Our oldest is graduating high school today!!
I can’t believe that DJ is graduating high school and in July he will be turning 18. Yikes… this is how I still see him…
The celebration is full on with lots of family that has come up from Florida to celebrate DJ’s BIG DAY!! There will be lots of pictures to come after graduation and his party.
But for now, check out the cars…
Our Jeep
DJ’s car
Gram and Pap’s Suburban.
Can’t you tell we’re excited???
So have y’all thought I might of fallen off the face of this earth? Wow, I wish I did!! HA! I have been so super busy at this point I am not sure what end is up and is in a serious need of a nap!
Our oldest is graduating from high school in a very short 8 days….YIKES…enough said.
Anyhoo, I am running a day behind in my devotional and it is just too good not to pass on. I know there are those that struggle on why God has you in certain situations, well at least I do, so I thought this might speak to someone out there like it did to me.
Last night I sat at our kitchen table and just cried. Bless my husbands heart…there is just no way he can know how I feel. No matter how much he tries to be there for me, tries to hold my hand and tell me it will all be okay, tells me that certain people that are no longer in my life love me, it does not help. Sometimes illness, actions, happy times, celebrations, fears and sometimes just the comfort you get calling on those you used to, and now knowing I can’t…it just gets the best of me. This being said, really I am at peace with the situations I have been given, but sometimes life can get the best of you, and last night, it did.
But then there is God, doing what He does best, knowing what I need the most, just at the right moment. Here is my devotional this morning, or yesterday’s devotional…cause that’s how I roll, a day behind and a dollar short…just sayin’.
Within Reach Of Your Prayers
If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
The question is not simply, “Who can be against us?” You could answer that one. who is against you? Disease, inflation, corruption, exhaustion. Calamities confront and fears imprisons. Were Paul’s question, “Who can be against us?” we could list our foes much easier than we could fight them. But that is not the question. The question is, IF GOD IS FOR US, who can be against us?
God is for you. Your parents may have forgotten you, your teachers may have neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you; but within reach of your prayers is the maker of the oceans. GOD!
Well actually no chicken dinners were won here nor were any chickens harmed in this drawing! I have the names of the winners of my “Just Because” give-a-way…..
The winners of the gift cards are….
Bath & Body
Starbucks
McDonalds
Farmville
Congratulation to all the winners and please e-mail your address to me at jpdbj (at) dtccom (dot) net so I can get your card in the mail. Robin, I will send you the number for the card if you wish, so you can get the bonus of a spring pond before time runs out…y’all it’s a Farmville thing.
Thanks for playing along!!
Because today is Friday. Because I have curly hair. Because yesterday I hit 100 followers. Because I received these awards…(thanks Laina)
Because I love blogging and have the most awesome blogging friends, ever. Today I am giving away a few of my favorite things…just because. Up for grabs,,,
$5 Bath & Body Works gift card, because I love their Butterfly Flower scent!
$5 Starbucks gift card, because Peppermint Mocha Lattes are so yummy!
$5 McDonalds gift card, because there is nothing better than MD’s french fries!
$10 Farmville gift card, because I am so addicted to this game!
So what do you need to do to get one of these cards? That’s the easy part! Just leave a comment and tell me a “just because” about yourself!
Also, since the Farmville gift card requires you to have a Facebook account and to also play the game, make sure that you leave in your comment that you “do” or “do not” play Farmville so when I draw for these items, if you do not play this game, I will give you another card.
Just because I am known to be a procrastinator, and I will be so stinkin’ busy the next two days, I will draw for these sometime this weekend, no later than Monday morning! Good luck!
Well if you have not hopped over to Greg's blog ever or in a while, do so today and join in on Thankful Thursday. This is a great thing that he does each week and also it makes me stop and reflex on what I truly have to be thankful for each week!
