Lenfestey Happenings

Thinking . . .

2008-12-27T10:05:00.002-06:00

I know my posts have been far and few in between lately. I was thinking about deleting my blog but I don't want to lose everything I have on here about my dad and his accident and then passing onto glory. So until I can get everything off of this blog and saved into another file on my computer I will leave this blog up but I probably will not be posting anymore to it.
The reason I started this blog was so my family could keep up with us and see pictures of the kids and our everyday happenings. It served us well up until now.
Now, most of my family and John's family has Facebook now and we have been communicating so much more on that website. It has been so much fun and is more interactive since we can instant message one another.
So if you have a Facebook and would like to be friends, just send a friend request to me and we can keep in touch that way. Of course you can always email me! If you need my email address it is lenfestey5@aol.com. Come join us at www.facebook.com . . . . that would be so much fun!
God Bless!

5th photo in my 5th file

2008-12-09T11:14:00.005-06:00

I was tagged by Chrissie...This picture is of John's sweet cousin Angi holding her newest grandson Israel Mark Swan shortly after he was born. What a precious gift he is to this family!

The Rules: go to Your Pictures file go to the 5th folder open up the 5th picture and post it then tag 5 people when you are done. I don't know why this folder ended up 5th on my files. It is a fairly new picture. I got a new laptop so when we transferred over the files, they got all mixed up!

Okay I tag . . . . . Cassie Tynan, The Brown Girlies, April, Mary Beth, & Lynn Wilson

Today . . .

2008-12-06T23:29:00.002-06:00

Today would have been my parents 43rd wedding anniversary. I miss him so much.

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-05T17:00:00.004-06:00

We just put simple lights up outside. The ones on the porch are from my dad. He gave them to me the Christmas before he passed away. There is a wooden snowman on the porch that lights up that my mother-in-law gave me a few years ago too.

This is the first time we have had a fireplace. It is fun hanging the stockings from the mantel! I love my skinny little pencil tree. It has served us well through the years. It is decorated with snowmen. I can't get enough snowmen. Although I dislike snow . . .weird I know.

Here is our dining room. I put a small tree in there as well. The tablecloth I got at a thrift store for $1. I love it! On top of the curio cabinet is a doll collection my mother use to always put out. She gave it to me about 3 years ago. I really love it!

Isn't it adorable? I think of my mother every time I look at it. I love you mom!

My sweetie and me

2008-11-30T20:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T22:01:00.003-06:00

We had our pictures done for our new church directory. I love the one of the children. Time sure flies . . . .they are becoming so grown.

Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Honesty Pays Off!

2008-11-04T09:46:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a shopping experience the boys and I had today. We are having pictures done tomorrow for our church directory so I needed to buy the boys a long sleeved black shirt for our picture. So we went to Beall's and found just what we needed (really cheap too!). While we were there, Nicholas happened upon a $100 bill on the floor and went to Johnathan and said, "Look what I found!" Johnathan, took it from Nicholas and said "Nick, where did you get this? We have to give it back!" Johnathan then looked up and saw a young man pacing nervously around the store so Johnathan asked him if he had lost some money and he said yes! So Johnathan gave him the $100 and the guy asked where he found it so Nick took him to the rack of dresses where he found it and the man was happy to find the other $600 under the rack that his wife or girlfriend had lost while browsing for dresses! I had no idea all of this had happened so when this man I did not know came up and handed Johnathan a $100 bill and told him to keep it I was like "WHAT??" After I found out what had happened I told the man that the boys could not accept this money, and he said he wanted them to have it because they could have kept it all but was honest and returned the money. I told him that we wouldn't expect the boys to keep money that didn't belong to them that we teach them to be honest. He said "well honestly deserves reward so I want them to keep it". The guy walked away and we stood there dumb founded. Although Nicholas had a big 'ol smile on his face! I stlil can't believe it happened!

My favorite pic!

2008-10-31T18:29:00.000-05:00

Vacation 2008

Vacation pics

2008-10-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

It's good to be home!

2008-10-26T23:09:00.002-05:00

We are home from Celebration and Vacation. I will write more tomorrow. We just got in and everyone went to bed already. We can't believe Orlando is so far away from us and we are still in the same state.
What a great time we had! It was so fun having the Smith Girls join us on vacation. We made lasting memories . . . . . .God is SO kind! Here is our day at Disney we enjoyed together. What a great day this was!
More to come after much needed rest! Love to all!

Celebration & Vacation!

2008-10-14T10:22:00.005-05:00

We are so excited to be able to attend Celebration North Florida this week and see many of our friends gather at Camp Kulaqua in High Springs, FL from other Sovereign Grace churches in Florida.
Then it's off to one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy a week with no schedule! Ahh . . .we can't wait!
Thank you Memee for letting us stay once again in your beautiful timeshare. Wish you could have joined us! We love you!

A lovely day indeed!

2008-10-13T23:53:00.003-05:00

Some precious friends that live in Texas (whom use to live in Orlando when we did) were vacationing in Destin this week. Since John had today off and we leave Wednesday for our church camp then vacation, we were happy to get to go over today and visit with them. Dave and Mary Beth are such an awesome couple. We are so thankful we got to know them while in Orlando. Pictured with them is their precious granddaughter Jordyn.
Since we were right there at the beach, we decided to pack our dinner and have a picnic while we were there. It was such a beautiful night. The weather couldn't be more perfect!
After the beach we ended up catching up with some friends from church at the soccer field and got to watch their daughter play in a game. It was a full, fun-filled day. All a blessing from the Lord. We love living here!

5 Hour Beef Stew

2008-10-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

This recipe was so delicious that I wanted to share it with you! I had company coming over at 1 p.m. on Sunday after church so was able to prepare this the night before and put it in the fridge and then put it in the oven Sunday morning at 8 a.m.. When we got home, dinner was ready, and all enjoyed it!

5 Hour Beef Stew

6-8 potatoes cubed
4 stalks celery chopped
5-6 carrots chopped
2 medium onions chopped
3 lbs. beef for stew (I used a roast and cut it up since I bought it BOGO free!)
3 T. Dry Tapioca
2 T. sugar
S&P
1 - 12 oz. V8 Juice (I used hot and spicy)

Layer potatoes, celery, carrots, onion in a crock or deep pan. Sprinkle dry tapioca, sugar, salt and pepper over top. Place cubed beef pieces on top and pour V8 juice on top. Cover with lid and place in oven at 250 degrees for 5 hours . . .no peeking! This is one yummy dish!

The Dancey Dancers - what a name!

2008-10-11T23:27:00.002-05:00

Here is the group of high schoolers who are taking dance together. I think Johnathan looks a lot like his Grandpa Dale (from his high school years) in this photo. Cassie is in the front middle. She looks just like her momma!

Swing Dancing

2008-10-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

Johnathan and his cousin Cassie get to have fun taking swing dance lessons twice a month. There is a family in our church whos older children are teaching the classes. It is such a fun way for them all to have good fellowship and time together. The parents clear out their living room for this event . . .how sweet of them! Johnathan is enjoying it!

Friday Funnies

2008-10-03T17:34:00.003-05:00

This made me laugh out loud! I got this from the Girl Talk Blog

September 26, 2008
Friday Funnies
Rebecca sent us this week's Friday Funny which is sure to make you laugh.

