Love Notes

O's New Life

2010-06-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

From the moment our children are born, Drew and I began praying about our children's salvation. We seek day after day ways to grow them, and point them in direction of the God who created them, loves them, and sent His son to bear our sin on the cross and die. The daily question is, "are we doing enough? Are we doing it right? How will we know when they become authentic followers of Jesus Christ?

One thing we've always prayed is that it would be confirmed that they would not become Christians because of any pressure from us. (As if that could be an authentic conversion!) We wanted to know that God and God alone is pursuing each of their hearts to draw them unto himself.

About a month ago, our daughter O did just that. One night, she just said, "I"m ready momma. I'm ready to have Jesus in my heart." I asked her what that meant, and after telling me what she thought it was, I felt like she understood what it meant. And she said, "I just feel like He wants me to follow Him, that He wants to be in my heart. I believe that I need Him. " She told me she wanted to pray all by herself, without my help. At first, she started going through the ABC's of salvation. I stopped her in the middle of her prayer and asked her, "didn't you just tell me that you felt like Jesus needed to be in your heart? That He wanted to be there? Talk to him about how you feel about giving him your heart, your life." She proceeded to pray one of the most sacred, precious prayers I've ever heard in my life. She broke down into tears and poured her heart out to God, crying for Him to come into her life, and that she wanted to follow Him "forever," as she put it. God's presence was all around us as she prayed that prayer, and 3 or 4 weeks later, she followed her decision in baptism. We were blessed that Drew was able to baptize her. It was an enormous privilege for him. We are overjoyed with the blessing of her salvation, and give God glory and honor for it!

E's Kindergarten Play

2010-05-01T22:53:00.003-05:00

E had a wonderful Kindergarten play on nursery rhymes. I am amazed at what those teachers do and am so grateful to them! E had a speaking part at the beginning, then did a cute little hand rhyme called Miss Sue. Here's the sweet video of the speaking part. Aunt Nancy, Mimi, and Nana all came to see her!

M's 3rd birthday

2010-05-01T22:43:00.002-05:00

M turned 3 this March and we had a faaaaabbbulous Dora party! We had tattoos, coloring pages, and bracelet making inside, then went outside and had a real Dora adventure! We had maps and followed the trail until we got to the pinata that Swiper swiped! As you will see in the picture below, Drew graciously agreed to be Swiper again(he was Swiper when O had a Dora party when she was 3!) I love my husband, he is NOT AFRAID!! My camera battery died, so I don't have many pics of this, but it was a super fun party!

2010-05-01T22:22:00.002-05:00

This is the absolute truth as I know it. You can buy the best of everything for your kids. You can buy them every gadget that hits the stores. You can take them to every Pixar film made. You can dress them in the most fabulous clothes. You can plan every second of their day with educational, fun, brain-stimulating activities. You can plan an extravagant trip to the most fun place on earth, with the best rides, characters, 3D movies-just a fantasy world. But every time you ask them, days later, what the best part of the trip/day, etc. was, they will almost always say something, that, to you, seems really small. Or simple. Those are the memories they keep with them. It's the unexpected detour for ice cream. Or the little dog you see on your way to the theme park. Or the snack you gave them in the car. Or the silly songs you sang that morning at breakfast.

We had a big reminder of that in Orlando. After days at Disney, my dad was just itching to take the girls to an orange grove. They were in the middle of a Honey I Shrunk The Kids playground at Hollywood Studios, and the second we asked them if they wanted to go, they all immediately jumped off what they were playing and said an enthusiastic YES!! So we spent the afternoon at an orange grove sampling fresh, delicious juice, picking oranges, learning about different types of oranges, and basically making ourselves sick on the abundance of fruit that was before us. And guess what my kids say when you ask them about our trip? They always talk about how great that trip to the orange grove was. Sometimes, they barely even mention Disney World.

It's definitely the simpler things in life that bring the most blessing.

I. Was. The Next. American. Idol.

2010-05-01T22:15:00.003-05:00

So most of you heard that I won American Idol at Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Funny, some people thought this actually meant I made the show. I did not. But I will say, doing the one in Orlando reallllly felt real. I mean, the stage was amazing, I sang in front of 1000 people, and I had 3 judges truly critique me. So, though I'm 35 and won't ever be on the real thing, it sure felt pretty darn close. Competition wasn't too fierce, so I'm definitely not bragging. I mean, a 75 year old blind woman who sang "Crazy" by Patsy Cline nearly beat me. But it was fun! And hilarious! So, I won't embarass myself with the video of me actually singing, but here's a little clip of my interview before my performance. I'm especially fond of a tiny voice on the video saying, "that's my mommy!" See if you can catch it!

My Middle Eastern Family

2010-05-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

There's nothing important in these pictures, except that they are Hi-LAR-ious and I cry-laugh everytime I look at the succession! This was at Epcot in Turkey or somewhere like that.

The Place Where Dreams Come True 2010

2010-05-01T21:16:00.002-05:00

Waaaaayyyy back in February, we took a family vacation to kid (and parent!) paradise. Can you guess where we went???
My M looooooves Snow White and can actually quote almost the entire story for memory. So she was pretty pumped to meet her idol. Snow White said to her, "why hello, I'm Snow White, what is your name?" And M replied, "Snow White." She lives in her own little Fantasyland.
We were so excited that Mimi and PopPop got to go with us. Besides really enjoying their company and making great memories, they helped so much with M, because really, besides meeting the princesses and riding Dumbo, M was NOT a fan. NOT AT ALL.
Because Disney World is really a honeymoon when you're there (Ha! Note the sarcasm!) Drew and I just had to get a kiss in at Minnie's house. The kids were either really disturbed, or falling asleep, I'm not sure. And no, I have no idea why my booty is sticking out. Just a bad decision.
The best stuff is free, of course, so trying on different hats at the millions of kiosks was one of our favorite daily activities. We liked to joke with O that her teeth look exactly like Goofy's. She thought it was funny, don't get mad at me!!
Through all the rushing around, over-stimulation, and exhaustion, we all truly had a memorable, fantastic time. I'm hoping some permanent memories were made!!

Winter Snow

2009-12-14T14:25:00.002-06:00

I have a new favorite Christmas song. The words are incredible. Enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgU2YC0pnbI

The Christmas Card That Never Was

2009-12-09T16:45:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm one of those mothers. I take zillions of pictures of my children around Christmastime, just so I can get that one shot that showcases my beautiful, perfect, pristine little girls. Because as you know, the purpose of a Christmas card is to show off the beauty and perfection of your children.....right? NO? Okay, well, perhaps I strive a little too hard for perfection. However, my children are NOT perfection. I had 5 different photo shoots with the girls this season. Some of them were planned, some of them were captured in a special moment. But try as I may, I cannot get the perfect picture! The girls either make crazy faces, M starts to cry, O and E start to fight, and inevitably, one of them walks off. In the meantime, Drew and I are doing every little song and dance that we know just to get them to give the slightest grin. Not happening. This year, we are sending out an "ok" picture. Though they don't look angelic in it or anything, in artistic black and white, or in beautifully smocked dresses, they at least are captured in a truly natural moment. So I'm pleased. So when you get your card, YOU be the judge. Perfect? Not at all. Perfect in their imperfect expressions of laughter and goofiness? Absolutely!
Alas....shortly after ordering my cards from Shutterfly, I snapped this impromptu picture the other day before church. And here it is, the perfect picture of my perfect little angels. Ain't that just the way it goes?

Gingerbread Creations

2009-12-09T16:35:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we spent some great family time together participating in some activities provided for us by our city. After the Tupelo Christmas parade, we headed over to make gingerbread houses. After we finished our creations, we got to make banana octopuses. As you can see, M was concentrating very hard, and I must say, did a fantastic job!

My little Panda Prize winner

2009-11-11T14:23:00.000-06:00

It's talked about from week one in school. Panda Prize. The illustrious, exclusive award that rewards those students who excel, endure, and inhabit qualities like good attitudes, hard-working, and mannerly. And my E received it for October. Oh, the joy! Oh, the look of sheer rapture on her face, knowing she achieved her goal! Oh, the look of........

Boredom.....

Ho-hum.....

Yawn........

There it is! Happiness!

Congrats, E, for getting Panda Prize this month. As you told me on the day you received it-You are Positive, Impaired, and Polite.
Uh....I think you meant Positive, Prepared, and Polite.

Happy Halloween!! 2009

2009-11-11T14:13:00.000-06:00

Well, Halloween was fun, but exhausting, as always, since my girls like to change their costumes mid-week. And the activities for Halloween crammed all in one week will take a wear on your costumes, I'll admit. So, you'll see below, A Dora Princess, A Geisha girl, Nancy Drew, Alice in Wonderland, Supergirl, and my most consistent child in the house, Nancy Drew (again). Thursday night we went trick-or-treating downtown, and ended the night with E throwing up in some bushes. I got a little worried, but she bounced back after a couple of days, and was hot to trot down Morning Glory to get her candy loot on Saturday. We ended the night with a hayride with friends. I'll have to update later to see the cavity damage that has been done to our youngest. M loves candy even more than I do!

