Costume Contest...

...so I'm thinking, with today being Halloween, why not take a trip down memory lane, revisit Halloweens past and share our favorite, or most horrible, costumes?

Fun!

I know that my title says "contest", but the only prize will be the joy you have in knowing you have provided others with an entertaining comment, or maybe even a costume idea, or at the very least, a good laugh at someone else's expense....goodness knows, I'm always up for THAT! (right, Brooke? haha!)

So, since it's my blog and my idea, and since I may very well end up being the only participant (please NO! participate with me!!) I'll start!

I'm actually sad to say, I don't really remember very many of my Halloween costumes from the past. I'm sure this would devastate my mother, because she tended to put quite a bit of work into what our costumes were each year.

I remember the year I was in 1st grade and my sister was in Kindergarten, we were Miss Piggy & Kermit. My mom handmade the costumes...right down to the masks! (thanks Crystal for emailing me the pic!) They looked great, but that Miss Piggy mask was the hottest thing I've ever had on my face! Whew! Maybe that's where my claustrophobia (and other issues that may or may not have come from being Miss Piggy) came from?

I remember being Pippy Longstocking one year, Lord knows I have the frizzy hair to pull those pigtails off! I also remember the costume from the pic I'm going to show you. I have no idea what we are supposed to be, I can only guess some sort of alien being or maybe some sort of preview of the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba? In that case, we were before our time I guess! Either way, Mom and her sewing machine were obviously on strike this Halloween. I do remember the nasty face paint involved in this costume and how long it took to scrub it off! (I'm talking Brillo pad kind of scrubbing!)

So here is my entry into the First Annual Down On The Farm Prizeless Halloween Costume Contest!
I'm the one in yellow. I bet you can't guess from the couch what decade this one is from! haha! My favorite part about the picture is my sister's (in green) expression! How cute is it?! She still makes that same face when she gets mad. It may be a little less cute at 31 than at 3 though:) You can click to make it bigger if you want to see it up close & personal...you know, if you want to try to achieve this level of Halloween greatness for yourself next year!

What is your all time favorite or most horrid costume? I'm dying to know!

Or if you have no interest at all in sharing a story, then just enjoy this little cowboy & indian in all their Halloween cuteness!

Little Green Pumpkin II

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was so sad that his Little Green Pumpkin had met an untimely end. Of course, this is thanks to his furry dog friends. What was the little boy to do? The big pumpkins on the porch, they did not appeal. They were heavy and fading, they'd just lost their zeal!

Little did the boy know, two princesses would depart to the Pumpkin Patch yet again, his best interests at heart! Miss Lisa & The Girl and another friend or two, looked high and looked low until one was found that would do!

Photo courtesy The Preacher's Wife Cell Phone Cam

The little boy was so happy! He couldn't wait to get home
to perch his new pumpkin friend in its very high dog-safe home!

The End!

Thank you so much Lisa and The Girl! You made one little boy very happy!

Man Down....

As the wife of a firefighter, I couldn't possibly count the number of times I've sat up and listened to the scanner after my husband left on a fire. I always say as he leaves....Don't go in!! Don't go in unless there is somebody trapped! Don't go in!!! I stand at the door of the garage and pray over him and the rest of the firemen as they answer the call.

Today as I stood at the sink, I heard a news bulletin. A fireman killed in the line of duty. My heart sank. In our county. Oh no. I immediately called my husband to tell him what I had heard.

A little later my friend and former pastors wife, Angela, called. This fireman was from the town where they now serve, and this family are members of their church. Chris, her husband and the local church pastor, was with the family at that time. She asked that we remember this family in prayer. How broken hearted they must be tonight. She also asked that we remember the fire chief as well.

The fireman was 24 and the fire chief had the duty of going to tell his family what had happened. I can't begin to imagine how broken this man is.

Please remember this family, this fire chief, this church, and this town in prayer!

Cody Renfroe, 24
photo courtesy WHNT

Just do it!

(See Update Below!!!)

Okay go HERE or read THIS and then join me as I pray! Baby Stellan is coming tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM CST, and I can barely breathe just thinking about how this mom feels, or this dad. I have been following their story for months, but even if you haven't go read it, and pray!

We serve an awesome God! Remember, There Is Hope!

