Taylor to you Four is so much more!

Happy Birthday Taylor!!!  Today you turn 4 and you know it, you have been counting downs the days till you did, showing me on your little fingers how old you are and then adding your one little finger to say you will now be four!!!  Taylor I love you so much and you are the funniest little thing.  I love how you can always make me smile.  I love how every morning the first words out of your mouth are "I'm hungry"! and then you ask "you know what my dream about".  I was flipping through pictures and videos today and you were ALWAYS smiling or laughing and that has not changed a bit!  You are such a smart little thing and pick up on things so quickly.  You are VERY strong-willed, some can see that as a bad thing but I know that with God on your dad and I side He will guide us to help steer that strong-will to be an amazing thing! Taylor you are such an amazing boy and your dad,Caleb and I are so blessed with you in it!!! I love you sweet boy and look forward to this next year of so many more milestones!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!!

Turning six never looked so sweet!!!

WOW!  Six years! I am still in shock thinking that my sweet lil man is turning six.  As much as I am looking forward to the man you will become, I am in love with you are today!  There are days I miss holding you in my arms but then you come wrap your arms around me.   There are days I miss kissing you sweet head but then you come and kiss mine.  I love you stolen kisses I give at night.  You are one of the bravest boys I know just like your daddy.  I love that your daddy is your hero and that you love your Lord!  Caleb you look at the world and wonder what you can make of it.  You have such a sweet, compassionate and giving spirt.  There are days you take time to teach Taylor things....and there are days you don't =) but that is ok.  You are such an amazing big brother and God knew that you would be.  You inspire me so much!  I love how open you are with me most days like when you told me about your first kiss on the cheek...then I think I messed up by telling everyone at the dinner table...sorry =(  Caleb I hope you have a wonderful six birthday and can not wait to see how you grow in the next year!!! Your daddy, Taylor and I love you very much!!!

2 months old

Standing at 2 months!!! Determination!!!

about 2 weeks old



his first birthday!

Caleb picked a pumpkin for his little brother, who was still in my tummy!!!

about 8 months



His 2 year picture!



best friends!




love how his arms reach the top of his tiny head!



The adventures of Caleb and Taylor

Down the stairs came Caleb and Taylor carrying their backpacks.  Daddy asked "Where are yall going".  To their response was "We are going to church".  Nana then said "Well do you have your bibles?"  So they quickly raced up the stairs to get them and told everyone bye then said "We are headed to church".  After a couple of minutes the adults decided it might be a good idea to go and check on the boys.  When they looked outside they saw Caleb pulling on knobs, twisting things and looking under the hood of the lawnmower.  Taylor ran in and said in his cute little voice "There are no keys in the mower!" So Pop so kindly said  "Well there are keys in my truck".  Taylor got the most excited look on his face and said "Oh I've got to tell Caleb!" then ran out the door yelling "CALEB THERE ARE KEYS IN POP'S TRUCK!!!"

These two have quite alot of adventures together and I can't wait to see what else they will have!!  Oh and on a side note the boys did not make it to the church =)

The first of many... =)

Last week my little man you started your first day of kindergarten and as much as I wanted to be sad(even though I really, really was!!) I could not help but smile because you just amaze me with all you take on.  A good friend the other day said that you face the world with all you have and that is so true!  You have no fear but have such great wisdom for a 5 year old and you make such good choices!  You ran to your class without any fear but were perceptive enough to know to look back and give your mom the biggest hug around her neck so that she knew you would be ok and she needed that more than you will ever know!  I pray that you know God is always with you and pray for Him to help you make good choices as you start this new journey of your life.  Your dad, Taylor and I love you with all that we have but we know God loves you so much more.  Love you big boy!!

Caleb and his sweet teacher!

Us with our little man!!

One HUGE milestone!!!

Last weekend we celebrated the 100^th birthday of my great granny!!  That is a HUGE milestone in anyone’s life.  My granny is an amazing woman and has gone through so much in her life.  She was one of I think I remember right 10 kids.  Also her mother’s sister died when she was real young and brought in her kids so there was a bunch.  She has had a rough but wonderful life.  She has dementia, so she really does not remember too many people but she is still as feisty as ever and I love that about her, kind of think that may be where I get some of mine from J  She has raised 5 amazing kids, one being my grandma who is my inspiration.  My grandma goes to see her mom almost every day at the nursing home, even though she does not always remember her, just so she can spend time with her.  I just love that!  She had a pretty good time at her party but I must say toward the end she was done and kept telling us to get out of her house, even told me she would get a switch after me.  All I could do was smile.   I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful granny!  Happy 100^th Birthday Granny!!!!

