Top 12 Memories from 2007

In thinking back over this past year and all that we have done and all that has happened in our lives, I thought I would share my personal top 12 memories of the year, one from each month. Here they are:

1. Paul & David turning 3 years old! They absolutely loved their birthday party this year and thought it was so fun to open all their presents. It was a joy to watch them have so much fun!!

2. Having a picnic outside with my boys during some awesome springlike weather in February! Isn't it great to live in the South!

3. Going to see Mrs. Pattycake live has to be the highlight for March. Paul was in such awe that she was the real Mrs. Pattycake. His little face was just lit up with joy and excitement. And of course, I cried when he got out in the aisle and did the dance to the Resurrection song he had learned at church, and later, when he sat in my lap and sang so sweetly "Jesus Loves Me" along with Mrs. Pattycake. I am tearing up now as I type this, I am so terribly emotional!!

4. We have several great memories from April, it is hard to pick a favorite, so I will briefly share all. We all went to the Montgomery Zoo, (an absolutely wonderful zoo, if you have never been you should go, I think it is much better than the B'ham zoo); we went to pick strawberries, and we dyed Easter eggs.

5. The highlight of May was that we got to take a week long vacation to the beach! It was wonderful, the boys had a blast, we could actually relax on the beach and watch them, and they were potty-trained. Our 1st vacation without diapers, wonderful!!

6. Favorite memories from June are Paul & David moving to their toddler beds from their baby beds! I know, they probably needed to move into them much sooner than they did, but they never climbed out so why ruin a good thing, now they can get up whenever they want too! Also, they loved going swimming this summer, and David loved jumping off the diving board and going down the slide!

7. The highlight of July has to be our family outing to the American Village on the 4th of July. It was a long afternoon and evening, but we all had lots of fun.

8. The top memory of August has nothing to do with my children! I had a mini vacation away from it all. My sister and I went to Altanta to the Women of Faith conference, and to the preconference with Beth Moore. We had a really nice time and were really proud of ourselves for finding our way around and riding the Marta successfully! We really felt like a couple of country bumpkins!

9. I really have no favorite moments from September, it was a very stressful month for our family. Our anniversary outing was quite dampened with some unexpected family stress, during which James looked at me and said "This is one of those 'in worse' times." I am looking forward to our next anniversary and a much better celebration with my husband!

10. My favorite memory from October was going to Homecoming at the Marion United Methodist Church where I grew up. I got to see my youth pastor and my favorite pastor from my teenage years, and was able to express to them my gratitude for the things they had taught me and done for me during those tumultuous teenage years.

11. My favorite memory from November was watching my precious boys perform in their Thanksgiving program at 3-K. They were absolutely adorable and did a wonderful job.

12. My favorite memory from December has to be just the excitement on my boys faces and in their voices as they got ready for Christmas. It made my heart very happy to hear them talk about Jesus' birthday, to watch them build stables and mangers with their lincoln logs and blocks, and to see them draw pictures of the donkey that Mary rode. It makes me so glad to know that they are learning about Jesus, and that thoughts of the true Christmas story fill their hearts and minds.

There they are, my top 12 memories. I am so thankful for my life and for my family, the Lord has truly blessed me and those I love. I pray that my life is also a blessing to Him and to others!

Our Christmas!

I thought I would fill everyone in on how we celebrated our Christmas. We started by traveling to Gainesville, GA on Saturday the 22nd to visit with James' brother and his family, his sister, and his dad. We had a nice but very busy visit. After arriving and eating lunch, we all headed out to an interactive children's museum (we had opted on skipping nap and putting the boys to bed early, so they would have more time to play with their cousins during the day). Everyone had lots of fun, especially the little ones. Paul & David really enjoyed playing with their cousins, Katie, John, & Timothy. When the museum closed and we were ushered out the door we headed to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. I was a little concerned about how the boys were going to react to the "cooking show", and even more concerned that I had forgotten food for my picky little eaters!! Well, they enjoyed everything except the BIG fire, and ate absolutely nothing!