A friend of mine has four little kids and lives across the street from a school. She was busy with the youngest child last week when she got a call from the school secretary - "Do you know where your children are?" She admitted she had lost track of two. The secretary informed her that they were on the playground of the school, after crossing the street themselves. My friend apologized, and said she'd be right over to get them. "Well," the secretary hesitated, "we don't really mind them playing here. But they're naked."

Oh the CVS deals keep coming!

2008-09-30T16:35:00.005-05:00

Iron Man Movie
4 bottles of Tide
Fusion Razor
Dawn Dishsoap
Covergirl Foundation
Covergirl Powder
Covergirl Eyeliner
2 Crunch Bars

I paid out of my own pocket only $8.93 for ALL of this you see pictured. OH YEAH!

Just us . . .

2008-09-26T13:51:00.003-05:00

Enjoying a beautiful day doing school outside. It's sunny, breezy and only 81 degrees! I am so happy it is fall!

Kmart Special

2008-09-22T14:30:00.004-05:00

So Kmart in our area was having double coupons for this week only. Joy, Lyntte and I went to Niceville together to see what bargins we could bring home. My total was $138 and I paid $35! I love it! Here is what I got:
3 - 25.4 ozs. Pert Plus
1 - 13.5 ozs. Pert Plus
2 - 23.7 ozs. Herbal Essences Shampoo
2 - 23.7 ozs. Herbal Essences Conditioner
1- 13 oz. Pantene Pro-V brunette expressions shampoo
1 -13 oz. Pantene Pro-V brunette expressions conditioner
1 - 3.5 oz. Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control
1 - 15.2 ozs.Olay botanical fusion body wash
4 - Adidas anti-perspirant deodorant
2 - Sure anti-perspirant deodorant
1 - 6 oz. Colgate toothpaste
1 - 3 pack Venus disposable razors
2 - Advil PM 20 caplets
1 - Tylenol extra strength rapid release
2 - Lysol toilet bowl cleaner
2 - Lysol disinfecting wipes
2 - Nesquik choc. syrup
4 - Easy Mac cups
2 - 64 oz. Juicy Juice
2 - Trident gum
1 - Trident Xtra Care gum

Boiler Up . . .choo choo!

2008-09-18T17:18:00.004-05:00

Pics of the "office"

2008-09-18T17:18:00.002-05:00

This is the dining room but we do not dine in here. John is kind to share his "office" with my grandmother's dishes and the buffet.

I love antiques!

2008-09-18T13:43:00.005-05:00

A sweet friend of mine came over one day and brought me this lamp that had been in her family for years. She gave it to me! I just love it! And I had the perfect place for it too!

Thanks Jennifer . . . .I love it!

Awe . . .cooler weather!

2008-09-18T13:43:00.002-05:00

It has been so nice here for the past three days. The highs have been in the 80's and there has been a nice breeze too. We are enjoying our screened in patio very much!

Kristen decided to do her spelling outside today.
We are so happy fall weather is finally here! It sure makes me miss Indiana though!

Our living room

2008-09-06T22:41:00.002-05:00

Yummy!

2008-09-06T22:24:00.002-05:00

The Smith girls came over and made us dinner last night. It was so yummy!
It was all weight watcher friendly food.
Here is the stuffed rolled up chicken before they baked it. I didn't get a picture of it after it was done. We scarfed it up!
Here they are making apple turnovers . . . . boy were they good!
Thank you Lynette, Chrissie and Cassie for all you do for us. We love having you here living life with us. You guys are such a blessing to many! I love you!

Backyard Fun!

2008-09-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

Kristen and Abi had matching skirts and leggings on. Cuties!
Nicholas playing football with some little guys . . . .how sweet are they?
Our back patio . . . we have already put this to good use! We love it!
Daddy and Kristen (I think they were spying on the neighbors! HA)
Those boys love their basketball goal! And how cool that they have their own "court" to play on. God is so kind! I am so happy that they can play basketball again.

Our school room - YAY!

2008-09-06T22:10:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite rooms of our house is our school room. It is so nice to have a room just for school, crafts, and projects. The best part . . . . the double doors off the foyer close so no one has to see our mess! YAY! We start school on Monday . . . .how exciting!

2008-09-06T18:52:00.002-05:00

Kristen's room . . . . her curtain is polka dots but it is hard to see in this picture. So cute
The boys' room. Their quilt is red, navy, tan and white so I painted the bottom navy and the top tan with a white chair rail. I love the red curtain!

Here's the new place . . . God is so kind!

2008-09-06T18:48:00.002-05:00

Weight Watchers Update

2008-09-01T07:17:00.002-05:00

Well it's been awhile since I have posted anything about weight watchers on here. We are doing great! We really like the program and we have now been on it for 10 weeks. It's hard to believe it has been 10 weeks already. We find it very easy to follow and we don't feel deprived of anything that we want to eat. That is the best part about WW . . . . you can eat whatever you want, you just have to stay within your points allowance for the day.
As of this morning I have lost 18 pounds! I am not sure John's exact loss but I know it is near 30 pounds. He has really been serious about doing the Wii Fit and it has really helped him. And with this move . . . . we have both worked our tails off! We have a really nice neighborhood to walk in. There is one circle that is 1/2 a mile around and another that is 1 mile. And unlike our last neighborhood . . . . it is all flat, no hills!

We have moved!

2008-08-27T23:03:00.002-05:00

God is so amazing. We LOVE our church body. Not because we had a huge turn out of people helping us move, but because they truly love us and care for us and because we truly love and care for them. They are our family! They serve with joy and that just makes me smile. What a testimony this church family is to me.
We moved yesterday to our new place. We all feel so at home here already. We love it! I will post pics soon. I need to get things put away first.
The boys were especially blessed today. When we moved to Crestview 2 years ago, they had to leave behind their basketball goal because for one, we didn't have room on the truck, and for another, our lease for our home didn't allow them to have one. So for two years they have not played basketball. If you are from Indiana, that is what you do is play basketball all day long, every day! The boys have been so good about it all though. Well our new home has a huge cement patio out back just perfect for a basketball goal so Johnathn has been mowing our neighbor's yard to make some cash to save for a basketball goal. Would you know that today, our first whole day in our new neighborhood, our neighbor here had a basketball goal for sale for $40! So Johnathan went over and bought it right away and came bringing it home and set it all up. He was expecting to spend $150 on a new one. God just amazes me how he blesses us with the little things. God is so kind! Nicholas was thrilled to death to be able to play shirts and skins and get all stinky. Why do boys love to smell bad? It is like they are proud of this odor they produced . . . .I guess it does take some effort. Anyway, I was just in awe of God today in how he provides the simple everyday pleasures for us to enjoy. We don't deserve anything but he blesses us because he loves us so.

Kristen's 10th Birthday!

