SECRETS OF LIFE 2011

i have discovered the secrets of life & staying sane are these:

God's LOVE that never stops for me

GRACE that never runs out for me

MERCY that is new every morning for me.

COFFEE--lots of it!

ICE CREAM--soul food

FRIENDS--can't do it without

MUSIC-- keeps the heart on track

MONKIES(aka:our kids)--we are blessed with the best!

LAUGHTER--keeps us young

FAMILY--can always count on them

HUGS--human touch is a powerful drug

SUNRISES/SUNSETS--enough said

Necklaces for Cambodia

My friend Marla is selling these adorable necklaces (or bookmarks whichever you prefer) for $1.
You may remember her from
http://lastrough.blogspot.com/2009/06/meet-tavianos.html
Their sweet family will be traveling to Cambodia for a 1 month mission trip and all proceeds will go towards supporting them. You can contact her at
http://www.marlataviano.com/

ALSO......she is one of the most amazing speakers/authors I have ever read ;) it's true....we have had a real life author overnite in our home ;) and not only is she really cool and super sweet, but so is her sweet family.....so check out her books too!

1-The Husband's Guide to Getting Lucky

2-Expecting

3-Changing Your World One Diaper at a Time

4-Is That All He Thinks About?

5-From Blushing Bride to Wedded Wife

6-Worlds Apart

And yes....these books are just as fun to read as they sound ;) so head over to her website and check her out!
http://www.marlataviano.com/cambodia/necklaces-for-cambodia/

I'll Wait For You

http://youtu.be/WCurV1eWhkQ

"And I'm trying to find a way
To hold onto my faith
While I wait, for You
I'll wait for You

Now I lie awake at night
Tryin' hard to think
But these are the hardest times I've ever seen
I'm still holdin' on

I know You never said it'd be easy
All thick and no thin
But the man who waits
Is the man who wins
Holdin' on
Oh yeah, I'm holdin' on

Gonna hide myself away
Hide myself away
And I'll wait for You
I'm gonna walk on
And not get weary, now
I'm gonna run
And not fall down
I know that someday
I'll get my wings somehow
And You will carry me
You will carry me

I'm gonna rise up
Like an eagle, now
Gonna ride that big blue sky
And should I someday
Fall back down again

You will carry me...

~Michael W. Smith

Bring on the Rain

"Another day has almost come and gone,
Can't imagine what else could go wrong.
Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door.
A single battle lost but not the war.

'Cause tomorrow's another day
and I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain.

It's almost like the hard times circle 'round.
A couple drops and they all start comin down.
Yeah, I might feel defeated,
I might hang my head,
I might be barely breathing, but I'm not dead.

No, cause tomorrow's another day,
and I'm thirsty anyway,
So bring on the rain."

~JoDee Messina

Pictures-New House!!!

soooooo.......finally......the long-awaited home ;) by the looks of all the toys, it looks like we've lived here forever ;)

we are lovin' the tri-level, the neighborhood full of amazing and sweet people,being close to 3 of the schools.................... and the huge shade trees ;)

and here is a picture of my awesome auction find for $37.50......not the monkey.....the dresser....i orginally got for the girls room but you will see in the pictures i post soonly that there is no room......so it fit perfectly in the kitchen.....stay tuned more pictures to come!!!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

God & Epi-Pens

Sadly....Gabe's animal allergies seem to be getting worse the older he gets. The last couple times he went with my brother Jake to the farm, he reacted pretty bad. Then last week at our fair, after feeding the animals, he reacted the worst yet :( soooooo........

we are thankful for a God who loves and heals.....and Epi-pens,Benadryl, and steroids.....

what a sad little face....but he was oh so tough.....he did NOT want the shot and toughed it out for a good hour before we finally said enough was enough.....

Living

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pictures-FINALLY!

FINALLY!!! I have returned to bloggyworld ;) We got moved....working on finishing up a tad bit of painting, still unpacking (we don't advise anyone to move after having 3 monkies!!!) and just got internet back! Woohoo!!! Here are just a few of the pictures of our stay at PawPaw and MeeMees (my parents) for 4 weeks while we transitioned into the new house

Although we are LOVING our new home....we did enjoy being in the country for awhile....the neighbor's horses got lotsa love from the kids ;)

we took many, many trips to the pool ;)

and lotsa long country walks.....*sigh*....great memories.....

I Will Thank You

“Whatever You may do, I will thank You.

I am ready for all; I accept all.

Let only Your will be done in me…

And I’ll ask for nothing else, my Lord.”

~Charles de Foucauld

Pictures--Date Night

Date night with my man is never boring......never ending adventures at our house ;)

God blessed me HUGE when He gave me Jason.....

Sunset

“Love is the dawn of marriage, and marriage is the sunset of love”

~French Proverb

Beauty

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge knowing you'll never walk alone.
~Audrey Hepburn~

God's Promises

The sundog tonite brings promises of a beautiful tomorrow....and God's promises of an amazing LOVE for you.....and GRACE that will never be out of your reach...and JOY that will fill your heart to overflowing....and PEACE that passes all understanding.

When you close your eyes to sleep tonite and your dreams take you far away....know this:
YOU ARE LOVED.....with an everlasting LOVE by a Father who will never leave you or forsake you. His promises are written in the skies.....He loves you, He loves you, He loves you.

The Stone

"I have the stone.

Given to me as a gift I never could have earned.

Worn proudly by His bride.

Cut at great cost, over and over again until the sun fell down and the curtain was torn in two.

For me.

For you.

Oh, precious One.

May I be a reflection of Your great worth all the days that You give me."



Now to you who believe, this stone is precious…1 Peter 2:7
Go here to read more....
http://angiesmithonline.com/2011/08/the-stone/

Another Load of Grace

"But I want her to remember me as the one who loved her for exactly who she was."
...my heart really needed to read this tonite....go here to read more....
http://www.incourage.me/2011/07/katie-cat-2.html

Pictures-This Is How We Roll

Bedtime prayers.....

some laughter and chatter....

cuddles and praises.....

and monkey back rubs.....

and toothy grins.....best way to end the night.......we are blessed....

Huge Work of Glory

"But we've got to know down in the depths of our hearts that God will take care of us, and He must be about a huge work of glory."

- Beth Moore

Pictures-Aubrie Grace Smiles