After dinner off we went to look at some magnificent Christmas lights. It was getting close to the boys bedtime, but we thought we would be ok since they could just fall asleep in the car while we were driving if they got too tired. Little did we know that these were famous Christmas lights that everyone else in Georgia were also going to see! It took us about 45 minutes to get to the entrance to the lights, and we had already stopped once so the boys could go potty on the side of the road (thank goodness we have boys!!) Just as we get to the entrance David says, "I need to go poo-poo," and this nice aroma filled the car! James quickly gets out of the car and gets David to go find a bathroom, I get in the drivers seat and continue to go with the flow of the traffic, praying fervently that James will make it on time and that I will be able to find them again in all this madness. I call James a few times on his cell phone and he still hasn't found a bathroom, and he is having to carry David, who is barefooted, in the drizzling rain. We finally catch back up with each other after James has walked about a mile and a half, and they get back in car, not yet having found a bathroom. We drive a little further and finally see a sign for the bathroom, and quickly follow it. Well, at this point David was very stressed so he was unable to relax and go potty, so off we went to see the rest of the lights. They were absolutely gorgeous and we all enjoyed them after our ordeal was over. They even had a very nice live nativity that we were all able to enjoy. Paul & David finally fell asleep right as we were leaving the lights.

The next day we went to church with the Bill Schmid's, and then enjoyed a nice brunch buffet at a really nice restaurant. The kids then played all afternoon before we left for home.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent here at our house, my parents and sister came over Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with us. We went to the Christmas Eve communion service at our church and then came back to our house for soup and sandwiches, and just had a nice relaxing evening at home.

Christmas Day Paul & David slept late!! Can you believe it? I woke up at 7:30 and no one was awake yet, so I got up and made some apple cider, then went back to bed for a while. Closer to 8 I decided to get up and go ahead and put the quiche for breakfast in the oven, and not long after that Paul & David decided to get up. While everyone else was still asleep we sat on the couch and read the Christmas story and opened all the flaps on our Advent calendar. After waking everyone else up they were very anxious to have Jesus' birthday party and open all their presents. (We do not do Santa at our house, we just have a big birthday party for Jesus!) Their favorite gifts are their new big boy bicycles, and their big boy "measure" (a tape measure). They love to help their daddy work and now they have their own tape measures so Daddy can use his (thanks Aunt Cristi!).

We just played all morning and prepared lunch. I cooked my first ever standing rib roast and it was very yummy. After lunch we put candles on Jesus' birthday cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, with the boys blowing out the candles. It was a great Christmas and we made lots of good memories. I pray each of you had a wonderful Christmas also!

Wordless Wednesday #6

Merry Christmas!!!

Wordless Wednesday #5

fun with the boys!!

Christmas Baking!

Today the boys and I made chocolate covered pretzels for our friends in the neighborhood. They love to help me in the kitchen and were very excited that we were going to be cooking! Their favorite part was putting the colored sprinkles everywhere, not just on the pretzels. They really did pretty good and didn't make that big of a mess, but the fun they had makes up for any mess they did make.

As I was cleaning up the mess on our kitchen table, I was reminded that my table has seen lots and lots of memories and good times. You see, I have my grandmother's old kitchen table, my Maw-maw's. She was a wonderful grandmother and sometimes I miss her and my Granny terribly. How I wish they could have lived to see and know my precious boys, they would have been proud.

My Maw-maw was a wonderful cook and I have fond memories of sitting around that kitchen table with aunts, uncles, and cousins. I remember when I was little and would go stay with them, she and my Paw-paw would sit there and read the Bible after we were supposed to be in the bed. I remember helping her make cornbread and biscuits, and I remember drinking Tang at her kitchen table. Lots of memories, all of which I am so thankful for. And I am even more thankful that now I am making my own memories around that wonderful kitchen table.

Moments with family, that is what makes Christmas and everyday special! Enjoy your family, and make some lasting memories this holiday season!!

Christmas Blessings!

One of my favorite Christmas songs is found on Dennis Jernigan's Christmas album, and is entitled "The Blessing Song." I wanted to share the words to this song with all of you who read my blog. I wish I could play the song for each of you, to me it is very powerful and very moving. I pray these blessings over each of you this holiday season and throughout the years to come. May Jesus be your all in all, and may nothing in this world satisfy you except the love of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Blessing Song

The Blessing Song
by Dennis Jernigan

May the Lord answer you in the day of your troubles!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!
May He grant you your heart's deepest dreams and desires!
May He answer each time you call!

May He pour out the blessing of heaven!
May you cast your cares on Him and daily fall!
May you live to see your children's children!
May Lord Jesus be your All in All!

