TGIF ♥

I just LOVE Friday Funny day!! Kim hosts this each and every Friday so head on over and join in on the fun!! I just loved the Carol Burnett show didn't you!! Tim Conway & Harvey Korman were so hilarious!!




I pray everyone has a Safe and Blessed New Years Eve!

JOY ♥

Wow ~ This will be my last JOY post for this year!! Can you even believe how fast this year has gone? I certainly can't! The Lord has given me soooo much to be joyful about and I just love sharing about HIM and all HE has done from week to week! I am soo glad Angel started this meme all those months ago! If you want to join and spread your JOY go here

I am filled with JOY because:

Rylee got to spend not one but TWO nights with us this week!!

My sweet husband is on vacation this week!

We get to go see my Nana in Missouri and take her out to lunch!

Rylee and Papa (my Dh) spread tons of deercorn out back for the deer to eat. They came up sooo close to the house and OMG did Rylee ever get excited!! It was just precious watching her!!! The deer put on quite the show! Two of them got up on their hind legs and had a little fight ~ it looked like they were boxing !!! Both of their two front legs were going at each other...it was so funny!

I went to Physical Therapy and then to the grocery store while Rylee was @ home with her Papa and Jenna. When I walked through the door, she came RUNNING into my arms, saying NOOOOOONI!!!! I missed you! Can you say...MELT.MY.HEART!

I get to have a date day with my honey today!! WOOHOO!!

Our family signed up to do a FUN RUN on New Years Eve! Something different this year and I am really looking forward to it :)

My DH got me an awesome Nikon for Christmas! I usually use Jenna's and mentioned that when she goes to college I just didn't know what I would do :) My husband surprised the heck out of me!!! That man just blesses me more than words can say! The Lord gave me such a gift when HE gave me Brian!

My Stepmom gave me an IPAD! I am truly my Fathers Daughter when it comes to technology! My friends give me that hardest time but it's ok...I can handle it :) I am a technology freak...oh yes I am! LOL


We laughed, we sang,
we couldn't believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of the nations—
"God was wonderful to them!"
God was wonderful to us;
we are one happy people. Psalm 126:2-3 MSG

May you all have a JOY Filled Day!

~ Lemi Shine~ Some really awesome stuff!

A couple of months ago I shared with you all about my dishes not looking clean even after washing them in the dishwasher. Not only were they not clean, they had a white film on them! It was GROSS!! I literally had to get rid of most if not all of my cooking utensils and replace some of the plastic ware we had.

We found out at the time that the automatic dishwashing detergent no longer had phosphates in them....which basically boosted the performance of the cleaning agents. So, that left us, the consumer with less than clean dishes and for some, a white yucky film.

My husband did some research and then he decided to create a concoction of our own. It didn't take long for me to decide this wasn't much better. He decided to go to Home Depot and purchase phosphates and add it to the dishwashing powder that no longer had them in there. (it didn't take much either!) This has worked out pretty good

BUT .......

I am here to tell you about LEMI - SHINE! My Mom got us some for Christmas ~ yes Christmas! LOL and OMG ....This stuff is UH MA ZING!! You add it in the dishwasher along with your regular detergent and WOW oh WOW ....Talk about clean dishes! No white stuff. No film. Just clean dishes......bright and shiny clean dishes! It is also environmentally safe :)

This makes me so happy :p

So there ya have it... LOL....I am pretty sure they sell it @ Target and Walmart. This is NOT a review, nor am I being paid to share this information ;) Just sharin some good stuff with my fellow bloggers whom I Love dearly! ♥

Have a blessed Tuesday ~

Blessed Beyond Measure

I pray everyone had a Joy-filled Christmas. We sure did! I enjoyed every bit of it ~ from the craziness of getting everything done, wrapped, cooked and cleaned, to the quiet moments with my family sitting around the Fire, reading the Word about the Birth of our Savior. Passing our Bible around so that each one of us could read a passage and Praising the Lord together for all HE has done for us! It was such a blessed time, a Christmas I will cherish in my heart always.

Rylee, Krista & Casey were with us on Christmas Eve. Poor Rylee wasn't feeling very good but she didn't let anything stop her from enjoying the afternoon. :) She is at that adorable age and since she just celebrated her 2nd birthday she has been opening ALOT of presents! I love that no matter what gift she opens she LOVES it! She is either saying "Thankyou" or "It's so peeety" aka "It's so pretty" or sometimes you might get a "That's so awesome" :) That one gets a laugh from all of us every single time!



