Thankful Thursday Morning

"Give Thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you,

in Christ Jesus."
1 Thess. 5:18

This is the verse that found me last night. I scribbled it down on a sticky note and went to sleep.

This morning I awoke before dawn with a tickle in my throat, as I walked downstairs to get some water, I could see that dawn was coming and it was foggy outside. The house was quiet, birds were chirping, and the HOUSE WAS QUIET.

This week has been really good, but really overwhelming for me. I realized that this 'tickle in my throat' quite possibly was the Holy Spirit allowing me some quiet time with God. I didn't go back upstairs. I laid on the couch and prayed and slowly watched the morning come. And was overwhelmed again, but this time with THANKFULNESS.

1. I'm so VERY MUCH thankful for God's presence in my life, I don't know how others deal with things, my heart breaks for those that don't have the Lord to lean on and give their burdens to.

2. I'm VERY thankful for my husband. His gift of wisdom and love blesses me everyday. His partnership in parenting these past few weeks, THANK YOU JESUS!!!! His fun and sweetness with me, THANK YOU JESUS!!! His wisdom in handling things, THANK YOU JESUS!!!

3. My boys. They are precious, and full of preciousnesses that give me great joy. Even in the midst of their 'potty humor' I love them and I'm very thankful for the gift of them.

4. I'm very thankful for the friends God has given me. The ladies at church, the ladies outside of church. The fellowship, the laughter, the comraderie the sweetness...I'm so very thankful for these women.
(oh my gosh, my spell check just did a total number on 'comraderie', and I'm completely lost as to which one is the actual spelling, so I'm leaving it and lettin' it rock on its own!)

5. Homeschool Co-op. The boys and I joined a co-op this week (hence the overwhelmedness). It is an answer to prayer as we enter these next few years. I always said that I couldn't be in a homeschool co-op, because let's just say you REALLY don't want ME teaching your kids logic, grammar, math, spanish, world history...I mean let's just say it...I excel at naptime, I love the snack, I rule the recess - and that's about it. :o) So this is HUGE for us to be in a co-op. It runs differently and that's why it's working for us. The boys are loving it, even though Dave isn't really 'in' yet. I'm very thankful for this new adventure in our lives. (and I'm thankful for you, Courteney, for inviting us! you're such a blessing!)

6. Laughter. Last night was 'Exercise Night' on the Wii Fit. You haven't laughed till you see your three guys trying to Hula Hoop. H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. Last week was the first time, it was my turn to choose the sport and in an effort to find something that I might excel at, above the guys, I picked hula-hoopin'. I was literally crying, I was laughing so hard, they finally asked me to leave the room, but I crawled back to the door just to fall to the ground laughing again at, well, mostly the Calvin, that boy has some sweet moves! And yes, I rule at the hula-hoopin'. Wii Fit, good times.

7. Spring. I'm thankful that spring is a comin'. Tuesday we spent the afternoon at the park. The PARK, people. It was 70 degrees, SEVENTY, people! The boys got little sunburns on their pasty faces, and I think I got my fill of the vitamin D to last me another month!

8. I got a cold this past week. And I'm thankful that for the fist time in a few years it didn't turn into a flu. It was just a normal, little, mamsy-pamsy cold. (Ah-Choo! Bless me.) I'm so thankful.

9. Neighbors. I'm thankful for our neighbors. Have I mentioned before that we've never lived in a neighborhood. And the Dave has always wanted to. Now we live in a neighborhood and guess what lives right behind us...three boys. Sweet family. Athletic family. THREE BOYS. The oldest is the Dave's age and they are too cute. Just yesterday sitting at my desk I can see when they get home from school and are in the back yard playing, I yell to the Dave and he goes runnin' out. They play football, basketball, Calvin takes them on adventures in the forest, and they swing. Too funny to see these 12 year old boys swingin' so high on the swings. Very fun. And the little brother, he's 5 and LOVES to come visit me. Except that he cleans out my peanut bowl and often doesn't tell him Mama where he's goin'. Nice. They are comin' to dinner tomorrow night, they are wanting to start attending a church, we are excited for the opportunity to minister in their lives.

10. Scripture. Not too long ago I started praying that God would give me such a desire for His Word. He has answered that prayer. Sometimes I just sit, with my beloved Bible open on my lap, my hands laid flat on the pages, and just breathe a sigh of peace and joy for this freedom that we have. I love that no matter what book, chapter, or verse I'm reading, God is speaking directly into my life, my heart, and I'm VERY thankful.

Have a blessed day lovies.

My Golden Nugget for This Morning

Worry is Disobedience.

That is so profound, and so true.

Worry is Disobedience.

'The disciplined mind makes no room for doubting God's plans for me.'

Is my life full of HIM, or is it full of 'other stuff'??