Go on....hurry!

UPDATE:I copied and pasted this from MckMama's blog! Praise the Lord!

Big Mac, MckNugget and Small Fry joyfully announce that they now have another brother!!

Our long-awaited little MckMuffin has finally arrived...

Stellan
entered the world this sunny fall morning
at 10:19 am, CST
weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces
and measuring 19 inches long

As you can imagine, there is a lot going on here at the hospital. Please thank God with us that little Stlellan is here and be in prayer for these first hours of his precious life.

The NICU attended the birth--which went very smoothly--and Stellan is with the NICU team now. MckMama is recovering and, in spite of a pretty low blood pressure, is feeling well. She has seen Stellan only briefly, but Prince Charming has been back and forth between her and baby Stellan. When she is stable, she'll be wheeled on her bed down to see their new baby.

Details on exactly how Stellan is doing as well as photos of the sweet baby will be forthcoming. But, let's just say that Stellan got a 9 and a 9 on his APGARS and the NICU team has yet to find a single thing wrong with him...

Happy birthday, sweet Stellan. You are God's miracle to us and you are finally here!!!!

Little Green Pumpkin

....Once upon a time there lived a little green pumpkin. The little green pumpkin lived among the big beautiful orange pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. Little Green feared he would lead a sad life for he knew that he would never grow to be big, beautiful and orange before the people stopped coming to visit the pumpkin patch this year.

There was a little boy in a land nearby who loved green. He was going to the pumpkin patch called Down On The Farm (seriously!) and made sure his mom dressed him in his green hat, his green shirt, and green boots for the trip. He looked very fashionable indeed! He met up with his buddies for a fun day of play. The little boy, his mom, sister, & friends kicked off the day of fun with a hayride to the pumpkin patch. The ride was bumpy and dusty but filled with friendly conversation and great anticipation of the upcoming search for just the right pumpkin. The little boy and his Uncle Clay looked high and low for the perfect one. They looked over all the beautiful orange ones, but they just wouldn't do. The little boy had a special pumpkin in mind so he looked and looked until he found just the right one. "Here it is, Mom!" he said with glee. "I found a green pumpkin just the right size for me!" So back on the wagon with his friends and his loot, his mom and his sister and a kitty cat to boot!After the ride the, the little boy joins his big cousin Rachel and the rest of his buddies to paint their pumpkins. The Little Green Pumpkin was so excited, not only was he going to a new home, he'd finally have a beautiful face! Though not quite the beauty Little Green Pumpkin had imagined, he loved his face all the same, and sat in the sun with the big pumpkins to dry. He watched as his new little friend explored the rest of the farm with his mom, sister, & friends. The little boy loved feeding the animals. They fed cows, chickens, donkeys, turkeys, and goats that were up real high. They rode the cow train, the trikes, the combine slide, and played in the corn bin. Even the little boy's baby sister had a good time!

Even though they were having such fun Little Green Pumpkin couldn't wait until time to go home. The little boy picked up Little Green Pumpkin and away they went. He just couldn't believe he was going to a new home!

He had visions of big beautiful fall displays, dreamed of centerpieces, and decorated hall ways! He was placed on the front porch with the Big orange pumkins and beautiful mums. He loved greeting visitors and overlooking the little boy as he played. But Little Green Pumpkin went missing one day. The little boy looked and he looked, his mom helped him too. What could have happened, Little Green, where are you?

They searched and searched, but this all came to an end, when they discovered Little Green Pumpkin had met their furry dog friends. "We'll miss you, Little Green Pumpkin", the little boy said, as he sadly looked on. He wished his pumpkin friend happiness in his heavenly pumpkin home.

The End.

Pedicure Please?

There are certain times in life when a girl likes to be prepared .....with a good pedicure. I mean, you know, those times when your tootsies are on full display for all the world to see. Ladies, I know you're with me. I'll bet there is rarely a woman go into labor these days who hasn't had a proper pedicure. We all know that summers are a must and count as one "event", meaning your toes must be well kept all summer. Then there are weddings, vacations, and holidays....no matter what time of year.

So, now I have a new event to add to the list, well, in my case anyway. Dinner. Last night Kyle was gone on a house fire, so for supper it was just me and the kids. I was having soup and feeding Lilah baby food, Carter was having one of his favorite gourmet meals: Chicken nuggets, cheese, and apple slices. I was set for an easy night.

