I haven't been blogging much.....

Kind of feeling like not much has happened when really things have.

1. I had the most amazing carrot cake that a friend make. Yes not on my plan but honestly it was the best cake I had ever had.

2. I saw the Lord provide for my youngest son in an amazing way. He has been so faithful to him however it is a huge blessing to this mama to see that provision continue when the need arises.

3. My oldest son has blessed my socks off. He amazes me. He surprises me. There are times I worry about this, that or the other about him but then it usually isn't too long where he shows me or the Lord allows me a glimpse into his heart and life and I have peace and know that I am seeing the fruit in his life after many years of sowing into his life and heart.

4. I stood before my church body today and was so blessed. Not because we are a perfect church but just grateful for the body God has placed me in. He has a place for us and although we have only been there about 3 years it amazes me to see how the Lord has knit us within the body.

5. I finally got our master closet cleaned and organized. I resisted the urge to have a garage sale and donated it all. The frugal part of me thought about having a yard sale (and Jacob tried to talk me into it) and using the $$ for something fun but the TX heat won out.

6. I met a really neat woman last week at our HWY meeting. She sang over us and we had a wonderful time of praise and worship and than individual prayer. She totally read my mail too! It was a surprise blessing.

7. We enjoyed a evening of playing games with our dear friends. It was especially great because our oldest son was able to come too.

8. At my dentist appt this last week she told me that I had been doing a great job and should receive a gold star!

9. I attended the funeral of a old friend. Trae got to know him about 15 years ago and myself about 8 year ago. He was an amazing man who will be greatly missed. He was the "big brother" of Bethesda and his life will forever leave an impression.

10. My dh is days away from having his life insurance in place. He has a small amount from his work but not enough. We are following Daves advice and getting a certain amount based on income and I will admit I think I will sigh when it is signed! I have reminded him that we would have to pack up and move if something happened to him.

A week of camp.

Andrew just returned from youth camp. They go to SAGU with New Breed. Kari Jobe leads the worship and she is one of my favorites. Andrew was very sweet and brought back an autograph from her. So sweet. He seemed to have had a good week. He complained about the food not being healthy and a roommate that he liked and one he could have done without. His special friend was on a missions trip to Ecuador this week so he is a bit sad missing her. I have reminded him many times how a good healthy relationship is a part of your life but not your life!!! I think that is hard for a 16 year to grasp. I sure wish I had learned that when I was 16. Jacob returns from camp tomorrow evening. We only have about 2 weeks before we leave for family camp! We love going and can't wait!! I must get busy on our theme nights for this year. It looks like we are doing cowboy night, space age and skit night. Surely in 2 weeks I can get 3 nights together! This will be our 4 year to attend Family camp (Traes 3rd) and it is such a special time for us.

Someday I must make these!!!

I love to bake. I do it very much anymore but I am still drawn to it especially when I see it done really well. I think these are adorable! I will need a special event to make these for. However I think I would want a trial run prior!!!

I wanted to share my dedication day!

Well, as you can tell I was just a infant. My parents dedicated my sister and I in July 1970. I must have been about 3 months old. I actually didn't get baptized as a child even though I accepted Christ as my savior as a young child. I was very shy in public situations and didn't like any attention. I was baptised when I was in my 20's at a friends pool with several sisters in the Lord. I like this picture and treasure the fact that I was raised in a Christian home.

I 've got the summer crud.

I have been sick the last few days. I hate it. I only was able to work out one day this week. I have the belief that if you are sick work out if you feel like it but if you feel like a truck hit you and can't than don't. I have been doing good just to do my daily stuff. I hate being sick. I have said who gets sick in June??? Actually I have a few friends that have. It is just no fun.

Too busy to post!

So what has me so busy! Well this summer is the summer of projects for us. When we purchased our home we knew it was a newer home (original owners closed Dec 2005) and we didn't have major projects to do but that we would have things to do to make it ours. It took us a while to unpack and have things functional. We are past that now and making goals for the things we want done.

This summer we want to.....

1. Make our study more functional. Put large bookshelves in on one wall and re-do some of the other areas in there.

2. Paint our entire home. The color is OK but builder paint is not the best quality.

3. Put in a new kitchen sink and faucet. It came with a cheap one and I need to have as much help as I can at doing dishes!