Christmas Day we were at my Moms house and we were all sporting our Christmas hats! Remember I shared with you all that my mom asked us to don some sort of Christmas hat?! Well, Not one person disappointed her! I have to say My brother had the best hat of all! He "decked" it out himself! If you look close enough you can see he had Lights on his hat and YES they were blinking too!!! He didn't know I was taking this pic tho :)LOL


Here is everyone with their hats on :) Of Course, we had to have a crazy pic



When I asked my DH if he would wear an Elves hat....His reply was "Honey, I'll wear whatever you want me to" WOOHOO! Little did he know what I had in my hand to purchase for him LOL He was true to his word and wore it proudly!! Oh, how I love my man ♥



My Mother always makes everything so very special. No matter what the holiday, or even if we are over just to have dinner ~ everything has her "special touch" Here she is with her Grandkids ~ minus Krista. They all LOVE their Nanny sooo much ♥ and well, SO DO I! Thank you MOM, for making Christmas soo very Special !!! xoxo



It was a day filled with L♥VE, Laughter, and Joy as we celebrated the birth of Jesus. We had a delicious dinner, opened gifts and then played a hilarious round of "Catch Phrase" My oh My did we laugh and laugh!!

Truly, I am Blessed Beyond Measure

Winner announced and Merry Christmas!

Winner of the Progresso Soup Prize Pack is Janet Faye!! Congrats Janet :)

I will be taking a blog break til next week or so. I hope everyone has a blessed and VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!





I am so blessed by each and everyone of you! Your friendship is truly a Gift from the Lord! ♥

JOY ♥

It's time to Spread the JOY :) This week is just filled with JOY don't you think??!!

For me, JOY IS:

While Hiding in my room wrapping those final gifts my sweet girl Jenna and her boyfriend Ty made dinner for all of us :) What Sweethearts!

The precious way my husband cares for me this week when I have been so tired or my shoulder is killing me from physical therapy. He melts my heart and gives me such JOY

Rocking my sweet Rylee while she takes a nap

Since Brian is still working this week he has been going to bed at the "Normal" time while the kids and I have enjoyed staying up late but Jenna went to bed early because she took the ACT test on Tuesday morning so that left Jantz and I up. He sat with me in the living room while I was preparing my post and after a bit he says, "Are you getting tired?" I asked "not really, why?" He said "Well, I am sitting with you so you didn't have to be alone and wanted to go upstairs." OMG ~ how precious is that!?!?! He is just so very thoughtful and fills my heart with JOY!!


We had some VERY WARM days here so we took advantage and took our kids and Rylee to see Rhema bible college Christmas Lights. Rhema is famous for their Christmas Light Display. They began in 1982 with 60,000 lights and it has grown each year. This year more than 2 MILLION lights will illuminate the Rhema campus. It is spectacular! They expect more than 200,000 people will come to see all the lights! For me, seeing all the lights and the JOY on my kids faces filled this momma with sooo much JOY Below, are just a few of the pics we took!




















As we begin the final days to Christmas I pray Jesus fills you with HIS JOY Unspeakable ~ HE Loves you soo!

To join in and spread your JOY join Angel@AllTheMus

A Surprise ~ Hallelujah Chorus

For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. 1 Tim: 15-16



Wouldn't this be such a wonderful surprise :)


Have a blessed Tuesday my friends!

A Facebook ~ The Birth of Jesus

Had to share this....for some, they say Facebook is nothing but a waste of time. For others, maybe it has caused issues in your marriage but for all the bad out there I know it can do something WONDERFUL! This is just one of the many wonderful things I have seen on Facebook and had to share it with you! I can only imagine the feelings they have expressed as you read and ponder for yourself.....





Rejoice! For unto us a Child is Born!

Progresso Soup Commercial ~ Review & Giveaway

I just LOVE a warm bowl of soup in the winter don't you? Well, Progresso has come out with some delicious new flavors and we were so excited to to receive some to try before they hit the stores shelves! I am a HUGE fan of Chicken Tortilla Soup and that just so happens to be one of their newest flavors!! It hit the spot for sure! Along with making the new soups they are always making us laugh with their hilarious commercials!! They asked us to make one as well! Hope you enjoy it :)

Progresso and MYBlogSpark provided me with 2 cans of soup along with a cute soup bowl and spoon along with an awesome Soup rack that fits in my pantry JUST PERFECTLY! YOU can win all of this as well if you enter this giveaway! To enter this give away and win this prize pack
(Please note that your winner’s prize pack will include VIP coupons for two cans of Progresso soup, a spoon rest, a soup can rack and a soup mug with matching spoon.) You Must do the following:

**Share with me your favorite Progresso soup flavor AND how you would make a Progresso soup canphone commercial!!!

** You can tweet this giveaway and/or share about it on Facebook

** Be a Follower of this blog

I will close out this giveaway on Wednesday night and announce the winner in Thursdays post :) Here is some great information on all the new soups Progresso has coming to a store near you!

Progresso® New World Recipes™ – Inspired by Mexican recipes, explore one of the fastest growing ethnic cuisines by giving the Progresso New World Recipes line a try. Made with authentic Mexican ingredients and seasonings, four new Progresso soups will be hitting grocery shelves near you - Chicken Tortilla, Meatball & Rice, Black Bean Jalapeno and Chicken & Vegetable.