Carter decided he needed more cheese so I went to the fridge to get it for him. When I pulled the drawer where I keep it, I met an unusual resistance. So, of course, instead of investigating further, I just pulled harder.

Bad idea.

Turns out, that drawer was caught on the lid of one of my very favorite Pampered Chef dishes. The Deep Dish Covered Baker. It's a beautiful cranberry color and both the dish and lid are stoneware so it's pretty heavy. Plus it was pretty much full. So, when I jerked that drawer open I ended up jerking the stoneware baker out of the fridge as well.

It crashed into a heap of stone, chicken, and soup onto the ceramic tile of the kitchen floor. But, not before hitting my foot.

Hard.

The kind of hard that you know is gonna be bad. The kind of hard that makes even those with a high pain tolerance wail like a child (and scare their children silly).

I did manage to gather myself enough to tell Carter to stay in his chair, there was glass everywhere. My next thought was, "oh no, my Deep Dish Covered Baker! We have a covered dish lunch after church on Sunday!" (that would be in my Paula Deen voice,....ya'll!)

I bet your wondering what all this has to do with pedicures.

My poor foot was still hurting. I thought that if I sat down it would be better in a few minutes. Then I started feeling nauseous. The weird wavy kind of nausea that I have only felt a very few times in my life. The kind of nausea that I have only ever felt when I have broken a bone.

Sure enough. I have two fractured metatarsal bones in my foot and a dislocated something or other. So about the time I flop my poor foot up on the table to be x-rayed, my inner Paris Hilton ('cause really, don't we all have one of those?) was really wishing that I'd have gotten a pedicure sometime in the last couple of months....or at the very least last week when I polished my toenails with my sandals on because I was in a big hurry, that I'd at least have bothered to go back and polish my little toe, which couldn't be seen or polished with my sandals on. It was seen today though in all it's unpolished glory, right next to the other four bright coral ones. That is so not hot!

Also not hot, is the lovely "boot" that I will be sporting for the next several weeks. Have you ever walked in ski boots? You know how they kind of throw you forward? This does the same thing. Plus, it really puts a kink into the platform shoes I was planning on wearing with my hottie Halloween costume. Dern. Guess that will have to wait til another year.


hahahahaha! ...as if!

These boots are made for walkin'....

....and that's just what they'll do! With temperatures getting cooler by the minute, I can’t help but get in the mood for all things fall/winter. One of my favorite things about the cooler seasons? Boots! I love them! For myself and my kids! There is nothing cuter than a toddler kickin’ about in his favorite pair! (Click to continue reading)

Tyler...

So it's Wednesday night and I'm sitting here trying my best to blog. I keep wondering if Tyler went to Awana tonight. I have almost called to find out a few times, but decided not to. Tyler is my 2nd cousin. He's in the 5th grade at the same elementary school I went to. He's probably the sweetest most laid back kid I've ever been around. I seriously think he's a Horse Whisperer. He loves my kids and would play with them tirelessly for hours given the chance. He has one of the most adorable smiles I've ever seen. One of Tyler's best friends was killed in a 4 wheeler accident a year or so ago. Tyler was supposed to go with them that day but changed his mind at the last minute. His 22 year old brother, Derek, was killed in a car accident early Saturday morning.

Tyler was staying the night with his Gran (and my Aunt Linda) when the accident happened. My Aunt Wanda (Linda & my mom's sister) called early Saturday morning to tell me what had happened and I went to tell my mother. Nobody knew how she would react because she was close to Derek. So I went to tell her. She did okay. Once she settled down, I went next door to Aunt Linda's to sit with them for a while. As I was getting my kids out of the car, she met me at the door to tell me Tyler was there and he didn't know yet.

They were waiting to tell him until his parents got home from the hospital and taking care of some other things. He played with the kids and told me about every song that came on CMT. He couldn't get over the fact that I never listen to country music. I told him I'd introduce him to TobyMac and Third Day. He laughed. He thinks I'm old.

A lady came to the door that I didn't know. Tyler beat me to the door. As she started up the steps he said, "Something happened to Derek." She didn't know anything had happened. She said, "What happened?" Tyler said, "He died."