4. Organize the master closet. When we moved we got rid of a lot but not enough. Our closet is a decent size but I just have too much stuff in there. I believe that as Americans we have too much stuff. Of course not everyone but I have fallen into that trap in the past and I feel like I still have residue in my life from it. I can't live like that anymore. It isn't me and it doesn't bring out the good in me. I hate it.

5. Jacobs room organized.

6. New light fixtures (outside front, dining, kitchen and powder bath)

7. New carpet (at the very least in our family room) I really don't care for builder carpet. Putting money into carpet from Lowes or HD buys you a much better quality. BTDT!

8. Make our front porch a place of refuge.

9. Ceiling fan in Jacobs room.

10. Plant my herb garden.

As of today 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are done. So we are 1/2 way done but we still have a lot to do. When we are done with this list we have another list but these are primary. I actually am not done with our closet as I am doing it this week so I had better run so I can finish working on it! Than I will be hauling off the items to someplace to donate! No more yard sales for me!

I just want our home to feel like ours. I don't feel that yet. I feel like it is ours but doesn't reflect us. As a woman I find that hard to live with. I am thrilled to own our home and grateful for how the Lord has provided. He is so good! The older I get the more I become aware of how much I love home. The younger I was I loved to stay on the run, be busy and out and about. Not so much anymore. Yes, I get out and have a good life but for myself home is my haven.

We have lost a great one.

I was so saddened today to hear of Tims death. I was a fan of his and in my book he was a great man. Huge heart, brillant mind and a faithful man. It is a sad day.

I just had to share this picture.

I love pictures! I love old pictures too. This is one of the only known photographs of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. What an amazing treasure!

The lazy days of summer....

not! Actually we are off to a great start to our summer. Andrew has been off 3 weeks and Jacob almost 2. So far we seem to be keeping busy enough to not get bored. We like have some downtime and time to relax but with therapy, jobs, appts. we are things going on most days. I am finding out ways to work in my exercise. I am having to get creative. Trae and I have done some walks at night, I have hit the gym early or sometimes later in the day. My new summer goal is 4 times a week. I am doing well and was down another lb this week morning to make a total of 48 since January and 138 since 2003. That should make going to the pool a bit easier! We are loving our smoothies too! Jacob is having one daily now too minus the spinach. He even asked if he could have 2 a day. It is so nice to have the boys home. Andrew is working about 30 hours a week and loves his new job! The $$ money is really going to come in handy. I am so proud of him. He is great about saving $$ too. He has his check directly deposited into his account and he hasn't touched a dime of it in working for over a month! I love it! My frugal ways are being past down. As Dave says we are changing the next generation one family tree at a time.

A weekend to remember.

Trae and I spent the weekend attending a Family Life Marriage conference. We didn't decide until a couple of days before that we were going but we were so glad that we did. We have a huge heart for marriage and how God designed it to be. Of course we have many moments that we know we don't strike that but at least we know the goal. There was 2,300 people there at the Gaylord. It was touching just to see how many people were taking time out for their marriage. It was a sweet time for both of us and I can see that the Lord worked in different ways in our hearts. More than anything I walked away with a greater love and respect for my husband and the man he is. He is my gift from God!

My favorite summer snack....

Green smoothies! Sometimes last year we purchased a Vita-mix machine. It was a Costco roadshow and we were sold. What sold me was knowing that we don't get enough fruits daily and how making smoothies made that so easy. Plus, you could add some veggies and no one would even taste it. That was very appealing! As I have grown to eat cleaner I am finding that I love to make a smoothie most days. This is so exciting for me to realize that I can get my greens in during this very delicious snack. Spinach, Kale and Collard greens are not things I would be pining to eat...at least not daily. I like romaine and have that daily but not enough servings. The way this works is you use 60% fruit and 40% veggies and I like to add ice instead of water so that it is very cold. My favorites ones have been strawberries, banana's, apples and spinach. I know places like Costco sell lots of frozen fruits too. I had a bag in my freezer however it had added sugar to it so it wasn't something I could use. I am going to check their other varieties and hopefully find some that are pure fruit. As far as I am concerned this is my new favorite rediscovered summer snack! Try it you might be suprised and don't let you kids see you make it and they will never know the amazing things they are drinking. You can also make popsiclse and slushies out of it too.

