A quick update

I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth...but life gets busy, schedules change, and some things get put on the back burner, so to speak.
Lots of things have changed since my last post--

• I returned to teaching in the classroom in August, 2013
• My kids started Christian School at the same time
• Grandma went to Heaven on October 16, 2013
• We saw God's faithfulness to us during the loss of my husband's job
• My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year (July 2015)
• Mom had to move into an assisted living facility in July 2015
• Dad joined her in February 2016
• We have taken several trips up to the Northeast section of the U.S. and have loved it!
• "R" is now a Junior in High School; also has her learner's permit!
• "D" is now a 6th grader and in Junior High
• "S" is now a 2nd grader
• Our church celebrated her 35th anniversary in June--we had lots of food, fellowship, preaching, inflatables, and fireworks!
• Oh, we love summer!  =)

I know there is lots that I haven't written about, but one last thought is that God is good, all the time!

A Beautiful Reminder

Here's a beautiful song that our pastor sang some time ago in our church...and it has become one of my favorites.  This is just a simple reminder to think about how good God has been.  Have a blessed day!

A Summer 2012 Recap

Wow! How time flies...I certainly did not intend to be gone from my blog for such a long time! It's good to be back.  :)

Summer 2012~this involves lots of pictures  :)

June~

• the family schedule relaxed
•  vegetable garden was a few weeks old

• my youngest daughter was promoted to my Sunday School class  :)
• my son finished first grade and was excited for summertime!
• my oldest daughter finished sixth grade and was thrilled for time off
• we went on an overnight trip with Grandma to Williamsburg to celebrate her birthday
• when we got back to her house, the "clubhouse" had been delivered and set in place

• the kids and I went with some friends to the zoo--it was a gorgeous day!
• Hubbie and I had a few days to ourselves while the kids visited Grandma and Grandpa--we even toured a Harley-Davidson factory

• a super strong storm went through the area (durecho), but thankfully, we kept our power and had no damage to our property. Others in our area were not so fortunate...
• play date with sweet friends

July~

• our family marched with our church in our local 4th of July parade

• we watched some beautiful fireworks and enjoyed the gorgeous weather
• celebrated my mom's birthday and my parent's 47th anniversary

• play dates with friends
• we visited Appomattox Court House (where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, which ended the Civil War)

• "R" went to church camp for five days
• "D" got to have some fun days with friends while his big sister was away
• a friend of ours had very successful cancer surgery--PRAISE THE LORD!
• my niece, Anna, got to visit for a little while  :)
• some cute ranch hands came to visit for the day

August~

• Hubbie and I had a few days to ourselves while the kids visited Nanny and Poppy  :)
• we drove on the Skyline Drive--it was beautiful!

• "S" tried corn on the cob for the first time

• another play date with some friends
• school started the last Tuesday of the month--"R" is in 7th, "D" is in 2nd, and "S" is in preschool

• we finished cleaning out and organizing our storage room--oh, what a nice feeling!

September~

• the family visited Gettysburg National Military Park for two days, where the kids earned their "Junior Ranger" patches and certificates

• while in the park, we climbed an observation tower, and could see the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with a 360 degree view

• "D" lost his first tooth
• our church had a wonderful Missions Conference--Our theme this year was "Missions Makes A Difference"

What a wonderful summer the Lord gave us! I am so very thankful for great memories and sweet fellowship with friends and family.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a blessed day!

We Never Forget

When someone touches your life, you never forget that person or what they did for you...my nephew, Darrell, has been in Heaven for 7 years...July 8th will always be a bittersweet day.

We love you and miss you, Darrell! We cannot wait to see you again! Heaven's sounding sweeter every day! 

Counting My Blessings ~ #66-80

 

As the counting continues~

66. birthday blessings

67. rain

68. fresh cup of hot coffee

69. my quiet time

70. Abraham series that we are doing on Wednesday nights

71. an email from my brother

72. convenience of my favorite grocery store

73. doctors who care

74. medical tests to try to figure out issues

75. God's patience with me

76. hubbie's real estate business is picking up

77. graduation announcement from a former student

78. springtime

79. garden planning

80. seeing my children enjoy playtime with some sweet friends

Anne hosts this special link-up...please join us!

