Happy Thanksgiving!

I cannot express how much I love you all...how thankful I am

that you all are in my life...let's all HANG ON together, OK?

In the meantime, let's JUST LIVE!

Things that make me smile...

smile/smīl/

Verb:

Form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up: "smiling faces".

Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.   Proverbs 31:25

My Children and Grandchildren!  Of course!!   This picture of me and Matt (taken in Cherokee) has always been Matt's favorite picture of us.  It's my favorite too!!  This is MY favorite picture of Matt and Mols...she looks like a troll!  Cha with her Daddy's knife...Lord help us!!!   Mols and Linzy...so sweet to the core!   Linzy is making my heart hurt!!!  How utterly gorgeous!   So much of what I do day-to-day is filtered thru thoughts of what Keith and I would have decided together...I will always try to do what I truly believe we would have done together.

My family!   I love you crazy people...how would we have survived the past 2 years without each other!!!  What could we call this group of pictures???  Sleeping It Off??   hahahahaha!!

Is it just me...or does this family have a PROBLEM!!
There is NOT a shortage of "sleepy" pictures...who's missing?

My friends!   Oh my goodness...what do I say (that won't get us all arrested!!) ?    Thank you, thank you, thank you!!  It's so easy now to see what is important.  I hope I never lose that vision...because there is no job, no possession, no THING that will ever take the place of PEOPLE.  I forgot that...I never will again!   Art--you are representative of so many incredible friends at Vulcan...you all have taught me over the past 2 years what a friend looks and sounds like!  I love you all!!   Oh, and Thanksgiving in New York...after the first hour with all of us...getting to the subway station...then the "Metro Card" purchases...WOW!!  I was sure you were going to ditch us on the subway!  You are amazing!! 


"Biotechs" -- hmmmmmmm...not to say too much, but over the past 2 months, you all have kept me from slipping back into a very dark hole.  You have erased the feelings of rejection and "not quite measuring up".  No going back...only going forward...South...going South!!!   Destin?   I think we can "tear it up"!!!!   What AMAZING women you all are!!!  Continue to kick my butt when I need it, OK???   LOL!

Sushi, Sunshine & Yard Sales #2....

Happy Birthday, Maddie!!!   I'm soooooo sorry I forgot to put this on here yesterday!!  But...we didn't forget your birthday!!  Look for a surprise in the mail!!!







Sunday after church...

Charli was needing a sushi fix BAD, and I had promised her sushi for weeks (sorry sweet girl...sometimes things work out--just not in the time we want them to! :)  so the call for "playtime" went out!  Me, Lu, Charli, Molli, Mother, Jackie, Sheila, Alexis, Jennifer and Addy chowed down at Fuji!  Mmmmmmm!!!  Check out this picture of Molli...I think we have created another "sushi monster"!   Aaaarrrrggghhh!!!  LOL!


We left there (stuffed!) and headed to Oxford Lake to meet up with the rest of the crew!  The weather was so beautiful. The high was forecast for around 72°.  The wind was blowing and it was just slightly cloudy, so it never got "hot"!  Oh my...I can't describe what fun we all had.  The kids were running in 20 different directions.  I started out chasing Molli around, but Lu took over that job :) !  Charli and Addy made me their "best friends for a day" and pushed me to my limit!!!  I'm 50 girls...give an old lady a break!!!!   The monkey bars are REALLY fun...I had forgotten!!!  Mother, Jackie and Jennifer "camped out"...but that's OK, Jennifer had on a dress (could have gotten us thrown out if she got on the monkey bars!!) and Mother and Jackie became the official photographers!


So, we ended up with...Mother, Jackie, Me, Lu, Charli, Molli, Alexis (Sheila and Truffles ran!), Jennifer, Addy, Kim, Katie, Charlee-Brooke, Kash, Morgan, Maddy, Mallory and Anna (Rob, Alicia, Sonny & Joanne worked at the new house!!).

I have NO idea who the man is behind and between Morgan and Linzy...I think it's our stalker!!  Hahaha!!   Barry, Angie and Peyton...WE MISSED YOU!!! 

Me and Mimi-Me!  OK...draw up the papers--she's mine!

What a wonderful weekend!  I've needed that so much for the past couple of months!  Just what the doctor ordered!!  I know everything won't always be easy...but when they are hard, I'm going to look at these pictures and SMILE...knowing the good times are coming!!!  I also now know that Gods timing is perfect...

