Joyful Fridays...week 2!

Psalm 32:11 Be glad I the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart

Things that make me joyful…

 8. Having a truly great husband who will take his family out to eat and shopping even though he was so tired

 9. Rearranging my living room at midnight

10. Success, thanks to God, in a recent endeavor

11. A re-purposed dining room table—it still needs some work but it will be fabulous when finished...And it was free!!

12.Hearing my baby tell his big Sis, “You’re the best Sis in the world.”

13. Being a Mom

It's Midnight What are You Doing?

The answer to that, for me, varies from time to time, and could include anything from sleeping (which is I know what normal people do), reading (which is most likely the case!), or watching TV. Yet, this past Friday was an off night for me. I normally have absolutely no trouble falling asleep but this night I did. Terry, bless his poor heart, was exhausted and was out like a light. The kids, thankfully, were all asleep. So, what's a girl to do at midnight wide awake? Well, rearrange her living room of course. I LOVE to rearrange my living room; I know that most people don't do this, most people find an arrangement that suits them and has no problems with it staying like that forever. Me, I can't stand it; it's almost like claustrophobia for me, to have to keep my living/dinning room exactly the same way day in day out. I suppose it comes from growing up with a mom who did the same thing. Our living room at home never stayed the same, and as a child I would always rearrange my bedroom. I think it makes everything look new again, and is a way to keep your furniture fresh and exciting. It also helps get rid of the dust bunnies that collect under the couches and chairs! So, there you have it on midnight July 15, 2011, or would that be July 16, 2011, I was rearranging our living room. On a side note, when Terry left for work the next morning, he never even noticed!!

What Bring's Us Joy?

Joyful Fridays

James 1:17 Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

I read a blog yesterday about a gal who is reading a book that is totally changing how she looks at joy in her life. She went on to list several things that brought her joy. I was convicted as soon as I read that post. How often do we allow any and everything to steal our joy? How often do we focus on the big picture and miss the little things God intends to bring us joy? I believe without any doubt in my heart and mind that God is the giver of joy and good things, without Him there would be only heartache. Yet, do I always notice it…no, would be the answer to that question unfortunately. I also believe that joy comes despite circumstances and peace can be found in the midst of trial and hurt. How? Well, it may be due in some part to our being deliberate in seeing the joy in our lives.

So as something new I’m excited to do, every Friday I’m going to list a few things that brought me joy that week…here’s my list for this week!

1.  I’ve tried several new foods this week and I liked many of them—normally I avoid trying new food!

2.  I had an Impromptu date night with my husband

3.  The happiness on our children’s’ faces as they saw their “new” school desks

4.  I got a new dress

5.  The happiness on my parents’ faces as they took our children to a rodeo

6.  The look on our children’s faces when they got back from that rodeo

7.  Picking blueberries at my Aunt and Uncles house…also a first!

  What are some things that have brought you joy this week?

Mr. Determination

One of the best things about being a parent is watching the personalities of your children blossom.  Watching them develop those little parts of themselves that make them who they are. When you first look at your sweet babies face in the hospital you really have no idea the people they will become. It's so exciting, and really a gift from God, that you can see it developing. Avery is four; and it's a great age for this. He is constantly surprising us, this little boy we see blossoming from the baby he has been. One of his personality quirks that I love most about him is his determination: both in what he will do and how he will do it. You almost cannot convince him to do something he doesn't want to do. Here I'm not really talking about discipline issues with Avery there's not a whole lot of those. What I'm really talking about is...everything else!! For example, last year he absolutly would not get in the pool, no way no how, no matter how much we tried to convince him, no matter how many times we tried to hold him in the pool; he refused to get in. So, he spent last summer playing on the deck and was happy to do so. This year however was a different story. From our first swim he tells us he is going to get in the pool, and he does. Then several weeks later he tells us he's ready to jump, and he does, right in the pool. I love this about Avery once he is determined to do something he does; he is commited. Yet, at the same time you can't get him to commit to something he is not ready to do. I can imagine that this will be a great personality trait as he gets older...even if it's a little bit frustrating for us!

Wild Weekend...Part 2

I read a great gal's blog, (you can read hers HERE) and she always does posts in parts, and I've always wanted to do it too!



I love the fact that our children have grown up with FOM in the background of their lives. For those who may not know, this is a bass fishing organization that Terry is heavily involved in. Technically it's called, Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail. As the name implies, we are as interested in reaching these fishermen with the gospel as well as putting on great fishing tournaments. I find it ironic that "I" know so much about bass fishing, or rather the tournament side of it, but Terry has been involved with them for 10 years. Our children have grown up going to tournaments and tournament meetings. We have had the privilege of meeting and being involved with hundreds of great people!

The other part of our wild weekend revolved around the FOM Legacy National Tourney. The Legacy division of FOM is the Adult/Junior division. This is where an adult and a child up to 18 can fish in two tournaments a year, and also compete in the national tourney with a chance to win a Skeeter boat (trust me this is a big deal!). These tournaments are held all over the southern US, and have also been lots of fun to go to. This one was held in Florence, AL. Although it was HOT, I mean blistering, we had fun!

Don't let her fool you...even she loves tournaments!! And yes this is my only picture of her because she found a friend and I hardly saw her anymore that day!

Future Legacy Fishermen!

He was so tired!

Wild Weekend...Part 1!



Recently we had a crazy weekend but it was so much fun. From the first moment Jackson found out about Cars 2, he made me promise that we could go the first night it came out and that we could go with Eli. Well I thought how hard is that to promise...no big deal right? Well, actually it was a bit more complicated. As it turned out the premier of Cars 2 coinsided with the FOMNTT Legacy National Tournament held this year in Florence, Al. So, what's a Mom who made a promise to do...keep it of course! We headed out on Thursday to Florence to go to the tournament meeting and Friday the boys went to the tourney, on Friday night we went to Corinth to meet everyone at Pizze Inn then to the movie. Afterward we drove back to Florence for the tourney on Sat. Yes it was crazy and yes we were tired! But it was so much fun keeping my promise!

Such a movie just screams matching shirts!

A little pre-movie pizza....what you can't see it the other 18 people who joined us!

Oh Anna!

Jack didn't want this pic...it's his fault he will forever be remembered like this...I told him to smile!