2008-08-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Kristen's 10th birthday! I can't believe my youngest is double digits. Where has the time gone? We were suppose to go to Gainesville to see friends this weekend and Kristen was so looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her best friend Katie, but Topical Storm Fay has made us have a change of plans. That's okay. We had a good time here at home celebrating with Aunt Net, and cousins Chrissie, and Cassie. Cassie made Kristen's birthday cake which was so delicious! John wanted to get Kristen flowers so she got a dozen pink roses which I put some into a little pink vase I had already purchased for her. And we bought her an alarm clock since hers was broken. It too is pink of course! We gave her some money in a card to be able to purchase some clothes or Build A Bear, or just whatever she wants to spend it on. Chrissie made Kristen some personal stationary and bought her a foo foo pen which she loves! Plus Aunt Net gave her some money too. Us girls went shopping after supper. Kristen got two pairs of shoes and a pair of bright yellow shorts! Plus she has a lot of money left over. She cracks me up though . . . .if it is over $10, she doesn't like it so much. We would show her tops or pants and when she saw how much they were depended on if she liked it. Isn't that the way it goes when you have to spend your own money? If it were my money she would say, oh mommy I love it!

Yesterday would have also been my dad's 62nd birthday. He gets to celebrate in Heaven . . . what a celebration he is having . . . . and he gets to do it forever, not just one special day! I am happy Kristen was born on her grandpa's birthday. I know he loved that too. I miss him so much. I miss him calling Kristen and saying Happy Birthday to her and she saying Happy Birthday back. It was such a special thing between them.

Update

2008-08-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

John finally beat Kristen's record and was very proud of himself. But Kristen had a come back and has him beat again by one spin! Sad to say, I tried this and I barely got over 200 spins. This Wii Fit is really fun though!

John playing Wii Fit

2008-08-17T22:13:00.007-05:00

John hula hooping . . . trying to beat Kristen's record on Wii Fit. BTW, he gave me permission to post this. . . . . what a sport he is. He keeps me laughing!

Play Time . . .

2008-08-14T21:58:00.004-05:00

Nicholas and Kristen are enjoying their new backyard already . . . and we haven't even moved in yet!

I love painting . . . .

2008-08-11T23:10:00.002-05:00

Kristen's new room before picture.
Kristen seeing her room for the first time after the Smith Girls and I painted it.
It's bright BUT she loves it. It will match her bedding perfectly and we found an adorable curtain that we can't wait to hang.
I guess I should back up and get every one caught up with what is happening with us. We will be moving by the end of this month into a home owned by friends in our church. They were renting this home out to another family in our church who bought a home and are moving out. Our lease at the home we have been renting since moving here in Sept. 2006 will end Sept. 1st. So, it all worked out for the other family to move out while we move in and the owners of the home will not go without renters. The home is a little smaller than the one we are renting now but we think it will be a better fit for us. The yard is big and fenced in and FLAT! We have a hill now in our backyard which is not only useless but really hard to mow. Our kids hardly ever play outside here. The new home also has a screened in backporch which we will use a lot! And my favorite thing about moving is . . . .I get to paint! YAY! The current renters have been so kind to give us a key and told us to come anytime and paint the rooms as they empty them. So today we painted Kristen's room and the dining room (which will be John's home office). Thank you Lisa for letting us come and get painting done. It is such a blessing to get this done before we actually move in. Thank you for your kindness!

Calling Ladies In Orlando Who Are In Need Of Extra Cash!

2008-08-02T16:48:00.003-05:00

Did that title get your attention? ~smile~

I wanted to help spread the word!! Do you have children's clothes in like new condition that you are interested in getting rid of for a better than yard sale price?
In October some ladies that I know will be hosting this sale in Orlando called Botique for a Week! This is a great way to make some cash for whatever you may need it for....
here is the website:
http://www.boutiqueforaweek.net/
You will want to check this out!! :)

Free Grammar Videos K-8th grade

2008-08-01T10:39:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this link to view free grammar videos and I thought it was a very cool website and wanted to share it with you. If you have children you are homeschooling, you may find FREE GRAMMAR VIDEOS very helpful! The video above is a cute one of nouns.

Another Fun CVS Trip!

2008-07-14T22:10:00.006-05:00

I am telling you . . . . I am loving the CVS deals. I won't be posting pics every time I go . . . . how annoying! But I wanted to post this time because I think this week really shows what you can do with the ECB's and how you can keep using them to get more stuff with little or no out of pocket expense.

If I had purchased these items with no coupons and no ECB's, I would have paid $45.64 for all of this. But, using $20 of my ECB's from last week I got all of this PLUS they gave me back $6 in ECB's. So it is like I only spent $14 in ECB's for all of this. I paid nothing out of my pocket this week. The shampoo's would have cost that much by themselves (I got them for $1 a bottle!)

Here is what I got:

One bottle Gain Laundry Soap (32 loads) $4.99 on sale, then got $2 back in ECB's
2 bottles of Herbel Essence Shampoo - these were 2/$5, I had a coupon for $3 off two so that made them all $1 a piece (I used 2 coupons)
2 bottles of Herbel Essence Conditioner
2 Colgate Toothpaste (55 cents each!) These were buy on get one free, and I had a coupon for $1.50 off.
1 roll of Bounty (had a $1 off coupon)
2 jars Welches Grape Jelly - buy one get one free
1 tube of Neutragena Mascara - $5.99 and got $4 back in ECB's

I LOVE CVS! I can't wait until next week! It is so much fun to go see what I can get for free!

My Coupon Binder

2008-07-09T09:32:00.001-05:00

I know for me, it was helpful to go over to my friend's house and actually see her binder she made so I could understand it better. So I thought I would take pictures of my binder for you to see. This is the outside of my binder. I just made an insert for the front and titled it The Grocery Game.

This is the first page of my binder. Used photo pages that has 3 separate places (for 4x6 photo's). You can get these at Walmart for $1.98 for a pack of 10. I bought 3 packs and used each page. As you see on the first page I have CHECK OUT, THIS WEEK'S COUPONS, and COUPONS TO REFILE. As I go through my list and get my coupons ready, I place them in the THIS WEEK'S COUPONS pouch. As I go through the store and place that item in my cart, I then move that coupon to the CHECK OUT pouch. Sometimes you may get to the store and decided not to buy something or it isn't on sale anymore . . . . that is when you just put that coupon into the COUPONS TO REFILE pouch.

This is actually my last page in my binder. My friend was so kind to send me a list of everything in her binder so I could label all my pouches. She has hers in order of our local Publix but it would work for any store. If you would like this list, just email me or leave a comment with your email address and I will be happy to send this to you as well. Now up in the right hand corner I cut a label in half and wrote what was on each page that way as I flip through my book I can just look at that instead of having to look through each page. I did put tabs on my binder as well but sort of wishing I hadn't done that. It seems too much . . . . but I still love it!

I put the Publix and CVS add in the front of my binder. It is also helpful to have a small pair of scissors in there as well in case you need it. Also, did you know that Publix takes competitors coupons? If you get the midweek paper, it will have an Albertson's flier in it. They have been having a coupon in there for $5 off a $50 order. You can use that at Publix! You can use WinnDixie coupons too at Publix. (the manager at Publix told me and my friend that Publix just bought out Albertson's) We do not have an Albertson's here in our town, but I sure loved using that $5 off coupon the other day! Woot, Woot!

Okay, so there you have it. My new addiction. It is a good addiction to have though. I am so thankful that God has brought this to me. I have been praying and asking God what I could do to serve my husband better. He loves that I am saving him money! He has been cheering me on the whole way. He even spent his day off on Monday going grocery shopping with me so he could better understand what I am doing. Isn't that sweet? He also went to CVS with me last night and it was so much fun doing that together. He was thrilled he got a 20 oz. diet soda that is normally $1.50, for 50 cents! They had them 2/$2 then you got back a $1 in ECB's making it essentially 2/$1. He had said when we got to the store that he was so thirsty . . . . I said, oh good, they have pop on sale!