After a rough mother’s day and the little fits that I can have when things do not go smoothly like I think they should, I can honesty say I am thankful for being a mom! I am even more thankful that one day my boys will grow up and have kids of their own and then they will be paid back two-fold for all the rotten things they have done as kids! HA!!!
I am also thankful for the opportunity that our Lord has allowed me to be able to go on my third mission trip to the Dominican this summer and the doors continue to fly open as I type, that the vision of a goat ministry will be successful. I am even thankful of the opportunity to go back in January to continue with this project! God is good!
Of course, I am ever so thankful for the great support that I have found through blogging. I have been a little down in the dumps this week and the outpouring of comments and encouragement from my fellow bloggers make me smile from the inside out and THAT makes my day fantastic! Thanks!!
So what are you thankful for today??
Sorry y’all for the previous post, and the sob story that danced off the tips of my fingers. When a mama gets her feelings hurt, look out! I thought I would feel better by putting my frustrations out there for the world to see. The highlight that I thought would make my day by pulling the mom card, lasted for only a moment, and for a moment I smiled a devilish smile of pure victory but even that was short lived.
It was not until I was directed to this blog and read this post that made me blow out the candle on my pity party. Many the miles, one foot in front of the other. That is how I will view the journey of raising a family from now on. I had a mini complete melt down over one mother’s day out of eighteen mother’s day. Seventeen out of eighteen is pretty good!!
Today, I realized that the journey is only mine to have for a short while and if I give up, what does that say about me? What kind of mom would I be if I threw up my hands and quit? (Trust me, I considered it Sunday.) So here I am with renewed strength, ready to tackle the ever weary years of raising teenagers. I honestly do not ever think I will miss these days, but I also said the same thing about motherhood with three young children under the age of five, and how I do miss those days.
I am claiming this verse for this season of our lives….
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
All I can say is thank goodness for Monday morning and hallelujah that this weekend is over! Strange coming from a mom of three wonderful boys and coming off what should of been a fantastic Mother’s Day weekend, except it was not fantastic and my boys were anything but wonderful, well one faired well through the day, the other two bombed big time in the “good son” category!
This post lets you know that I am a failure as a mother and basically at life. What most mothers woke up to was breakfast in bed, children smiling and handing over homemade cards telling her how much they love her and lots of hugs and kisses for the one that gave them life, and maybe a gift, be it ever small, a token of appreciation. But mine were all still snoring in their beds when I finally arose, getting ready for church. Although when the youngest woke up, he was devastated because I beat him out of the bed and quickly made me toast with strawberry jelly for my special day and handed over a typed out cards, so he gets major brownie points for that!
Then is typical Sunday morning fashion, we all, especially me are screaming at each other. Why Mother’s day is on Sunday and not Saturday, I will never know. So basically we left for church in a huff and I can say it pretty much went down hill from there.
All I can say good about yesterday, was I made the most awesome spinach dip EVER on this planet and ate until I was almost sick! So basically I am a failure as a mother, but ate good!
Anyhoo, so here is to a new day….yay!
This weekend and beginning of this week was much needed time of reconnection and balance. My husband and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary and with life being so crazy lately, we spent four days at home doing nothing but spending time together and relaxing.
We had terrible weather in Tennessee this weekend with record flooding sweeping our state. We were spared any flooding in our area. Instead, our area was hit with lots of heavy rain. There was no rushing here and there like we usually do, this kind of weather was called for staying indoors, so we pulled out a puzzle Saturday and for hours our family was gathered around a rectangle hodge podge of chaos.
For a mom, this was heaven. A rare moment that we all were together working on something, no where else to go or to be. This past weekend and beginning of the week, was a much needed break from the crazy world we throw ourselves into each day.
Today I am thankful for my husband and my boys and how they have blessed my life. I am such a lucky girl!
1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated?
Just this morning when I laid in the bed not wanting to move to hit the alarm clock! Everyday is a chance for procrastination for me…I am terrible at putting things off till the last minute. But in my defense, I work so well under pressure!