Summer fun!

No, we haven't built this but I would love to do this with Jacob! He would love it! Doesn't it just look like something for the lazy days of summer? Now if we just hadn't thrown out all those boxes after we unpacked!

Because it is just pretty to look at.

I am not a warm drinker. I usually say I don't like coffee but really I don't like anything hot. I even ask for extra ice when dining out. I just think this little cup is fun and beautiful!

A grateful heart.....

At times I find myself overwhelmed with a thankful heart. The Lord is so good! I simply can't stop offering thanks and glory to Him because I am just in awe.

This morning I found myself once again overwhelmed so grateful that the Lord has set me free. It dawned on me that the Lord will use this area of my life in sharing hope with others. I have other areas that I clearly see He uses me in but I was just overjoyed at what he has done and how he will use it.

My house has been so quiet this week. It is a sweet thing. However, it is such a reminder to me how much I love being a mom. It has been different just having Andrew here. We watched a Hallmark mom and son movie today. He was sweet to indulge me in it as I know it wasn't his pick but he does loves Mitch Albom and he was the writer and creator. Andrew is settling in at his new job. He loves that he doesn't have to wear a hat.

I did make a call to the camp this week just to check on Jacob. They called me back later with a update that all was well. They post pictures during the week and I was able to spot him several times.

I actually scrapbooked this week too. I spent the evening with a friend and worked on our wedding album. A little bit of girl time is a good thing.

What am I thinking....

I did this a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would try it again.

The first thing I thought of this morning....I woke up praying for my camp boy.

Today I feel.....so incredibly grateful. God is so good and just amazes me.

When I look outside....I see grass that is improving thank to our friends lawn referral.

If I could snap my fingers.....I would have my house painted!

One thing I am unsure about.....we are trying to decide if we should go out of town this weekend. Usually I believe when it doubt...don't. We both have things here this weekend that we would enjoy but there is a conference and church we would love to attend.

What I think I could improve on....fear. I am not your typical worry wart. Far from it. However sometimes I let the enemy grip me with fear. I hate it. I hate that I still see that I fall into that. It is like it comes on me. I had a dear friend tell me recently that she would be standing with me, praying through it with me and that was a blessing to me to realize that the Lord had provided someone to help me in the battle.

What I am doing well with.....hmmmm.....at first I couldn't think of anything than I thought of more than one thing! I am doing well with letting go. Letting go can be challenging especially as a mama. It is a process. I am also down a bit more. I was at 47 lbs since Jan. 08 and 137 since March 03! It amazes me how clean I desire to eat. I get so excited about getting fruits and veggies. I wish I had discovered this lifestyle years ago but than I know that I truly wasn't at the end of myself then. I still wanted to hold onto what I wanted. See....that is another way that I have let go! It has come full circle.

Pictures for my sissy!

Ben flew if a few days ago to spend a few days with Grandma and then to go to Pine Cove with us. He was very eager to arrive and looked forward to what the week held. He and Jacob will be at different camps though. Believe it or not they are only 2 months apart! Grandma is planning on picking up both boys this next week but I would love to see their faces as the week ends. I imagine it will be priceless! Hope you like the pictures sissy!

Best place on this planet!!!

Jacob has arrived at the Towers! It was a incredible camp and I think he is going to have a total blast. I was able to go in and get his bunk made and assembled. Really neat cabins too! He was at total ease and excited for what the week held. He made it easy to leave him and Lord knows we will be praying for him. Thank you Lord for providing us with such a wonderful place that pours out your love onto our children in a way that is life changing! One of our favorite parts is when you are arrive there are lines of the counselors jumping up and down, yelling and cheering as you drive in your car. It sounds so simple but it is such a gift. We go back in 6 weeks for family camp and we are SO excited after just being there. Jacob is pictured above with his counselor Yea Toast! When you leave you are sent home with a CD that talks about their week, a personalized message from their counselor and a encouraging parenting message from a recent speaker that they had. Soon after we arrived Jacob went on the biggest swing ride of his life! The look on his face confirmed that. I am sure his stomach dropped! The tree house was amazing! I wanted to go on it.