Walk By Faith

From the time of my 1st Lola disaster this fall, to my run-in with the deer, literally, and then gabbing about the weather ... I have been very aware lately.

I don't have a tattoo, and have lost interest in pretending I want one, but in college I had thought about it. I wanted to get, Walk by Faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), on the arch of my foot. Over time in college, I continued the walk and forgot about the tattoo.

Lately I have been aware of how God is walking with me. Did I lose you yet?

Last night, I got a call that my meeting in another town was canceled in the morning. I'll be honest, I was bummed. I would have gotten to sleep in an extra hour, an extra hour! I grumbled and groaned and went to work on time. I rescheduled my reading time with my students, who I had previously canceled for the meeting. And in the first 2 minutes of working with my student I realized that God had canceled my meeting for a reason so that we could take a walk.

Without revealing too much on the internet, my student revealed to me some abuse in his home. After talking with my mentor teacher and the student's classroom teacher about his revelations, I contacted our Social Worker. She contacted services and steps are being taken to protect the student and siblings.

My heart broke for the student this morning who was brave enough to open up trust another adult, and I am so aware and thankful of His mercy and compassion. Remember, He is walking with us.

Compassionate love and all of mine!

100th Post

100th post and a snow day!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.


Wishing I was here though.


PS. I started P 90 X workout today and it kicked my patootie. Next time I see the ocean, I will be one happy girl in one smaller dress size.

You Know What He Did?

I love that part. "You know what he did...?"

Warning: Unless you want a conversation with Little Ears about privates parts, you might want to watch with Little Ears out of the room.

Ok, so that was a terrible attention grabber to transition to deep thought, but I love that part, "You know what he did...?"

Enter transition.

Mama and I despise Winter.

Well, see the problem with Winter is that it lasts for so long. Take last year, it started early in October and hung around well into March. Much too long if you ask me. Also, Lola has already begged and pleaded with me to move South, she hates Winter even more than I do! Snow plows, hail storms, 14-point bucks... The Big Guy must know this about us, and He must know that I have been struggling with many parts of my job and I didn't need to worry about commuting all Winter 40 miles in snow and ice one way for 5 months.

"You know what He did?"

He held off Winter ALL THE WAY UNTIL JANUARY! And warmer weather is in sight! I know this is a rare mild Winter and I couldn't be more thankful that it fell this year.

Go ahead, watch that clip one more time. That little boy is too cute not to.

Warm weather love and all of mine!

Young House Love(r)

Do you read Young House Love?

John and Sherry are a husband and wife blogger team that are DIYing their 2nd home. They are fabulous and funny, and their daughter Clara is just a doll baby.

I love their style and have been working on saving design inspiration photos and projects. Here is their Projects Page. Also, they are all about designing on a dime and saving up for splurges -- just what I need to be reading about!

Don't tell Gardener Guy but I have bookmarked the Baby Business tab in their projects. Hehe.

Young House Love and all of mine!

Coveting

Uncle PB Kisses taught class Sunday morning and we talked a lot about coveting.

Coveting (or lack thereof) is easy to explain in Sunday school when you don't want your kids to covet a new bicycle or Barbie or something.

I'm currently battling my coveting of a new job: namely a Kindergarten job for my alma mater. Every morning I drive by and imagine pulling into the parking lot (even though the sun hasn't even come up because I have to leave so stinkin' early in the morning) and unlocking my classroom door to prepare for day with 5 year olds. Thanks to Daddy, I have an overactive imagination that no reality could ever live up to.

Contentment > Covetousness

Wish me luck.

Contentment love and all of mine.

Lot's Wife

Do you remember Lot's wife? She was too preoccupied with what she was leaving behind to look forward and have trust. And well as you know, that story doesn't have a happy ending.