2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night?
F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I do not fall asleep very quickly and then I wake up several times a night or I toss and turn. I think that is the reason my husband is pushing so hard for one of those mattresses that you can put a glass of wine on and jump and it not move! HA!
3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles?
I have big curly hair and the 80’s loved sporting those mile high do’s and did I fit in well! HA! Needless to say, I can do big hair!! Do I even need to mention parachute pants…the sound of walking down the halls of school just brings back memories…….
4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd?
I can make a mean pot of chicken and dumplins, just saying….
5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse?
On some things yes, but for the most part I will stalk the item endlessly until I feel right about it.
6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral?
It’s more for the after funeral than for the funeral itself. On my tombstone I want it to read, “God was missing an angel so He called her home”!
7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today?
I am pretty much a very joyful person don’t ask anyone around me right now how joyful I have been a little crazy with life as of late, but I always bounce right back with a great attitude and can find joy in almost anything. Right now, I am thrilled at the humming birds that have been calling my front porch home the last few days!
8. What is your favorite type of bread?
I love me some hot yeast rolls with butter….YUM!
9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.)
My kids keep saying that I am getting grumpier the older I get but I say they are driving me crazy and they make me grumpy. So I guess I am most fearful of turning into a grumpy old lady.
10. What trait would you like most to develop?
Is there such a trait as “get-r-done”? I need a big ‘ol dose of jack-rabbit-ness, not putting things off at the last minute trait, if there is one that exist!
11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why?
I think most rooms in my house reflect me, but my kitchen is my domain and it has a desk with a shelves over it. Right there are lots of little things that scream me!
12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging?
Right now I am totally bombing in that area of balance. I am under an extreme amount of stress with everything, that the balance is as off as a 100 year old washer machine. There is so much going on right now with our children, jobs, mission trip preparation that I am quickly losing my mind. I pray that all gets under control really soon!
Today we celebrate 19 years of marriage.
We were 18 & 19 years old when we began our life together and have spent over half of our life with each other!!
On May 4, 1991 I do not think either one of us could imagine what life would be like after 19 years together. Today, we will look back through family photos and thank God for each blessing that He has blessed us with.
19 years ago when we said these vows,
“to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. “
I don’t think either of us could of not known or expected what life would of thrown our way. But today, I can honestly say through all of life's trials, adventures and unknowns, I truly, am in love more today, than I ever could of expected to my best friend and husband!
I took a week off from blogging. Not because I think blogging is exhausting but because my life lately has been. I used to think that raising three small boys all under the age of 5 was hard….NOT. Raising an almost 18 year old, a 16 year old and a 12 year old is a completely exhausting adventure.
DJ will be graduating from high school in less than a month and will be 18 in almost 2 months. Where has time flown? We are busy getting ready for the influx and furry of activity that comes with graduation, a graduation party and then getting him ready for college in the fall.
Bradley is the typical driving 16 year old. I pray everyday that he will be safe. When he leaves I worry the entire time until he arrives home. Just this past Thursday he was involved in a minor wreck. He is so innocent that he just does not realize the consequences of his actions and one wrong split second decision could affect his life forever. Thankfully he was okay and all parties involved, but after spending 2 1/2 hours of my life speaking with a sheriff officer about what happened, I think Bradley might of learned his lesson. Hopefully.
Joey is still pretty much smooth sailing with only a minor pre-teen attitude that sneaks up here and there. Poor child, being the youngest boy, he will not have a prayer with us. We are on him like white on rice!!
So I took break from blogging last week because sometimes parenting can be tough.
Today I am back. We have had an interesting weekend here in Tennessee with torrential amounts of rain fall. Many roads are flooded and interstates were/are closed in some areas. We stayed in most of the weekend except for heading out to church on Sunday. We broke out a puzzle that was been sitting on a shelf for months just waiting for the perfect opportunity to work on it. All in all, it was the perfect end from an exhausting week.