As his Gran came from the back of the house I mouthed to her, "He knows", she asked him who told him and that's when he said, "I heard you talking on the phone last night." Only then did he break down. I thought my heart would burst. Watching that poor sweet baby cry and thinking about him lying there all those hours wondering what had happened and when someone was going to tell him was just about more than I could stand.

Derek's funeral was Monday. Please help me as I pray for God to intervene with this family. I pray that He can give them comfort they so desperately need and that they will turn to Him in their grief. Please lift up Derek's parents, Greg & Lynn Jeffery, his sister, Shaylynn, brother, Tyler, his grandparents, and friends. I ask that you also pray especially for his girlfriend, Tiffany. She is expecting she & Derek's child early next year.

Aunt Linda lost another grandchild, Jill, earlier this year. They all need your prayers.

I know that there are many prayer warriors out there, thank you in advance for your prayers!

John Deere Black & Blue

.....that's been the color around here as of late. Not John Deere Green like the song says. Not even on a hot summer night. In fact, it was a very rainy, stormy Wednesday and I'd just hung up the phone telling my sister that I had no intention of going anywhere with two babies in the driving rain.

Wrong.

My plans were very much changed, thanks to a very large, 5 or 6 pound metal hay baler, a two year old, a six month old, and a pack & play. If you're thinking this is a bad combination, well, you are so very right! A really bad combination indeed!

My sister had just called to say that she was coming by to visit for a while and like any self respecting southern woman I had to do some tidying up in the guest bathroom before she arrived. I laid Lilah down on her back in the Pack & play so she would be "safe" from Rambo who was playing nearby, and went to clean the bathroom which is a total of maybe 10 steps away.

No more than 2 minutes go by before I hear the most horrible scream/cry! (It was so loud I wasn't even sure which kid it was!) I stepped around the corner to see Carter peeking (and looking incredibly scared) over the rail at Lilah who was lying there screaming with a big metal hay baler lying right beside her head and two very big knots already starting to come up on her forehead!

I barely had her picked up before I had my cell phone in hand and was calling the pediatricians office (which is programmed in my phone, I may not have Poison Control programmed, but Dr. Jeannie is there!

They asked a bunch of questions and told me to bring her in immediately. I hung up and called my sister to see how far away she was, and asked her to go with me since at this point it was painfully obvious to me, her, Carter, probably Lilah and any neighbors within a 2 mile radius, that Mom had lost any and all sense by the way she was running around and screaming in a state of panic.

People, Carter did not so much as COUGH until he was 18 months old! He did have the little driving off the brick steps incident, but he didn't look like this after! I was not at all prepared to be carting my 6 month old to the hospital with head injuries!

So Crystal gets there within minutes and helps me load everything up, because I'm still running around like an idiot, and she asks me if I want her to drive......I tell her no, I'm too nervous for you to drive! (what???) She obliges me, hopefully praying for all our lives, and gets in the backseat where I tell her to keep Lilah awake at all costs. She did a great job! Lilah was screaming her little head off all the way there. Partly due to her injury, but she was also plenty ticked off at her Aunt Crystal for keeping her awake via wet wipes on the face, neck, and eventually even her poor little feet. She wanted to sleep so badly!

Remember I told you it was raining? It was really raining hard! We get almost to Chatt. and as we are passing the last exit before you go around the river we pass at DOT truck with a flashing sign that says "CRASH AHEAD". I can see the traffic starting to back up just ahead of me....it was too foggy to see any further! So, I switch to the slow lane, get over onto the entrance ramp to the interstate and back all the way down the entrance ramp!

We take the road over the mountain, then the streets downtown, and just as we are about to enter the tunnels at the ridge, there is another traffic tie up. Well, by this time, I'm getting scared. It's been almost an hour and I've had it with these people who insist on slowing down and getting in my way, and heaven forbid stopping for traffic in the rain while I am trying to get my baby to the xray machine!!!! I try merging into traffic and this woman would not let me merge. At least she wasn't planning to let me merge.

But I played the I am driving a bigger vehicle than you and I am blowing my horn and flashing my lights at you like a desperate crazy person and if you don't stop I am about to run your car right off the side of this ridge card.....and, well, she let me merge. Thanks lady.