A thankful kind of Thursday

Ok I cheated a bit, I saw a Thankful Thursday on another post but I loved the idea!  So lately I have been a little discouraged and a bit on the down side...boys close your eyes but some of it I think has to do with that umm time of the month.  Anywho I thought I actually needed this, to jot down some things that I am thankful for so that I remind myself that it is really not that bad I just need to flip my idea of things sometimes :)

1.  The other day I posted on FB that I do not know what the future hold but I am so encouraged to know that God knows and I just need to be a bit more patient and just wait!  Sometimes that is so hard for my fleshly(don't know if that is a word, if not I so just made it one) little brain not to want to take control but in Matthew He talks about not being worried about tomorrow and in Philippians He says for us not to be anxious.  Joshua actually has been teaching our Sunday School class about Moses and how things were just not the right time for the Israelites to be freed from slavery and the simple answer was wait.  I just need to be encouraged in knowing that things sometimes do not need to be rushed, He will place us where He needs us in His time!!!


2. I get to start a new job next week............I get to stay home with my boys again, I get to drive Caleb to and from some place he is going to get an education(I don't like the other word right now =) ).  I feel so blessed that we are to a place right now that I can do this.  I am blessed to have a hubby that supports me doing this and works tremendously hard so that I can do this.  I am just over the moon!!!


3. I have been so thankful for friends that God has placed in my life to help lift me when I am down and just to give me a hug when it is just the right time!!!  During a recent trip one of the girls gave us the name SIC's! Sisters In Christ and it is so fitting!!!  I have another that just moved from our hometown of Fl. to MS. so we have said we are now Mississippi sister's, ha love it!  I have in the past year have realized just how important having wonderful friends are not just having contacts but having a connection.  Family is always a blessings but sometimes we just need that smile from a friend and that is all we need.  I have been told by a couple of wonderful mentors that if you have at least one good friend in your life you are blessed but if you have more than one you are truly blessed and to hold on to them.  Being a friend takes work but the blessings are worth so much more!!  Love and joy can change a person!


4. I am thankful that next week I get to go see my grandparents and my great granny who will be celebrating her 100th birthday!!! Yep I wrote that right 100!!! How amazing!  I am looking forward to helping set up and just seeing my family.  I miss my grandparents so much!!!

5. My hubby has to put up with alot from me and I am thankful that God has chosen for us to spend the rest of our lives together.  He is an amazing man that takes care of me, encourages me, LOVES me, is a Godly father to our boys, a man I hope my boys inspire to be and though we have had a "different" past couple of years gives everything he has. 

6.  I have been so blessed to have the job I have now.  I have worked with some amazing people and have met a ton more.  I have a boss that is so easy to talk to and is so understanding.  Though this is not what I wanted to be doing these past 2 years, God has taught me so much and has aloud me to grow in ways that I know would not have been able to happen if I did not have this job. 

Sometimes it is so easy to be discontent with things in your life but how much more rewarding is it when you allow your heart to be thankful, there is so much more I am thankful for but these are on my mind right now, what things are you thankful for?



So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ~~Colossians 2:6-7

Ramblings for your Wednesday afternoon

Did you all have a wonderful 4^th of July, we had a great weekend and holiday!  Here are just a few ramblings of things that have happened in the past few weeks.

-We had our VBS about 2 weeks ago.  Our theme for this year was “The Race”, done in like a Nascar theme.  We had the best time, Josh and I did the music this year and had a blast with the kids.  We have such an amazing staff that can come up with some wonderful ideas.  Our old children’s pastor, youth pastor and pastor all helped with coming up with the lessons for each night.  Scott (our youth pastor) well God has just blessed him with such an amazing artistic ability, he build our set for VBS each year and it looks so good!  We had 3 children give their lives to Christ that week!! Amen!

-Yesterday marked the day the boys and I were driving from Florida to Mississippi, Josh and his dad had already made the trip the day before.  I just think how encouraging it is to see how far God has taken us.  We have been through some really rough patches over the past 2 years but He has shown us so much and has allowed us to grow in ways I don’t think would have happened if we had not made this move.  We are still praying for some things…like a house J but if there is one thing we have learned is that God has a plan and things will happen when they are suppose to happen and we just need faith to trust that!