M's first day of preschool, 2009

2009-10-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here she is, my silly, party girl M, on her first day of preschool. She loves her teachers Toni and Debbie and is such a social butterfly at school. I get the privilege of being her teacher for music, and she really does great in my class.

E's Grandparent's day

2009-10-31T11:57:00.000-05:00

Our local elementary school does a great job of honoring grandparents. A few weeks ago E was so pumped to have her Mimi and Nana at her school! Mimi and Nana loved seeing E's bright, fun school! They said it's a far cry from what their schools looked like! I'd agree the same thing about mine!

Hmmmm.....this is supposed to be E....didn't know she had her ears pierced!

How hilarious is this? And how typical is this view of a grandparent! They get to spoil them, I have to discipline them. Makes me excited about being a grandmom one day.

Happy Birthday Sis!

2009-10-31T11:53:00.000-05:00

My sister Nancy turned the big 4-0 this year! (shhhh, don't tell!) The grandparents kept the kids and we went with several other couples to a posh hotel and celebrated the big event. I feel so blessed that not only is she my sister, she's my best friend. And I'll guarantee you I wouldn't have dreamed that to be true about 25 years ago when she aggravated me to death and called me "Jaggaba," and "Skeeter." Ohhh, how she tortured me. I love you sis!

Early Fall pics, 2009

2009-10-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

I had to post these pictures, knowing they wouldn't be of interest to anyone else, but I wanted record of the fact that I had a successful landscaping experience this year. Last summer, I planted some begonias, impatients, etc, etc. They all got covered up with weeds an looked terribly puny in my flower bed. This year, I got some help at a local gardening store here, and planted what they recommended to me. I have no idea what these flowers and plants are called, but it ended up so darn pretty! This is late in the summer, so the purple flowers weren't as vibrant as they had been earlier, but you still get the idea!

And these last two pictures are just some favorites of early Autumn. We went to Nashville for the Ole Miss Vandy game and stayed with our Uncle James and Aunt Nina. We had a fabulous time, especially with their sweet dog!

Go Rebs!!!

More Birthday Pics

2009-10-31T11:41:00.000-05:00

Had to share just a couple more pics from the birthday weekend. How cool is this cake? Cakes by Rita, for all you Tupelo folks.

I stole this idea from my awesomely creative friend Traci. We sent E on a hunt for her birthday gifts by guiding her through the house with yarn. It went very well!

Here she is opening one of her gifts. O was lovin' it and can't wait to experience the birthday yarn next year!

And....yet another child wanting margaritas on her birthday. I kid, I kid! Just another breakfast ice cream float! E prefers strawberries on her pancakes, though!

E the singer/songwriter

2009-10-31T11:27:00.002-05:00

Happy 6th Birthday E! (exactly 1 month and 2 days late!)

2009-10-31T11:19:00.002-05:00

Well, hello my 1 or 2 blog readers that may be possibly left. I won't spend much of this blog harping on this, but let's just say, life is good, life is busy, and life is moving along at a rapid pace. So sorry for my absence!
Here's my little 6 year old on her birthday! We went to A Cook's Place and made homemade pizzas and lemonade. Yummmm!! It was so much fun! My camera ran out of juice, so I got almost no pictures of the day. Excuse the low quality of these. I love my flour-coated girl, though. E loves to cook, and I even love to have her in my kitchen, mess and all! Happy Birthday, E!!!

Back to School 2009. A 3rd grader and a Kindergartener!

2009-08-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

Sigh. Double Sigh. I can't even look at these pictures without getting teary. I've got 2 big school girls now, and I just don't know how to take it. O started 3rd grade at a new school, and E started Kindergarten at a new school. The morning of, we started off super-motivated. As you can tell, E was especially "jacked-up" (as Drew and O would say). She bounced all the way to school, and never looked back. I, on the other hand, couldn't keep my eyes from welling with tears the whole morning. E, I am so proud and excited for you girlie.

Now, O was also excited, but seemed a little anxious at the same time. She started a new school where noone from her other school transferred. Luckily, we have one friend we knew previously in her class. However, at dropoff, O did not do as well. Let's just say after the realization she was truly somewhere new, she just had to cry it out a little before she was ready to go in class. I'm pleased to say that she's doing well now, after 3 days of school. By the way, this isn't my choice of a first day outfit ( I know that sounds snooty-sorry!) but they had field day out side the first day and they had to wear play-clothes. I'm pretty sure she's not going to put any bows in her hair this year, though!

E and her new teacher, Mrs. Kingsley. We love you Mrs. Kingsley!

O and her new teacher, Mrs. Glover. We love you Mrs. Glover!

Ashley's wedding day, part 2

2009-08-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhh....it's over! Here we are relaxing at our table at the reception. Catching up with our Brookwood friends kept us from our food for quite awhile, but when we finally got to dig in....yummy, heavenly, scrumptious WEDDING FOOD! Am I weird? I really look forward to weddings because of the food! Shhh...don't tell the bride!

Dancing with Daddy. And who knew M was such a dancer? I have video, but it's too dark. I must post some soon, though, she's quite the mover and shaker!

Beautiful bride Ashley sweatin' in her wedding dress on the dance floor with the kiddos! What a fabulous night!

Ashley's wedding day part 1

2009-08-13T22:02:00.002-05:00

I may become a beautician. Seriously. I have never used hairspray and curlers like I did last Saturday. As each girl screamed, cried, and ran from me in terror, I just kept reminding them, "beauty hurts! beauty hurts!" I'm not sure they quite got that. And I'm not sure they should......Anyway, this is the 2 older girls with their curls just out. Though it was painful for them (I actually burned O's ear!) I think they were pretty proud of their hairdos!

Oh, bright cherubim, wouldst thou grace me with thy presence again and again? Ha! A little spitfire in angel's clothes!

Posing....and posing......and posing....for more....and more.....and more.....pictures. (but isn't she a beautiful bride?)

Ashley's Wedding Rehearsal and Dinner

2009-08-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

I was so proud of my girls last weekend. Our babysitter and family friend Ashley got married in Birmingham last weekend. I was a little stressed when she asked ALL THREE GIRLS ( M? Really? I mean, she's only 2! Are you sure, Ashley?) But, I have to admit, I had always dreamed of the day that they would be flower girls. I actually never thought it would happen. But be careful what you wish for. It would have been nice to have them in 3 different weddings at 3 different times! Oh, well, who cares? It's over, and guess what? It went off without a hitch! (well, almost!)

Here are the girls at the rehearsal dinner.

Ashley and the girls after a few cupcakes!

Rehearsal dinner was a Vulcan-here we are waiting on the elevator to take us up!

And here is a goofy shot of me. I am terrified of heights. My girls must take after me, because they didn't want to stay up there more than about 2 minutes. I was thankful!

O's Happy 8th Birthday

2009-08-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, My oldest girl O turned 8. She started off the day with margaritas and pancakes. Kidding, kidding. It's a 7-up float! In our family, when it's your birthday, you get to choose whatever the heck you want to eat for breakfast. And my girls always choose this particular breakfast. I just served it in the glass to make it festive, alright?
2 days later, she had her party. We had an art party in the backyard.

The girls had several art stations. A hat decorating station, a bubble painting station, a shaving cream marble paint station, and a canvas painting station. You can see the looks of concentrations on these faces. These girls were serious.

However, as luck would have it, the sky opened up and poured rain in the middle of the party. So we had 16 girls in our mess of a garage, plus 4 grandparents, an aunt, and the random adult who appeared here and there. It was mighty crowded!

As usual, though, what's chaotic for adults, is usually super fun for the kids. This photo is evidence of the chaos AND the fun. That's what it's all about at our house! So happy birthday (late!) to my biggest girl. You are so precious to me.

Beach 2009 Part 4

2009-07-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

Whew! Told you we were with lots of people this summer! We spent a few days with Drew's family at the beach also. How cutie pie are all of my nieces and nephews? My kids are so blessed to have so many cousins to play with.

A picture of my nephew L, or as I like to call him, "The shoe-stealer." I could only find 1 flip-flop the whole trip because he'd always have the other one on! The boy never stops moving!

H and my E are 1 week apart. I love the sweet bond between them! 2 new kindergarteners!!

Nana took the girls to Alvin's Island. I finally caved in and let Nana get them a crab. They are currently still alive, I think. I don't really care. (I'm taking a hands-off approach this time. I'll only step in when they are dead and start to smell.)

Beach 2009 Part 3

2009-07-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

Little M hangin' with her new boyfriend, Shane. Uh...I mean, Bradford.

My friend Sue's kids and my kids. Sue and I were pregnant with our first two girls at the same time, and though she lives in Arkansas, we have relied on each other through lots of parenting. We could tell you lots of stories. But we'd have to kill you. Our kids are perfect. Really.

Mimi and PopPop had an early birthday celebration for O.

Just a great pic of our beachy, crabhunting girls!

Beach 2009 Part 2

2009-07-19T22:11:00.001-05:00

My Dad, Drew, girls, and nieces watching fish be skinned and cut outside of Louisiana Lagniappe

A "lovely" photo of my sis and I

Just a cute cousin pic. How cute are they??

My friend from college, Susan, and I. Since this blog is full of "flattering" pictures of me (I mean, I get to pick the pictures, why not censor them down to only flattery of me??) I decided for once to just put a dorky picture on here. O told me to make a silly face. Sue left me hangin'. Joke was on me, I guess. Thanks Sue.