Anyway, we finally make it there and I leave sis and Carter to get out of the car while I dash inside with Lilah. They are waiting for me when I walk in....no waiting! I ADORE THEM! They do a quick neurological assessment then xrays and within mere minutes tell me that there is no skull fracture, and if anything just a very minor concussion, and not to worry unless she starts puking. The Dr told me that I should expect to see some very nasty bruising in the front and back (the hay baler opens up so it got both front and back of her head) of her little head over the next couple of weeks.

Whew! Praise the Lord!!

Would you believe that by Saturday the bruising was all but gone? That girl has got one hard little head! Other than the ride to the doc, she cried (screamed) when she woke up in the nursery at church that night and I wasn't in there with her, but that's all! She played and cooed all the way home, so I thought she was good to go to church that night. (I know! I'll be sending in this post as an entry to the mother of the year contest....along with all the others.)

Anyway, that hay baler is still laying on top of the dryer where I put it over a week ago. Carter knows where it is and hasn't asked for it once. It's one of his very favorite toys, but he was terrified that he'd hurt "my wiwah" with it. After everything settled down he said, "Mom, I put the hay baler in the gate." He was putting his baler, and probably next his tractor in the pack and play and was about to climb in there with Lilah to play in the "gate". Poor thing, he sure didn't mean to hurt her!

...and on a completely different note, one more thing before I sign off for tonight. Our local high school played their most fierce rival tonight. No one in town wants to miss this game because you can always count on there being some "drama" involved. Tonight was no exception! The stands were packed, the crowds were cheering (and screaming and hollering), my two little hornets were dressed in their adorable hornet gear (not that you could see it under their coats and blankets but you know Carter does like to pick his own duds these days!) and best of all.....

.........the hornets beat the bisons 21-8!

Just had to get that in there, you know, in case a bison happens by :)

National Day of Remembrance

As many of you know, October 15th is the National Day of Remembrance for pregnancy and infant loss. This includes all babies who have died because of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other infant death. I didn't know this until I saw it on Bring The Rain, a blog I read as often as I can. Angie, the author of Bring the Rain, and her family have experienced some very devastating losses in recent months and she asked that anyone who wanted to share any losses they had experienced and that others pray for those precious ones who shared their personal experience.

After some of the comments I received on my birthday post a few days ago, I decided to participate on my own blog. I lost my first baby on March 24, 2003 at 8 weeks. This baby would have been due on November 14, 2003. I lost my second baby on April 11, 2004 in the 4th month. This baby would have been due on my birthday, October 9, 2004. The D&C was done on April 11 which is my MIL & my nephew, Chase's birthday(and later my niece Maggie, in 2007).

I think of those angel babies often. I have ultrasound pics and a couple of gifts I received for the second baby. I never look at them, but I know where they are....just in case I want to someday.

On this day of remembrance though, I also want to remember a baby that wasn't mine, but that still profoundly affects my life. I know that he always will.

On July 14, 2003, as I was lying in bed, my husband's fire department radio went off. I held my breath as I heard the call going out. An infant, unresponsive. I started praying. I heard the address go out. It was 1/4 mile up the road from my house. Then I heard one of the firefighters in a panicked voice say that no one in the all volunteer department knew how to perform CPR on an infant.

I'd never performed CPR on an infant, only adults, but I had been trained in how to do so. I had a brief (I say brief because all of the things up to this point took about 2 minutes to unfold) discussion with God as I jumped in my car, mainly complaining how in the world could this be happening, when I'd just lost my own baby a few months before? I can't do this, God! His response? YES YOU CAN! GO!!

When I got there, I remember parking and running down the road. I kicked off my flip flops so I could run faster. I met a fireman, crying, falling to his knees, as I started into the house. I could hear screams, begging, pleading.

"Oh dear God, Help me!"

When I got to where the baby was lying on the couch his grandmother was draped over him sobbing. I pulled her back and said, "let me see if I can help him." She said, "no! you might hurt him!" I grabbed both of her hands and said with a calmness that came straight from God, "look at me, I promise I won't hurt him, let me see if I can help him!"

As I did compressions on the baby, I had the grandmother helping me breathe, just because I could see that she needed so desperately to be doing something....just as everyone else in that room did. I continued CPR, praying....I could hear those young parents screaming, sobbing, begging, pleading, in the background. A local paramedic arrived just moments before the ambulance and took over CPR, then carried him to the hospital in the ambulance.