Grocery Game - Week 2

2008-07-08T22:11:00.005-05:00

Here is what I got this week from CVS:

2 cans reduced fat Pringles (Weight Watcher's friendly!)
2 Febreeze Fabric Refresher
1 Febreeze Air Effects
10 Ultra Dawn dishwashing liquid (this will last a year!)
2 Gillette shaving gels
2 Sure deodorant
4 Olay Body Wash
2 Pantene Pro-V conditioners
1 Venus Vibrations Razor
24 pack of water (free!)
2 diet Pepsi's

Can you believe all of this only cost me under $14.00? I used some coupons from this past Sunday's paper, and used my $20 Extra Care Bucks from last week.

Got $111.86 worth of products
Paid $44.85 out of pocket
Plus I got $31 back in Extra Care Bucks for future purchases

Here is what the Extra Care Bucks look like. They print them out on the end of your receipt.

This week's total savings with CVS, Publix, & WinnDixie:

Total Purchased: $349.44 worth
Spent: $170.80
Saved: $178.64 (that's 51%)
Plus I have $31 Extra Care Bucks for future purchases at CVS

I am really shocked at how much I am saving with the grocery game. I think after my trial period is over, I will only sign up with Publix and CVS. I seem to be saving so much at these stores. WinnDixie is good too, but I usually just go there for their buy one get one free deals and all of those are in their ad so I can just look at it and see if I want to go there that week.

I have spent almost $300 so far this month in household items and groceries together. I only have $200 left for the month . . . . we will see how it goes! Oh I wanted to mention I am understanding the idea of stock piling much better now that I am doing it. Like for instance, CVS had the Dawn Dish Soap on sale 2/$2. For every 2 you buy you get $1 back in ECB's. So I got my limit, which was 10 bottles for $10 but I got $5 back in ECB's so it was like paying only $5 or 50 cents a piece! That is why I bought so many. I can put them in the pantry and have them for a very long time. I won't have to buy any until next year! YAY! This is so much fun!

Weighing In . . . .

2008-07-07T20:30:00.003-05:00

Well today officially ended week 2 of Weight Watchers. I have lost a total of 7 pounds so far. I am ready for another week. I am taking it one day at a time and that has been very helpful! Thank you all for your prayers and comments. It does help to just put it out there so others can hold me accountable.
On other news. . . . . I had blood work done last week since I had a doctor's appointment today. He wanted to check my iron and make sure I was doing okay and that the hysterectomy was indeed helpful in correcting my anemia. Good news . . . . for the FIRST time in my life, my blood work was normal! It is low normal, but none the less, normal. I am so happy about this. I am no longer anemic! Praise God! I am so thankful that God has provided the greatest doctors for me. They have cared for me like no other doctor I have had. I actually enjoy going to the doctor now. I do not have to go back for another 6 months and that is to check my blood levels once more. If everything is still okay then he said I wouldn't have to come back for a year. I am on no medication except a Vitamin B12 shot, which Lynette will enjoy giving to me! I start this tomorrow. This will give me more energy and hopefully help with the weight loss. This has been a long process but I am so happy it is all over with and I am finally normal . . . .can you believe it? Me? Normal? HA!
Thanks again to all who have prayed for me, and served my family during my recovery time. You all are the best. I love you all very much and am so thankful for each one of you. It has been 12 weeks today since my surgery and I feel so much better already. God is so good to me!

Happy Fourth!

2008-07-04T07:56:00.003-05:00

Happy 4th of July . . . . . doesn't it make you want a hot dog real bad? HA! You can! With Oscar Mayer 98% fat free hot dogs! These hot dogs only have 40 calories, 1 g fat, 3 g carbs and 5 g of fiber in each link. Other hot dogs have 4 times the amount of calories in them. So for Weight Watchers these are only one point per hot dog. So go ahead . . . enjoy the 4th with a yummy hot dog . . . or two!

Pray you all have a fun and safe day celebrating our freedom. God Bless America!

The Grocery Game

2008-07-01T22:54:00.005-05:00

Have y'all heard of The Gorcery Game yet? I kept hearing about it and even saw it on a morning show a few months back. I went on the website and looked it over and even signed up for $1 trial month. Well I cancelled it before I did anything with it because I didn't understand it. I am such a visual learner! Well I found out a friend of mine has been doing it for the past several months and she said it really has saved her hundreds of dollars a month! So our families got together and she and I sat down and she walked me through the whole thing! I came away that night so excited to try again. I re-registered with the site and printed my lists and today was the big day. (I wish I had taken a picture of all the stuff I bought!) The children and I went out for our first day of shopping with coupons in hand and our list prepared. I am shocked at what I got today.

Bought $315.16 worth of stuff

Spent $122.90

Saved $192.26 (61%)

Plus I walked away from CVS with $19.97 in Extra Credit Bucks (ECB) to spend before the end of the month.

John went to Sam's today and bought meat, butter and laundry soap. I don't think we will have to return to Sam's until next month - and we use to spend ALOT at Sam's.

Our goal is to get our budget set under $500 a month for groceries and household items. We'll see if we can do it. With The Grocery Game I think we can!

A big thanks to my friend (you know who you are)! You are an example of Titus 2. You took time out of your schedule to sit with me and give me instruction on how I can serve my family better with this "game". I really appreciate your example!

Weigh In

2008-06-30T14:16:00.003-05:00

I have been on Weight Watchers for one week! I can't believe the week is over already. I had my first weigh in today and to my surprise and delight, I lost 5 1/2 pounds! God is so faithful! This week my goal is to actually get some exercise in at least 3 times and I would be happy to lose 2 more pounds.

So how about you? How are you doing?

Do you have a biblical conviction about your weight?

2008-06-28T17:17:00.003-05:00

Here is a post that John did today on our private weight loss blog. I thought it was so good so I wanted to share it with you.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Do you have a biblical conviction about your weight?
1 Cor. 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (ESV)Here is a question and a few thoughts for all of us. Do you have a biblical conviction about weight loss? I hope you do, because I think we will fail if we don't. You see I don't mean that we can't lose weight if we don't have a biblical conviction. Many people in the world prove each year that they can lose weight without a biblical conviction, but what I am talking about is bringing glory to God. We will fail in our relationships with God and with each other if we loose weight without bringing glory to God.God wants us to do everything for his glory. Read the above verse again. It is clear that God is concerned about our eating and drinking. And the apostle is charging all of us to eat and drink for the glory of God. It probably goes without saying that our bodies currently demonstrate that we have not been bringing glory to God by the way we have been consuming food and drink.But there is hope! Yes, we can change. We can start to bring glory to God today and do so everyday. First, we need to believe that Christ will help us by his Holy Spirit to bring glory to himself. Second, we need to repent about our sin of overendulgence of food and drink. Then we need to begin to eat and drink in a way that brings glory to God. Here is were Weight Watchers helps us. I think Weight Watchers has this right - there is no restriction from certain foods - it only restricts us concering the amount of food and drink that we intake. I believe that is biblically accurate - since Christ made all foods clean (see: Acts 10:15) and gives us the power to have self-control (fruit of the Spirit).So, are you concerned about eating and drinking to the glory of God? I hope you are and that you understand that WW is part of the process. But remember that it is only part of the process - believing and repentance also play a big part of bringing glory to God. Here is a prayer for all of us.