Beach Pictures

2009-07-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

We've gotten the opportunity to go down to the beach twice this summer. I kiddingly say that we actually "Summer" at the beach. Oh, how I wish! But this summer has been fun. I think the beach is beautiful and relaxing and all of that, but to me the best part of the beach is who you're with. So I'm posting pictures of all of the groups of people we got to hang out at the beach with. From girlfriends and their kids from Tupelo, to Mimi and PopPop, to my best friend from college and her family, to my brother and sister and their families, to Drew's mom, sister, and neice and nephew, we pretty much had a "love-fest" with some of our favorite people! (and for the rest of my favorite people out there-just call me, lets plan another trip!) It was community at its finest, and I feel so blessed to have people who love me around me. The next few posts will be of these people and pictures!

I cannot believe I just posted a picture of me in my swimsuit. I will regret this later.

All the little friends lined up!(minus M who is never agreeable to taking a group picture.)

We toured the big battleship in Mobile with my brother and his family.

Dolphin hunting with Mimi. It was E's year! She was thrilled!

Wicked!!

2009-07-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know, I am one of the biggest fans of the Broadway musical Wicked that you'll ever meet. I've been waiting 3 years to see the musical, and 3 weeks ago, I got to go! Because I'm so obsessed with the music, the girls and Drew really grew to like it, too, so they came along with me. It was better than I even could have hoped for. Absolutely amazing. We finished up the night in Memphis at the Peabody, where the girls got to be right beside the red carpet to watch the ducks march to the elevator. The ducks splashed water right on them! We then went to the top and got to see the "penthouse" where they live when they're not in the fountain. Ha!

Rock the Block 2009

2009-07-19T21:50:00.000-05:00

This year our church did our first vacation Bible school. It was awesome because we did backyard Bible school in 4 different neighborhoods simultaneously around the city. Each neighborhood had a color, and the last night, we all came together at the church for a big carnival and a "war of the colors." As you can tell, we were a part of the red team! As usual, if my girls have a chance to paint themselves, they will! We even had some friends from church come over and get painted, too! Little M was actually on the "green" team, the toddler VBS color! Next week, we will be doing one more Rock the Block in the Ida Street area, followed by a Back to School bash, where we hand out school supplies. Join us if you want to help! There's nothing big smiles on kids faces when they're having fun!

Just A Pretty Picture

2009-07-19T21:45:00.000-05:00

I just had to post this. Drew took this and it just melts my heart.

Father Daughter Ball 2009

2009-07-19T21:42:00.000-05:00

The girls and Drew went to the Father/Daughter Ball for the 2nd year in a row last month. As always, the getting ready part is the most fun! My girls love to get pampered! Back in the spring, we hit a Target and Drew picked out each of the girls a dress of his own choosing (with their approval, of course!) This made it even more fun, since I didn't make them wear smocked dresses and bows! I guess they might get a little tired of that stuff! Nothing like some body glitter, hair glitter, hairspray, mousse, eyeshadow, blush, lipstick, nail polish and crowns to make a girl feel pretty. I think Drew probably had the prettiest dates there. He didn't look so bad himself! I'd date him! Ha!

Of course, this is the only good picture I got of all 4 of them. The professional photographer at the event did a little bit better job!

A Psalm of Wandering

2009-06-13T20:20:00.002-05:00

Lord You know
I'm such a stupid sheep.
I worry
about all sorts of things
whether I'll find grazing land
still cool water
a fold at night
in which I can feel safe.
I don't.
I only find troubles
want
loss.
I turn aside from You
to plan my rebel way.
I go astray.
I follow other shepherds
even other stupid sheep.
Then when I end up
on some dark mountain
cliffs before
wild animals behind
I start to bleat
Shepherd Shepherd
find me save me
or I die.
And You do.

Psalms of Life-Joseph Bayley

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off." Matthew 18:12-13

First beach trip of 2009

2009-06-08T15:32:00.001-05:00

One week after school let out, we were able to head to the beach for the week. I love going in May, the weather is just perfect! We had a great time, and spent more time at the beach this time than the pool. Just posting some pictures to show how big my girls are! Continue reading below for our little "adventure."

If you're looking at this picture and wondering...."What tha heck?" well, no, your eyes aren't fooling you. This is not a picture of one of my children, thank goodness. But he was a part of our family for a short time, and we will always remember him! This is our mouse, "Speedy." After seeing some droppings in the garage, we called the exterminator, who informed us that this was no ordinary mouse. This was an Alabama Beach Mouse. Who is on the endangered list. Whom we can't kill. We were instructed to find the nest, chase the mouse out, and discard the nest. Which we did! Is this not the biggest mouse you've ever seen!? It had to be 10 inches long, not counting the tail! It's googly eyes made me sad, and I was glad that we didn't kill it. It almost looked like a guinea pig. Anyway, we all sat up on the golf cart in the garage while Drew chased the thing out. We'd like to think he's in a better home now, but, sadly, he's probably like "Fievel" on "An American Tail." He's just looking for a home, and for somebody to love. Sigh.

Big Girl Bed

2009-05-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Got in from the beach tonight and decided to put M in a big girl bed. Of course, things didn't go as smoothly as planned. We had a little trouble putting the bed together, so it was about 8:30 tonight before we got her in the bed to sleep. And she was exhausted. Slept 15 minutes in the car ride home and that was it. Probably not the best timing!
But my M is growing up. And we just felt it was time. So here she is. She didn't take it well. She was so confused, and kept calling me into the room over and over, and said she didn't want to sleep in her bed. After laying down with her for awhile, Daddy went in for reinforcements, and she finally closed her eyes. Let's pray she makes it through the night without getting out of her bed!
I must admit-I'm a little teary about it. My littlest girl is out of her baby bed! As we packed it away in the attic, I told O, "we'll get it out one day for your babies." Although it's so sad thinking that she is my last "baby" (at least, that's what we PLAN on!) I love watching my girls grow and love being their mother, no matter how big or small!

Last violin recital and Relay Day

2009-05-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

O has taken violin for 2 years now. It's been incredibly rewarding, yet incredibly challenging. Violin is truly a tough instrument to master. However, O has really matured while playing it, and it has given her a great foundation of music theory, and developed her musical ear in amazing ways. Because she's outgrown her current violin, we've decided to give up the violin for now, and pick up piano. We may revisit it in later years, but no matter what, we will never regret the lessons learned from learning this amazing instrument!

This is a pic of O and her friend Merritt who played piano in the recital.

O and her very special teacher, and friend of mine, Mrs. Tricia. O was always motivated to do her best for Mrs. Tricia!

O's last day of school was Wednesday. Truthfully, I let her play hooky on Thursday and Friday since all they seemed to be doing was playing outside and watching movies. I figured she could do that at my house, and with better supervision! Relay day was great fun on Wednesday, and O played some fun games.

A hilarious picture, I think! This is O pushing a potato with her head!

Happy Summer! E's through with Preschool!

2009-05-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

My sweet E just finished up her last preschool year! Next year she will be starting Kindergarten, and I hardly can believe it. She is the most creative, thoughtful, free-spirited child I have. Not a day goes by that she doesn't make me belly-laugh. She really says the darndest things! For her end of the year party, we had a swim party at her classmate and friend Anne Daniel. They had a run-through sign that they couldn't quite tear! It was really cute.

This is E's very best friend Sage. I am so sad that Sage will be at a different school than E this year. She has truly been a wonderful friend to E and they match perfectly in personality. We're so thankful they go to church together, though!

The 4 girls from E's class of mostly boys! Aren't they "bathing beauties?"

Dance recital 2009

2009-05-24T23:25:00.000-05:00

My 2 groovy girls had their dance recital last weekend. Though I missed their having "tutus and tiaras" I was truly pleased with their performances. They loved Ms. Shale and I loved this year of dance!

I'll bet noone at that recital had the fan club we had! The girls had all 4 grandparents, 2 aunts, and 4 cousins! We're so thankful for them all!

My 'Speriments

2009-05-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

I have 2 future scientist/biologists at my house. A day doesn't pass by that one of them doesn't mention a "'speriment" or a "klektion" of some sort. (That's "experiments" and "collections" in E talk). One day last week, we did 2 experiments. Here's the rundown.

Mentos/soda experiment-by O. Love

Take 5 Mentos, and drop them into either a Dr. Pepper bottle or Diet Coke bottle. We tend to go generic on "'speriments" so we used Dr. Thunder.

Result: Soda shoots (or is SUPPOSED to shoot) straight up into the air. The result was "so-so." But it was oh-so-fun.

Creating a Wormery-by E. Love

Take soil, sand, bark or leaves, and organic matter like apple peel. Layer in a soda bottle, add 4 to 5 worms, put bottle in warm dark place, and watch the worms over several days eat dirt, and change composition of bottle ingredients.

Results: Not so sure the purple sand didn't kill them. Never noticed any difference in soil composition, and worms didn't seem to thrive. Sorry wormeys!