Progresso Light - America’s number one Light soup just got better, as all 13 existing Progresso Light varieties are now packed with bigger pieces of white meat chicken, more tender pieces of beef or added vegetables. Need even more to talk about? Progresso Light New England Clam Chowder is the first creamy Light ready-to-serve soup that holds true to the Progresso Light name with just 1 Weight Watchers® POINTS® value per serving!

Progresso Reduced Sodium – With 49 percent of shoppers concerned about high cholesterol1, Progresso understands the importance of soluble fiber and reduced sodium diets. New Reduced Sodium Tomato Parmesan soup is one more tasty option that has a delicious blend of flavors and carries the “May Help Lower Cholesterol”2 benefit. In addition, five additional Reduced Sodium soups also carry the “May Help Lower Cholesterol”2 benefit.

Progresso High Fiber – With 9 out of 10 Americans not getting the recommended Daily Value of fiber, Progresso High Fiber line of soups are packed with 7 grams per serving. Giving you one more thing to talk about, Progresso brand’s first Chili Soup just joined the High Fiber family!

Spiritual Sundays

As I prayed about what to post I thought of this video that my kids showed me this week. This is such a precious video. It brought so much to my mind.....All of those fighting for our Freedom over these holidays. Sacrificing for you and for me. Their loved ones missing them and wishing more than anything that they could be together. To have them in their arms to hug or to look into their eyes and say "I Love YOU". But then, isn't Love the very Heart of OUR FATHER. He loved us so much He gave HIS Son for us. Our Savior, who was born and who died for you and for me.

As you begin this week of Christmas may you feel the Love of Jesus in all you do. May you hold your loved ones close and pray for those who are serving and for their families who are missing them and praying for their safety and that they too would come home soon!




Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for hosting each and every week! I love and appreciate you more than you know! To join in go here

TGIF ♥

Seriously? Is it Friday ALREADY???? Wow, these days are flying by! Today is the kids last day and so @ 2:20 this afternoon, we will be on CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! WOOHOO!! I AM SOOOOO........ E.X.C.I.T.E.D!! This in itself makes my day. Yesterday the wrapping fairy arrived at my house and she wrapped for what seemed like hours! She got it all done and the gifts are under the tree :) YAY!

Have you guys seen this Kevin Bacon commercial???? OMG it is soo funny! The first time I saw it we were all cracking up and my daughter Jenna said "Oh mom, this can be your Friday Funny!!" So here you have it! To get more laughs you gotta go see Kim @ Homesteaders Heart!




Happy Friday!! Love you all :)

JOY ♥

Tis' the Season to be JOYFUL & TRIUMPHANT :)

I am filled with JOY because:

In just 2 more days Christmas Break will be here and shortly after that my Honey will be on vacation too!

Christmas movie Marathon!! LOVE these days! Stay in our jammies, have a fire in the fireplace, make some homemade soup and watch movies all day and night!!!!

Rylee will be spending the night with us this weekend and will wake up here on her 2nd Birthday so we get to have a Birthday Breakfast with her!!!

I hope to be finishing up my Shopping TODAY!! Let the wrapping begin ;)

My Mom has decided that we must wear a hat (any hat, funny, silly,) but it must relate to Christmas when we go to her house on Christmas day. This will prove to be funny for sure !! Pics to come!! :)

Just Love turning on my radio to all CHRISTMAS MUSIC :)

Reading the Birth of Jesus with the kids

Making gifts to share with our neighbors and passing them out! My husband makes his Salsa and we deliver to our neighbors and some friends! They all LOVE it!


Even though this Saturday marks One year since I lost my Daddy and there are sure to be tears, I can rest in knowing that My Daddy is WITH Jesus, walking the Streets of Gold and celebrating HIS Birth in ways we cannot even imagine!!


Celebrating each and everyday with my family as well as the Gift of Salvation! Such JOY! All because of Jesus. HE was born to save us all. There is no greater JOY than knowing and receiving HIM!

Thank you Angel for hosting this each week! She would be filled with JOY to have you join in and spread some JOY!


Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios Coming SOON!

Our family was one of the lucky few to try the NEW Cinnamon Burst Cheerios before they hit the shelves & MY OH MY ~ Are they EVER DELICIOUS!!! We loved them! Cinnamon Burst Cheerios are made with real cinnamon and provide your family with a yummy AND nutritious Breakfast that is certain to Jump-start any morning!!



Not only do Cinnamon Burst Cheerios make a great breakfast but they are an awesome snack too!




You know teens ....they are ALWAYS HUNGRY! I love to find something that we can all agree on and Cinnamon Burst Cheerios is a cereal that meets all our needs! Whole grain goodness and a taste we all L♥VE! We will be anxiously awaiting for these to arrive on the Stores shelves! MyBlogspark & Cheerios provided me with the free box of Cinnamon Burst Cheerios AND a Flip camera so that we could share our review of the cereal! Hope you Enjoy!