Father God, help us today to have a biblical conviction to loose weight. We all need to and we all know it. Help us to do this through your strength, and not on our own power. We are totally dependant on you to help us, but we know that we must act. Help us to act in your power to choose the right food and the right amounts that will bring glory to you. Also, please encourage our souls today concerning this process. We know that it will take many months for our bodies to show how hard we are working to bring glory to you, but please don't let us be sad or discouraged about this gap of time. For this will take time -- for the outside to show the work that you are doing on the inside. For Christ's glory we pray these things. Amen.

Weight Watchers

2008-06-28T14:45:00.004-05:00

Well, I am almost completly healed and feel so much better since surgery. Praise the Lord! I am now ready to start a journey that I know will be long but I know God will give me His strength daily to make it through. John and I and 4 other people started Weight Watchers this past Monday. The week has been rough at times but for the most part it has been really good and actually pretty easy. This is something I have wanted to do for some time now. I did Weight Watchers when we lived in Orlando and lost weight and liked the whole points thing. I found it very easy to follow. But with my husband not doing it with me, it made it hard on me to stick with it. I got discouraged. Since being here in the panhandle, John and I did South Beach once and lost some weight but it only lasted two weeks. I knew that it wasn't the diet for me. I really wanted to go back to WW but John was hesitant. After finding a doctor whom we LOVE and asked his advice, he recommended Weight Watchers! So John decided to give it a try. It has been a good week and God has shown us things that we need to see . . . sin that we have been comfortable with for many years. Self control in our eating has been lacking for years. John loves to cook and I love to bake and we both love to eat! But we are learning that we can still enjoy cooking and baking and even eating . . . . but doing that with creativity and limitations! God has been so faithful to me this week. I am encouraged already and our official "weigh in" isn't until Monday. I really want to change in this area of my life not only for the benefits it will give me but most importantly I want to glorify God through this. So in saying all of this . . . . I would appreciate your prayers and accountability in this area. Most who read this are probably family members from afar, but even if you make a comment and just ask me how I am doing with WW, would be very helpful to me. Thank you so much!!! One thing that has been VERY helpful is having 5 other people on this journey with me. We started a blog of our own that is private, that we can just share our struggles and also encourage each other along. Some have posted scriptures that have been very meaningful and were posted at just the right time to bring encouragement, and others have posted what God is doing in their lives through this. I think we all understand that God is after what is in our hearts and he is faithful to show us these things as we travel this road together.

Are any of you doing weight watchers? I would love to hear from you and swap recipes and things we have learned, etc. Leave a comment and let me know what has worked for you or not worked for you. I can use all the help I can get!

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice . . .

2008-06-25T13:07:00.002-05:00

That's what my daughter is. I haven't been feeling well today so she made me this picture on the computer and saved it for me. The best part . . .she made me skinny! HA!!! I am feeling better already!
John and I started Weight Watchers on Monday. Please pray for us. Thanks!

Kristen's goes back in time . . . .

2008-06-17T15:00:00.001-05:00

Kristen was invited to to attend Miss Rachel's Preparatory Academy this week. Rachel is a young lady in our church who put a whole week of fun-filled historical and educational week together as part as her own schooling. She even made all the little girls' skirts, aprons, and panty looms so they could dress in the 1800's period to enhance their learning ecperience. Monday the girls made homemade wheat bread and butter and also learned out to make a handkerchief and embroidered their initial on it. Today was a work day so Kristen had to do chores such as sweeping, make strawberry jelly and she learned to knit. Tomorrow is Victorian Ladies Day and they will have etiquette lessons and enjoy a tea party. They are also learning how to do a historical dance. How fun is that? Kristen is having so much fun! Chrissie went over today to take pictures of the girls so I am sure I will have more pictures to post later in the week. These two pictures above are ones I took this morning before she left. Isn't she adorable in that bonnet? She got that while we were in Indiana last year visiting Connor Praire while on a educational vacation.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:28:00.001-05:00

Sorry ladies . . . .

2008-06-15T16:26:00.001-05:00

He's all mine! And I LOVE him! He keeps me laughing hysterically!

Retreat Time!

2008-06-10T08:16:00.002-05:00

Today I will be leaving to go on a retreat! I am very excited to be able to join our pastor's wife for 5 days. We will have so much fun! Please pray for safe travels . . .. we will return on Saturday. Thanks!

Beach Day!

2008-06-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

Chrissie's graduation open house

2008-06-09T17:51:00.000-05:00

Mom & Dexter

2008-06-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

My mom is coming today!

2008-06-04T15:49:00.002-05:00

I am very excited that my mom and her new husband Dexter will be arriving soon! They are coming in for Chrissie's graduation open house that is Saturday. My brother (Chrissie & Cassie's dad) and his wife, are riding down with them as well. They are all staying until next Wednesday. We are excited to meet Dexter and get to know him. My mom seems so happy!

You know you're from Indiana when . . . .

2008-06-04T10:49:00.003-05:00

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM INDIANA WHEN:

You think the state Bird is Larry.

You can say 'French Lick' without laughing out loud.

There's actually a college near you named “Ball State.'

You know Batesville is the casket-making capital of the world and you're proud of it.

Your feelings get hurt whenever someone points out the acronym for Purdue University is PU.

You know several people who have hit a deer.

Down south to you means Kentucky.

You have no problem spelling or pronouncing Terre Haute.

Your school classes were canceled because of cold.

Your school classes were canceled because of heat.

You know what the phrase 'knee-high by the Fourth of July' means.

You've heard of Euchre, you know how to play Euchre, and you are a master of Euchre.

You've seen a running car, with nobody in it, in the parking lot of the grocery store, no matter what time of year it is.

Detassling was your first job.

Bailing hay, your second.

Or you could stack hay, swim in the pond to clean off and then have the strength to play a couple of games of hoops, all in the same barn lot on the same day.

You say things like catty-wampus and katty corner and know what they mean.

You install security lights on your house and garage, and then leave them both unlocked.

You carry jumper cables in your car regularly.

You drink pop.

You catch frogs at the crick.

If you want someone to hear you, you holler at 'em.

You know that baling wire was the predecessor to duct tape.

You know that strangers are the only ones who come to your front door.

Kids and dogs ride in the passenger seats of cars and the backs of pickups.

You think nothing of driving on the roads and being stuck behind a farm implement in spring and fall. You just hope it's not a hog truck or a manure spreader.

High school basketball games draw bigger crowds on the weekend than movie theaters, IF you have a movie theater.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires six for local sports.

You can repeat the scores of the last eight NBA games, but unless the MVP is a Hoosier, you are not sure who he is.

You can see at least two basketball hoops from your yard.

You can name every one of Bobby Knight's exploits over the last few years.

The biggest question of your youth was IU or Purdue?

Indianapolis is the BIG CITY.

Getting stuck by a train is a legitimate excuse for being late to school or work.

Everyone knows who the town cops are, where they live, and whether they're at home or on duty.

You've been to the Covered Bridge Festival. And, you took back roads to get there. Why sit in traffic?

To you, tenderloin is not an expensive cut of beef, but a big, salty, breaded and fried piece of pork served on a bun with pickle and onion. (John makes the best!)