I don't know how long this all took. It seemed like hours. As I walked outside, one of the firemen handed me my shoes. I went home and cried....for that baby, for those parents,... for my baby.

Jayden Kyler went home to be with God that morning. I don't believe he felt my compressions, I believe God had already taken him home. I went back to the grandmother's house the next day. I didn't know them, I just felt like I needed to tell them how sorry I was. What I didn't expect was for that precious grandmother to stop her conversation and greet me as I walked in. To apologize to me for screaming at me, and to thank me profusely for trying to help baby Jayden. I didn't expect that broken mother to hug me, again, thanking me over and over.


I felt like such a failure, to that precious baby....to my own, yet God showed me in those days following Jayden's death that He didn't always promise to answer our prayers as we see fit, but as He sees fit.......and in His time.

Jayden's family is still such a blessing to me. I don't see them without getting a big hug! I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to pass by their house now and see a swing set outside....with 2 beautiful little boys playing, and a smiling Mother watching them nearby.

I know there was a time when that mother didn't think she would ever smile again.


But she did.


.......in His time.


Please feel free to share your own experiences with your comments. Do so anonymously if you wish. Also, please join me as I pray over each comment. Thank you!

The Bible Story Man & John 3:16....

...When I was in first grade, I was taught by the same teacher that had taught my dad 20 years earlier. Pretty cool, huh? Also cool is the fact that every single day we said the pledge of allegiance and prayed, and learned John 3:16...in class ....in a public school!! We also had a man, Mr Turner aka The Bible Story Man, come once a month and tell us a Bible story using his felt board, his loud and thrilling voice, and songs that were printed on cards of all shapes and sizes so we could sing along.

I'm telling you this for a couple of reasons. I know that alot of people who went to the same school I did read my blog and I'm not sure I've told them what I'm about to say about the man I know they'll remember with the same affection I do, and...I have another point that I'll be getting to in a minute.

Now, in the county where I live there is a ministry called Bible Release Time. The church I attend is literally in the back door to the school in our community. Once a week at several schools throughout our county kids grades 2-6 walk to the church to learn about Jesus. How awesome and amazing is that?? I don't get to help out with Release time these days, but I used to make Thursday my off day from work so I could participate, and I can't begin to tell you the blessings I received in this ministry.

Something else....Mr Turner, The Bible Story Man, he comes once a month to Bible Release Time!!! I KNOW!! The first time he came I was like a kid. I was so excited! The entire time he was trying to set up his stuff I was babbling on about how I remembered him coming to my school as a kid, and on and on. And you know what else? He still sings those same songs...

"Stop and let me tell you what the Lord has done for me....Stop and let me tell you what the Lord has done for me!........." This one is printed on a stop sign.

And the Go song,...and the Extra song...and on and on! (if you were a kid then and remember this, I know you are singing along! I just know it!)

The guy who was in charge of BRT at that time was giving me some of the strangest looks the entire day. I sang super loud, gushed each time I talked with Mr Turner, and was pretty giddy in general the entire day! (if you know me, you know that I am not giddy nor a gusher, but I'm sure everyone there that day remembers this pretty vividly if you want their numbers.)

Anyway, all of that to say this, it's amazing how things we learn so very young stay with us for our entire lives, isn't it? These last weeks in Awana, we have been working on learning John 3:16. I have the Kindergarten class, so this is a pretty big verse for them and is broken down over a few weeks. As we were doing our lesson this last week something hit me that I'd never thought to ask them.

"How many of you know how to tell someone...anyone!... about Jesus?"

They all just looked at me.

I went on to tell them that John 3:16 was really all they needed to begin telling someone about Jesus, about how to be saved.

So often when I think of witnessing to someone, my mind goes to Romans 10, or a number of other scriptures throughout the Bible, but here is this verse.....this verse I learned in FIRST grade...this verse that I am helping these kids learn who are in Kindergarten, so simply explains the way, the truth, the very path to eternal life.

I almost had a shouting moment right there in the midst of those little 3.5 foot bundles of energy! Were it not for the fact that the girl helping me was out of the room at the moment, and I might very well send all 13 of these little ones running from the room in sheer terror (they are already on the fence as to whether they are afraid of me or not!)....I probably would have!