Thankyou MyBlogSpark and Cheerios! I LOVE my Flip Camera :) and we all LOVE the Cheerios !

Baby It's Cold Outside

I Hope everyone had a good weekend! We sure did! It has been RIDICULOUSLY cold here with temps in the teens and wind chills even lower than that!! On Saturday we went and did a College Campus Tour and the WIND was BRUTAL!! (OK, I know some of you are SNOWED UNDER, so I will quit complaining!) I can just feel the excitement in Jenna as she looks towards her future. Wasn't it just yesterday I was bringing that sweet baby home from the hospital?

I have been able to sign up & be accepted for a couple of MyBlogSparks and am sooo excited about the prize packages! I will be posting the info. in the week ahead! You will have to come and see the commercials we have been making!!! You can see our silly side ;)

Just one more week of school and then it is CHRISTMAS BREAK!! WOOHOO :) This week will be full of finals for the kids and for me it means finalizing everything so that when they are out, we can focus on all things CHRISTMAS


This weekend will be our Rylees 2nd Birthday! Holy Smokes! I am thinking the title of this post should read "Where has the time gone?" My Baby Brother turns 40 this Friday! Man....HE'S OLD!!! ;) If you were wondering ~ No, we aren't doing anything special for him! No, I am not planning ANYTHING for him AT ALL! Shhh, don't tell him ok!

Well, I hope you all have a blessed Monday and week ahead! Remember to share the Gift of who you are with those around you as
JESUS shines in you! Love you ALL!

Spiritual Sundays

HIS Humble Birth

Tenderly she held her Baby,
And looked at Him with love.
Her heart was filled with wonderment,
about her Christ child from above.

This truly was the Son of God
was what the Angel told.
Her tiny Baby full of grace,
such a wonder to behold.

She thought of what His life would bring,
He was born to set us free.
But she only saw her infant Son,
As a Mothers love would see.

The shepherds came, the wise men too,
To praise His Holy name.
She sat in awe, and held her Child,
While those to worship came.

She must have wondered why God's Son
was born to her this day.
She wanted so much to be worthy,
as she bowed her head to pray.

Mary wrapped her robe a little closer,
around her new born Son.
The chill of this old stable,
must not touch the chosen one.

It was a humble birth,
But a King was born that day.
He came to pay the price for us,
and wash our sins away.



Christmas poem "His Humble Birth"
written by, Verna Parks.

Have a blessed weekend ~ I love you all! Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for sharing Spiritual Sundays with us each and every week! Join in Here with us, won't you?

TGIF

Wow! This week went sooo quickly! I seriously can't believe it is FRIDAY ALREADY!! Can you?? I am so glad our FF Leader is back with us! If you want to join in and spread the laughter head on over to KIM'S @ Homesteaders Heart! She would love to have you!

This week my Stepdaughter sent me these adorable sayings from precious little innocent, inquisitive children! They Just made me laugh and hope you will too! Have a blessed Friday and weekend too!



JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister.
After a while he asked: "Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one
for cold milk?"


MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was
so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said, "If you don't
remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to six"

STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. "I love you so
much that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom
window."


BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in
vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained
it was a child-proof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with
wonder, the little girl asked: "How does it know it's me?"

DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: "How much do I
cost?"

MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing
in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: "Why
is he whispering in her mouth?"

JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read :
"The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the
city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." Concerned, James
asked: "What happened to the flea?"

TAMMY(age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled
woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, "Why
doesn't your skin fit your face?"


The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget this particular Sunday
sermon...

"Dear Lord," the minister began, with arms extended toward
heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. "Without you, we are but
dust..."
He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who
was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little
four year old girl voice, "Mom, what is butt dust?"

JOY ♥

It's that JOY filled day of the week and Angel is our host so join in and help spread some JOY

I am filled with JOY because I can listen to Christmas Music whenever I want to! I just L♥VE Christmas Music don't you?!?!?

I am filled with JOY because we will be going to visit a college campus with jenna this weekend :) OK. I might be forcing the JOY on this one ...just a tad....you know, saying it through clenched teeth ~ I kid I kid! I'm so happy for her and know the Lord will show us right where HE wants to her be!

I am filled with JOY because during church this week the Lord revealed some things to us as a family and I KNOW HE will be Faithful to walk us through them!! Praise HIM!!

I am filled with JOY because I think I have a list for all the gifts I will be purchasing ~ Now, all that's left is the shopping and the wrapping!

I am filled with JOY because our Sweet Rylee came and spent the night with us last night!
She crawled under our tree :) I think she's the best gift God could have given us for sure!!



May you all have a JOYfilled day! Enjoy this quick video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as they sing JOY TO THE WORLD!