Cinnamon Tea

2008-05-30T13:44:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe for cinnamon tea that I tried and thought it was pretty good. It taste sort of like chai tea to me without all the fat. I hope you like it!

Cinnamon Tea

7 ounces of boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon Splenda

Pour the boiling water into a coffee cup. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix well. This takes quite a bit of time since cinnamon isn’t easily soluble in water, but if you keep stirring, it will eventually mix into the hot water. Add the cream and continue mixing.
I keep the spoon in the cup and keep stirring between sips because the cinnamon will sink to the bottom otherwise.

Calories: 50 WW Points: 1

More pictures from Na

2008-05-26T19:53:00.001-05:00

Louisville, KY

2008-05-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

How Deep the Father's Love For Us - (Na '08)

2008-05-26T11:55:00.002-05:00

I love this song . . . . here is the the part that really grips my heart.

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer. But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.

I am so aware of God kindness . . . . . I do not deserve it!

Awe, now that's better!

2008-05-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

JD and Chrissie . . . . Chrissie says "Hi Mom!"
JD visited our church on Sunday morning and Lynette and the girls and her came to our house for lunch afterwards. She heard us talking about New Attitude and asked about it. We invited her to come with us and she could stay with us and she did! We are enjoying getting to know her and she is having a great time! God is SO good!

Na - (New Attitude)

2008-05-25T22:56:00.003-05:00

This is John and I before our "attitude" adjustment . . . stay tuned for more!

Louisville . . .here we come!

2008-05-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

John and I are so excited to be able to go with a group of singles and one young married couple, to Louisville, KY for the New Attitude Conference. The group is leaving around 3 a.m. so please be in prayer for them for safe travel. John and I fly out tomorrow morning around 6 a.m. If you would like to follow what is happening with us this weekend, Na has a liveblog that you can check in on from time to time if you so desire. Just click HERE!
Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! I know we will!

More pictures of my mom & Dexter's wedding

2008-05-23T11:23:00.007-05:00

My beautiful mother!
Saying "I do"

Mr. & Mrs. Dexter Franklin

My sister Bonnie, Greg, Cortney & Justin

My mom and siblings, Bonnie, Buddy & Billie

If you would like to see all the photos, you can click HERE!

The Lord's Prayer

2008-05-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this little girl sing the Lord's Prayer? She is adorable!

Come Weary Saints

2008-05-15T09:45:00.004-05:00

Sovereign Grace Ministries has released a new CD titled, Come Weary Saints. It is so good!

This CD is an invitation to each of us, whatever season we find ourselves in, to redirect our focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. Whether you’re going through trials or know someone who is, these songs are a reminder of the Father’s sovereign, loving care. You can listen to a sample of these songs by clicking HERE. My favorite is number 2 - So I Will Trust In You. Love it!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T16:18:00.002-05:00

I pray all the mother's reading this was shown how much their families appreciate them this Mother's Day. What a blessing it is to be a mother! My hubby and three wonderful children surprised me with an iPod! I have been wanting one for a long time. I have already put almost 500 songs on it. I have put nearly 30 CD's on it and it still has 80% of the space left! John also bought me a docking station that I can put it on and listen to it at home without the ear plugs which also charges it while it is docked. I LOVE IT!!!!
Thank you John, Johnathan, Nicholas and Kristen . . . .I love you all so much and I am so blessed to have each of you in my life. You always make Mother's Day so special. Thanks also for a very yummy lunch at Chili's . . .my favorite!!!

My momma got hitched!

2008-05-11T15:53:00.004-05:00

Here is mom before the ceremony . . . so pretty!
My brother looking very handsome, walking my mom down the aisle.
Dexter and Mom saying their vows.
Mr. & Mrs. Dexter Franklin

Okay some of you may be saying . . .WHAT? I know! Mom called me a month ago and said she had met the sweetest man at a church she visited. Well, they just seemed to fall in love at first sight and believed that God had brought them together. It was only a few days after seeing each other that they became engaged and then planned a wedding for 3 weeks later. Yesterday was the big day! When mom had called me to tell me about it, I knew I would be unable to attend since I was having surgery. I would have loved to have been there but God has given me a peace about not being able to go. I guess it wasn't meant for me to be there. The nice thing is that Dexter and Mom will be coming for a visit in June so I will get to meet him then. Life sure is interesting, huh? I know my dad would have wanted my mom to marry again and have someone to live the rest of her life with. I have to say that this is a blessing to both mom and Dexter. His wife passed away last November. Isn't God kind to bless them with each other? I can't imagine losing my spouse . . . .that has to be a very lonely road to travel. So as hard as this may be to get use to, I am very happy for both of them. I also have gained two sisters and their families . . . . whom I haven't met either but am looking forward to getting to know.
God is good!

Who's daughter is this?

2008-05-04T17:34:00.004-05:00

Can you imagine my surprise when Kristen came home from church today and I saw her wearing this?
I was like, "Sis, you wore that hat all through the service?" She was like, "yeah". Then her dad came in kind of chuckling and said he had no idea when he left the house this morning with her that she intended on wearing the hat and her brother's hand me down hoody. He thought she was just cold this morning and would take them off!!! John had a busy day since our pastor is on vacation. His mind was on other things (like preaching the sermon) and he just really didn't think Kristen had truly intended on wearing this during church!
This is SO not my daughter! She is all about dressing up and wearing lip gloss. I was just so shocked that she would even put such an outfit on, especially the winter hat, and go to church in it. Oh my!
This is what happens when mommy is recovering . . . . .Kristen goes gangster!

Day 12 and doing good!

2008-05-02T10:54:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing really good. I am still obeying doctor's orders and not doing ANYTHING! I think I have been a great patient! ;o)

While being able to do nothing, I came across a blog that I think will serve many of you who read this. This lady started a blog with nothing but crockpot recipes for a year. The recipes look really yummy! I can't wait to be able to try some of them. I wanted to share the link with all of you. A Year Of Crockpotting will hopefully make all our busy lives a bit easier. If you try any of them let me know how you liked it that way if it was bad I won't try it . . . .hee hee . . . . just kidding! Have a wonderful day!

Oh and one more thing . . . . . just so you know . . . . VISITORS ARE WELCOME! Give me a call and come on by! I would love to visit with you!

2008-04-25T12:01:00.003-05:00

For those of you who read this, I just wanted to update to let you know I am doing better. Each day seems to be better. I woke up this morning after a good night's rest and it was easier to get out of bed this morning. I am still on medicine that keeps me wiped out but that is okay cause it makes me rest. I have had such good care. Lynette and the girls have been clenaing and taking great care of me. John is working from home this week so that has been nice for him to be home too. Our care group has been bringing meals each night which has been amazing! We are so blessed. I am going to go lay down once again . . . . thank you for your prayers! I am doing pretty good!

I am home!

2008-04-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

My three wonderful children in their CrossWay t-shirts!

Flowers from Shannon and Shelly and CrossWay Community Church.

Flowers from my sweet hubby! They smelled so good!

This bouquet is from my mother-in-law Deloris. They were so pretty!

The surgery went well. I got home Wednesday morning. I have been sleeping a lot and just trying to do what the doctor said to do . . . take it easy! The medicine is making me a little dizzy but other than that, I am doing pretty good. Just wanted to update my blog to let you know I am home and doing well. Thank you all for your prayers . . . . they mean so much!

