April Fools

29 years ago on a cold, Good Friday, April 1st evening I married this handsome man. I think he looks better today than he did then, he has come into his own skin.  He is a better husband today than back then, a better father, which makes him a great granddad. I am blessed to have him as a partner in life.  Where I am quick to speak, he is not.  When I am always moving, he takes things a little slower. Where I don't worry much, he does.  While he is very thoughtful to others and caring, I have to work at it. While I am very organized, he is a little organized.  He is very grace oriented I am very rule oriented. You need both in this world. I am a picky eater he will eat anything I put in front of him.  He loves to exercise, I loathe it but will try it.

He loves the cold, snow and mountains, I enjoy them but I also like summer and the beach.  He wish the months of June, July, & August would disappear. Life would be very boring if we were alike.

God knew when he put us together how we would help each other out.  I speed him up, he slows me down, I need grace more, he needs rules more,  I like snow and he will go to the beach 1 time a year.

We have the best children in the world and are very appreciative to all that God as blessed us with.

I can't wait to see what is in store the next 29 these have flown by....

Faithful & True

I am reading a book called Beautiful Outlaw.  Once again it has brought me to a place of thinking.
Jesus is faithful and true.  When all around life seems at time fake, people don't keep their word,  loyalty is gone, faithfulness is not apparent.  Jesus is really faithful and true.  Whatever he says in his Word is not a lie, it is there for the asking, he is always faithful whether we are or not. He doesn't ever lie, he can't. He isn't fake, even when we pretend we are something we are not. I had read the chapter pertaining to these things in the book, Joey ask me to look up something in Revelation to discuss with him and there it was again, the words he is faithful and true.  I am also reading a novel or two in between and something was brought up about God being faithful and true.  You don't need to hit me on the head 3 times for me to realized, there is a whisper from above to pay attention to these 2 words, Faithful and True. Faithful: steadfast in affection, firm to adherence to promise,given with strong assurance. True: Real, Genuine, accurate,not false, sincerely felt.  I have thought on these things, even though I rush through my reading and don't get a full grasp of it.   When you feel that you or others are not living up to these two words, stop and remember that God does.  As you get older you did get a little cynical of people.  I have let others down, others have let me down, there is disappointment in the human race, we think what do you expect they way the world is.  But do I also sometimes think this of God.  When feelings fall into play, do I question is he really true, is he really there at all times , always faithful even when I fail. I need to be standing on the Word of God and what it says about the creator and thanking him everyday that he does not fail that he is faithful and true. When I use the definitions of these words in a sentence with what is going on in my life, what a true blessing it is, what a way to ease the mind, what a way to be thankful for our promises he has given us.

Spring Pictures

She is holding a flower very tight

I am singing Oh Happy Day

Just plain sweet

Don't we all wish we had these lips

This was a dress I bought when Harper was born in case Audrey got married this summer.NOT

I was going for the olden days look

She thinks my Mam-maw is funny

Sadness

Today, Joey, Josh, Audrey and me drove to Little Washington right on the other side of Greenville, NC for a funeral.  We received a call Sunday morning that Charlie had been killed in a 4-wheeler accident.  Charlie is the son-in-law of Joey's best friend/cousin. He was 25 years old and lived life...It was an extremely sad day. 
After we left the funeral and headed home, we were all talking about how  sad it is to attend a funeral where you wonder if they were saved, you hope and pray that sometime in his life he was  exposed and accepted Jesus into his life.  As a Christian I look at death differently than a non christian.  I know that I will see my family again, that there is a great and wonderful time ahead for me with my Savior and friend.  I can be sad for the memories I will miss but I know when you are saved by the blood of Christ you can find hope.  The funeral was conducted by a man that I am not sure even knew Charlie. he had gone to the family to ask things, I thought how sad to not have anyone close enough that can speak from a godly perspective on you.  Josh said, "but when you don't know anything different, it is probably pretty normal to them". For me this is just extremely sad. I want people to know that when I died they can say she loved God, that we knew and saw it in her life. We are praying that through this tragic time that Carroll Jr. will really rely on God more than he ever has and that his family will come to know the God that Carroll knows from his childhood.  That they will find Christ during these days ahead  because God calls but for a time and the time is ripe...

Wedding Day

Yesterday, we three amigos (As our pastor calls us lovingly)Diane, Katie and myself headed on our journey to Lake Gaston, for my friend Myra's daughter Hannah's wedding.  If took us a little longer than we thought to get there 3 hrs.  But we made it, and started the cooking process for the reception.  Katie had made the chicken Marsala ahead of time, so we just had to put in crock pot.  We made vegetable kabobs, a pepper, cucumber and feta salad, sweet yeast rolls, beef tenderloins, and a few trays of appetizers.  The day was beautiful.... The view was magnificent......and the wedding was very sweet.....
If you know Hannah, she is pretty easy going, she decided to get married 3 weeks ago, since Myra has been feeling pretty good.  Myra had a pretty painful night the night before, but she looked very pretty, she had some girls from her church to come in and do make-up and hair and everyone looked pretty. I thought to myself what a miracle it is for Myra to even be here to enjoy this day. This was something she really wanted to be involved in like all mothers of a bride.  Each day we take things for grant it.  We assume we will be here for our children's wedding, our grandchildren, our next vacation, even our next day at work, but we should cherish each day as it last...