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you (God). Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

In you, Lord - in YOUR WILL, in YOUR PRESENCE - all is well.

Cleaning the House & a Tour

There is just something about Saturdays and getting chores done. It's all good. So as the guys were outside doing chores, and in the garage doing chores and in the attic doing chores....I got to stay inside, doing what I love best. Nesting. (No, I'm not pregnant.)



My kitchen is wonderful, I absolutely love it. The sunshine, it makes me a happy-happy girl.


It came with this island, that has become 'kitchen central', all my pots, pans & lids are in the drawers. So handy.


It's an 'eat-in kitchen', love this, that the whole family congregates here, breakfast & lunch, while I cook and serve it up. Sweetie found this little table when we were first married and refinished it, it's precious.


A view to the back deck, and where dog & cats sit and whimper till we let them in. Or certain neighbor boys come knockin', wantin' to play.


Counter by the stove, and where all the music is played in the house. Those are my salt & pepper bowls, makes its so much easier and fun while cookin'.


Coffee central, and my favorite place in the morning. Mmmmm, I can taste tomorrow mornins' coffee. And yes, that's all our vitamins. Mmmmm, I can taste the burping of those fish oil capsules. So tasty.


Love these glass cupboards, and it helped that all my dishes are white. This is also 'appliance alley'. I have WAY too many appliances, and not enough places to store them, plus I use them ALL THE TIME, so putting them away is just a pain.


This is our itty-bitty fridge. This came with the house, and what with the buyers of our other house beggin' for the fridge, I'm now stuck with this beauty. I'm thankful that we have our extra fridge in the garage. I just have to clean this baby out every couple of days to make sure that nothing is getting pushed to the back and wasted. Someday, I might get a real 'grown-up' fridge, till then, 'itty-bitty' will have to do. It also doesn't have an ice maker, so my boys got to learn about the art of making ice, re-filling the ice trays and not just stealin' 2 out of the tray and putting it back. They had no idea what these things were before we got this fridge. So I'm thinking it's completely worth it.


The little hallway going to the 'fancy dining room'. I'm a lover of the wreath.


Again, the phone wall and cookbook shelves. That bookcase is a total piece of junk, but I spray painted it and decided it looks charming.

And now follow me upstairs, we'll check out the laundry room....


This new house, doesn't have a laundry room, it has a laundry closet. But it is on the second floor, so I'm not complaining. And of course I still found a way to put my stamp on it and make it all cutesy.


I love me some baskets, bummer I couldn't put labels on these shelves. A very sad thing.

Randomness

Last Saturday we woke up to this. Gorgeous, and we had nothing going on that day, just a cozy-lazy day at home together.


"Snow Caps"


We celebrated Valentine's Day...someone sent me roses...he might like me a little.


Sweetie took me out, we used a gift card we had for the Cheesecake Factory, yummo. Coffee, walkin' the mall, and a movie. A perfect night.


I'm sorry, but I just had to show you what it's like living in this house with Jr. High boys. Yes, all three of them! It's mud, don't worry. But when you're sitting intently at your desk trying to focus and get some work done and all of a sudden this is thrown at you, well, one might scream. Yes, he got the reaction he was looking for, the goober.


A little family portrait for you, though we couldn't seem to get Sweetie into the picture, but that's okay, he wasn't exactly in the smiling mood....do you see what's parked behind us? Do you see that guy walking up to the side of the car? Yep. And for the record, it was Jay this time, NOT ME!! And on the way to church! (I believe that makes it special.) And some friends passed us on their way to church. (I believe that makes it more special.)

Check out Dave's outfit, what a stud. Don't blow up the picture and look at his hair, he might be gettin' a bit crazy with the gel, I'm no longer allowed to fuss at him and his hair. Ugh.

Happy week everybody, enjoy!

Baby Dave

Here it is, the post. THE post. The post that will make me cry. Do you see the sacrifice I make for you guys. Feel the love.


See these two. Father and Baby Son. These two, they melt my heart.


Here they are again. Two peas in a pod, these two. Very annoying.

They are right now in California for 8 days, EIGHT DAYS PEOPLE! Seriously, a Mama Bear should not be separated from her cub for 8 days. It's just not good.

Good for me I have this guy,



he's my boy, my hero, my heart and very much loves his Mama. He's good for my sad times. And ladies, watch out, cuz he's gonna be the most wonderful husband and father some day. Not now, cuz, ew, he's only 14. But in about 10 years, come talk to me, we'll see if you measure up.

Okay, sorry, back to Baby Dave.....


My baby, 2 days old. Precious, and for some reason a little red.


Big brother meeting him for the first time, love the grimace face, Dave still makes that face whenever I make them hug each other. Aw, the brotherly love.