Mawmaw...you MADE these girls day!!!

When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.  His loving heart knows how much and how long.  (1 Peter 1:6-7)   --Warren Wiersbe

WOW!!!!




I love you all dearly!!!

Sushi, Sunshine & Yard Sales...

We had an incredible weekend...

Linzy, Charli & Alexis

Our weekend started with a 2nd Round football game.  It was sooooo cold!  It didn't matter...we all had the best time, cuddling under blankets, drinking hot chocolate, cheering on our team and catching up with each other on our week.  Lincoln lost, but I left that game with a great sense of accomplishment--a whole football season without missing a game.  That has been so hard to do without Keith.  LuLu had a great year...and I pray those happy memories will follow her forever!

Saturday morning yard sale!  Me, Sheila, Linzy, Morgan and Alexis...what FUN!!  Even the girls had a great time, riding the yard sale toys, playing hide-and-seek...you know...acting like kids for a few hours!  We did REALLY good! THANK YOU JENNIFER AND JASON!!!  After the yard sale, we took the truck to dump it...thank you MICHAEL!!!  We filled up his dumpster...I wish we had taken a picture...it was so funny.  Of course the best part was that HUGE rat that came running out of the truck!  My throat is sore today after all that screaming!!!!

Sunday...great service Mike!!!  People are going to get mad that you keep gearing your sermons just to me!!!  :)   Really...thanks so much...James 1:2-4 are my "live by" verses!!!

Time for work...more later!!!

Veterans Day...

“May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion: 

may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace”     Psalm 40:14

With a heart that is heavy, yet so full of pride, I thank my beloved son and all active, inactive and veteran service members for their service to our country...service that extends to each and every one of us!

Over the past 2 years, I have struggled to build a new life.  Matt has been by my side through it all.  He is my rock.  There could be no better person to hold me up than this incredible man that I am honored to call “my son”!


Linzy and I could not have survived without him!  We miss him desperately...yet we are enormously proud of him!   He served his family...now he is serving all of you!!

Join me in a prayer for Matt and all the servicemen

and women who faithfully preserve our freedom:

Almighty God, Lord of Hosts, we call out to You as the One who is sovereign over all. Watch over and protect our nation’s military members and their families. Sustain them with your everlasting arms.


Take into your most gracious protection our service members currently deployed. May You be their comfort and their guide as they live and walk in a foreign land. Give them reassurance that you are a shield around them, an ever-present help in time of need.   Guard their families and loved ones back home.  Provide them with peace and surround them with love.  May they find hope and strength in You for the trials of each new day. Be with military children who endure the difficult burden of knowing their father or mother is in harm’s way for months on end. Guard these children’s hearts and minds despite the loneliness and uncertainty of having a parent deployed.


For each and every veteran who has served our country through the years, we thank You for their sacrifice. Comfort those who struggle in life after war. Help us to honor and care for those who have given so much for us.


Be with our nation's leaders as well, and all those who make decisions for our military. Give them wisdom and discernment in everything they do.


Father God, we long for the day when swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. We long for Your peace, for Your shalom.


In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.


Parts taken from “A PRAYER FOR THE MILITARY COMMUNITY” by Kristi Hofman

Let's get the party started...

OK...I know my profile photo is not the most attractive photo of myself that I could have picked...but...I'm laughing!!  Look at that!!!  I'm REALLY laughing!!!  That laugh has been such a long time coming...over 2 years in fact.  I look at that picture and I want to see more!!

That's what this blog is about...moving...never BACK -- always FORWARD!!

To my faithful family:  I love you all so much it makes tear up just thinking about it.  Who is my family?  Oh, you KNOW who you are!  And, not just by blood...I don't get to pick those :D !!   Those of you who have picked ME!!!

I WANT your comments...I VALUE your comments.  I know you don't think I do...but I do!!!   REALLY!!!!

Oh...one more thing!!  Mike...you just about did me in last night!!!  That bible study was EXACTLY what I needed.  All I could do was sit very still and listen.  That kept me from completely losing it!!   I didn't comment because I don't have an answer yet.  I know God is still working on me...either He hasn't revealed my cross to me...or I'm missing it!    Thank you and Amanda for helping me along this past 2 years...

A new day...

I have a unique role in God’s wonderful plan.  This blog is my way of "voicing" my daily triumphs, struggles, missteps and misadventures on the road to finding my place in the perfect will of God.  I hope you will join me...