May the Lord Jesus Christ satisfy beyond all measure!
May His Word light your path!
May His Peace guard your heart!
May your days be filled with gladness,
Joy and peace through any sadness
Filled with love that will not depart!

May your strength be renewed like the eagle!
As you run the race may joy flood every part!
May your memories all be sweet in each parting!
May the peace of Christ rule in your heart!

May His word be to you health and life, joy and treasure.
May your home be a light.
May the Lord guard your ways.
May the Lord be your Shepherd.
May His goodness and mercy follow after you all your days!

May His mercies be new every morning!
May His Grace and Holy Spirit help you stand!
May you live your life to die for the gospel!
May you hold to His unchanging hand!

May the Lord answer you in the day of your trouble!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!

May He grant you your heart's deepest dreams and desires!
May He answer each time you call!
May He answer each time you call!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Paul & David Christmas 2006!!

Christmas Cards!!

I started getting Christmas cards today!!!!! One of my favorite things about Christmas is getting Christmas cards in the mail and hearing from people I haven't heard from in a long time. What other time of year can you look forward to getting your mail? I just love it when we have more cards than bills, aren't those just the greatest days! I usually get the mail while the boys are sleeping; so I love it when I get a handful of cards and can just relax in the chair and take them all in.

My favorite cards are the ones with pictures and letters or little notes. We do a Christmas letter every year, a little something we started doing our first Christmas together. It is fun to get together with James and reminisce about our year, picking our favorite and most memorable memories to relay to all who take the time to read our letter.

I think this year we are going to start a new tradition, this is one that I have "stolen" from my creative memories consultant! I am going to take all the cards that we get with pictures and make a simple little scrapbook to sit out on our coffee table year round. Every day or week (haven't decided yet which one) our family will pick another family to pray specifically for. Having the pictures will be nice reminders to us and especially to our boys of who we are praying for. I thought this was a wonderful idea and that it would be a great way to teach our boys the importance of praying for others and not just for our family and ourselves. So if you want us to be praying for you, send us your picture!!

So, what about you? What are some of your favorite things about Christmas, and do you have any traditions you can share with us?

Wordless Wednesday #3

My favorite 3 men!!!

Being Driven to God

I am reading a book called "Stepping Heavenward" by Elizabeth Prentiss from 1869. It is from the Lamplighter Rare Collector Series. It basically is the journal of a girl from her mid-teenage years on. I have found that I can relate to her on many things, specifically that she battles with being selfish rather than selfless, and often frustrates herself because she does those very things that she wishes she would not do (makes me think of the passage from Romans). Anyway, a couple of passages have really made me stop and ponder them and think about my life and I wanted to share them. Here they are:

This was advice to Kate from an older, godly lady who is very ill, regarding that fact that Kate's father-in-law & sister-in-law have come to live with her and her husband, and it seems that nothing she does pleases them, so that they are constantly criticizing her.

"We look at our fellow-men to much from the standpoint of our own prejudices. They may be wrong, they may have their faults and foibles, they may call out all that is meanest and most hateful in us. But they are not all wrong; they have their virtues, and when they excite our bad passions by their own, they may be as ashamed and as sorry as we are irritated. And I think some of the best, most contrite, most useful of men and women, whose prayers prevail with God, and bring down blessings into the homes in which they dwell, often possess unlovely traits that furnish them with the best discipline. The very fact that they are ashamed of themselves drives them to God; they feel safe in His presence, and while they lie in the very dust of self- confusion at His feet they are dear to Him and have power with Him."

More advice from the same lady, from a book she quoted, called "The Imitation of Christ".
"Four steps that lead to peace.
Be desirous of doing the will of another, rather than thine own.
Choose always to have less, rather than more.
Seek always the lowest place, and to be inferior to everyone.
Wish always, and pray, that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in thee."

It has taken me reading these over and over, letting my mind and heart digest them, to get a "deep" understanding of what she is saying, if you know what I mean. As I think about myself and the things I do each day, there are frequently several things in my day that "drive me to God". Things that I don't want to do, and don't desire to do, but I often do them away; like getting frustrated and irritated with my children and husband, not responding in a loving manner, etc. And when they "drive me to God", and I pour my heart out before Him, He is so sweet to comfort me, encourage me, and overtake and empower me to be the mom & wife that He has called me to be. For any good that I do do, is only the result of a mighty God working in and through me by His mighty Spirit.

