Advent Day 4

We have some wonderful friends that we love and they love and adore the girls.  We call them Bro & Sis.  They play games online with hubby and the girls.  They've done this for years!

Each year they send us such special gifts and we love each gift but we love Bro and Sis more.  Today, the girls wanted to make them feel extra special so for advent day 4 we made cards to send to them.  It's Sunday so the cards won't actually get picked up until tomorrow but that was still today's special service, donation, or gift.

Read more...

Advent Day 3

WOW!  3 posts in one day!!

Now, I'm posting on advent.  This is the 3rd day!

We decided we would work together to do a service as unto the Lord.  We cleaned out the van today!

Oh!  What a relief to have it done!

Here are Madi & Sarah finished with helping me clean out the van.  Sarah Faith has a few things to bring in!  It was a great feeling to have it done!

.....GUESS WHAT.....

Someone special joined us for Advent today!

Daddy!  Here he is helping sweep out the van (gotta go vacuum it later) and doing some last minute things working to help us!  A SUPER blessing!

Read more...

Decorating our tree

After the parade today, we came home and decorated our CHRISTmas tree!  :)

Jesus is the ONLY reason for the season!

This ornament means so much to me.  You see, it was on the tree my sisters and I decorated growing up, while living at home with Mom & Dad.

That makes it special but there's something even still to make even more special!

Do you remember when we lost the things in our home?  Well, we lost our ornaments too.

My sister, KJ, decided to give me one of her ornaments from our childhood tree.  I could *NOT* believe it when she gave me this one!  It's her favorite!  She always hung this one and it was always "hers."  I commented about all of this and she said, "that makes the giving of the ornament more of a sacrifice" and she'll never know how blessed I felt at that moment or how grateful.  And, I still feel those ways!  I have an amazing sister.  I love you KJ!

Sarah Faith & Hannah Joy decorating...

Madi Grace & Hannah Joy decorating..  :)

Dad (my hubby) is hanging the ornament his parents gave us last year from M.D. Anderson while his Dad was fighting cancer.  YEP, he beat cancer!!!!!!!

 This year, KJ, helped me find the perfect ornament to add to represent our year!  (a tradition I'm going to copy from her with her happy permission!)  It is a key with purple small stones in it.  It says, "The key to our 1st new house 2011"  It was just right!

The Little Children!

Hannah Joy - age 5

Sarah Faith - age 9

Madi Grace - age 11

What a blessing to be able to have such precious children and enjoy decorating the tree together.  A special Daddy/hubby too!!!!

So Happy;  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Read more...

Waking up to a Parade

Today, my husband woke me up letting me know his  parents had called to remind us about the parade.  So, I got the girls all up and dressed as well as myself in about 15 minutes or less!  We were on our way!!!  We watched from their yard because the parade ends there and it's a lot of fun to watch it with Nonna & Papaw.

 I just *had* to take their picture by Nonna's sign, "Welcome to the Littles".  We need one just like it!

I thought this one was very special.  Papaw and Hannah Joy looking out to see the beginning of the parade heading our way!

Here are a couple of views of the parade.

There were TONS more but no need to add them all

(We love our volunteer firefighters!  We know many of them!)

Of course I couldn't help but post some of the horses!!!!  Yee Haw!!!

Some of the floats still had candy when they got to us, the very last house.  The girls got two bags filled nicely and began to eat their candy with the drinks from Nonna & Papaw!

What a lovely time we had!

Read more...

Advent day 2

Today we decided to bless a little child by donating to the Shepherd's Shop.  It's ran by a local church by all volunteers and the prices are so cheap it's unreal.  I buy there often, myself.  They also help people in need at no cost.  So, I thought someone will definitely be blessed to find a few good toys waiting there just for them.

 

Each girl chose a toy that they could let go of to bless another child.  Hannah Joy gave one she still plays with but she said yes on giving it.

It was cute while we were there because she didn't quite understand what we were doing.  She kept asking them to put batteries in it.  lol  She left it with no fuss though.  God is good~!

As we were leaving the sweet lady (we know her), Ms. Suzie, tried to give them something to drink from the soda machine.  I told her they couldn't receive something for giving.  She said she understood and could she give them drinks the next time we were in their shopping.  I told her that would be wonderful!

