Tee Pee

Just browsing a few blogs and found this. What a cool idea for a reading corner! I can think about a million and a half ways to use this cool DIY Tee Pee. I love utilizing the great ideas of others.

A bow for G girl

G gets a little jealous when I make bows and gifts for others. After the proper encouragement that Sharing is what God has commanded us to do, and that it is part of "loving" our neighbors as yourself, she understood. She still wanted some new bows for herself.
I decided she needed a little prize after being sick for a week. She was a trooper having a stomach bug, and a fever, and having her parents drag her around the country. At one point we were out to dinner with some folks from the new church and G just laid her head on the table and went to sleep. My poor girl.
So, I made her these. She was over joyed!

Flowers in her hair.

This is one of the flower girls in the hair bows I made. She is so precious. She made it down the isle with her giraffe in hand!

The Vote is in.

We were voted in on Sunday. My hubby is the new Pastor @ Grace Baptist in Pikeville, KY. We found a house to rent. We are hoping it will be ready for us to move into by his first Sunday which is the 6th of June. I guess I am pretty excited because I went out and bought a cowboy hat for VBS. The theme this year is Western. I got bandannas for the kids and hubby. J got a hat as well but G didn't want one. J looks very cute in it.
Let the packing begin.

The Vote.

Please be in prayer for my family this weekend. We will be in Pikeville. Andy is preaching Sunday with a vote to follow, to determine if he will be the new pastor at Grace Baptist Church. www.gracebaptistpike.com. If he gets the job our family will be moving pretty quickly to Pikeville KY.
I am excited and nervous about this weekend. However, I am truly in morning over leaving Grace Chapel. It will be very hard. I have already broken down a number of times, and just the thought of saying goodbye tears at my heart. I know my husband and I are being obedient to the Will of God, but that doesn't make it an easy thing to do. Everyone says they will visit us down there. I am holding ALL of you to your word!

2 years

My sister said it so beautifully!
While my family was by Mindy's side for her final hours I was unable to be there. I was 38 weeks pregnant. I was in West Virginia while everyone else including my husband was in Alabama. I was too far along to travel, yet my heart was torn. I wanted to be there and be supportive and be able to say my good-byes but God had a different plan. I stayed with a family friend just in case my time came. I carried the cell phone around for any morsel of news there was.
The scene Amy laid out so beautifully, I fear would have been too much for me to bare. I might not have been able to keep it together. I am thankful my final memories of Mindy are of a time where she felt a little better. We went down in Feb. 2008 and she was having a really good day. So good in fact that she felt like going shopping. We went to some little boutiques downtown and we even managed to get a nail in our tire. I treasure these memories of her. Mindy found out she was sick a few months after our little girl was born. We lived so far away and she was on chemo and sick all of the time it was hard to visit. I think that she didn't want her kids to see her that way. She was in so much pain and sick from all the meds she spent most of her time asleep on the couch. This is such a dramatic difference from what she usually did. Mindy was never idle. She was always working on a quilt or a craft, or cooking, or baking. She was the picture of a proverbs 31 woman. She was submissive and gentle. Meek and kind. I am so privileged to be her daughter. She never called me her daughter in law. I was a part of the family. I was loved and accepted joyfully into her family. Who could dream for more.
My son was born 3 weeks after Mindy passed. She never laid eyes on my son but she had had a baby that look just like him. J is a spitting image of his daddy. Mindy always said my husband was the most loving, cuddly little boy. And my son is exactly the same way. He would rather be cuddling me than most anything else. Except for maybe chewing "na na" (gum). I know she would have been over the moon for him. Just like she was with all of her grandchildren.
We talk about Grammy Smith often to our children. She will always be their Grammy!

Say EEEEEE

I went to the ENT today for my "throat" issue. He looked down my throat with a little mirror and held my tongue out and told me to say "eeeeee". That is hard to do. Go ahead try it. See, it is hard. However, he looked and I a thankful to say he didn't see much. He was not concerned about it being my thyroid (which was my fear). He said my throat was a little inflamed and thought it might be acid reflux. So I am starting some meds to treat that. We are praying for this to just take away all of the issues I am having. I was so relieved that there was nothing major going on. I am cutting out the acidic foods for now, sniff sniff. Bye Bye Mexican, Italian, coffee, oranges, and all other yummy things containing acid. At least for now.
God is so good to me.

A Reminder of God's Goodness unto me.

I have just been sitting her reading my friends blog www.thefirsthundred.wordpress.com that I recently discovered. I worked with her briefly @ the Seminary. My co-worker and I were fast friends with her. She has an amazing humor about her. She just makes you feel like being sarcastic (in a good way).
As I was reading her blog, I was flooded with gratefulness for God's grace for His children. She shares in her blog about her struggle with trying to conceive a baby, and now struggling with postpartum depression. She is so "real" and honest. I was reminded that God has given each of us trials to go through. He has also seen us through each one and strengthened us by them.
Sometimes when we are in the midst of the "storm" we think that this is the worse thing that could happen. Or we look @ our neighbor's storm and think, I couldn't endure that. God is sufficient! He will supply All our needs. Oh, what a BIG God we have. If we but call upon Him.