So, what things in your life "drive you to God"?

A Yummy Recipe!!

I tried a new recipe last week that was really a hit and thought I would share it with all of you. It is a great one to make if you like to give baked goods for gifts at Christmas. I first tried it out on my "Heart Friends" group, (an accountability group I am in), and they loved it; so I took some to our wonderful hair stylist on Friday when the boys and I went to get our hair cut. They thought it was absolutely delicious!! James also took some to work on Friday and said it was a huge hit!!

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

1 16 oz package of nutter butters
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
5 (1.5 oz) packages of reese cups
2 (2.1 oz) butterfingers
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Combine crushed cookies and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a greased 13" X 9" pan. Bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, peanuts, and coconut over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over coconut.

Bake at 350 for 27 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool before cutting.

This recipe is from my "Christmas with Southern Living 2007" cookbook. If you have it, this recipe is on page 93.

So, does anyone else have any good recipes you would like to share?

I was tagged!!

Ok, I was tagged by DeeDee, and I also had no idea what a "meme" was so I also looked it up on google!


1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Suave bodywash and some kind of moisturizing bodywash

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, Paul wouldn't eat it!

3. What would you change about your living room? I would like to add a picture over my couch.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? dirty

5. What is in your fridge? leftover chicken corn chowder from last night, salmon that I am cooking tonight, and all our normal staples

6. White or wheat bread? wheat, and DeeDee I also love that whole grain bread from Panera

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? a birdhouse, a mug stand with mugs, and some vinegar and cooking wine

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? have a door


9. How many plants are in your home? 6 real ones, and many fake ones


10. Is your bed made right now? it was until my boys took a nap and I did too!


11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Soft Scrub


12. Is your closet organized? Yes!! I just went through it 2 weeks ago, it looks wonderful!!

13. Can you describe your flashlight? a surefire that is very powerful; one of James' friends brought it to me when he came to visit, now isn't that nice?

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic more at home? glass.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? no, I drank it all yesterday, but I will be making some more soon

16. If you have garage, is it cluttered? only on one side, my car can fit in but the other side is filled with the boys riding toys, strollers, etc.

17. Curtains or blinds? Blinds, with curtains in our bedroom, the boys bedroom, and their playroom. We just added curtains to our bedroom and it is wonderful, at night they make the room sooo dark, wonderful for sleeping

18. How many pillows do you sleep with? One.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no

20. How often do you vacuum? usually on Mondays and whenever my boys require that it must be done

21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.

22. What color is your toothbrush? I am not sure, and I don't want to go look right now

23. Do you have welcome mat on your front porch? yes

24. What is in your oven right now? nothing, but in a little while some salmon will be cooking, yummy!


25. Is there anything under your bed? 2 storage boxes but that is it

26. Chore you hate the most? cleaning our shower and any toilets

27. What retro items are in your home? they have all been donated to Hannah Home

28. Do you have a separate room you use an an office? yes.. our upstairs loft area, it is wonderful

29. How many mirrors are in your home? eight

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? not at home but somewhere else that I am not telling anyone

31. What color are your walls? Mostly tan, our foyer and dining room is green, the boys playroom is yellow, and the upstairs bath is a different green, real light and pretty

32. What does your home smell like right now? apple cider

33. Favorite candle scent? kitchen spice

34. What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now? claussen dill spears and homemade sweet pickles from my Aunt Marie, they are wonderful!

35. Ever been on your roof? no

36. Do you own a stereo? yes, we have 2. We have mine from my childhood, I think I got it in the 8th grade, and one we purchased after we got married.

37. How many TVs do you have? one

38. How many phones? 6 (but 2 came with an extra base and 2 corded), plus our 2 cell phones

39. Do you have a housekeeper? Tricia

40. What style do you decorate in? not sure

41. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? solid with print or floral accents pillow or throws,

42. Is there a smoke detector in your home? yes, it seems like they are everywhere, but I guess that is a good thing.

Ok, I don't think Darlene has responded to her tag from DeeDee, so I am also tagging you Darlene!!

Encouragement from the Living Word!!

The following scripture is from my quiet time this morning. The Lord so sweetly used it to encourage, comfort, and strengthen me; and I just wanted to share it with you:

Psalm 138:2-3; 6; 8 (Amplified Bible)

"I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever - forsake not the works of Your own hands."

Psalm 57:2 (Amplified Bible)
"I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!"


