Tate and Reese

These pictures were taken

on the day after Bo and Dasiy's birthday party...

The babies are now both over 12 lbs, wow!

Dana and Joe are bringing them to visit this weekend so more

Pictures are to come.

Extending Yourself?

We are going through a series at church about church family's, we are learning about the real intent of the early church.... Meeting in homes, extending yourself to the community, helping others, a connection with others. We are learning how people have been hurt in so many churches due to the fact that so many times people act like the building is church not the people in the building. People act different in the building than out of the building, People laugh at different jokes outside of the building than they would in the building, People would watch different tv shows outside of the building than in the building... What if we acted like the church was the people we came in contact with each and everyday. What if we extended our self to the undesirable people we came in contact with, would then we be living our purpose, would then we have life and life more abundantly, would then we be more like Jesus and less like our self?
I can grasp the concept of Church real church, I have attended both the Church which is striving to be like the Church we read about in the New Testament and I have attended the church you must have a matching purse and shoes and what is it you drive? Oh and don't every let your tattoo be seen...
I really want this kind of relationship with Christ the kind where I see every opportunity an opportunity to share the love of Jesus, I am constantly feeding in to the lies Satan in planting like how can I witness to that cashier my kids are acting like they are on wild animals just released from the zoo.
I do a great job of talking to God about all my thoughts and sharing my day with him, I need to not keep him to myself... I have longed for this opportunity this summer as I knew the small group would start this fall, the only problem is the members of this group already know Christ, don't get me wrong I know God has led me in the direction of leading other moms to grow in the walk with their husbands and children, but how do I a stay home mom of 3 find people to witness to? Maybe invite some of daddy's co-workers and their family's over for dinner, or what about invite the unmarried mother of 3 from football to meet at the park? Did I mention that all of her kids are not by the same daddy (what would people think, I am going to be a bible study leader and all) I was raised in a church were if you entertained this kind of lady you would then look like her and that would hurt your witness.... But if you never talk to the lost how and who do you witness to?
So as I keep putting the old Southern Baptist teaching out of my mind and remind myself to keep pushing and remain a little uncomfortable. The opportunity is out there if I look for it.
Maybe just maybe an unsaved Mom would benefit from seeing that I sometimes yell at my kids or even that me a big old Christian has kids that disobey their parents....
I will be trying to Extend myself Extend my borders.

Birthday pictures

Summer

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last blog, it has also been weeks since I have even logged on to the Internet.

Bo turned 4 on the 16th of July Dasiy turned 2 on the 11th of July we had a great party with a petting zoo and all the kids friends we had pony rides and a pinata it was a great party!

We went to Hilton Head for vacation it was just amazing! We meet Zack and Jess and kids on a Saturday and we all stayed until the next Sunday, we rented a boat we fished we swam we shopped we ate, all in all the kids had a great time and so did we! We really miss them and are already looking forward to Thanksgiving and our time together again.

My Grandma is home from the hospital and is doing well, we go to her pre-op check up with the cancer surgeon on Monday.

My Mother got an apartment and will be moving out in a week or two and my grandparents have rented a house and will move after her surgery. We will take the next few weeks to get their house unpacked and put away so moving in will be easy.

I am ready to have our home back to ourselves, I must say this was so much harder than I ever expected! It has truly been a long summer! I have learned a few life lessons 1. it does not matter how old you are you need your family 2. I can not live with my mother 3. My children need my attention more than anyone else 4. Don't bite off more than you can chew 5. Use what God gives you and let his glory shine. 6. When the going gets tough just smile.

We are full force in football again... This is Luke's second year and he is great! He is a little terminator! daddy has taken on the responsibility of head coach of 11, 5-6 year old boys teaching them the fundamentals of little league football. I have taken on the roll of team mom (I am really trying not to bite off more than I can chew it is still a work in progress) So we are at football Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 for practice and on Saturdays for games.