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

This and That Tuesday

There are NINETEEN shopping days left People! 19 ~ ONE NINE Are you ready? Have you got them wrapped and under the tree? Can you hear the panic in my typing??? ;) If so, You are correct-a-mundo! Cause' I am NOT done let alone have anything wrapped!!!

This week we will attending our daughter, Jenna's, Senior Football Banquet. It is quite the big deal! All the players and trainers will be honored. Everyone gets all dressed up and we are served a very nice meal! The kids are given an awesome poster size photo or collage of some of the best shots of the year. It will be an exciting night for all of them and most likely a tearful one for all the parents!

At Physical Therapy yesterday I had my first progress note. I am sooo happy to report I am doing awesome in my range of motion. I haven't been able to do any strength rebuilding but as of today that will all change! GULP I am so very thankful to be able to do Physical Therapy and let me just tell you ~ the staff are the most wonderful group of People. EVER!! They all just bring me so much Joy even if they also inflict pain at the same time ;)

As long as I have been married to Brian (20 years now) we have had a dog in our home. I realized just recently that every one of the dogs was male. January of this year we got a new boxer and HER name is Maggie. Well......Maggie has become a woman. LOL. Well, what I mean is she is in heat for the first time!! Let me tell you she is HUMILIATED to wear these diapers! She is one whiney dog and looks as pitiful as I've ever seen a dog look. Any of you have some advice? I am really not experienced in this LOL

I am sharing an awesome review today on my book blog! You should go check it out.....GET IT???.... check it out!?!?!? LOL It is a book Titled "A Path Less Traveled" by Cathy Bryant. She is a precious woman of God and one of my new favorite authors for sure!


Today is the first forecast with a mention of snow in it!!! I doubt it comes but even if so....as they say in our State "If you don't like the weather, Hang on for about 15 minutes, it will surely change!" That is about right on because later in the week we are almost in the 60's again!

Remember the REASON for the SEASON
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
The Message (MSG)
1 John 4 : 9-10

Christmas in Heaven

Over this past week, I feel as if I experienced every single emotion known to woman. Not feeling well was not helping in my mind set but I also know that so much of it was that this time last year my brother and I were boarding a plane to see our Daddy who was suffering with Stage 4 lung cancer. Honestly, neither one of us knew how bad it was until we saw him. The healthy (on the outside) man I had left just 2 months prior was barely skin and bones. It took everything in me not to just crumble when I saw him lying in his bed. As I laid my head on his chest to give him a hug, yet he made a grunt of sorts, it was then I realized that even my head was to heavy for him to hold. My daddy. My strong daddy was no longer strong.

Our days and nights over the next few weeks were filled with late night emergency rooms trips or regular appointments to receive fluids but as time went on nothing was working. Daddy's body was filled with the horrible cancer and he was getting tired. It became more and more obvious that our time with Daddy was ending. I was a constant by Daddys side, wanting to do whatever it was he needed. Drink, pull the covers tighter, blot his lips from being so dry, you name it, I just wanted to help him.

It was early summer 2 yrs. ago when we heard of Daddy's diagnosis. Lung Cancer. How did this happen? He hadn't smoked in 32 years. He hadn't done anything to speak of except take amazing care of his body. He was a runner. He watched what he ate. He took vitamins like crazy and would never take anything hardly except an aspirin and vitamin c tablets when sick. On the outside he was amazingly fit and healthy. But it was the inside that I knew needed to be healthy. I was a fairly new blogger when I heard of Dads diagnosis. It was at this time that I learned of the hearts of those that the Lord had connected me with. So many of you all prayed for Salvation for him. Sooo many of you covered us in prayer.

As I sit hear and reflect on those days with tears and with joy I can still recall the moment in which I heard daddy tell me he had asked Jesus to be his Lord and Saviour as he took my hand in his and woke up as clear as anything. It was such a gift and such of time of rejoicing. Angels were rejoicing as were all of those who had whispered a prayer on behalf of my Dad.


The Holidays are difficult to get through when you are missing your loved ones. I have read soooo many who have shared their sadness or their difficulty because they too have experienced a loss during this month. It doesn't matter when we lose them, it is not having them with us each and everyday that hurts.

I pray for all of those who are hurting and going through a difficult time. Please know that the Lord WILL Strengthen you, HE WILL Comfort you, and pour HIS Love over you as only a Father can. His HOPE carries me through the difficult moments, and sometimes it takes the whole day but the Lord reminds me that one day we will be together again.


Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless CHRISTMAS TREES around the world below
with tiny lights like HEAVEN’S STARS reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so SPECTACULAR please wipe away that tear
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.

I hear the many CHRISTMAS SONGS that people hold so dear
but the SOUND OF MUSIC can't compare with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here.

I have no words to tell you of the JOY their voices bring
for it is beyond description to HEAR THE ANGELS SING.

I know HOW MUCH YOU MISS ME, I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.