How thankful I am that the Lord hears me when I call to Him! Think about that... that the God of the universe, who controls the whole world, hears me when I call to Him! That is too much to truly comprehend! That He hears me every time I call Him is so comforting and encouraging, especially since I have to call on Him innumerable times throughout my day (as you can imagine, being the mom of twin boys who are almost 4)!

And it even gets better than just the fact that God hears me, He also responds to me! And in His response He strengthens me with might and inflexibility to temptation, now that is something I desperately am in need of. I am tempted everyday to "lose my cool" with my boys as they speak disrespectfully, act defiantly, and just flat out disobey me. Sometimes it is so very hard to respond out of love rather than react out of frustration or anger, but if I have spent time with my Lord He has provided me with the strength and might I need to respond in a way that is honoring to Him and is more beneficial to my children. I just have to chose His strength and His course of action rather than my own "fleshly" response.

And to top that off, the Lord so encouraged me by reminding me that He "will perfect that which concerns me." Well, my children definitely concern me; will they ever learn to obey quickly without arguing or complaining, will they ever learn to speak respectfully, etc. I have God's Word which tells me that He will perfect them, how wonderful!! How wonderful to know that God is perfecting my boys and me, transforming us to the image of His dear son, Jesus Christ.

What about you, do you spend time with your Lord everyday? If not, try it out... let His Word speak to you, change you, encourage you, strengthen you, guide you, direct you, and make you more like Him. God's Word is "living and active"!

Wordless Wednesday #2

Double Joy!!

Wordless Wednesday

Lollipops & Trucks! What could be better?

Tears of Joy!

Yesterday Paul & David were in their 1st musical production, their 3-K Thanksgiving Program! They looked so adorable in their little Indian shirts and headpieces, up there on the stage with all the other 3 year olds. I thought I had prepared well for their first production. I had my digital camera along with my digital video camera, both had fully charged batteries and were ready to go; but I forgot to bring my tissues!! I had thought to put them in my purse, but in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone out the door on time I forgot to grab them.

Well, by the time I got the boys to their class they were both almost in tears. They were upset because I had not brought their lunch boxes, and they did not want the special "Thanksgiving Feast" the school had prepared for us after the program. They are so picky that just the thought of eating "big boy food" brings them to tears. Then more tears started to come when they realized they were going to have to wear their Indian shirts and headpieces; I left them with Mrs. Lori to get them calmed down and went to find some good seats, wondering if my children were even going to participate!!

The program started with a nice devotional about how our children grow up so fast, how it seems like they were just born yesterday, and how we need to treasure every moment with them. This brought a few tears to my eyes, (tears of joy) but nothing that I really needed a tissue for. Then, a lady gets up to sing, and she starts singing "My Redeemer Lives", one of my absolute favorites; then the tears start to well up in my eyes (I am so terribly emotional, I cry almost every Sunday in church). I look over at James, because he always has tissues in his pocket, and he looks at me and dies laughing because I am crying, and this time he had no tissues!! So I start to pray, "Ok, Lord, you know I love this song and how it usually makes me boo hoo, please help me to not cry so much; please help me get control of myself." And the Lord did just that, He dried up my tears and I didn't need a tissue after all!

Then all the kids entered the sanctuary, and when Paul and David saw us their little faces just lit right up!! They looked so precious! And I was so proud when they willingly stood on the stage and participated!! They sang 5 or 6 songs, and they both did most of the hand motions. Paul sang so loud I could hear him above the other kids, he sounded so precious. I was and am so very proud of my boys, they bring me much joy, and I am very thankful for their sweet and precious lives. Now I can sit on my couch with my box of tissues and watch their video from yesterday, and cry all the tears of joy that I want to!!

What brings you joy, or even tears of joy? I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know.

"...The joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10

A FUNNY!!!

Earlier I was helping Paul in the bathroom, and he went to pull his underwear up and I noticed he was wearing 2 pairs. I asked him, "Paul, why are you wearing 2 pairs of underwear?" He just looked at me, grinned, thought for a moment, and then replied, "Well, I am 3 years old."

I guess that explains it! If you are 3 years old you are allowed to wear 2 pairs of underwear at the same time!! I just thought this was quite funny and wanted to share it; may it bring some laughter to your day!