-Last week I got to put in my notice for work and I am beyond the moon.  Here is one example that God answers prayers and when He speaks He has a plan.  In that blog is where I felt God was saying it was time to come back home with the boys but it was not quite time yet.  And now things have worked out so that I can, things will be tight but it is so worth it to be able to be home with the boys and do what I feel I was made to do.  I can’t wait to spend the day with Taylor and to drive Caleb to and from school. That is still a hard one for me to swallow, Caleb and school but I think I am getting a bit better with it…ok not really but let’s pretend to help me feel a bit better J

-The boys went to see Cars 2 with one of their buddies Nikolas, and they all had the best time.  It was a pretty funny movie, not as good as first but still cute.  At one point Taylor asked when the movie was going to start and Nikolas said “when you see cars, then the movie has started”. Oh the logic of kids

-We went to a friend’s house yesterday and had a cookout.  They made ribs, pasta salad, potato casserole, roasted corn and a cake but there was also watermelon, pie that I made and cucumbers, you would have thought we were feeding an army but it was so yummy!  We went swimming, the boys jumped on the trampoline…I did not try that one too many people there to watch.  And then we headed out to see the fireworks.  We had such a great time, the boys did not want the day to end.  I feel so blessed to have this family in our lives right now.  Beverly has become such a wonderful friend to me these past few months.  One thing that I have learned recently is that God puts people in your life just when you need them, some are there for a season or two and some are there for a lifetime.  I think this is one of those lifetime ones J

-I am really starting to believe Caleb may become a preacher one day.  As we were on our way out to see the fireworks the boys were talking about sins, God and Jesus.  Well Taylor asked why Jesus died and Caleb told him for our sins, that is when Taylor asked what sins were so we explained that one.  Then Caleb said that Jesus died so we would go to heaven and see Him.  Taylor then said that he did not want to go to heaven yet, Caleb said you do want to go to heaven, not right now but you do or you will go to the devil and you DO NOT want to go there J Josh and I just grinned and Taylor just said Oh…!

-I almost forgot on Saturday we, and when I say we I mean Josh’s dad and Josh, set up the redneck slip n slide.  We had some friends over and went to slipin and slidin and had the best time.  Last year Taylor was not too sure but this year he was all about it and even climb the hill that the slide is on.  This slide will bring out the kid in everyone!  Well I hope you had a great 4^th of July weekend and I pray you have a joyous week!!

just love cute little boys in goggles!

Taylor was not happy about this

Go out and change the world

Well I think I am about recuperated from last week!  I had the privilege of going with our youth as a chaperon for their mission trip this year in Moberly, MO!  And boy did I have a wonderful time!  I always love going on these kinds of trips cause I always feel like I get more out of the trip than they do J We have such a special youth group here, I miss my one back at home but now most of them are becoming such wonderful adults! 

We left early Sunday morning, had a blast on the bus, those boys sure can make the time go by fast.  We mainly just got settled in on Sunday.  Monday we got our assignments, I was in the group called Bone Crushers.  Now that is a cool name, our other group was the Roller Kings…but we kinda changed it to the Roller Queens…complete with a song.  You know the song “Dancing Queen” well we changed it to “Roller Queens”.  Yeah I know kinda mean but yet so funny!  At our site we were to bust up the top layer of Ms. Mary’s front porch and to hang new ceiling tiles in her basement.  Ms. Mary was a sweet older lady who knew about her Savior and was so thankful we were there.  For me I knew we were there to help Ms. Mary but I also believe we were there for a greater purpose.  There was a family of next door and they had 3 kids, two girls and a boy.  When we first got there the older little girl, Kirsten, would come out and just kinda look to see what we were up too.  Scott (our youth leader) started to ask a few questions to see where her heart was.  Come to find out her family was Catholic but she said that she really did not follow that religion, she said she believed that she did not have to got through someone to talk to her God, she could do it herself!  Man that was so refreshing to hear. 