Daybook #49

For today, Tuesday, April 24, 2012~

Outside my window~

the sun is shining brightly

I am hearing~

"R" finish up her history lesson

"D" is creating with empty paper towel and toilet paper tubes

"S" is napping

I am thinking~

about how much I am loved  :)

I am thankful~

for such a sweet family

I am remembering~

my birthday surprises

and very thankful for some sweet friends

who helped make my day special

I am reading~

my Bible and a Southern Living magazine

I am hoping~

the children do well on their standardized tests

On my mind~

are some little babies in our church who are in the NICU

From the learning rooms~

school is quickly winding down for the year,

so there is lots of review

Noticing that~

the weather this spring has been all over--

wet, cold, warm, dry, and hot!

I am creating~

this blog post  ;)  but nothing else right now

From the kitchen~

out for my birthday dinner last night

jerk chicken tonight (YUMM!)

Around the house~

the spring decorations are up

One of my favorite things~

is to be with my family

A few plans for the rest of the week~

include finishing up standardized testing

mid-week church service

trying my hand at homemade pop-tarts

From my picture journal~

~a recent field trip~

~site of the original home~

 ~overlooking Pope's Creek~

~Fawn, our friendly US Park Ranger, administering the

Junior Ranger oath~ 

 ~taking the Junior Ranger oath~

Thanks for stopping by today! This was a fun memory for our family.

I'm joining Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook. Feel free to visit her and read other daybooks!  :)

Happy Birthday, Donna!

"R", "D", "S", and I wish you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 

From "R"

From "D"

And "S".... well we are trying to keep her out of the cupcakes and soda....

We Love you!!

Enjoy the day!!

Love,

"Hubbie"

Simple Woman's Daybook #48

For today, Wednesday, April 11, 2012~

Outside my window~

the sun is coming up

I am hearing~

the birds sing

I am thankful~

for my sweet Hubbie,

and for quiet time

I am thinking~

about a childhood friend,

whose birthday is today

I am remembering~

our Easter weekend

I am reading~

my Bible

the newest edition of the Food Network Magazine

I am hoping~

that we get some rain soon

On my mind~

is my family

From the learning rooms~

"R" is almost finished with school (30 lessons!)

"D" is about 40 lessons from finishing  :)

"S" isn't doing school, but loves to memorize Bible verses and sing

Noticing that~

I need to start my spring cleaning...

now where did I put that list? Anyone have any

great inspiration?

Wondering~

what the day will hold...

hopefully we'll have a very productive day

I am praying~

for my country, but also for

me...for wisdom and patience

I am creating~

nothing today...but we did grow our

own Easter grass. It was really a neat thing

for the kids to do!

Pondering these words~

Matthew 27:61--"And there was Mary Magdalene,

and the other Mary, sitting over against (opposite) the sepulchre."

I've been surprised to read how many times Mary Magdalene's name comes up in the Easter story...she was close to Jesus...and when I think of what Jesus healed her from, it is no wonder that she wanted to be close to Him.

From the kitchen~

I'm not very good at menu planning. I tried a calendar approach...but then,

inevitably, the meal would change for that day.

I found this list and it seems to be working really well for us! YAY!

Around the house~

the family room stays picked up now that we have rearranged the furniture and painted
WOO-HOO!

One of my favorite things~

is spending time with my sweet Hubbie

A few plans for the rest of the week~

continue planning our end-of-the-year party

spend time working in the yard/garden

clean/organize the hall closet

From my picture journal~

this is one of my favorite pictures



Please visit Peggy to read other Daybooks.

Thanks for visiting today!

A Gentle Reminder to Myself :)

This is a song that I heard a while back from Abigail Miller. It's a beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness to me!

It's Just Like the Lord

Sometimes I weary upon the path I tread,
Sometimes my heart faints, I fear what lies ahead.
But when upon my knees I seek the Father face to face,
He may not give the answers, but He always gives His grace.

