair! :o) They actually look really good on him!

Date Night!

Sunday night, the guys decided they wanted to take us ladies out! So we left the beach and went home and showered up and headed back to the beach to this hot spot called The Back Porch. It is right on the beach and we got to view the ocean as we ate, through the window which doesn't have a glass in it so it is open to the beach. It was such a nice night! Thank you to the Applegates who ended up treating us! We had such a great time with them, as always.

Have you ever been to the mall and gotten into one of those photo booths and taken silly pictures? Well, we kind of created our own crazy and silly snapshots that I couldn't resist sharing with you. Here you go . . . . .


Rick and Lettie

Lettie is going to kill me for posting this one! :o)

John and Brandi

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend! Our friends drove up from Gainesville, FL to spend three nights with us.

It was just beautiful at Destin Beach. We had weather in the 80's all weekend long. Here is a picture of our friends, of 15 years, that I took on Sunday before church. Rick, Lettie, Isaac & Kaitlin Applegate.

Kaitlin and Kristen were born 2 weeks apart at the same hospital. They have been friends ever since!

While the Applegates were here, it was Rick's birthday on Saturday.

Oh my! Look at that face!


Kaitlin and Kristen enjoying the gulf!

John, enjoying the umbrella shade.


Isaac, Nicholas and Johnathan playing a little catch on the beach.

Isaac and Johnathan

Nice goggles Nick!

Sweet By and By

In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

Verse One:

There's a land that is fairer than day,

And by faith we can see it afar;

For the Father waits over the way,

To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Chorus:

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Verse Two:

We shall sing on that beautiful shore,

The melodious songs of the blest,

And our spirits shall sorrow no more,

Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Verse Three:

To our bountiful Father above,

We will offer our tribute of praise,

For the glorious gift of His love,

And the blessings that hallow our days.

This is an old hymn written by Joseph P. Webster and Sanford F. Bennett in 1868.

Psalm 63:1-5

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is beter than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

-Psalm 63:1-5

I'm back . . .at least today!

Well, all the company is gone and we are getting back to normal. We had a wonderful time with my mom and feel so blessed to have had her here with us. We went to the beach a lot and others from our church invited us over to swim in their pools as well. I think mom had a great time! On Friday night, Lynette and the girls got to ride up with a friend from Orlando. Their friend was attending a wedding here of a girl in our church. So that was a blessing! While we were at the wedding, Lynette and the girls and our kids got to hang out with Grandma. They all went to the movies then mom made Nick's favorite . . . . homemade chicken pot pie!
The wedding we attended was absolutly beautiful! We had a great time! Here is a picture of my sweetie and I at the wedding. I just love going to weddings!





More good news and thankfulness to God . . . . my mom got an offer on her home and excepted it! She met with the couple yesterday and she now has a contract. God is so good! Please pray for her as she prepares to move on once more. She is going to put in an apartment at my sister's house so it will be a few more months before she is settled in. Also, continue to pray that she sells the 5th wheel camper she has up for sale.
Thank you to all of you who loved on my mom while she was here with me. She really was impacted by your care for her. You are all such an encouragment! I am blessed to call you friends! I thank God for you!

Happy Birthday Billie!

Today is my sister Billie's 37th birthday!

Happy Birthday Billie! I love and miss you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day! I was so blessed to have my mother with me this year. God is so good to me! We went to church, then John took us out for Mexican which was delicious!

Here is a picture of me and my mother before church on Sunday. She looked so cute! :o)

I love you Mom!

Pedicure anyone?

Saturday mom and I got to join 8 other ladies from our church here for a Girl's Day out! Here is mom getting a pedicure!


Here I am on the left and my friend Megan on the right, enjoying every minute of those massaging chairs they have there! :o)

The Johnson Care Group wanted to bless 3 ladies with a little pampering! Adrienne, in the red shirt, had a precious little baby named David, 3 months early who has since went to be with Jesus. Adrienne is such an example to all who know her of strength and having a heart for God. She has taught me so much in this short time I have come to call her my friend.

Shannon, in the purple shirt, is due to have her baby the end of May. She has 2 handsome little boys who keep her busy so we were sure she needed some pampering! Shannon is always smiling and spreads joy wherever she goes!

Here is Brittany, whom people get her and I confused . . . at least our names! They call her Brandi and me Brittany! Brittany is such a wonderful person I have been blessed to know. She has such a big heart! Her and her husband recently adopted a precious little 6 month old girl, already having an 18 month old girl at home. Brittany has opened her heart to this little one and has so much patience during this season of her life. We thought she needed a little pampering as well!

After our morning of pampering, we went to lunch and was able to share with these three ladies evidence of God's grace that we see in their lives. It was an ecouraging day for all of us! God is so good to give us such great ladies to live out our lives with on a daily basis! I love you all!!

pictured from left to right: Sue (my mom), Brandi, Megan, Adrienne, Shelly, Lisa, Kendra, Roxanne, Brittany, Shannon.

A fun picture of all our toes after having pedicures. This was such a fun day! Mom and I went over to Destin after this and had a little mother-daughter shopping time! We left that morning at 9:30 and didn't get home until after 6 p.m.! What a wonderful day we had!

Having fun!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile! My mom arrived here safe last Thursday and we have been having a great time. We have been at the beach a couple of times enjoy the sun! I will post again soon with some pictures!
Love to all . . . .

Too Cute!

I received this from my cousin today. Her son is 3 years old. Too cute! Here is what she wrote:

As most of you know, we've been attending a church here in town for the last month or so. Here is the evidence that Chayton is learning something. . .

Yesterday, Chayton was sitting on the couch with me and said, "Mommy, that lady at church said Jesus can take away all of our needs."

I replied, "Yes, if you ask God, he will give you what you need. That's what she means by taking away your needs."

Chayton teared up and said, "But, I don't want him to take mine away, I need my knees!"

I know I'm not supposed to laugh when he's so upset that Jesus will take his knees away--I just can't help it sometimes. Thought you'd all enjoy this. Love, Ivy