Memorial Day Thanks

So Thankful for all those who have served for our Freedom. So thankful to them and their families for all they have sacrificed for us!


- Kelly Strong
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Spiritual Sundays- walking with HIM

Spiritual Sundays is hosted by Charlotte and Ginger! You will be blessed to visit, join in, or just say hello so go here and see what a wonderful place SS truly is!

If you have been reading my blog lately you know I joined a group of fun and very encouraging girls to do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. We are just beginning our 3rd week and I have been very faithful to work out each day only having rested one day out of two full weeks. To be honest taking the day of rest was wonderful but when i came back to work out the next day OH MY ~ it.was.awful. :)

There is a point in our video when Jillian is yelling, er I mean encouraging us that if we have been doing this workout for a week or more that we should be experiencing more endurance and strength. EVERY SINGLE TIME I hear her say this I immediately think about our spiritual walk. Only it differs somewhat than her example.

When I was a baby in Christ I loved being in the Word, being around those who loved the LORD, being in prayer. I was disciplined just like now, how I am working out. Don't get me wrong I didn't do these things because I had to, I did them because I LOVED the LORD and desired to "just be with HIM" learning more of who HE was. It is very true though ~ I do feel stronger but it didn't come after just a week of doing these things. I went through rough seasons, dry seasons, and at times would even question if I really knew anything at all but when the LORD showed me or allowed me to minister and HIS Word would just come up in me or HIS ways would flow out of me, THAT is when I see those things that are firmly planted in me and are bearing the fruit they have been growing all of these years.

HE is truly my Chief Cornerstone~ my Foundation and I am sooo thankful that I have been blessed by HIS grace and remained on HIS path. That HE keeps me so close and Strengthens me day by day, year after year. Just when you think you might have gone astray, HE will gather you in HIS arms and lead you right back to HIM...back safely in the shelter of the MOST HIGH GOD


I just felt like someone needed to be encouraged in their walk this week and that is why this continued to come up in my Spirit! Please know the LORD loves you and is ALWAYS WITH YOU! Even in those times you think HE is so far away....HE is there! Keep growing IN HIM!

TGIF

Ok this has continued to make me laugh since Tuesday and when it happened I KNEW immediately I had to share it this week for my Friday Funny! Please join Kim here for Friday Funnies.

Tuesday my husband and I were out celebrating our anniversary and we went into Williams Sonoma. I wore "My Husband Rocks" tshirt.

(This model shows off my shirt best :) Go here if you want to order one :)


Anyway, we were walking around and the sales associate says to me "Look at you, that shirt is so awesome!" I smiled and said "Thank you. He does! (rock!)" She looked at my husband and said "Awww ~ you rock huh????"

Brian looked her square in the eye and very calmly says "I'm not her husband."

OH MY GOSH! I whipped around so fast and said "BRIAN COLEMAN ~ you are sooo lying!" Everyone in the room was cracking up!!! So I went with it and said "See why he rocks??!!"

I love my husband ~ my very very ornery husband! ;) I told you he makes me laugh everyday!



I HAD to share my good news today! I received a picture text on Thursday morning :)



Can you Believe it ????? I am going to be a NONI ♥ again :) We are very excited! Rylee is going to have a baby brother or sister some time early next year :) Praying for this sweet baby already!!!!

Have a blessed and beautiful Memorial Day weekend friends! Love on your family today ~ thank a Veteran or someone who is serving for OUR FREEDOM!

WOW What a Week! Thankful Thursday

This has been a fast and furious week filled with celebrations of all kinds!

Monday Jantzen was honored with Top Student in Honors English, PE and then he was given the All Time #1 Student in Honors Science. This award was a bit different because Jantzen is a Student-Aide in this class. His teacher and all of the Science teachers expressed that Jantzen went above and beyond each and every day and they were all in agreement that they have NEVER had an Aide who was as good as he was. His teacher told "one funny story" on him. She explained that each night on Facebook Jantzen would check in with her asking what they would be doing in the morning so he could be prepared. He was also named "Barista Boy" because he made each teacher their coffee and also started a coffee fund and had my husband take them coffee from the local coffee shop we purchase our coffee beans from because, well, Jantzen just couldn't handle drinking Folgers! LOL yep ~ that's my boy! He has been drinking coffee since he was 2! My mother-in-law started him on it by pouring coffee, cream and sugar into his sippee cup :)

Jantzen receiving his first award





On Tuesday Brian and I celebrated our 20 year anniversary ♥

First off ~ He worked out with me!!! YAY~and it was level 2! What a man I have!
Then we went to lunch and walked around and shopped a bit. We went and hung out at Barnes & Noble for a bit and then we went to dinner. Had a precious waiter who was working his last night because he was quitting to move to a small town to begin taking care of his grandma who will begin dialysis. He was such an awesome waiter and told us "I have been spending the last few years taking care of people everyday and now it is time I take care of my grandma." How sweet is that! We will be praying for you Jeremy and your grandma!