This Is The Fuzz

2009-05-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

This is fuzz. This is the fuzz that came from the doll. This is the fuzz that came from the doll that M slept with. This is the fuzz that came from the doll that M slept with that she tore a hole into. This is the fuzz that M stuck in her nose that came from the doll that M slept with that she tore a hole into. These are the tweezers that pulled out the fuzz that M stuck in her nose that came from the doll that M slept with that she tore a hole into. Enough Said.

First Sprinkler of summer

2009-05-24T23:06:00.000-05:00

Nothing much here, just PURE joy at the first sprinkler turn on of the season! Wish I could be a kid again. Check out the elation on their sweet faces!

Ole Miss baseball with Daddy

2009-05-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

Drew took the older girls to an Ole Miss baseball game a couple of weeks ago. They came home worn out, sweaty, and totally pumped that they got the cool baseball players signatures on a ball that was actually used in the game! Check out my "love-struck" girls shyly asking for autographs! Drew said E was the more aggressive one, though O was right there with her asking for the signatures, too.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-24T22:57:00.000-05:00

I had an amazing mother's day this year. It started off with a wonderful brunch at E's school. She gave me a pretty vase she made, a picture, sang the M-O-M-M-Y song, and served me yummy food, including the incredible petit fours homemade by Mrs. Susie herself! On Sunday, though I don't have many pictures, I woke to breakfast prepared by my hubby and children, flowers, signs all over the house made by the girls, and a NEW GUITAR! So often I feel so inadequate as a mother, and it was awesome to be remembered on Mother's Day.
After a special Mother's Day service at church, we celebrated the day with our own wonderful moms and ate a great lunch together. AS a sidenote: We came home with 2 goldfish that had been used as decoration, and 2 days later they were dead. We TRULY have bad luck with pets!

Super Spring Snapshot

2009-05-03T22:04:00.009-05:00

"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God."-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Oh, how I love Spring. We're just around the corner from hot, humid summer days, but this weekend, Spring showed off at her finest. With sunshine, and a lot of rain, our family had Spring fever this weekend.

From the intricate, miraculous pattern on a turtle's back...

The hilarity of a new puppy on a leash......
Hands that beautify....

Eyes and chubby little fingers that marvel at the color....
Cool night breezes on freshly cut grass for a movie to be enjoyed....
Tilling fresh earth....

Planting new flowers, with hopes of abundant growth...

And the confirmation of new life, that comes EVERY SINGLE SPRING.....

From the words of Nichole Nordeman..."Open up the heavens, open up the sky...cause all of your creation wants to testify.... I have a song, so let the earth sing along....Cause I just wanna praise You."

I'm so thankful for God's gift of creation.

E's Mother Goose Party

2009-05-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

As preschool music teacher at the First Methodist Church here, it is my responsibility to put on a Spring music show, showcasing all of our cute little preschoolers. This year, we had a Mother Goose Party, and every class sang funky versions of Mother Goose rhymes. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I have to say, my Little Bo Peep was pretty cute!! She had been sick last week, and looked a little pale, so I just put a liiiittle bit'o color on her, including a liiiiittle bit'o'mascara, and during the performance it started running down one eye and her face looked a little "Lolita." Although I had lots to concentrate as the music director, I made sure to send another teacher backstage to clean her right up! You know, since I'm such a "stage mom" and all!

This is E and her best friend Sage. They also got to dress up as Old King Cole, but I didn't get any pics of that!

Nana, Papa and some cousins came to see the performance, as well as Mimi and PopPop. I didn't get a pic of Mimi and PopPop, but we were excited they came, too.

Happy 35th Drew!

2009-04-29T14:18:00.001-05:00

Well, I think Drew feels like his birthday was a non-event. Last Friday, the 24th, he turned 35. Our family tradition is that you get to choose whatever you want for breakfast on your birthday. Uhhhhh...sorry Drew. I also at least try to have him a cake on his birthday. Uhhhh....sorry Drew. Also, I spend weeks in advance planning the perfect gift. Uhhhh....well, I got him a massage, isn't that good enough? Ohhh....Drew doesn't like massages all that much. Oh, also...I also ALWAYS make sure to sing "Happy Birthday" to the birthday boy the minute he wakes up. Uhhhh....sorry Drew. So sorry you had to remind me.
Ok, Ok, so I'm not the best birthday wife this year. So I had a sick child at home. And another one going on a field trip that I had to pack for. And we were leaving for Oxford later that afternoon. And I had a party the night before.(Not a birthday one!) So, I'm not the perfect wife. That's no secret. Thankfully, his mother came up and took him out for lunch on his birthday, since she was the one who gave birth to him and all (Breech! FEET FIRST!! I might add!) And my mother got a cake for Saturday, and we celebrated with my family. And although the birthday wasn't picture perfect, and I'm nowhere NEAR picture-perfect, I'm still the most blessed wife on this earth. I have the sweetest, kindest husband. Who forgives me when I give him a crappy birthday.

Double Decker Festival 2009-Part 2

2009-04-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here are more pics from the day. One tip for next year-the kid section is lots of fun, but get there early, because it is BUSY and CROWDED!

Double Decker Festival 2009-Part 1

2009-04-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

We went to Oxford last weekend for the Double Decker Festival and some family fun. Drew ran the 10k (and he was idiotic enough to run it without having run in months! Though he's sore, he got through it, and you have to give him credit for being 35, an inconsistent runner, and running the entire thing! That's MY man!!)
Anyway, O ran the 1 mile fun run, and though it wasn't documented, I believe she came in around 10th place. I"m so proud of her, and have high hopes that she'll be more athletic than her mom!

The Finish Line

Obsessed with turtles at the petting zoo

Meet Frisco

2009-04-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

Well, we've done it again. We've gotten another animal. A dog, to be exact. Two weekends ago, the Amory Humane Society was set up at the Railroad Festival. The girls saw these little Feist puppies, and we couldn't say no. After getting the go-ahead from the vet(since our last puppy died of distemper) we took little Frisco home. And if you didn't know-the name of the railroad in Amory was Frisco, and the park we got him in is Frisco Park. My sis came up with this. Pretty clever, eh? And isn't it a touch better than the name Buddy? (sorry, dear Buddy). Anyway, last Friday, we got wind of a rumour that Frisco's litter was diagnosed with Parvo. I'm still not sure if these dogs were tested for it, but as of now, Frisco seems to be doing okay, so we're hoping he'll be okay. Of course, with our odds, he won't make it. But we're happy to have him with us now! He's a cutie, and in a week or so, we'll know if he's truly disease-free. And, Yes, we ARE wondering if we are truly meant to have pets. Since we kill them and all.

Easter Morning 2009

2009-04-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

At 6:30 this morning, the girls piled into our beds yelling, "can we go look in our Easter baskets? Please, please, pleaaaaase??" I told them for goodness' sake, it's not Christmas morning or anything! But we finally dragged ourselves out of bed and checked out the loot the Easter bunny left. I don't think it was as spectacular as they'd imagined, but give me a break, it all has to fit into one little basket! And I WILL NOT go overboard on Easter. It's ridiculous.
Because our church doesn't start very early, we had some great time decorating cookies and taking pictures. Then later this afternoon, my Mom, Dad, Mamaw and aunt Laura May came over after church, and my sister's family joined us later tonight for an Easter dinner. It was the perfect Easter day. I got to worship at my church, then spend time with my family who I love so much. Once again, visiting with my Mamaw and Great Aunt humbled me, and the day was full of more funny stories. The newest story is when my aunt Laura May claimed that my Mamaw told her that she needed to be dunked before she died, just in case. My aunt is Methodist, and was obviously sprinkled. A minor argument ensued over the issue, and my Mamaw SWEARS she never said that, because "she would never say that, because that would make her a Church of Christ. And she's not a Church of Christ. And she would NEVER say that."
Anyway, hilariousness abounded, and good times were had.
I have to tell this, my aunt is 91 and doesn't feel like she'll live much longer. I had the opportunity to ask her if she was afraid to die. She told me, "Jennifer, sometimes I'm in so much pain that I feel like asking the Lord to take me. Because I'm ready. But the Lord must need me here, so I can't ask Him to take me yet. He'll take me when it's His time. But I'm not afraid, I know where I'm going. And I'm ready."
Hallelujah! Preach it Laura Mae! And what a perfect statement for Easter...Jesus hung on that cross and took on our sins. And now He's alive! And when we give him our lives, and follow Him, we don't have to be afraid. I know where I'm going!

My Mamaw boiled and dyed Easter eggs for the girls. She even brought stickers to put on them. They loved it.

Cousins lined up, waiting for Easter loot from Mimi

E's Easter Party 2009

2009-04-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

We've had a week of Easter fun. E's Easter party was on Wednesday, and we made these yummy cookies to take for the party. They were "Easter Bonnets." Are these not the cutest things? E and I had such a great time together decorating them. I love it when her creativity comes out. Don't tell the others, but she's my favorite one to cook with! She's so patient, and can't wait to "speriment" and see how the food turns out.

I love the looks on their faces here! It's right when we said "Go!"

Her sweet class

E, playing "Chubby Bunny."