I can't tell you of the SPLENDOR or the PEACE here in this place
Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face

I'll ask him to LIFT YOUR SPIRIT as I tell him of your love
so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your HEARTS BE JOYFUL and let your SPIRIT SING
for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN and I’m walking WITH THE KING.

~ by Wanda White



I ♥ you all!

TGIF

It's Friday! Time for some laughs! Our Friday Funny Queen is in the midst of moving so there is no mclinky today but I know she would want us all to still share some funnies with you!! She also wouldn't mind prayers for this move! It has been quite the ordeal but she has praised God all the way through!

Have you all seen the hilarious Target commercials lately! OMG I love them! Here is one of my favorites!! I bet this lady is a hoot to be around! She is soo stinkin funnneee!


Happy Friday you guys! Love to you all XOXO

The Crud got me

I wish I could say I disappeared from blog land because I was.... oh ..... say, shopping or taking a mini vacation ~ You know, something FUN! But no, I have been in B.E.D. coughing, aching, stuffyhead, fever kind of stuff. When my DH had to go out of town this morning I knew I better get into the DR. so that I could be amongst the living LOL and take care of the kids. Man, I am glad I did. Found out I have double ear infection and the beginning of bronchitis..... can you say YUCK!! He put me on my all time favorite drug....Prednisone. You know how I love being on STEROIDS!!! NOT and a strong antibiotic and I am praying it kicks in because I am suppose to begin Christmas shopping with my Mom tomorrow!!

While I sat in the waiting room coughing with all the other sick people in my little town I saw this clip on the TV. The Rachael Ray show was on and I just love her but she shared the newest YouTube Phenomenon video. It was quite entertaining and I thought I would share it with you all since you might have missed it ;)





I hope everyone is having a blessed week ~

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

1 Chronicles 16:34

Homemade Lotion Recipe

The chilly winter dry air is here and with it comes dry itchy skin...well, at least for me it does. How about you?? I have tried numerous lotions or bath oils but I have yet to find anything that stopped the itching UNTIL..... one day at lunch with my girlfriends last year we started talking about how bad our skin was and my friend Connie spoke up saying she had a homemade recipe for a lotion that her mother swore by! Well, I had to give it a try and let me tell you I am hooked! One of the best things about it is that you can customize it somewhat to your liking!

The ingredients are as follows:

2 -15 oz baby lotion
1 - 8 oz vaseline
2 - 8 oz vitamin e cream Note: I could only find this in 4 oz. jars so I got 4 of them


The Ingredient containers below:


4 of these "Fruit of the Earth" Vitamin E cream (I found this at Walmart in the Beauty section)



2 bottles of Baby Lotion (here is where you can customize it for YOU! Choose the smell you like best! If you haven't shopped for baby lotion lately you will be soo surprised at all the different choices! I chose the Shea Butter but also loved the Lavender as well)


You only need 8 oz. of vaseline so I bought the larger size and just kind of guess how much 8 oz. is since it's cheaper than buying the smaller size jars.



Also, If you have a lotion that you just love add some of that in as well. I add in some coconut vanilla shea butter from Bath&Body just because I love the smell)

Pour all the ingredients into mixing bowl and blend with mixer until all is blended well. I use the Vitamin E jars and fill them up with the new lotion and also bought containers to store the lotion in. This makes a great gift so you may want to get some cute containers (air tight of course) for giving.

Note: This makes alot of lotion so if you want to make sure you like it then modify accordingly. either cut the ingredients in half or even cut it into 1/4's.

The lotion is light and doesn't leave a film or feel like you just put lotion on at all. My husband hates that feeling and he loves this lotion! So ladies there you go! I have to include my dear friend Clif as well since he so kindly made me aware that men could benefit from this lotion as well! ;) I just love him and love that he keeps me on my toes!!

Turkey Talk

I pray everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! Are your leftovers gone yet?? Did the tryptophan put you on the couch LOL?

We had such a Peace-filled Thanksgiving and we were sooo excited that our oldest daughter and husband along with our Precious Rylee were able to come and spend the evening with us! A rare treat indeed. For the past 10 years or so we are out of town with my Mom and Stepdad and so it was just wonderful having them join us. Sitting around our table and sharing Thanks was just so very special. I know you all are dying to know if I made a turkey LOL well.....my DH grilled a turkey tenderloin ~ Does that count ;)??
It was delicious and of course we had all the fabulous sides. We were stuffed!

The rest of the weekend we spent decorating for Christmas. Our lights went up outside and look fabulous! I Just LOVE having our house lit up. I am figuring out that I get that from my Daddy. I remember this time last year when my brother and I boarded a plane to Florida to see Daddy. When we arrived at his house it was like a winter wonderland and I have NEVER seen so many lights! I am so glad Daddy was able to see his lights up before he passed. I remember pushing him outside in the wheelchair and just seeing his face light up and that smile! Daddy had such a beautiful smile!! That moment was such a gift!