This morning I woke up and God has placed this story of Lot's wife on my exhausted mind. I had read Mama's blog about Gramma and this picture had struck me:

Mama, HayBee, Gramma and Darbey Rhea

At the time of this picture, we thought Gramma's life was pretty much over. We were looking back because it was so hard to look forward. Little did we know, we still had many, many memories to share.

Yesterday, after leaving the hospital, I looked back at this picture and thought that I wish we could go back to this time. Yesterday, Gramma was not doing well. Doctors were taking her treatment hour-by-hour, and threats of ventilators and life support were looming in the distance. I should have been looking forward.

God blessed us with another great memory and milestone today as Gramma "earned" Most Improved Patient in the CCU this morning. Traces of Gramma were back today: she was sitting up, talking and making progress on her breathing, so I was encouraged to look forward.

These Heavenly words encouraged me, let them encourage you too!

Psalms 121
¹ I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
² My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
⁸ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Looking forward love and all of mine!

Hard Candy Christmas

This is one the Girls' favorites.

Hard Candy Christmas.

And come on, it's Dolly -- you can really belt this one out and no one can say otherwise. Not even a grumpy Gardener Guy -- bah hum bug.



Christmas Caroling love y'all, and all of mine!

In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Thank you Lord for my tire blowing out tonight.
Thank you Lord for having a safe road for me to pull off onto.
Thank you Lord for the nice man who stopped, and keeping away other creeps.
Thank you Lord for canceling my conference today so that rather than being stuck in Independence, MO as planned, I was in a safe rural community.
Thank you Lord for the two new flashlights that I hadn't carried in yet, batteries included!
Thank you Lord for a full tank of gas so that I could sit and wait in a warm car.
Thank you Lord that I had cell phone reception and could call Gardener Guy.
Thank you Lord that Gardener Guy worked in a mechanic shop in his teen years so he knew how to safely change my tire.
Thank you Lord for reminding me to not ask Gardener Guy if he "knew what he was doing."
Thank you Lord for letting Gardener Guy be my hero tonight.
Thank you Lord for the quiet ride home listening for another blowout.
Thank you Lord for my family that will read this and have a good laugh.

Thank you Lord for letting me crawl into bed tonight with Gardener Guy and this day will be over.

Thanksgiving love and all of mine!

You better not pout, I'm telling you why!

What is your earliest memory of Christmas time?

I have lots of faux-memories thanks to watching many, many hours of home videos.

But, one of earliest real memories was when we lived at 1901. Mama slept in my room with me and Baby Haley Beth, while Daddy and Z slept in his room on Christmas Eve.

I woke up early and went out to the family room, (apparently our tradition of waiting for the fam wasn't ingrained yet). I scanned the room of Santa's deliveries and went back to my room to pout to Mama. I thought that Z and Daddy were camping out to watch for Santa, but really Santa had brought Z a pop tent.

I made the Nice list-- and got a pink Fisher Price vanity. I sure do hope that's still in the basement somewhere. Then again, Mama might have sold it with Z's first bike in a garage sale.

That hurts, doesn't it Mama?

Merry Christmas to all, and all my love!

New Army

Old Navy Christmas Wishlist 2010.

Ok... so some of these are sold-out, or you know, only available in Darb's size; but this is a WISH list. Typically, I shop Gap Online, but I love how Old Navy uses color, more-so than Gap. Keep in mind, I keep it safe with colors. Jeepers, that was fun playing on Paint.

Other items on my Christmas Wish List:
-Blackberry Curve. I'm due for a free upgrade.
-Rubber cutting board. My glass one is a little too noisy, and well, breakable.
-Weekly planner: Wal-Mart special.
-Lunch box: I think Mama Out-Law is taking care of this one.
-Winter Coat, with hood. My current coat's zipper fell off this week.
-Books or games for my classroom/office.

Gardener Guy and I each splurged this year. I bought a couch, he bought a truck. So ... we're doing stocking stuffers for each other, and Jasmine might get some chew toys, or a new old sock.

What is on your Wish List?

Holiday love and all of mine!