Spring Blooms Big

2009-04-12T20:19:00.000-05:00

This Fall, the girls and I planted some tulip bulbs by our mailbox. I had to document this, because it's just so amazing when the blooms arrive! We were thrilled at our beautiful flowers, and the girls were super proud. My girls have been all in bloom, too. I love it in the Spring when the heavy, worn-out, dark winter clothes have been put away, and we pull out fresh new Spring attire. Some may say I push the seasons, but for Spring, I'm not afraid to pull out the lightweight clothes and throw a t-shirt under it. Whatever works to make my girlies BLOOM.

Rainy Days and Soccer

2009-04-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I haven't ever posted about this, but this year, both of my older girls played soccer. In the Fall, for the first 3 or 4 games, it felt pretty cool. The weather was great, and it's like one big party on the field. I mean, you see EVERYONE that you know. It's great. But by the time it's over (and especially in the Spring when it's tooooooo cold!) I am so NOT excited about soccer. I wouldn't say my girls are super great at it or anything, but then again, Drew and I haven't really worked with them on it. They said they enjoyed it, so we'll see if we decide to do it next year. In the mean time, here are some pictures of them in action. I can't help but marvel at how "fearfully and wonderfully" their little bodies are made. I love seeing their little legs swing out and kick at the ball. It's a miracle in itself. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the "Littlest Soccer Fan." M made it to most games, and though she was a pill lots of the time, she caught on to the game pretty well. Here's Miss Priss in her rainboots.

GOOD FRIDAY: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

2009-04-09T20:51:00.002-05:00

Growing up Baptist, I never gave much thought to the days and weeks leading up to Easter. But as I've gotten older, it's gotten so important to me. And to the Baptist church's credit, it has for them too. I know several Baptist churches who have started having Maundy Thursday services, Good Friday services, etc. etc. It's a great thing. Because in all of the flowery, pastel-y, sugary, vivaciousness of Easter Sunday (which I DEARLY love), we forget to grieve for the horror that Jesus experienced when he died for us. FOR US. For me. For you. For man. So my church is showing The Passion of the Christ at the Tupelo Civic auditorium on Friday night. To remind us... To remind ME... Of what He did... What God sacrificed. So if you're free at 7:00 (or 6:15, if you want to hear some awesome music!) come on over to grieve, to remind yourself of what so amazingly happened. Then go to our church/your church/ANY church on Easter Sunday and celebrate His resurrection, and give God all of the glory!

The end of "Spring Break 2009 Fantastic"

2009-03-26T11:25:00.000-05:00

Note to all of you readers just clicking on: There are several posts that go with this one, so be sure to scroll down and start at the beginning!
M had a blast with the jumping waters

This picture just about sums it up. Though we had a blast last week, the girls all zonked out on the ride home. I praise God for this incredible family time we were privileged to spend together! Hope we made lasting memories!

More Zoo pics

2009-03-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

O, E, and Mo-Mo at the zoo

Mo and O petting the little goats

Okay, this looks weird, but it was so fun. This was a giant swimming pool with just bubbles all in it. The girls had a fit to get in, so we saved it for last and then changed their clothes in the car.

Last day stop-through in Birmingham

2009-03-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

After stopping through Birmingham and spending the night at my brother's house and having much fun with our cousins, we spent the last day at the B'ham zoo. There was a time when we lived in B'ham that we visited this zoo at least once a week. However, the girls were newly impressed this day that we went. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Their favorite exhibit is the bird encounter. I cannot believe this doesn't freak them out, but they love it when the birds land on them!

My little M petted a baby alligator! She freaks out when she sees Chuck E. Cheese, but she'll pet an alligator. Crazy.

Day 3-The Georgia Aquarium

2009-03-26T11:09:00.000-05:00

Our last day was spent at the Aquarium. I was blown away at the quality of this facility. It was so worth our time and energy. The girls were fascinated, but I think Drew and I were even more enthralled!

E pretending to be frightened by the jellyfish.

M kept saying "ish, ish ish!!" She was so excited to be there!

Day 2 continued-Children's museum

2009-03-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

We finished the day at the children's museum. Drew took M back to the hotel for a much-needed nap, while we joined our friends for some playtime. They thought it was lots of fun.

The favorite activity at the museum was the "moon sand" play area. If it weren't so darn messy, I'd buy up a whole bunch of this stuff and leave my kids for hours to create. This entertained them for a very long time.

At the end of the day, we drove to a downtown shopping area that was super cool. As a side note, although I have no picture, we had the most fabulous guacamole ever in our lives! I got the recipe, and will post it after I make it sometime soon.

Day 2 continued...more American Girl!

2009-03-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

Even M got her "Bitty-baby's" hair done-with a nice little bow and a little face washing, she looks as good as new.

Eating lunch at in the A.G. cafe. Yes, my friends, dolls need menus, too. Our historical doll Felicity not only got a hip hairstyle with many ponytails, she also got her ears pierced. I think this was E living vicariously through her doll, since I won't let her get her own ears pierced for many, many years.

Just worn out from all of the ecstasy at the store.

Day 2-American Girl!

2009-03-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

The most anticipated visit we had was to the American Girl doll store. Whoever invented this idea is a genius. This is definitely a money pit, if I've ever seen one. Of course, we all just "ate it up," we loved it so much. I'd say it was for sure worth every penny. A special thanks goes out to "Mimi" for purchasing the dolls!

Our friends A.K. and S.A. met us at the store!

A "before" picture of Felicity, sitting in the beauty salon waiting for her hairstyle...I know, I know, ridiculous....I am aware of that....

Julie getting her hair styled as well....still aware of the ridiculousness here....

But for the love of all things girl....is this not a little girl's dream?

Spring Break 2009-Fun in Atlanta

2009-03-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

First, let me warn you, because unless you are a relative or someone who is just in love with my kids, these next few blogs won't thrill you. But for the sake of documenting my kid's childhood, I must post these. And if I do say so myself, they're pretty cute! We spent the first half of Spring break in Atlanta. We stayed downtown in a hotel with an indoor pool (thrilling for the kids!) and went out on daily excursions. We finished off the visit with a stop off in Birmingham for the night at my brother's house, and the zoo. A GREAT time was had by all, and though my little M was a little more high maintenance than the other 2, she was a trooper, and it was worth the trip!

Testing the beverages at the Coca-Cola museum....Yuck!

Cuties on the Coca-cola couch. Notice the big wet stain on M's shirt. She LOVED the drinks!

The Coca-cola bear. M wasn't toooo scared...maybe she could handle Disney?

11 years of Marriage!!

2009-03-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

11 years ago, March 14, 1998, Drew and I were married. I can't believe it's been that long! We were such babies then...look at all of the hair, and the baby faces! I can truly say that over the last 11 years, marriage to Drew has gotten better and better. God blessed me with a husband who has a passion for God, and a great desire to serve others, and us, his family. What more could a girl ask for? I love you Drew!

Here we are today, 11 years later. We've added lines on our faces, and "you know who" has a little less hair...but we're hopefully wiser, and love each other more deeply than we did in the beginning.

Creamy Potato Soup

2009-03-10T20:52:00.002-05:00

I cooked soup tonight for the Teacher appreciation luncheon tomorrow at O's school, and was reminded of how good this recipe is. I'm not usually a big fan of potato soup because many times, the potatoes are too chunky and they burn my mouth when I eat it. Because this uses the shredded kind, it's just super creamy and flavorful. This recipe is from my sister and definitely worth a try.

Creamy Potato Soup

2 cans of chicken broth
1 can water
1 pkg of frozen hash brown potatoes (the shredded kind)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 of a 2lb block of Velveeta
1 tsp. each of flour and milk, then enough milk to add to make 1/2 cup

Bring broth and water to boil in a large pot. Add potatoes, bring to a boil, then turn down to a low boil for 8-10 minutes. Add soups and Velveeta, and stir until combined and melted. Mix tsp. each of flour and milk into a paste, then stir in enough milk to equal a 1/2 cup. Pour this roux mixture in. Continue to cook on low until soup is heated through and thickened. (If becomes too thick, add a little more broth or water)
Serve with sour cream, crumbled bacon, and chopped green onion.
Serves 6-8

A visit with Mamaw

2009-03-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

I can't express how great it was to visit with my Mamaw today. She and my great-aunt Laura May live 30 minutes away, but I visit with them like I still live 3 hours away. It greatly shames me that I visit with them so little. My Mamaw is my dad's mother, and she has 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. When you throw in all of the spouses, it's a whole-lotta family going on. The coolest thing is, we still all try to get together twice a year. I don't think you'd believe the craziness that goes on at these family gatherings unless you are a part of them, but let's just say, it's never boring, and the volume level of the room we're in is at a dangerous decibel because of all of the loud-talkers and laughing. It's no wonder Laura May can't hear anymore....
Anyway, I love my Mamaw. She is one of the most entertaining people to be around, because of her strong opinion. She's an out-of-control worrier, ("Jennifer, you're not letting your girls run around barefoot in the grass, are you? You know you're not supposed to go barefoot outside until May. Your kids are liable to get sick!") And she's not afraid to speak her mind. She once chastised a teen Chik-fil-et employee in front of me so badly, I was afraid the poor kid was going to go into the fetal position, sucking his thumb and all. I know my mom and my aunts have it the toughest as daughters and daughter's in law, but I just enjoy hanging with Mamaw, and hearing her ideas and stories. It's a blessing to be her grandaughter. Deep down, she just loves her family and feels so blessed to have us all in her life. And she is so dad-gum funny.
Listening to Mamaw and Laura May today reminded me of how we younger people have so much to learn from our elders. Their ideas may seem antiquated ("Jennifer, I'm not saying people have to be dressed up to go to church, I'm saying they just need to be neat and clean, and present their best. Why, I don't mind if somebody comes to our church in overalls, so long as they're clean! But, I tell you what, these young people who wear shorts to church, well, I just don't think that's right at all!") However, my Mamaw and Laura May have walked some long roads, and many of those roads have been bumpy. I can't even fathom what it took for Mamaw to nurse my Papaw in their home with advanced Alzheimers until the day he died. That takes a dedication and courage that I can't imagine having in me right now.
I truly believe that, as the Bible says, we are blessed or cursed by our forefathers. I'm so thankful to say that I've been blessed by those in my family who are from other generations. My Papaw, my Grandaddy, and my Grandmother, are blessing me with the prayers of all the saints in heaven, and my Mamaw and Laura May, are blessing me with their presence and wisdom. Thank you, God, for using your faithful servants to light the way for me.