As we were passing out tracts in the neighborhood Kirsten’s little brother Brayden asked if he could come along and we told him sure.  He knew a lot of people in the neighborhood so he would tell us who was home and would walk up to the door with us and introduce us to them.  Made it a bit easier.  Some of our group actually got to pray with a couple of people but there was one house where when one of our group youth leaders, Madelynne, asked if she could pray for the lady the lady turned to her and said “you know what my life is good right now, you all are doing a great work for the Lord, let me pray for you!” How awesome is that, man tears were just flowing from my eyes when I heard that.  Another moment was after lunch we were having our group devotion time outside and Brayden again asked if he could stay with us.  So as Madelynne began she was talking about how great God’s love is.  She then asked Brayden if he knew how much God loved Him.  Brayden just shook his head no, so Madelynne began to share how God sent His son to die for us but how He rose from the grave but what I love is that she got down to his eye level so she could look him in the eyes.  You want to know what Brayden said…..all he said was “WOW!” that is it.  Man streams of tears came again, I just sat there amazed at how much we take for granted just knowing who He is and how much He truly loves us and here was one little boy who lives in America and had no idea. 

Oh before I forget this, I picked up an eighty pound bag of concrete by myself…stupid I know but I was proud that I did it.  See we were all trying to get the bags off the van and Beverly and I worked on one together and I went back to get the last one, thinking she was coming back…nope.  So I thought to myself how hard can this really be, I mean I have 2 boys.  I shimmied it off the van and into my arms, turned the corner and that is when…plop!  Down went the bag, now you would think some sweet, kind young gentleman would come help…wrong!  They all just cheered me on from the front porch including Beverly J  Oh and to top it off the World Changers camera crew were there and filmed the whole 15 minute saga, ok it was about 3 minutes but it felt like longer.  I finally got the bag off the ground and there was our sweet youth pastor there to take the load from me…and to throw a handful of cicadas at me!!  Oh did I forget to mention that this was the 13 year of the cicadas for this area, umm yep!  There was thousands upon thousands and I am not exaggerating.  Want to know what one looks like well look below!  The first half day I was terrified of them but because there were so many you just learn to pick them up by their wings and throw them.  Oh we did come up with some games like cicada baseball, make them fight each other and see how many you can stick to someone shirt.  Yeah I know we were mean but they were dying anyway J

Look at those beady red eyes!

A few more highlights, our other group built a wheelchair ramp for a lady named Charlotte.  They built the ramp in one day when it was suppose to take 2, they work so hard.  A couple of the youth got to sit and talk to Mrs. Charlotte and found out that she had not been to church in awhile because she had no way of getting there so one of the volunteers who lives in Moberly said he would come by every Sunday and take her to her church that was just down the road.  How awesome!!  I just love seeing God work!  Also Tuesday night we had a prayer of commitment, it was just a time for us to pray for our hometown, the people in our town, the houses we were working on, etc.  And I was just taken back to see all of these young youth committed to prayer and to hear their heartfelt prayers.  Always an amazing site to see so many in prayer and worship and then to pray that it continues beyond this place and this week. 

We left on Wednesday and headed to the St. Louis Mall!  We got to spend like 8 hours there and I thought I would be in heaven…wrong, that is just too much shopping for me.  I did pick up a really nice winter jacket for $25 it was originally $160!!  Oh yeah steal of the day!!  Also me and my other SIC’s (sisters in Christ) kinda got in some pickles having to do with a toy snake, Justin Beiber, and a talking hamster…well I think you get why we might have had so much fun!!  They were such a blast to hang out with.  Thursday we went to Six Flags and I was so excited cause I LOVE roller coasters.  But there were two rides I had already said I did not want to go on Superman and Mr. Freeze.  I did good for the most of the day then we saw some of the youth/ college and career kids.  Which by the way we had not seen for the whole day, they were telling us about Mr. Freeze and I had made mention that I was not riding that one…STUPID!  Next thing I knew I was being carried by two former high school football players one on either side of me!  I kept trying to get out of it but they would drag me back.  Finally in line and my knees were so weak.  This thing shot you out at like 60 mph!  But I am here to tell you I did it and survived, now I did have to get Madelynne to help me get back off of the ride because my knees were too weak but I did it!!  All in all it was a wonderful trip, I actually got to know the heart of those who I went with and that is something I will always cherish!  Well I hope I did not bore you too much but thank you for reading J

just look at that thing! Yes it just goes straight up!!

Our crew with Ms.Mary

Us with Justin Beiber!

I have more pictures but blogger is acting up, you can check them out on my FB page =)

"We are just attempting, unless God is attracting!"

Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. ~Psalm 127:1