I love this time of year.  Even little things, like we did today, will bless someone.  If everyone joined in, can you imagine how many people would be blessed around the whole world?

All Smiles,

Read more...

Advent Day 1

Today is the 1st day of Advent!

How very exciting!

The time to celebrate Jesus' birth is near!!!

Today we decided our first blessing to others would be to my parents because it is their 26th anniversary!  We are so blessed to have Mom & Dad.

So, we started the day out at my sister, KJ's house.

We love to go there and hang out with her and her boys!!  Cousins play and Sisters visit!

We decided to make them fudge and let each child make a card.  Here all the children are making their special cards to their GiGi & PaPa!

The fudge is in the center with a bow and little tied on card.  Around the fudge is every child's card.

Then they went outside to play.  Here Madi Grace is playing games on my phone relaxing.

Here are the rest of the children playing in the dirt, one of their favorite things to do, for sure!

Then, we all went to deliver the gift and cards to GiGi and PaPa.  They were blessed by it!

It was nice that on our first day of Advent we could start off all together doing this as cousins.  It was also wonderful that we were able to bless our parents on the first day of Advent.

More days to come of blessing others during Advent.  If you have *free* ideas we could do, Please SHARE!  We'd love to hear some more ideas.  Blessings!

Read more...

Crisp, beautiful fall in pictures. :) Pumpkin patch!

We had a wonderful Fall season!

We've been so busy since we got home..but it has been a lovely busy, for the most part.

I think they look so sweet here!

I've tried several times and it will not let me load this picture upright even tho it is saved that way.

Sorry!  That's my dear Hannah looking so precious!

Looks as it's going to do them all this way!  :(

Here's my sweet Sarah Faith!

...and my lovely Madi Grace!

..and a collage my friend made of the three!

We had a wonderful day and went there with special friends that we love dearly, the Autrey's.

I'm going to do my best to get "back to blogging!"

Smiles!!!  :)

Read more...

We are SO HAPPY!!!!!

We have been back home for one week today!

I have TONS of pictures I need to upload and post from our first week here.  It's been great!  We've visited family and friends (not all of them yet :))  We've played, still unpacking, still decorating, still enjoying just the fresh air of our own home! 

The girls have been outside enjoying our huge yard nonstop while we're at home!  In fact, they are out there right now.  And, it's been coooold!  The girls have on long sleeves, jeans and zipped up jackets.  They have a ball, frizbee and a big stick outside, nothing else.  We want them to use their creativity to come up with things to do and games to play, etc..  They have done so well!!  We are going to buy something big for outside soon but right now it's just great seeing them play out their imagination.  They've been so used to playing electronics that they need this!

I'm enjoying doing the dishes, the laundry, cleaning up and decorating and much more.  Of course my favorite thing has been visiting with family and friends!  :)  

We feel so blessed to be at home.  It is my prayer that God will open the doors where my husband can leave his job where we have to travel and blesses him with a job where we can make what we need to and be able to stay home.  I just am so tired of traveling.  My husband and girls are too.  Please pray for us concerning this.  :)

I will be blogging again often now that I have things to actually blog about, lol!  :)  

Big, Happy Smiles!!

Read more...

What's going on with us?

We moved out of our rental house and into a hotel.  (to save money)  We are fixing to sign the final papers on our house we are buying back home.  My husband has been extended for like the 3rd or 4th time now.  This time because of the hurricanes.  This is a great financial blessing to be able to keep working.

I'm excited about getting the house and getting our belongings in there and moving in!  I'm sure for a while it will just be the girls and me going home for visits and then coming back here with my dear husband.  He works 7 days a week and they are all 12 hour days.  This is because of hurricane season.  He was getting off earlier on Sat & Sun.

We're doing good in the hotel suite.  It's nice and roomy and we're enjoying the closeness that a smaller area brings to the family versus the huge house we were in!

We still miss our family and friends back home but we will be there soon.  Just a little update on us!  :)

Smiles!
 

Read more...

This spoke to me :) I had to share!

“Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do everything you say. I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn't drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out— but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true—I can't wait till morning! I'm a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel.” Psalm 119:64 MSG

Read more...

Love these!!!!

We went to dinner and I got some great pics of the girls I wanted to share on here!

(yes, the girls got haircuts except Hannah Joy)

Read more...