Daddy is taking on the roll of small group leader for our bible study on Wednesdays and I will also be leading the womans group in the morning starting up mid september.

We are getting ready to kick off our second year of homeschooling first grade is a whole new ball game! We go from 2 subjects to 5 and we start some preschooling with Bo.

I hope to catch up with all my blog time as my time is spread a little less thin..

It has been along time since my last blog... We have had so many different things going on I am really surprised my head has not spun right off my shoulders! On June 25th Dasiy had her adenoid removed and a second set of tubes put in her ears, she did really well with the surgery. But... as we arrived at the hospital for the surgery my grandma fell in the parking lot and broke her wrist and her hip, I can't even begin to describe how my grandpa and I felt unable to catch her. With in days of being admitted in to the hospital she developed bronchitis and with cancer and a broken hip and wrist this was so bad.
Around this time I called Daddy's Aunt Ruth Anne and Aunt Stacey who have now been nurses for over 30 years I called with a verity of questions. I was really fearful we were going to lose my Grandma... To my surprise Stacey hopped onto a plane and came to help. I am so grateful for the help she has shown our family, she has stayed up and sat with my grandma countless nights taking turns with my mom so I could be with my children.
Through all of the problems God is so good he has a plan much better than we can even imagine! My Grandma was doing so much better surgery to repair the wrist and the hip was scheduled for July 5, on the morning of the 4th as we all were getting ready for the parade the phone rang and the hospital told us my grandma was having a mild heart attack, WHAT where did this come from she does not have heart trouble... We all set to praying for her for protection for Gods will for healing. You see I am a firm believer that Gods will is never for his children to suffer his word tells his plan is to prosper us and to give us hope and a future, I began to rebuke the attack that Satan has tried to place upon my Grandma and pray that as in Jeremiah that God would restore her to health and heal her wounds!
Later that day the EKG showed no heart attack but a fast rhythm so they have placed her on heart meds to insure a regular heart beat.
On July 6th shortly after my Aunt Dana and Joe arrived at my house my grandma was able to have surgery. She did great. We were able to all see her and she is up and moving now.
Everything that the enemy has tried to do to this woman God has healed and helped her through!
I am so grateful for the friend in our small group, I really needed them and they were there for Daddy and I, watching our children making us dinner and even sending beautiful flowers to my grandma. The Small group system in our church is just amazing, I know each one of the family's in our group would help us with anything this is such a wonderful feeling knowing we have such strong relationship with other Christ followers.
On a happy note we held Bo's 4th and Dasiy's 2nd birthday party on Sat. We had a pony and a petting zoo we had 30 of our closes friends and family, we enjoyed a great BBQ and really relaxed for the first time in awhile!
I have learned a few things through all of this first, I am not in control God is and he does a much better job handling things than I do anyway! I can not do everything I need to ask for help and when I do God provides the help I need in the form of people and in his peace which does surpass all understanding! I have learned alot about my church friends they love us and are amazing people, I have grown in my love for them as well, as specially my friend Kim who even with her own small children took on my three for a whole day, who let me cry on her shoulder when I was really scared and who I truly know has prayed for our family daily. I cherish her friendship so much and am very thankful God has blessed Daddy and I with Zack and Kim as our friends. I also know how much my sister in-law Jess means to me, see I know I love Jess and I know she is one of my best friends but while I have been going through a family crisis Jess has prayed for us and called us daily her comforting words and love have meant the world to me I love her so much and am a so thankful she is the woman God choose to bless Zack with, she is an asset to our whole family and is an amazing woman who I love so much! And Daddy's Aunt Stacey is one of the most loving and kind woman I have ever been blessed to know! She is so helpful she is just wonderful and I am very thankful God has blessed us with her. Any doubt I had about living on the 120 acres as neighbors with Daddy's aunts has been completely changed, I will be happy to live with them as our neighbors and our children will be blessed to have there family so close!
I am also very thankful that God has blessed us with another day with my Grandma.