Bye bye Ursula!

2008-04-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

I know . . .I am weird. When I found out I was having a hysterectomy I caught myself saying "my uterus" a lot! So I decided to name it Ursula instead! It has actually made our conversations quite funny! Well tomorrow is the big day! Ursula will be no more! YAY! I have to be at the hospital at 10 in the morning and will not be home until Wednesday. I don't know when I will be feeling up to getting on the computer but when I do I will update. Thank you all for your prayers! I love you all!

It just keeps getting better!

2008-04-16T23:16:00.003-05:00

Man! What a birthday! It just kept getting better and better. The Smith Girls came over and made us dinner tonight. It was so yummy! Thank you guys so much. Then, Chrissie gave me a pedicure . . . it is so pretty! Am I blessed or what? Thank you girls for putting so much effort into making my birthday special. I certainly wasn't looking forward to having my birthday without John here with me, but WOW, I so enjoyed it! You guys are the best! I love you!

5 second rule?

2008-04-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

Cassie was making choc. chip cookies for me today and all of a sudden I hear a gasp and the sound of something going all of the floor. This is what I saw when I looked into my kitchen! Her face is priceless! HA HA!!!

Who needs a dog when your kids are not afraid to eat off the floor?

Even Lynette got in on it!

Too funny not to post! Don't cry over spilled choc. chips . . . . just eat them!

I have great friends!

2008-04-16T15:59:00.002-05:00

Wow! Was I ever so surprised last night! The ladies in our care group plus a few more, threw me the best 35th birthday party ever! I have never had a surprise birthday party so I was not expecting this at all! They got me good!!!! Shelly and Tiff showed up at my front door and blind folded me and kidnapped me! After much driving around (so Chrissie could get herself and my kids to the destination before I got there) we arrived at Lynette's house where I was totally surprised to see everyone gathered there all for me! They had a beach theme and decorated the house all up like the beach because I LOVE THE BEACH! And they all carried in Mexican food because I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD and our care group ladies make the best!!! It was so awesome. I just couldn't believe it. I had NO clue this was happening. I am thankful I showered and looked half way decent! Oh my! I got some cool patio lights for my patio and a group of them went in together and gave me a gift certificate to OOH LA LA for $95! WHOA! For those of you who do not know, OOH LA LA is a wonderful little boutique that sells Sorrelli jewelry. I am not much of a jewelry lover but this stuff is amazing! John bought me a necklace and earrings in Feb. and I just love it! I have Spring Rain so I decided to start a new collection of Pina Colada. I just love it! Thank you ladies so much for all you did for me. Just setting aside a night to come and be with me means so much. I love you all so much and am so happy that God sent us here to be apart of your lives. It is such a joy to just live life with you all. You are our family and we are so grateful to God for you! God is just too good to us to have brought us here. We feel at home and that is such a great feeling! Thank you for making all that great food too! You guys are amazing cooks! Cassie, thank you for making that delicious cake! I love that you love to bake like me! Chrissie, you really made me believe you were just coming over to spend the night! I had no clue! Your lies are so believable! I forgive you though! :o) To everyone else, thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys made my birthday so wonderful! I will NEVER forget this birthday! I love you all very much and am so thankful for each of you.

Birthday Surprises!

2008-04-14T12:01:00.001-05:00

Pretty Spring Flowers from a sweet friend who shares my birthday! I love having fresh flowers in the house!

Thank you Kendra, and Happy Birthday to you (on Wednesday!) They are beautiful!

More Birthday Flowers from my sweet hubby. Kristen picked them out . . . can you tell? All pink!

Since John is away this week (left this morning at 6 to go to a conference) we celebrated my birthday early. He took me out for lunch then I took a big 'ol nap! I needed that! Then the Smith Girls came over with a secret project they had been working on with my family as a surprise for me. It was a DVD of my family (Chrissie took the cutest photos of them!) with quotes from them like "I like it when you fix me any kind of food" ~ Nicholas.
It was really neat . . .they even put music to it, including . . .Brandi, You're a Fine Girl! Then we had the singles over and Tiff made a birthday cake for Kendra, Jessica and myself since all our birthday's are this week. Kendra brought me flowers because she says every woman deserves flowers on her birthday. She brought me flowers last year too! How sweet! Thank you everyone who made my day very special. You are gifts from the Lord that I treasure!

A Lovely Tea Party!

2008-04-11T20:51:00.000-05:00

We were so blessed to be able to have a little tea party with our girls in our care group . . . plus a couple more! Lynette works with a very nice lady who is wanting to expand her little antique shop in downtown Crestview to also do tea parties. She asked Lynette if she knew of any little girls who might be interested . . . uh, yeah! So we were honored to be her first group of little girls to practice on. And the best part . . . she did this at no charge to us. What a blessing! All the girls were so thankful to be able to come. And the cutest part of it was, her grandson was there all dressed up in a suit and tie and he read to the girls a story while they ate. Too cute! He was quite the gentleman!

Hairspray Party!

2008-04-05T14:58:00.003-05:00

Cassie (Tracy Turnblad), Kristen (Penny Pingleton), Chrissie (Tracy's mother)
Ultra Clutch Hairspray Cake that I made for Cassie
Here is the other half of the cake!
Kristen won "Little Miss Hairspray"
Happy 16th Birthday Cassie!

Be still and know that He is God . . .

2008-04-03T10:41:00.003-05:00

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

This verse always makes me stop. It speaks to my soul. The Lord knows how hectic life can be and exactly what I need, to be still and realize that He is God.As I meditate on this verse I ask the question, "What does being still look like? And just what does God want me to know about him?"Here are some thoughts:
Quiet your mind, calm your heart, and realize that He is in ultimate control of what touches your life. Listen to what He has to say. Really listen! Allow Him to speak to your heart.
Delight in Him. Be content and know that He is aware of all your needs even before you ask. Wait patiently. He is working in you and through you. It may take weeks, months, and even years to complete. Don't worry! What may seem like unanswered prayers is actually His perfect timing for you and those in your life.
In everything be thankful! He is all-powerful, all- wise, loving, just, patient, and so much more. You can trust Him with your life.
"Be still, and know that I am God."

Matt Redman . . . You Never Let Go

2008-04-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome home Daddy!

2008-03-30T07:42:00.001-05:00

Kristen had a surprise for her daddy when he came home. She had all these post-it notes stuck to our bathroom mirror with nice things about daddy. (She use to call this paper "sticky paper" when she was little. She LOVES sticky paper!

Hint, hint . . . . (it has been awhile).

Most importantly . . . . . John has ruined these kids . . . .they love coffee!

Awe . . .

2008-03-30T07:39:00.000-05:00

Cute little bunny basket the Smith Girls made. Isn't it cute?!

Watch out . . . .

2008-03-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

for that wall Johnathan! The poor kid about fractured his foot. He has a couple broken toes. He ran right into the wall!

Whoa . . . a green fro!

2008-03-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

Nicholas being his funny self!

Running on empty?