For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need.
Hebrew 4:15,16

Recently, I have been having some issues with my throat. I of course have been googling it. So, I think I have something terrible. That is just how my mind works. In reality I might have something wrong with my thyroid that could be easily treated. But, things can get so big in your mind, and you can become so focused on self and fears and the what if's, that I forget God. I forget His goodness, and His mercy, and His grace. I forget His promises, and His love for me that I am not deserving of. Yet, while I was yet a sinner Christ died for me. I know he has allowed this storm, I know he is pleading for me, I know he will strengthen me though it.
I am resting on God's word and His promises.
Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds though Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7

I am seeing the Dr. today about my throat and I am resting.

EATable Art.

Painting bread was so much fun and super easy! I took 2 egg yolks, added a splash of water. Whisked them together and poured the egg wash into my empty egg carton.

We then selected what colors we wanted to make our "paint". A few drops of food coloring in each. (good lesson on primary colors was given to G)
Then we just painted away on our bread.

You can also paint cookie dough before baking it. Once the master pieces were complete we stuck them under the broiler for a minute to toast them up.


Looks good enough to eat.

This is in the works!

Found this and I can't wait to make it. When Andy gets off of work I am going to ask for an old shirt of his and whip this up. I wonder if I can make one in my size, I know it would only be a shirt, not a dress but it is too cute!

My Mother's Day Gift

G made me the most precious gift for Mother's Day. She had me draw a flower on a piece of paper and then she asked for her crafting box. I have a box full of ribbon scraps, beads, feathers and other goodies that are hers to use. She went off into the kitchen and told me "don't peek Mom". I obeyed, even though I love to peek. She hid the picture when she was done. Mother's Day morning I was awakened by a slap in the face from J and a "Happy Mother's Day from G. She quickly ran to get her picture she made me. I think it is great! I plan to frame this one. She is so crafty!

Mother's Day

When I was a kid, I thought my mom was the best! I always tired to express that in my mother's day cards. "Your the best Mom in the whole world" was a common line to be found on my gifts to her. Yet, I feel she never knew how appreciated she truly was. She made me feel loved, and secure. She was warm and kind. She was firm yet gentle. She truly is "The best Mom in the whole world".
Now that I am a mom myself, I am flooded with fears that my kids will think I am too firm, or they will think I didn't love them enough. I pray that I can give my kids the same security I felt as a child. I pray that they KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I LOVE THEM. I pray that someday I will be for my kids the kind of mom that I had.
Thanks Mom for being "The Best Mom in the Whole World!"

A little fun with friends

I remember vividly as a child my brother and I playing with a refrigerator box and taking turns sleeping in it @ night. I broke my arm one night and I missed my turn to sleep in the box. It was very disappointing for a 5 year old.
My kids were playing @ a friends house and they had a BIG box that their kids had decorated and made into a fort. All 5 kids had a grand time playing in this makeshift toy. I need to remind myself occassionally that kids imaginations need to be set free to make up their own games. It doesn't always have to be a conventional toy that they have the most fun with. Rocks, sticks, mud, and cardboard boxes are sometimes the most fun!

Wedding Accessories

A member of our church has a little sister getting married and I offered to make some of the accessories. She got engaged on Sunday and is getting married on the 15. I had such a good time making them. I hope she likes them. I made everything for under $20.
A hair piece for the bride.

The flower girl's basket

The ring bearer's pillow

These are the hair bows for flower girls.

Just Dandy!

While Andy was grilling some BBQ chicken, G picked a beautiful bouquet for me. She came to the door with a hand full of Dandelions. They served as a beautiful centerpiece for dinner.

Fruit Basket

Even though there was no Tea on Saturday. I had already made a Fruit and Veggie basket that was to be a giveaway item. I think it turned out pretty and decided to share. My husband was with me when I bought all the produce yet when it was made he asked if it was fake. I have to admit you don't see purple cauliflower every day.

John 6

My husband preached this morning and what a message it was. He spoke on John 6, Jesus walking on water and calming the storm.
Oh, how I needed to hear of how my Savior pleads for me to the Father.
These storms in life that we feel overwhelmed by, Christ is using them to strengthen my faith in Him, grow my love for Him, and secure my hope in Him.
Let me not be struck down by the storms in life, let them plant me further in Christ's atoning blood.

No Tea

The tea I was so looking forward to was cancelled. It was due to a death in the Pastor's wife's family. She was teaching the lesson's for the retreat and their was no way anyone could have stood in for her. I am so sorry for the family's loss. It was a was a sudden yet not too unexpected event. However expected it might be, it never makes it easier.
Yesterday, I was kind of left feeling like a child whose birthday party was cancelled. Many church members spent the day Friday setting up for the tea, and cooking, and decorating. Then Saturday morning we spend the day tearing it all down. I am so thankful for all the men and women who put all that time and energy into both the setup and tear down.
Sorry there won't be any pictures of the tea hats I made. Maybe next year!