Frasier: Niles Learns To Be A Good Parent

Humor- the ability to see something is funny, the enjoyment of something funny. Do you like to laugh?
I love to laugh, it makes me feel good down to my bones. I even enjoy the times when you laugh so hard you can't get control of yourself. Joey makes me laugh alot. Audrey makes me laugh because she is so smart alot of the times but every once in a while a blond moment shines through and I have to laugh.
I love sitcoms, I know they are mindless but they can make you laugh over the dumbest things. This was one of my favorite shows and the a small clip of a funny 1/2 hour.

Death & Grief

Today my lesson in small groups is " yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". Doesn't sound like a very happy topic. This past weekend I had a allergic reactions to shrimp. I have never been allergic to shell fish, it is one of my favorite things to eat in this world.  Give me seafood 5 days a week and I am happy. It hit pretty fast and I got sick at the mall, tried to get home at fast as possible.  My throat started closing up and my lips and face started to swell.  I took a couple Benedryl and that didn't work so off to ER I went.  After studying  today's lesson for the ladies, it hit me, I could have had a more severe reaction, I happen to be on Prednisone for the last week due to a severe sinus infection. So the steroids were already in my system. Praise the Lord...Do we think of death, that it could come on so quickly.  Have and are we living the life God has planned for us? Would you have regrets if you were gone by the end of the day.  "Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise" Ps.90:12  Today is a new day, make the best of it.  Live it like it is your last.....

A few 8th month Shots

She is laughing at Auntie "A"

I just love this shot

Granny Face

She heard Grandmother Nancy calling her

midnight again

Well its midnight again and here I sit at the computer.  For the last 3 nights I have not slept.The antibiotics have not kicked in yet.  I think about people who are in pain and suffering for extended periods of time do I ever feel sorry for them.  I understand weariness to some degree, that year I was in so much pain I just wanted it to stop.  This I know is short lived interference in my life.  Something people deal with all the time and has to run its path. In saying this do I feel as a defeated Christian because I have not claimed victory over this.  The reason for bringing this up, a man told Joey he was living a defeated life as a Christian this week and to say this has really made him mad. This fellow is always telling Joey he needs to get out of this minds set he has, health, happiness, prosperity is what he should claim.  How many people do you know think Oh Lord, please make me sick, keep me poor and in debt, and make me as sad as possible.  No one I hang out with,  most us what to feel good with in our body and mind.  We want to pay our bills without worry, we want to live a joyful life.  But to say we are defeated when life throws things our way that we have no control over  in my Christian term is "bull crap".  Joey and I have searched the scriptures and no where does it say that Christians should always be living a prosperous, healthy. happy life 24/7.  What we have read says that we are to be good examples when  hard times come.  How can we as Christians have any sympathy for others when we experience nothing but happy times.  How can we show compassion, care, understanding, and love to a world of hurting people when we stand like a statue and claim all God wants for you is a happy, pain free, worry free life.  You can count it as joy when you suffer and come out with a new understanding of who God is and his love and care for you.

MRI report

Harper had  her MRI Thursday and Josh said she did good.  She was not allowed to eat from 9am till after the procedure.  My small groups class prayed for her not to be hungry, its hard to deal with a baby and not feed them when they are on a schedule.  They were to be at the hospital at 1 the MRI at 2 you guessed it once again than were behind it was  3 before they took her back.  At 5 they were on their way home, Harper was groggy but by 7 she was back to her old self, bouncing and all.They called late yesterday to say that they thought the one over her eye was shrinking, but they want to do a CAT scan now on  the one on her left temple.  They say it is a bone and they need to see if it is growing the right way.  I don't quite know what this means but we will see. Josh is a man who does not stop talking 24-7, except when it comes to Doctors and Harper, so I have to talk to Abby and get the full report tomorrow.

sinus infection

Thursday's night Audrey leads fitness class at our church, Our whole family usually goes.  Yesterday afternoon I started feeling a little bad, not bad enough not to do anything but just puny.  By 6:30 I had a fever and could not get warm.  It was about 70 degrees outside and Joey had turned on the air conditioning to just cool the house down a tab, I had 3 blankets on me and was freezing. I slept in Josh's old room last night because I wasn't sure if I was getting the flu,( I have never had the flu).  But around 1am I figured out it was a sinus infection.  My nose was so jacked up that I could not sleep.  I got up and took more Tylenol for the fever, ate some cereal and drank a coke and then tried to go back to sleep.  By 6 am all I wanted to do is get out of the bed and get to a doctor.  My ears hurt, my throat looks like red hots exploded in there, my head hurts, and I still have a fever.  I got to see the PA early so I started my antibiotics and more Tylenol. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be feeling better.   I don't do sick well, I really never have a fever or cold, I don't normally have allergies, but I have noticed that I had allergic to paint.  Every time I paint, I seem to get sick, and the last 2 weekends I have been painting our bathroom.  So that means no more manual painting labor...Oh shucks.......

What a way to wake up everyday

With the spring feel in the air, I love to hear this song in the morning.