What about you guys? Did you get your Christmas decorating started? Tree up? I really can't even believe this week starts December!! It's just amazing how quickly this year has flown isn't it!?!

On Sunday I put up a Facebook Status that I was making my Winter Lotion and some asked if I would share the recipe ....so come back tomorrow if you're interested or if you suffer from dry itchy winter skin!!

Spiritual Sundays

To join in Spiritual Sundays go here

I explained last week about our Thanksgiving plans having to be changed due to the Football Team making it into the Third round of the Playoff games. After having somewhat of a "fit" I finally came to accept that we wouldn't be in Branson with the rest of my family enjoying a cabin in beautiful Ozark country! I also shared that our chances of winning were slim to NONE.

I. was. right.

While we did lose the game (oh how we lost the game 75-28) we NEVER lost heart and NEVER gave up. In fact, the last touchdown we scored was in the final minutes of the game. No matter what, this team wasn't going to quit!

As I was reflecting on this final game of the season, I thought about our Spiritual walk.

When we first come to know the Lord ~ we are all fired up, excited and ready to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen! Remember the Joy and Excitement of being Saved and knowing Jesus!! As time goes by, we grow in our Wisdom and Knowledge. For some, troubles come and it is during this time that our Faith and the depth of that Faith are revealed.

We question God from different angles....Where are you God? Why did this happen? Why am I not seeing my loved one healed or how could this happen to us when we are doing everything we know to do?

As the score in the football game became more and more obvious that our team had no chance of catching up, let alone winning! The true heart of this team came through:

They fought hard. They stayed the course. They remained strong.

Even when some of the fans were leaving the game and only a few remained to cheer them on ~

They persevered. They pushed through.

God's Word tells us we will have trials in this life but not to lose sight. Gods Word tells us He is with us ALWAYS.
God's Word says not to grow weary in doing good because we will reap a harvest if we won't give up!

I have a feeling that at the end of the game while gathering in the locker room this team heard these words from their Coach:

"Boys, You have made me proud. You have made our community proud. You fought hard. You never gave up. You gave everything you had in you. Well done team ~ Well done."

In our Spiritual walk ~ we can't ever let go. No matter what tries to come against us. We must persevere. Fight hard. For in the end I long to hear those words:

Well Done Good and Faithful one!

Don't you?


Have a blessed weekend

Happy Thanksgiving

Colossians 3:12-17

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.


I am so thankful for all of you! May you have a blessed and very Happy Thanksgiving! I love you ALL!

JOY ♥

Give me a J
Give me a O
Give me a Y
What's it spell? JOY of course!! Hop on over to Angel's blog and help spread the JOY


I am filled with JOY because:

My kids are out of school for the remainder of the week and my Honey is off work too! Woohoo for Family Time!

I took my son lunch on Tuesday. He is an office aide so when I arrived he was working hard and assisting all the parents and students who were in the main office. Since he was sooo busy I told him I would just leave his sandwich and go so as not to interrupt him. He said "No, wait a minute" More and more people came into the office so again I said "Honey, your busy I should go" He helped a few more people and then walked around the counter and gave me the biggest hug and said "Thank you for lunch MOM" Isn't that just Sooo sweet! I just thank the Lord for my kids ~ all 3 of them!!!

When I had my surgery I wasn't able to keep our Grandaughter since I couldn't pick her and do things she needed. She hasn't spent the night since Oct. 15th!! It has broken our hearts and we have missed her so much! But last night she came to spend the night since we are all home!! Oh how we have missed her! Jenna had a fun time making pony tails all over her head! She sat completely still for her too! Isn't she too adorable!






then Jen decided to do the same thing to her boyfriend LOL




I am filled with JOY by each and every one of you! May you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

This instead of That ;)

I am perplexed! What to do now that our Thanksgiving plans have changed!??!! What am I going to cook for Thanksgiving??? I have NEVER made a turkey in all my life! Now now, before you get all excited and say "NEVER?? Girl, you need to learn" or something to that affect....Here is a secret for ya....shhh! I don't like T.u.r.k.e.y!!!! (well, ok I do like turkey IF and only IF it is a deep fried turkey! YUMMY!!) I guess I will be a rebel this year and maybe fix some soup, or possibly roast a chicken, or better yet...I might just have my DH make some Homemade Tamales! Oh my! they are to-die-for! and His homemade Salsa! Scrumpdillyumpscious!!! (Oh the spell ck is having a fit with that word!!)

As for the rest of the time.... you know, shopping at the outlet malls that we would have done, going to a show in Branson...hmm, I guess we could go to a movie here at home and save a ton of money since there are NO outlet malls here! There is nothing that could replace missing my Mom and Stepdad..Nothing. ZIP. Zilch. NADA! That is the worst! They are going ahead with the plans and I hope they have a wonderful trip, just the two of them! My Moms sister moved to Branson just about a year ago so they will go visit her & her husband, have desert, and who knows what else the four of them will do!! LOL

We will put up our tree, decorate the house and get the lights put up :) We will go to the Playoff game and Cheer our boys on! Be proud of them no matter what the score is! They are the one of four teams that have EVER made it this far! That is something to be thankful for! Something to be VERY PROUD OF for sure!