Oh, my heart overfloweth. I can still smell him, baby powder and those cheeks. So very tasty.


Oh how I love these guys.


Always lovin' the playtime with Dad. (lovin' that stache, Sweetie!)


Be still my heart.


Dave and Buzz, his little buddy that he carried EVERYWHERE and slowly ate him. We were thinking the kid might need help, but gratefully none of his other toys got eaten. But it does explain a sort of vitamin deficiency.


On Uncle Mike & Aunt Vicki's boat. Love those lips.


He's always had a bit of some 'Papa head hair', and very proud of it.


Aw, look, he loves his mama too.
(Notice, I totally cut out the rest of the family to make it look like it's just the two of us. See Sweetie tryin' to hone in on our picture. Whatever.)


His first time to Disneyland. He was almost 3. I love him in his sweats, so cuddly. Oh, that face, that dimple! Come here, let me kiss you!

Baby Love, come home quickly, I miss you. You're 12 now, can I still call you Baby Love?


Oh, I almost forgot....


Yee-Haw, a double whammy! Aw, the joys of being boys and living in the country!

It's good to be me.

A Snow Day

We interrupt the prevously scheduled programming of Baby Dave Pictures to bring you shots of our fun times with the snow.


The birthday boy got snow for his birthday. I'm thinking it was a great present, and it was free. Here he is playing out front with the neighbor boys.


My Sweetie looks good in the snow, he was recording the fun for posterity.


Sweetie tried to get the four-wheeler out and take it for a ride, it stalled in the street right in front of the house, here's he and Calvin trying to get it started. Such men I have.


Calvin taking all the kiddos on four-wheeler rides. Great fun in the snow & sleet.

Sweetie rode it to work to get some work done, he called me when he got there and told me how beautiful it was. Dan came and got the kids to take them sledding and dropped me off at the office so Sweetie and I could have a 'romantic' four wheeler ride home. Yeah, not so romantic, seriously thought I was going to die. Longest 15 minutes of my life. Sleet in the face, freezing temperatures in the face, not so much romantic.


Even the froggies were chilly. This was a few hours later, after some snow had melted...when we first woke up you could only see their eyeballs. They are so cute.


This morning was simply gorgeous.


The back deck, anyone for a grillin'?


Our home looks pretty in the snow, oh so pretty.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

My Birthday Baby.


So 12 years ago tonight, I was in the labor room trying to have a baby. Sweetie was hungry and went and got Kentucky Fried Chicken for him, my mama, his mama & his sister. I got ice chips, they were so yummy.

I think we watched Friends. And maybe some game show. Why don't I remember what was on television???

The anesthesiologist came in and gave me the wonder drug in my back and I fell in love with him. I told him not to go far, just in case I needed some more.

I think I slept, I don't really remember. Sweetie rubbed my back, Mama rubbed my feet, Mom-in-Law read a book, and Sister-in-Law video taped me, something that I will regret later as they used it to tease me...whatever!

At some point, a heart beat went too low or couldn't be found or something, all I know is I was flipped over to all fours, gave the women a show they'll never forget and everyone was rushing around. Ugh, such drama.

At about 5:30 the next morning I got to start pushing, this was HUGE! The sun was coming through the blinds and I got to push. This is when the 'sweet' nurse was telling me that I was doing fine...then my 'not so sweet' Sister-in-Law told me I was NOT doing a good job, told me to grab my knees and push like 'you know what'. Well it worked and out popped a Dave. Nice.

Next thing I know, he's blue, not breathing, the cord isn't cut all the way, grab baby & go, deal with me and then realize baby still not breathing. Sister-in-Law yelled at nurses to look at Dave and all mayhem broke out again. Of course, I'm delirious at this point and Sweetie is trying to soothe me all the while, not knowing what is going on with his son. Once all was done and fine I had baby and Sweetie had to go out to the hall to fall apart. The poor guy was my rock during the whole night, but once he saw that all was going to be fine he fell apart. Love that man.

Dave was 9 pounds, the big chunkster. Tried to bring some of my insides with him when he came out. Sweet boy. He had lots of hair (a bit scary) and big bright eyes.

And this is where I would have a picture of him while we were in the hospital. He was precious, still is. Take my word for it, he was a looker, still is.

There aren't any photos because it's after 9pm now and it's cold in the attic where the photos are and I'm on the couch and don't wanna scan photos right now. But just wait for it, tomorrow will be a real winner of a post, but be warned there may be some buns...just maybe.




All bundled and ready for our day of birthday fun...


Birthday boys' mama, he's one blessed boy.


Dave & Bryan, excited about what Calvin got his brother. They are such buds. Mr. Johnny pants couldn't come, what with the whole maybe bein' snowed in for the weekend thing.


This is my baby, he's weird, I think I'll keep him.