My Dancing 2 year old

2009-03-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

M's favorite thing at the party was dancing to her birthday cd!

Happy Birthday song....can you hear Drew singing? Bless him. I love that man.

M's 2nd birthday part 2

2009-03-08T21:46:00.001-05:00

Stick the Dot on the Butterfly (something so simple, but so fun!)

We had lots of boys at the party...so we played with cars in beans and rice(Thanks Nikki!)

Painting with pudding...My nephew Luke actually licked the paper!

Just a crazy picture with Papa and the girls!

M's 2nd Birthday Party Part 1

2009-03-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

Woo-woo, M's Two!!

Hunting for crayons in the grass

Eating yummy cake

Ahhhh!! We got Elmo for a present!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, M!

2009-03-07T00:38:00.000-06:00

M, I can't believe you're 2. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I proclaimed, "You are fearfully and wonderfully made!" And you are! Daddy and I feel so blessed that God gave you to us to be our little girl. You are precious to me, baby girl.

Fresh into this world

Sweet, sleepy, soft, cuddly, squishy baby...

In the dress I made you.....

Look at my big girl!!

We love Elvis!

2009-03-01T19:46:00.001-06:00

Our friends, the Brown's, came for a visit this weekend. With all of our busy lives, it's so hard to make time for a long visit, but we feel so blessed to have had them here! They were up for anything, so we decided to be touristy and visit Elvis' house. We were cheap and didn't buy tickets for the full tour, but the kids still thought they did something big!

Two partners in crime, M and C

Elvis' women

Swingin' on the front porch of Elvis' house

A photo with the statue

A Brief Snow

2009-03-01T19:40:00.000-06:00

As you all know, we got a short snow today. Since we don't go to church until 10:30, we had plenty of time to play in the snow before it all, sadly, melted. There's just something about snow in Mississippi that brings out the biggest smiles! I hope our girls and the Brown girls always remember this day together!

Warning!! Content may not be suitable for Germ-a-phobes!!

2009-02-16T21:06:00.003-06:00

Just HAD to post this. She's not wearing a diaper because we've been potty training. As I was trying to video her dancing, I got some pretty shocking evidence instead. Beware, all of you who accept a cracker from those little fingers.

Valentine weekend in Oxford

2009-02-16T20:56:00.002-06:00

We had a blast this weekend. Our friends Curt and Tammy and their 2 children came to visit. We spent a night and a day in Oxford and the weather and town couldn't have been prettier. Square Books Jr., Faulkner's statue, shopping, and football in the Grove are things you MUST DO when visiting Oxford.

My Funny Valentines, 2009

2009-02-16T20:44:00.001-06:00

Here's the only picture I got of my girls on Valentines Day. I missed a picture of O. E and M were very fired up here to take their Valentines to school! By the time Valentines Day came around, I was ready to vomit valentines cards. For an "invented" holiday, it sure takes a lot of work! I did, though, do a couple of really neat crafty things for their parties like this and this, but I never took the time to take a picture. Girls, just know that I made the effort.

Dancing Girls with lots of questions

2009-02-16T20:17:00.002-06:00

Although I slacked last week on E edition Friday, I thought I'd share this stimulating conversation I had with the girls we carpool with to dance. These girls are a precious group, each with their own unique personalities. After having a blast playing outside in the jeep, and giggling themselves cross-eyed, they hopped in the minivan, with a bag of candy hearts in hand, and settled into their seats for the short ride to dance. Here is our conversation, as best I can recall:

E: Do ya'll know that God is my very best friend in the whole world?

W: Mine too!

A.R.: Mine too!

A: Mine too!

E: He's bigger than anything in this whole world!

W: I love him!

A.R. Me too!

A: I know where he lives!

E and W: He lives in heaven!

E: and he's with us.

A: But I know where he sleeps.

W: God doesn't sleep!

A: yes he does!

(uh huh, nuh uh, etc. etc. continues for awhile)

A.R.: Miss Jennifer, does God sleep?

Me: Well, it says in the Bible that He never sleeps or slumbers, but it does say that when He created the earth, He rested.

At this point, they all just got quiet, and pondered the discussion.

How incredible that even at the tender age of 5, His children want to know Him more. I felt like I had just participated in a mini-worship service, right there in the minivan. I pray so much that God will always be our children's best friend.

Amazing things can be done with a jeep, a rope, and a wagon

O.J. Carton wallet

2009-02-16T20:13:00.002-06:00

Last Monday, E and I spent some fun time together outside and doing crafts. It felt really good to just keep my phone off of my ear, ignore some laundry, and PLAY with my daughter. I can't tell you how often I neglect to do that. We made a craft that only E could appreciate. It was a wallet made from an orange juice carton. This is a winner for E because, number 1, O.J. is her favorite drink in the whole world. And number 2...well, anything to hold a bunch of her money and some gum is pretty sweet! If any of you has the desire to create something so random, here are the instructions, courtesy of Family Fun.

Nana's 60th(shh!) Birthday

2009-02-16T19:58:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we spent an evening celebrating Nana's birthday. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, as you can tell from these pictures, Nana's "cup runneth over" with blessings. We truly had so much fun together, and I do not take for granted these sweet times we all have together.
Nana, thank you for loving our girls so deeply and passionately, and thank you for raising a son like Drew! You did good!
We are blessed to have you in our lives, and love you so much!

Enjoying appetizer's before eating Drew's juicy, yummy burgers.

O and E, my tree monkeys.

Nana, and all of her grandchildren she obsesses over!

Nana and Papa, and the children they spoiled MUCH less than the grandchildren!

E Edition Friday

2009-01-30T14:21:00.002-06:00

I've decided, since my E gives me so much material to write, that I'm just going to start posting her unique outlooks on life on this blog, hopefully every Friday. It probably won't thrill many of you, but, hey, this blog's for her and her sisters anyway, so maybe they'll enjoy reading them one day. I'll have to think of other things/days to post O and M.

E: "Look, mama, I caught a moth!!! Can I have a container for it?"
Me: "Sure, E, here you go."
E: "Hey, Mama, we need to feed him. Do you have any fabric?"

The Hundred Dresses

2009-01-24T18:51:00.000-06:00

This week was Book Fair at O's school. She won 2nd place! Here's proof she did most of it on her on....
I'm so proud of you, O!

Fun in the c-c-c-cold!

2009-01-24T18:46:00.000-06:00

We've had freezing weather here lately. We're all getting a little weary of movies, colors, and board games, so I've tried to force the girls to bundle up and go outside. They haven't seemed to mind!

Ice cream is great, even when it's 20 degrees outside!

My niece Riley turned 9 a couple of weeks ago. She had a photo scavenger hunt party and the girls had a blast, although it was freezing! I think they stayed warm, though, from running around so much. By the way...I STILL think the game was rigged.....

On God's Team

2009-01-15T20:07:00.002-06:00

Today, as I was driving E and M to school, I turned the radio up and a song by Taylor Swift came on. Let me preface and say, I love listening to her. It's fun music, and my kids like it too. But there's one song I hadn't considered in it's appropriateness. And it came on today. It's the one that says, "I hate that stupid ole pick-up truck you never let me drive..." Did you catch it? The S word. The one word my kids say is a VERY BAD WORD. Don't EVER say that word.
So the chorus begins. And I'm truckin along, humming along. And here my conversation with E:

E: "oooooooh, she said the S word!"
Me: "yeah, she sure did." I am ashamed to say I DID NOT change the station. Mistake, mistake mistake. I know.
E: "Mom, are you on God's team?"
Me: "Uhhh...yeah, E, I'm on God's team, sure!"
E: "Well, if you're on God's team, why haven't you changed the station?"
Me: "Oh, sorry, E, I'm changing it now! That was so wrong of me. I'm so sorry!"
E: "That's okay, but Mom, remember, God's team, right? Say it with me...are you on God's team?!
Me:"Yeah!"
E: "God's team!"
Me: "Yeah!"

At this point, I'm considering rededicating my life, getting re-baptized, and surrendering to foreign missions.
But I don't. I just consider myself waaaay blessed to know that just as God speaks to me and teaches me things daily, He does the same for my child! And THIS time, He spoke to ME through my precious daughter.