And it's just like the Lord to lead our feet in ways we cannot see,
Yes, it's just like the Lord to take us where the darkness seems to be.
But one day when we gather in that great and grand forever,
We will see His hand has failed us never--no, never.
Trust the Lord.

Just when the darkness is closing 'round my head,
Just when my strength fails--I lean on Him instead.
Oh, the Son just comes shining through, I see Him face to face.
I do not need the answers, I only need His grace.

For it's just like the Lord to open wide the eyes that could not see,
Yes, it's just like the Lord to flood His light where darkness used to be.
Oh, some day when we gather in that great and grand forever
We will see His hand has failed us never--no, never.
Trust the Lord.

Oh, one day we will gather in that great and grand forever.
Then we'll see His hand has failed us never--no, never.
Trust the Lord.

Cherry Blossoms and Monuments

Because of the nice warm weather our area has been experiencing, the cherry blossoms in DC are showing their beauty much sooner this year. A few nights ago, we took a drive downtown and my sweet "Hubbbie" captured some beautiful shots...Enjoy!

~The Washington Monument~

~The Jefferson Memorial~

 

~a nice jogger stopped and took our photo~

~siblings~

Peace

In an email I received earlier today, these paragraphs spoke to my heart...hope you enjoy!

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4

Some thoughts:

• Our MINDs need to be stayed: focused, kept, continued on HIM. Take your mind off your circumstances and put it on HIM. Magnify Him and not your difficulty.
• Our minds are able to stay on HIM because we TRUST in HIM. Do not trust in what you see or feel. Trust in your God forever-he is the only unchanging thing in your life!
• In HIM is everlasting strength! Tired, weary, discouraged? You need strength, and you don't have it in yourself. In the Lord alone is everlasting strength.

~some peaceful photos to share~

Daybook #47

~For Monday, March 5, 2012~

Outside my window~

the snow is falling and it is beautiful!

I am hearing~

the washing machine

I am thinking~

that I have a wonderful life  :)

I am thankful~

for goals

I am remembering~

a time as a child that we went to WV to visit my grandparents

and a huge rainstorm had gone through and created lots of mud...

needless to say, we got stuck and had to walk the rest of the way to my grandparents house

I am reading~

my Bible and I am hoping to start reading

The Five Love Languages of Children very soon

I am hoping~

that the snow will stick and that the kids can enjoy playing in it

On my mind~

is my sweet mother-in-law who has stage 4 cancer--but she has such a strong testimony for the Lord...and she is a strong woman!

Noticing that~

St. Patrick's Day is just about two weeks away

I need to start thinking about a meal...

From the learning rooms~

trust

growing my faith

seeking wisdom

Wondering~

what the week will hold

I am praying~

for my mother-in-law and for the family

I am creating~

a "springy" tablescape for our Ladies Bible Study tomorrow

and I am going to create a new set of goals for the week

(my inspiration is from Crystal)

Pondering these words~

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."

From the kitchen~

looking for inspiration  :)

Around the house~

we have finished our family room and

we all love the new layout

One of my favorite things~

is quiet time spent with my sweet hubbie

A few plans for the rest of the week~

school

Bible study

church

doctor appointments for the kids

a wedding

From my picture journal~

~one of my favorite pictures of my mother-in-law~

I'll be linking up with Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Have a great week!  :)



A Sweet Reminder

Psalm 118:24~This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

No matter what the day holds, I can be assured that God is in it...walking right beside me! What a precious thought!

My Favorite Christmas memory~2011

Of all the fun celebrations we had in December...five birthdays, our anniversary, Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day dinner...one memory stands out.

Christmas morning~before the gifts were opened~we read the Christmas story just like we always do. However, this year, two of my children read it...instead of me...It was one of the sweetest things to hear. It is a memory I will always cherish.

Our Birthday Boy!

Happy Happy Birthday to our seven year old son~

We love you, "D", and are so proud of you! You are:

• caring
• thoughtful
• almost always smiling
• tender-hearted
• compassionate
• smart
• loving
• giving

Daddy and I and your sisters are so very thankful that God gave you to us seven years ago! You have brought us so much joy and happiness. We look forward to seeing how God uses you in the coming year!

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

~Happy 7th Birthday!~