They were pretty excited about being able to share Jesus with others. I hope they are acting as little missionaries to everyone they see this week using their newly learned Bible verse!

On that note, have you watched the news lately? I have, and I can't help but think of how quickly things are coming to pass right before our eyes that signal Jesus' return. It's true, we know not the day nor the hour, but with that said, do we really want to miss an opportunity to share the message of salvation with a lost and dying world? Do you? Do I?

During times that we are living in whether my Jesus comes tomorrow or in a hundred years, I ask myself.....How can anyone make it through one single minute of one day without knowing Him?

I pray that I never miss an opportunity to serve my God. I pray that I will share the name of Jesus with everyone I meet just as we are called to do. Please! Help me to do this, Lord Jesus!

10.9.8...

...turning 33 is pretty great! At least so far. I only start being 33 today, but so far I've gotten out of bed, kissed my kids, watched them as they continue to dream their sweet dreams, and spent quiet moments talking to the very God who knew 33 years ago that I would sit here talking to Him in these moments today.

He knew the very roads that would be traveled to get to this birthday. That there would be days so happy and joyful, and days so sad I could barely breathe. He knew. He knows. He was there too. He is here now.

Wow.

He knows that birthdays are something I struggle with sometimes these days. Not because I'm getting older. No, because He knows that on this day, October 9, my eyes turn toward heaven. I can't help but think of the baby who was to be born on this day. He would have been 4.


Happy Birthday Angel Baby, I hope that you and your older brother or sister have an awesome day. Tell your brother or sister that I won't forget his/her special day either, November 14. I don't know how birthdays are celebrated in heaven, but I know it has to be amazing. Tell everyone hello for me. Tomorrow would be Grandaddy B's birthday, so maybe you guys could do something together like we used to for our birthdays. I can still hear his laugh. It was always so much fun! Daddy and I promise to take good care of your little brother and sister. Someday I will tell them about our angel babies in heaven. Matthew and Rachel always like to think of their angels watching over them from heaven, I know they will too. I love you, sweet baby, Happy Birthday. Love, Mom.

Bag It!

Be you Mom or Dad, baby, kid, grandma, grandpa, or just Joe,....(click to continue reading!)

Six Months

Dear Lilah,

Just a few days ago you turned six months old. I can barely believe I'm typing those words. Yesterday you went for your six month checkup with Dr Jeanie, of course your brother who is Dr J's biggest fan went along with us. You did so good! Even after getting 5 shots, you only cried for a minute. I am sorry to tell you that you have to go back in a month for the 2nd half of your flu shot, but you are one tough cookie so it should be no sweat!

Carter got his flu shot yesterday too. He wasn't expecting anyone to be coming at him with a needle and spent most of the visit telling anyone and everyone who would listen to him that "Lilah not want any shot today." He is your biggest advocate, second only to Mom. He didn't cry when she gave it to him, but he glared at that nurse with the fire of a thousand suns....and for a long time after too! Not you though, you were smiling and "talking" before your tears were even dry.

You are sitting almost unassisted now, and rolling most anywhere you wish to roll off to. You have also recently started doing this inchworm type crawl that pretty much gets you anywhere you want to go....even if it does take a while to get there!

You have the most laid back personality I have ever witnessed. Rarely do you ever fuss! This doesn't mean you are quiet though. You are finding your little voice. Chattering and squealing.....sometimes I think you are just trying to see how loud you can get!

One of your favorite things to do is to ride in your walker. When Carter was a baby Mom tied a string to it, mainly so that I could pull him as I went from room to room and minimize any fussiness when I was out of his sight. That same string is still there and Carter loves to pull you around the house. You love it too, because you are laughing and chattering at him the whole time he is wheeling you around (and he only clotheslines you occasionally). I'm sure this goes against any and all regulations for walkers and how they are used, but it happens to work for us at this moment and you are never out of my sight in the walker....especially when Rambo is awake.

You have become quite the little model of late. You had your photo shoot for the hospital, and did so good! She got what she needed in just a few minutes. My favorite photo shoot was when your Aunt Crystal came to do Mom/baby photos of us a week or so ago. You did so awesome...as we knew you would! We were able to get some pictures of you in a dress that your mom wore herself 32 1/2 years ago! How awesome is that?