Todd's Big Star and Little Snippets

2009-01-08T20:08:00.000-06:00

You know those bright, clean, fancy-schmancy grocery stores we all go to? The ones with their own sushi bar, Starbucks, and extensive gourmet grocery selections? Do you ever miss the small-town grocery stores we grew up with? Today, I went to Todd's Big Star. The very first time I visited there, my snobby self declared it, "not the nicest grocery I've been to." I've heard this from newcomers many times since then. But as time's gone on, it's grown on me. And today, I'm it's biggest fan. The 3 girls and I are in shopping there today, and E begins complaining. "My tummy hurts, I'm tired..." if you know her well, you know she's said THAT before. So I told her to "chill out," that we'd be out of there in no time. So, as I'm back in the meat section, I'm discussing the merits of babyback ribs compared to pork spareribs with the female butcher. I picked up a rack of ribs and some chicken wings(Hey, Drew's watching the game tonight..game food, okay?) and E grabbed me tightly and said emphatically, "My tummy's REALLY hurting." I said, "Do you think you need to throw up?" she says, "Yes!" I quickly yell to the butcher, "Where's the bathroom?" and I turn E's face AWAY from the fresh meat case and start running. Meanwhile the sweet butcher lady's saying, "It's okay, honey, go on," as E begins throwing up all over me, and the floor. She threw up once more in the entry of the bathroom, and was done. After cleaning up the floor of the bathroom, we walk out, and a guy with a mop walks by. I say, "Oh, I'm so sorry, you just had to clean that up, didn't you?" He replies, SOOOOO kindly "Don't worry about it, she's just a little kid. She can't help it."
Sweet. He even let me leave my cart in the middle of the aisle and bolt out of the store as quickly as possible!
Guess where M's favorite place to sit is? We have about a 25% rate of success currently.

Doesn't my 7 year old look 12 here? Is it me, or is she growing at a warp speed? Maybe it's the black!

And finally, the E quote of the week: "Hey Mom, there's the cross that Jesus died on! And there's that little hat-thingy he wore! It's right there! (after spotting the cross at the car place by Danver's)

The Message Remix Pause

2009-01-07T13:18:00.008-06:00

Last year in January, a friend of mine recommended this daily Bible reading to me. I have to say, it intimidated me. I am ashamed to say that I had never read the entire Bible, EVER, in my life!..until now. And I don't say that to brag. I say that because YOU can do it too! This Bible is written in today's language, and Eugene Peterson divides the readings up so you are reading an Old-Testament reading, and a New Testament reading, daily. He writes it in an order so that it reads like a story.
I have been blown away by it. As the scriptures say, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. " Hebrews 4:12.
I can honestly say, I have been pierced, just like it says! I cannot recommend this enough. If I can do this, you can too.

And one more Christmas 2008...whew!

2009-01-06T13:43:00.002-06:00

Pop-Pop and the grandkids, real ones, and American girl ones!

Christmas 2008.....again

2009-01-06T13:39:00.003-06:00

Sprinkling reindeer food.

With our dolls and purses before Christmas Eve service at church.

Little M, who got a pony from Mimi that gallops, whinnies, and snorts. Seriously. The cutest gift ever. And she loved it!

A Holly, Jolly Christmas, continued again...

2009-01-06T13:35:00.003-06:00

Drew and O reading the Christmas story, Christmas Eve.

Note to Santa.

My cutie-patooties, Christmas Eve before bedtime.

Holly Jolly Christmas continued...

2009-01-06T13:33:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Christmas with Drew's family on Christmas night. These are all of the cutie cousins! Being at Nana's is like being at Santa's!

I realize my oldest daughter looks like a hoochie-mama in this, but she got new dress-up clothes and this is what she was wearing when she got her NEW PUPPY! After all of the presents were opened Christmas morning, little Buddy walked in wearing reindeer antlers and surprised the heck out of the girls. They were beyond ecstatic.

This year, I hung my Christmas cards on garland around the doorway. It turned out really cute, so I thought I'd show you. Every card was super cute this year.

Christmas Eve, making cookies for Santa.

A Holly, (well, mostly) Jolly, Christmas

2009-01-06T13:29:00.003-06:00

Well, how do you post a span of almost a month on 1 post? It's a daunting task, and one I've tried to avoid. Obviously. So, I'm just dumping it all out here, condensed, and going backwards in time. It's just easy that way. Don't hate.

If I didn't have this blog for my kids to see one day that they HAD a Christmas in 2008, I probably wouldn't even go to this trouble! So, here it goes, BACKWARDS.

Little Buddy Love, our new terrier mutt, fresh from the humane society, passed away Sunday night. After days of obvious symptoms of canine distemper, we came home from Dallas to an extremely sick puppy. Drew took him the vet and had him put to sleep. As E put it so well, "He's in heaven, now. He's not sick anymore, and he's running and playing again! And he doesn't even have boo-boo's now!"
So thankful to God the girls could learn the lesson of loss through this. Although it was hard, God is refining them through this to prepare them for the life/death experience. We had great conversations through this experience, and I wouldn't change it for a thing. The vet gave us permission to get a new dog in 6 months(b/c the virus can last in our house) so stay tuned for a new summer dog!

Woo-hoo!GOOOOOO REBELLLLLSSS!!!! While Drew's parents so sweetly kept our kids, my sister, brother in law, Drew and I headed to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. It was one of the most fun games I've ever attended, and besides waving my pom-pom and singing Dixie more times than I can count (or would admit!), I laughed until my stomach hurt.

Good times in Bham

2008-12-14T21:19:00.005-06:00

We got back tonight from Birmingham. Our old church had asked me to come and sing a particular song for a program, so, because I hardly ever turn down a chance to sing, we went for the weekend. We also never turn down a chance to see friends!

It was a great "friend" weekend. Drew's mom was just asking me if we wanted to move back to Bham, since we had such a fun weekend. I told her no, we're happy here. It's just super nice to be able to go back and visit with people who we love so much, and who love us that much back. Although we've made great connections and friends here in Tupelo, you can't compete with 11 years of friendship building.

We stayed with our friends Curt and Tammy in their new house. Their kids are around our kids age, so they all had a great time being crazy. We also got to spend some great time with Heather and Barry and their 3 kids, and our kids were in heaven. I know they appreciate their old friends, too.

Drew let me leave him and the kids early Saturday morning and meet with my old "Grace Group." Those women have walked with me through thick and thin, and I miss them terribly. It was a great time of lots of laughs, and of course a few tears.

Thanks C and T for letting us take over your new home. We love you!

Below and above are pics of our girls and their friends. (I forgot to get a "grace girls" pic! Dang!)

Disappointment

2008-12-11T21:50:00.003-06:00

Do you all remember what it feels like to be disappointed? Not in others, though that's really bad, too, but disappointed in yourself? It's just a yucky feeling, a big old feeling of regret.

Today, I saw my little E be very disappointed in herself. I understood how she felt. I felt it when I was in 2nd grade and forgot about picture day, and took my picture in a red sweatsuit with unbrushed hair. I felt it when they had Annie auditions, and I chickened out of trying out. I felt it when I wrote out dozens of recipes for the Bham Junior League cookbook, and never got around to entering in any of them for a chance of publication. Disappointment. And it feels crappy.

But today, I realized, after holding a sobbing E, that witnessing my child be disappointed hurts even worse.

It was a simple thing: She had to bring a toy to school today to give to "baby Jesus." These toys were all going to a daycare of underpriveleged children. E picked out a fancy Barbie horse, all by herself. She was so excited. After I dropped her off to go to her class, I took the toy to the front desk at the preschool. Well, in all the excitement, E never connected with her gift. And had no gift to give to Jesus. As she cried and cried in the car this afternoon, I felt anger. Anger at myself, anger at her teacher for not recognizing what happened...it just makes me nauseous thinking that my little girl missed out on something special. And I want to fix it! But I also know that disappointment is part of life. Human beings are broken, weak, and let each other down. But as God told Paul , ..."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (then Paul says)-Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(2 Cor. 12:9-10)

Man, oh man, it's hard to delight in my own child's hardships. I want to fight for her, soothe her, make it all better. But that's not always my job. Sometimes, all I can do is hold her, and let her taste the bitter tears of her disappointment. Then maybe one day, she'll find her Saviour in her weakness. And perhaps hold her little girl one day, too.

Great FREE! educational website

2008-12-05T09:35:00.004-06:00

E starts Kindergarten next Fall, and I want to make sure she knows what she needs to know for next year. I found out about this awesome website and thought I'd share it with everyone. Since we found it, she has been on it constantly, and I can tell she's learning!

Just click on the graphic and go at it!

Genie, the good ole elf

2008-12-03T12:54:00.002-06:00

Guess who arrived at our house Monday? Genie the good ole elf! Now, I'm not big on adding ONE MORE THING during Christmas to do, since it can get stressful already. However, it is just so hilarious when we find him in the mornings! Yesterday, he had gotten in the Halloween candy (okay, I admit, I STILL haven't thrown that out), and gotten a sucker. He just threw the wrapper down and littered, can you believe that?

Welcome, Genie. You make our lives brighter around here!