Thankfulness

My boys are going to 3-K this year. Every month they have a Bible verse to memorize. This month's verse is Psalm 136:1, which is "Give thanks to God." I thought it would be neat for us to make "Thankfulness Boxes." We took 2 empty kleenex boxes, covered them with construction paper, wrote the verse on the top, and the boys decorated them. They thought this was lots of fun, and it kept them occupied one evening while I was cooking dinner :)

So, every evening while we have dinner we go around the table and tell what we are thankful for from that day. I write them down and put them in our "Thankfulness Boxes." We plan to read all of these together as a family on Thanksgiving. I do not give them any prompts, other than, "What are you thankful for from today?" We have gotten some really cute and really sweet responses, here are some of the things they are thankful for:

Paul:

• I am thankful you didn't take my dumptruck away.
• Thankful for making me raisins and chips tonight.
• I am thankful for God making me.
• I am thankful for daddy coming home.
• I am thankful for Henry (a train).
• I am thankful for you not going bye-bye during nap (now what this is about I do not know, I never leave them at home alone during nap, I guess he is just thankful for that!!)

David:

• God
• Thankful for playing with Lightening McQueen
• I am thankful for mommy holding me.
• For daddy.
• I am thankful for Henry.
• I am thankful for my big pumpkin ya'll bought me.
• For daddy opening my applesauce.

Don't forget to "Give thanks to God." We have so very much to be thankful for!!

A Fun Day!!

Yesterday my boys and I had a really fun day. It was Veteran's Day, and lots of people were off of work, so I thought I would take a break from my normal Monday duties of cleaning house, and take the boys to a different park. In honor of Veteran's Day, we went to Veteran's park in Alabaster. I packed a picnic lunch, loaded the boys bikes into the trunk of my Camry (who says you need a mini-van!!), and off we went. They were very excited to be going somewhere different and asked me tons of questions on our short trip there, (which they thought was a very long way!)

The park was not crowded at all and we had a grand time. They rode, and rode, and rode their bikes. Their little legs were pedaling so fast, it was just adorable! Oh, and their squeals of delight as they coasted down the hills on their bikes, gave me such joy. I just love to hear their laughter, it is so precious! We stopped beside the lake and they had loads of fun just throwing sticks and rocks into the water. They wanted to go swimming, and just didn't quite understand why you can't swim in the fall, or why they weren't supposed to swim in the lake. To them it was water, and it was warm out, so why not go for a swim; just forget that they don't know how, didn't have a swimsuit, or their floaties!

We then went to the playground area where they had fun exploring different slides, tunnels, and ladders. We spread out our blanket and enjoyed our picnic, complete with all the perfect foods for my little picky eaters! They sang the blessing for me in unison, which is something they never do at home, they always want to do solos at home! I even treated them today with a cookie for dessert, they were so happy!

Before leaving we went for a shorter bike ride, during which we had our first crash of the day but no major injuries. Paul had stopped his bike and David drove right into him and knocked him over, we need to learn to ride around others, oh well.

It was a fun and enjoyable day, a nice break from our normal Monday routine. I am thankful for all who are serving and have served our country so we can enjoy life and have fun days with our families. It truly is a blessing to be an American!!

Singleness

I teach a high school girls Bible Study on Wednesday nights, and we are doing the book "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric & Leslie Ludy. It is a very good book and I highly recommend it. It is a very easy read and the girls have really enjoyed it; I can actually tell that they are reading it because they all talk about the parts that they liked!!

This week our chapter is on being single with a purpose, the point being that God has a purpose for every season in your life, even your season of singleness. She lists several "reasons" in the book for seasons of singleness, and it led me to ponder my single years ( I didn't get married until I was 29). I came up with a list of purposes for my season of singleness to share with the girls tonight, and thought I would share them with all of you in "blog land." So here they are:

The purposes of my singleness:

1. It taught me to depend on God and not guys and/or girlfriends.
2. It taught me that God actually is enough!
3. I learned that the only way to true contentment is through having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. It gave me extra time to dig into, study, and fall in love with God’s Word.
5. It enabled me to learn how to live a Spirit-filled life, a life controlled by the Spirit of God, so that now it is God and His Spirit who enables and empowers me to be the wife and mom God has called me to be.

God has a purpose for every season we go through in life. Give it some thought, and think about God's purposes for your current season. I will be pondering God's purpose in my current season - being a mommy to toddlers, maybe that will be my next post...