Yes, as my dear friend Darcie said "Thanksgiving is what you make it." We have sooo much to be thankful for! God has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination! No matter where we are ~ I am Thankful!

Thankful In all things????

You know how I told you all that our Highschool Football Team won last week after 5 Overtimes?? Well, that was the 1st Playoff game. This past Friday, the Football Team, Trainers, Managers, Pom Squad, Cheerleaders and Coaches loaded into the Charter Buses and drove the 2 hours for the 2nd Playoff round. I have to be honest and tell you all I was literally PRAYING we would NOT win! WHY? Well, because if we won it meant that we would play yet another playoff game THIS WEEK! The Week of Thanksgiving!

Well, guess what?!?! We won 16-6. Before the game began I asked my husband "What are we going to do if we win??" He said, "Honey, don't worry we haven't made it this far in over 20 years!" Ah yi yi! So we have had to cancel our trip with my Mom and Stepdad! We are soo upset. We always look so forward to getting away and going to Branson, spending a few days in a cabin, relaxing and just being with one another! We always have sooo much fun!

The football team is practicing everyday this week :( EVEN ON THANKSGIVING!! We are thrilled for the kids and know this is sooo exciting for our town and the team! Especially the Seniors! They will remember this for years to come!! The sad thing is, the chance of us winning is pretty slim! We are playing an undefeated team and they are known for their amazing football team! We have played them once this year and they KILLED us!

I am choosing to be Thankful regardless of this change in plans!

I noticed today that so many of my FB friends were talking about SNOW where they lived! WOW! Snow already??
It was in the 70's here BUT it's suppose to be only in the 40's by Thurs. So we all worked outside gathering wood and lots of kindling so when the cold weather gets here...We ARE READY :) I just LOVE a fire in the fireplace! It was so nice to work together outside :)


Tyson and Maggie didn't know what to think of the Chainsaw LOL


Jantz decided to climb a tree and well.....he got stuck haha! I said "Wait, I gotta take a pic for my blog!" ;)


My honey cutting limbs from the house! They hit the windows all the time and the kids hate it!


Here is just one stack of the wood! We will use this quickly! Last year we went through about 2 1/2 ricks of wood!



What did you do this weekend? I pray you have a blessed Monday ♥

Spiritual Sundays ~ Thankfulness

With this week being the week prior to Thanksgiving it is my guess that most everyones thoughts are on Thankfulness! I am so very thankful to be a part of this blog Spiritual Sundays each and every week. I am thankful for Charlotte and Ginger who host it and to all of you who take part. I learn soo much from all of you and am thankful that I see Jesus in each one of you!

This week I am sharing again from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling

As you sit quietly in MY Presence, let ME fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at MY LOVE poured out for you on the Cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that LOVE. This remembrance builds a foundation of gratitude in you, a foundation that circumstances cannot shake.

As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way. I lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day. Look carefully for them, and puck them one by one. When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet. Offer it up to ME with a grateful heart. Receive My Peace as your lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.


Romans 8:38-39 NLV
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord


Psalms 4:7-8 Message
Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say.
"More, more."
I have God's more-than-enough,
More joy in one ordinary day

Than they get in all their shopping sprees.
At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep,
For you, God, have put my life back together.

May you all be blessed this weekend as you gather the treasures your Heavenly Father has prepared JUST FOR YOU!

TGIF Playin in the Flour??

It's Friday and you know what that means!! Time to Laugh and have some FUN! :) Kim shares her Funnies each and every Friday so head on over to HOMESTEADERS HEART and join in!!

On Thursday I got a phone call from my daughter around 4ish' and she says "Mom, I have a question? The Female Senior Athletic Trainers and the Senior Football Managers (girls as well) are getting our picture taken and some of the girls suggested our kitchen. So would you mind if we had the photoshoot in our kitchen??" "UMMMM ~ well, that is ok with me I guess?????" She explained that normally all the football players and all the trainers/managers usually take their picture together and it's on one of the city Firetrucks with a huge flag but that this year the girls were allowed to do their own shot. They were thrilled! They all arrived here around 4:30 and didn't leave til close to 7!!! OYE! The pics turned out great but the fun part happened after all the girls left! They had poured Flour all over my Island and wrote "Go Rams" in it. Well, our oldest daughter had come to have dinner with us and of course Rylee came too :) Jenna picked Rylee up and plopped her right down in the flour! SHE HAD A BALL!! The Photographer was still here so he began taking pics of Rylee! We laughed and laughed ~ OH MY! It was PRICELESS!






















Happy Friday ~ May yours be Blessed! ♥