When I was pregnant with you, I couldn't imagine how I would divide my love between you and your big brother. Turns out, I don't have to divide anything. God has given me more than enough love to go around, and I am so very grateful to Him for trusting me with caring for you and your brother. I love you so much, and I am so very thankful to be your mom.

Love,
Mom

This isn't the pic Crystal took, it's just a quick snapshot I took. I'm sure you can figure out that the second picture is me.
...at the end he is saying that he's gonna go get his drill. Yeah, his drill.

Still Here!

Update: I added a couple of pics from my table at the Ladies Banquet. You can make the pics bigger by clicking on them.

..but man have I been busier than I like to be! Well, I really shouldn't say that, I love being involved in everything I can manage to get involved in.......I'm just not used to doing it with TWO babies in tow and a husband who's planted in the corn field as of late!

I am so tired.

Once more for good measure.

I am so tired.

But I just plain ADORE my new "jobs"! My 4 & 5 yr old Sunday School class are just plain adorable. I love the freshness of their love for Jesus. The way they explain things so matter-of-fact, so honest....and yes moms and dads....so completely!...everything!.....EVERYTHING!

My Awana class is super sweet as well! Alot of them are in my SS class and last year I had K & 1st grade but this year since I had 15 Kindergarten sign up and 11 1st graders, they decided to put the 1st graders with 2nd grade and K by themselves. I can not tell you how thrilled I am about this!

Not that I don't miss most of my first graders, it just seems like everything is so much more laid back....so far! Could have something to do with the fact that I'm not pregnant this year? Yeah, probably! No worries though, I still see my 1st & 2nd graders every week as my friend and their teacher, Brooke, tries to wrangle them into some sort of organized chaos. They all still come by to see Lilah since they heard about her and watched my belly grow with her all year last year. She was only a few weeks old when Awana let out for the summer. They are all amazed at how big she is now!

Also, tomorrow night is our annual Ladies Banquet. Several ladies from church host and decorate tables, we fellowship, eat, then worship together. FUN!! We usually have it in the spring but this year decided to switch things up a bit and have it in the fall. Which would be cool if I were firing on all cylinders at the moment. I'm so not!

I usually do a "spring" themed table complete with tiki torches and spring plants and flowers. I'm using the same "bones" for my fall table but like I said, the creative juices just aren't flowing lately like they usually do.

My dining room and garage have exploded these last week with "projects"...note that "s" on the end. I am building...yes, building, tables for my SS/Awana classroom. They are actually done except for the creative bit of painting I want to do...haven't had time or mindset for that lately, building a bookshelf (also done except for paint), and making curtains for my classroom as well. I painted it a few weeks ago. It looks much better but I can't wait to get everything finished!

I've been trying to get everything together for my table for the banquet, organize everyone else who is doing a table, and lining up doorprizes for the event. (I know!...dum dum!)

Did I mention those two babies? Poor things! They have been so patient with me! Our house is a disaster, you can barely walk through the garage, and those dang puppies have destroyed everything in sight in our yard!

Oh, and did I mention we had Lilah's Dedication service at church on Sunday? Not that I had to do much other than make sure everyone knew time and place, but it's still a little stressful. I wasn't worried about how Lilah would do...hello? dream baby! I was a little concerned that Carter might have a meltdown when we went up on stage though....he didn't! He was a dream too! What a beautiful service it was too! Lilah, and two other babies at church were dedicated. As Lilah's Aunt Tammy has said a few times, it was just so beautiful! Not a dry eye in the house! When our pastor, Luke, picked her up to pray over her, Lilah smiled the biggest smile. Beautiful!

Thank you to those who took the time out of your busy schedules, some driving long distances, to share such a special once in a lifetime event with our family, with our precious baby girl. Thank you for the cards and notes. They will have a special place in her baby book. Thank you for your pledges to help us as we dedicate ourselves to raise our children in a Godly manner.....and thank you for publicly dedicating yourselves to do the same!

Okay, I think you are caught up...I gotta get to bed now.

Have I mentioned that I'm tired?

...and that I have two sinusy snotty babies? (well 3 really)

Nite nite!