So Thankful

2008-12-01T08:52:00.018-06:00

Well, I hate to do this, but I've got a WHOLE LOT O' PICTURES from the holiday, so I must post one FAT blog of pictures. This is not my favorite way to blog, since you don't get good snapshots of each moment if you post the pictures in one big chunk, but if I don't get all of these up, I just might panic and want to give up on this blog thing. So, for those of you who were present in these pictures, these are for you to enjoy, and for those of you who were not present, my apologies for a very random blog.

Making Stuffed Pork Tenderloin before our Lifegroup Thanksgiving dinner(recipe posted at end of blog)

Using my rarely-used china for creative Thanksgiving presentation

Lifegroup Kids (minus 5, who were sitting elsewhere)

M and her boyfriend Grish, pounding the ivories

O and E unpacking Christmas decorations

Drew and M "bejeweling" the Christmas tree

Drew and O "Decking the Halls"

O and her cousin Hannah waiting on Thanksgiving Dinner at Nana and Papa's

The Love Grandkids Christmas card attempt, #671...can you guess who's trouble?

The beautiful big-girl cousins

Sucking chocolate syrup through a straw...you know, everyone's traditional Thanksgiving dessert! (Only at Nana's would this happen)

At Mimi's for Houston Thanksgiving...I "Heart" cousin Matt!

Cousins putting on the critically acclaimed play, "The Safe Houses and the Bumblebee"

My Mamaw (who likes to embarass me at Chik-fil-et) handing out goodies at Greenhaw Thanksgiving/Christmas

My Great-aunt Laura Mae, who is 91 years old!

STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 Pork Tenderloin(the kind that is split into 2 pieces in the package)

Lemon Pepper, Seasoned Salt, Garlic Salt

1 Bell Pepper

1 Onion

Bacon

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup of worcestershire sauce

1 Stick of Butter

Liberally coat tenderloin in lemon pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic salt. Roughly chop bell pepper and onion and lay between the 2 pieces of tenderloin. Wrap in bacon and secure with toothpicks. Melt brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and butter in a saucepan and baste during cooking. Bake on 350 for 1 hour. You can serve the remaining sauce on the side, if desired.

Dancin' with the Folks

2008-11-26T08:49:00.006-06:00

We had a fun night at O's school last week. They had a "Dancin' with the Folks," where the students learned a lot of group dances at school, and then took the opportunity Thursday night to teach and perform the dances for the parents. It was so cute! O was quite the dancer, and knew exactly what to do in every dance. Mimi, Nana and Papa got to come and watch, also, and we all enjoyed a hot dog dinner before the performance. The best part of the night was when O picked her Daddy to dance with her. I'm not sure she got her dancing ability from him. (and I'm not sure it came from me either!)
O, Kaylee Beth, and Merritt.

Papa, M, Daddy, E, and Nana-Mimi was there too!

O and her partner, Fuller. Neither one of them look really comfortable, do they?(Look, buddy, you should feel HONORED to dance with my daughter! She is AWESOME!)

Drew and O, tearin' up the dance floor.

I'm a Little Indian

2008-11-25T08:51:00.005-06:00

"I'm a little Indian on the go;

Here is my arrow, here is my bow.

When I go out hunting hear me shout:

BEAR AND BUFFALO BETTER WATCH OUT!"

We've had some fun Thanksgiving preparations around here lately. I am truly in the spirit after going to E's preschool Thanksgiving program. It was so great. FYI-I am the music teacher! And the music was great!(I'm not biased or anything, huh?)

Anyway, it was all really cute, and my little E (who's becoming not so little anymore!) was an Indian. Isn't she a cutie? Something I love about E is that she loves to sing. She sings all day long, and usually songs that she makes up on her on. A fun game we like to play in my family is, "what kind of song can E make up for THIS. (fill in any sort of situation--Daddy's haircut, M tee-teeing in the potty, a cold day, etc. etc. ) It is ALWAYS entertaining. I may dedicate a post one day, just for this, with video to prove it. The precious part of it is that there's always a part in it that says something like, "Oh, God, I love...." or "Hosanna," or "God, you're so special.." so I like to think her heart's in the right place!

I am thankful for my Indian E.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2008-11-20T21:28:00.005-06:00

Okay, mom, so I know that I'm a week late, but I am finally blogging about your party! My mom turned 60...I mean 50...I mean...uhhhh....sorry Mom. I truly am just so dang impressed, because you SERIOUSLY do not look 60! Not that that's old or anything.....okay, moving on, since I'm putting my foot in my mouth...

We celebrated my mom's b'day last Saturday with dinner at Danver's (hey, it may not be fancy, but it's a place that small kids running around doesn't offend as much!) and back at our house for cake and karaoke. Now any of you who know my family know we love a microphone. And for those of you who just know me, should know that I get my microphone hogging honestly. And, seriously, I'm not even the biggest hog in the family. That honor would probably go to Blake or my Dad, and may be passed on to E pretty soon. She couldn't get enough of that mike. Sigh. That child is TRULY mine.

So we had good times together, and laughed a lot, and celebrated Mom, and our family. Does it get much better than that?

Anyway, I just wanted to honor my mom on here, because I love her! I am so thankful for you mom. Thanks for loving me unconditionally(even though I have a big mouth and am REALLY stubborn), and thanks for the blessing you are to my girls. I love you so much!

Happy Birthday Hot Rod!

2008-11-19T12:44:00.004-06:00

Well, we had a blast of a weekend! For one, we all took a step back in time to the 80's. Doesn't really seem that long ago, does it? If you're wondering what in the heck we've got on, we were dressed for a birthday party for my brother-in-law, Rodney. It was 80's themed, complete with 80's karaoke, and 80's music to dance to. Needless to say, we probably got a little too excited about the dressing up thing. (as usual!)

I must confess, I didn't look much like this in the 80's. I was much more conservative, and much less attractive. I favored the sweater vests, walking shorts, and Dexter look much more the the Molly Ringwald look. But, of course, my secret desire was to BE Molly Ringwald, so I had to fulfill this here. I also had a huge crush on Corey Haim, so my hubby kind of went for that look.(cute spikey hair......recessed of course)

Other people featured in these pics are my sis-in-law, Leigh, who isn't afraid to sport a side ponytail, my brother Blake, who looked just like John Cusack in Say Anything, and my sister, who just looked plain "hot."

O just said I looked like Sharpay. Maybe Sharpay isn't THIS trashy looking!

There's nothing better than having a great time with your own siblings.

Oh, and by the way, it isn't a PARTY until somebody shatters the crowns on their front teeth while doing "The Worm." Glad you got it fixed, Chuck.

E can ride a bike!

2008-11-11T13:05:00.007-06:00

Drew's worked with E for months on riding her bike without training wheels. She just wouldn't commit. She'd stop pedaling, or not watch where she was going, but we kept feeling like she could do it if she really wanted to.

We were correct. She's so much like me in many ways, and one of those ways is that she is really motivated by others. So, when her best friend Sage learned to ride, E was READY. She learned that very day.

I'm proud to say, I'm the one who taught her in the end. Which makes me feel good, since Daddy usually gets that privilege. Right now, he taught O, and I taught E. We'll have to see who gets to M first. I'm planning on working on it with her this afternoon. Ha.

New Camera!!!!

2008-11-09T21:25:00.001-06:00

I got a new camera! What do you think?

Eyewitness

2008-11-09T15:04:00.003-06:00

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

I had the privilege of being an eyewitness to one of the most beautiful acts of kindness that happened in the world today. Today, our pastor preached on giving. I know some of us grow to dread the "stewardship" sermons that come up once a year, but our preacher did it with his typical freshness and authenticity.This was a sermon in a series of 3 about giving. One thing I love our pastor is that he preaches biblical truth, sometimes truths that are hard to swallow, but preaches them with an amazing attitude of brokenness and grace.
As he preached about giving to others, he said we are responsible for the downtrodden-the widows, orphans, poor, etc. etc. He went on to say that in this economy, we have many that are struggling to make it without jobs. He pointed out 1 family in particular, and showed a video of this church member talking about the journey through unemployment. This particular man is a true servant of the church. You constantly see he and his wife serving diligently, with much passion. He has been without a job for many months, and has 2 children. In the video, he spoke of how good God is. He spoke of how independent he was of God before (when he had financial security) and how dependent he is on God now (with no financial security). This has caused a radical tranformation in him. After the video, our pastor, with much grace, (as usual) asked for an offering for this family. Now I have never been in a church that this was done. I've seen some wonderful behind the scenes stuff, but never an open asking for offering of an individual. And some of you might be critics as to whether or not it was appropriate. But I would tell you that the Holy Spirit was moving so strongly in the room, appropriate-ness was not even a question. This family has needs, and the church wanted to move. And oh, did they ever move. I was on stage helping with the music, and to observe this action was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had. Very quickly and enthusiastically, people got up from their seats and started laying money at the altar. As they went up, they either layed hands on this family, prayed with them, or hugged them. This wasn't just 25% of the church, 50% of the church, or even 75%. This was the majority of the church on their feet, moving to bless this family.
I don't believe I'll ever forget this day at church. I can't wait to see all of the ways God wants to move, if we'll only step out from behind our pride and let Him.