2008-03-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been feeling like my tank is always on "E". I have suffered from low iron my whole life. I haven't always taken my iron like I am suppose to and somehow I always got by. I learned to live with it. Some days were better than others but for the most part I could do everything I wanted and it didn't seem to effect me. But in the last year I have noticed that I am just tired all the time. And other things were starting to happen that got my attention as well. I started having chest pains, couldn't concentrate, poor sleep, dizziness, and my hands and feet were cold all the time! I went to the doctor and he sent me for some heart tests and blood work to check everything out. All my heart tests came back normal, thank the Lord, and all the other test came back okay as well. . . . . all except my iron, which was very low. I had told my doctor that it would show I was anemic cause I have been my whole life. He subscribed 300 mg of iron a day but let me start out with 150 mg a day until my body can adjust to the iron and recommend I see my GYN. After going through some things at the GYN's office, she determined that I have an enlarged uterus causing heavy bleeding, which is depleting the iron in my body. So, she doubled my iron to 300 mg a day because I am going to need to have a hysterectomy done and my iron is not high enough at this point to do the surgery. They scheduled the hysto for April 21st in hopes my iron will be high enough by then. I go back on my 35th birthday, April 16th, for more blood work to make sure I can indeed proceed with the surgery. I have no doubt I will be ready . . . all this iron I am on should do the trick! Even though I an not looking forward to having surgery, I am looking forward to be running on a full tank once again! I was reading a pamphlet on anemia and read this:
Why does iron deficiency rob us of our get up and go? Just as a fire can't burn if we cut off its supply of oxygen, a shortage of iron in the blood means that our cells are deprived of the oxygen they need to burn the body's fuel. The problem is further compounded since iron is required to produce the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) our cells use for fuel. With too little oxygen and too little fuel, instead of running on all eight cylinders, we run on two or three, and sputter through our day.
Well that describes me . . . sputtering through my day! Some days my get up and go has already got up and went before I even get out of bed! I do have to say that this whole process as made me be more reliant upon Christ. I cannot get through one day on my own strength! I need Him to give me the strength to do the things I need to do. He has been so gracious to me and has given me all I have needed for each day, even times to lay down and rest. God is so faithful!
Thank you for your prayers!

John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

2008-03-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

This I know . . .

2008-03-21T15:02:00.003-05:00

This I Know

I do not know what next may come
Across my pilgrim way.
I do not know tomorrow's road
Nor see beyond today.
BUT THIS I KNOW --
My Savior knows
The path I cannot see,
And I can trust His wounded hand
To guide and care for me.

I do not know what may befall
Of sunshine or of rain.
I do not know what may be mind
Of pleasure or of pain.
BUT THIS I KNOW --
My Savior knows,
And whatsoe'er it be,
Still I can trust His love to give
What will be best for me.

I do not know what still awaits
Or what the morrow brings,
But with the glad salute of faith
I hail its opening wings!
FOR THIS I KNOW ---
That in My Lord
Shall all my needs be met,
And I can trust the heart of Him
Who has not failed me yet.

~E. Margaret Clarkson~

John's cousin Angi emailed this poem to me today. Her husband passed away in January of a heart attack. He was a pastor. Angi's reliance upon God and her strong faith continue to be such an example to me. Please remember her and their fellowship in your prayers.

I love the last part of this poem . . . For this I konw that in my Lord shall all my needs be met, and I can trust the heart of Him who has not failed me yet! . . .AMEN!

Did you know?

2008-03-18T15:35:00.004-05:00

Publix pharmacy offering to fill

prescriptions for free!

The grocery chain started offering seven oral antibiotics — Amoxicillin, Cephalexin, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim, Ciprofloxacin (excluding ciprofloxacin XR), Penicillin VK, Ampicillin and Erythromycin (excluding Ery-Tab) — for free at all of its stores.
The drugs treat common ailments such as sinus infections, earaches and urinary tract infections. They also account for 33 percent of all generic prescriptions and half of all generic pediatric prescriptions Publix pharmacists fill.
The free antibiotics are offered to customers regardless of their prescription insurance provider. New or current customers need to provide the pharmacist with their prescription for up to a 14-day supply, and it will be filled at no charge. Publix is not limiting the number of prescriptions customers may fill for free.

Several other companies also offer discount drug programs. Last year, Wal-Mart started offering a 30-day supply of many generics for $4. Target said it would match Wal-Mart’s prices. And at K-Mart, you can get a 90-day supply of some generics for only $15.

For the Walmart prescriptions, you may want to pick up a copy of what meds they offer for $4. We picked one up yesterday after John's new medicines were going to be $50 each. We took the list to our doctor and he re-ordered off the list. John went to pick up his meds and he had to pay nothing after the insurance picked up the four bucks for each prescription. Just thought we would pass along this helpful information. It may come in handy for you too!

Honest little boy!

2008-03-14T10:47:00.002-05:00

This is so cute! He reminds me of Nick when he was little!

John & his mom playing Wii track

2008-03-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

Run Memee run!! Too funny!

2008-03-03T21:20:00.002-06:00

Wow it has been awhile since I have posted. We have all been fighting sickness for over a week and half. Praise the Lord, we are all much better now. John's mom came to visit on Saturday and leaves tomorrow morning to head back to the ice and snow storm that they are expecting in Indiana. Gosh, I do not miss the snow! This picture above is of the sunset in Seaside, Florida from this past week. It was so beautiful! God is so amazing!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-02-26T11:17:00.003-06:00

Happy 60th Birthday to my sweet momma! I love you so much and am very thankful to God for you! I pray you have a wonderful day and a year full of blessings! I am very grateful you got to come and spend some time with us a few weeks ago. We had a great time with you! We miss you and can't wait for you to visit us again soon! Happy birthday mom!

One year anniversary of Dad's homecoming!

2008-02-23T20:18:00.002-06:00

My dad went to be with Jesus one year ago today. It is hard to believe it has been a year but on the other hand it seems like he has been gone much longer. I am trying not to be sad but to rejoice that my dad is in Heaven rejoicing his Savoir for eternity! For a sweet tribute of my father you can read Chrissie's post on her blog.

Thank you all for your prayers for our family. You all are such an ecouragement to me!

Happy 11th Birthday Nicholas!

2008-02-19T08:20:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Nicholas' 11th birthday last night even though his birthday is today. We went to Hideaway Pizza here in Crestview and the sweet girls who work there even sang to Nick and gave him a free dessert! Nick was pretty happy about that - 2 desserts on his birthday! Lynette and Chrissie and Cassie joined us. We came back home for Strawberry Shortcake and ice cream. Nick enjoyed playing his new Wii Lego Star Wars game last night too.
Happy Birthday Nicholas! We love you so very much! You have always been such a joy, since the day you were born you have been making us laugh. You have such a sweet personality and your desire to please God by obeying your parents is an evidence of God's grace in your life. We are so very proud of you sweetie! Have a wonderful birthday!

My mom playing Wii Baseball

2008-02-18T19:40:00.001-06:00

Isn't this funny? HA HA HA!!! I LOVE my mamma!!

Tim Hawkins - Corporations Taking Over Churchs

2008-02-18T19:33:00.001-06:00

This guy is hilarious! Enjoy!

More Pictures from the week

2008-02-11T08:52:00.000-06:00

Pictures from the week

2008-02-11T08:46:00.000-06:00

My sweet mamma!

My brother and his girlies!

I think my sister has a picture of my dad doing this same thing.
Thought it was neat to have one of my brother too.

Grandma and the Florida grandkids at Destin Beach