He we are after our wonderful day together


Wednesday both Brian and I worked at Jantzens Spring Fling! Can you say HOT!! It was sooo hot and there were sooo many kids and we were in the sun all day! I worked the inflatable boxing ring LOL and Brian worked one of the big inflatable slides.
We had so much fun doing this and spending the day with all these kids :0)

Here is the rock climbing wall


in the distance Jantz is riding the twister ride


Jantzen and his best buddies Drew and Landon waiting on the concert they had in the afternoon


Here are the boys having a duel with their inflatable swords? or whatever these were called LOL


Jantz trying to hang on to the mechanical bull


I am sooo very proud of my Son. Every one of his teachers and his Principal came up to Brian and I and shared how very wonderful Jantzen was and that they were going to miss him so much. One teacher told me she wished she could flunk him so that he wouldn't have to leave. LOL Here we have centers so all the kids in this school are 6th graders hence they attend the 6th grd center next year 7th grade center and so on until 9th grade which then turns into the MID HIGH. Jantzen truly has a servants heart and hearing all these teachers and his principal share just makes this momma and dad so proud and thankful for the LORD working in and through our young man!

Thursday we will celebrate our first day of Summer Vacation. YEP ~ we are sleeping in and doing a whole lot of nothin! :) I will be going to my last rehab for a while! :)

Thank you Lord for such a wonderful week thus far!

Tuesdays top 10 ~ Why I am so thankful for my Husband

Today Brian and I are celebrating 20 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!! woo hoo can I get a 'HALLELUAH" SO, I thought it was only fitting that today my top ten list was devoted to my Sweet Loving Husband!

1) The Lord made Him JUST.FOR.ME!!! WOW ~ that is humbling to say the very least

2) He is a wonderful provider and spiritual leader of our home

3) He is sooooo very patient with me

4) He makes me laugh every day! :)

5) He spoils me rotten.....SERIOUSLY

6) He is THE MOST AMAZING COOK!

7) He blessed me with 3 children ~ 2 of our own and 1 Stepdaughter

8) We get to be grandparents together ♥ ♥ ♥

9) He is such a godly example of Christ in the way he loves me and cares for me!

10) He still takes my breath away when he walks into the room, when he holds my hand, or when he is giving me "that look"

I can honestly say I love him more today than when we first fell in love. True Love grows deeper in time ~ it is unconditional and Brian gives of himself more than anyone I know! I truly am blessed to be married to him. My best friend. My soulmate




I pray the Lord blesses me with many many more years with this wonderful man ~ My husband and Love of my Life ~Brian♥

The week ahead

I love this week that we have ahead of us.....Why you ask? Well, I will share :)

Only 3 more days of school and then Summer Vacation begins!

Monday we will be attending our Sons awards assembly in which we have been told he will be receiving some very special awards and they are a surprise to him and to us so we can't wait to see what he will be honored for!! We look so forward to it :)

Tuesday Brian and I will celebrate our 20 Year Wedding Anniversary ♥ He has taken the day off and I look so forward to spending this day with the Love of my life and the Wonderful Man the LORD made.....JUST.FOR.ME!

Wednesday is the last day of school and Brian & I will be working at Jantzens school at what is called the Sixth Grade Spring Fling! The whole class of 6th graders (around 700+) spend the day outside with every outdoor game imaginable. Dunk tank, tricycle races, jupiter jump, tug a war, etc. It is sooo much fun :) We did this back when Jenna was in 6th grade and have looked forward to this day and honestly can't believe it is already here with Jantzen! My oh my ....Time does fly!

Thursday is the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION and that means....sleeping in and being lazy! :) The weather here this week is going to be in the 90's already....CRAZY HUH! This also may be my last day of physical therapy! I will know after Mondays session but the Dr. really wants me to rest my shoulders for the next couple of months and then we will see about having the other rotator cuff surgery....or at least start discussing what/when that might be. argh

Friday begins our long weekend and we are tossing around the idea of going camping WOOHOO!

Also ~ I got a button for my blog! Thanks Heather!!! Look to the left right above my followers ~ Didn't she do awesome!! She is the wonderful and oh so talented lady who has Leeloublogs! If you would like to add it please do! She installed it for me and the code is right beneath it :) I just love it ♥

I pray everyone has a blessed week...What is on your calendar?

Spiritual Sundays- those who are suffering

Each week Charlotte and Ginger host this amazing blog. It blesses me to read others posts and to see the Heart of God in so many! Please go visit here

A few weeks ago my friend Sandy who also participates in this blog sent me a package of goodies that I won in her blogaversary. One of those gifts was a devotional book titled "31 Days of Prayer." Today I would like to share one of those prayers as I felt the Lord nudging me to do so this week as I read many posts this week of those who are in some really difficult situations and are hurting. They need a touch from the Lord! One I just want to share because she is such a Dear friend and I love her so much. Mary from Pile of Smiles has asked for prayer. Please join me in lifting her up to the LORD! I know the Lord will do amazing things when we join together for her and many others who need HIM! One other I would like to ask for is my brother Tony. I won't go into details but the Lord knows exactly what he needs! Thank you so much for lifting these up to Throne Room....with great expectations!


Now, back to the prayer :)
"Pray for those who are suffering"

Father, I rejoice in You as the FAther of deep empathies, who comforts and encourages us. I need this so often, and so do millions of others in Your family and outside. How little I really feel the wrenching sorrows and hopelessness of people as YOU do. Stir my heart , Lord. In new ways make me ~ and all YOUR children ~ channels of Your love and compassion, spending ourselves in both prayer and action for those who suffer.

Lord, help those who are suffering. Again and again meet their needs ~ physical, financial, emotional, spiritual. Through their pain or loss or trouble, make them aware of how much they need YOU. Then draw them to YOU as their Savior and Shepherd ~ and their Lord. Comfort them in their anguish, their pain, their depression, their despair. Deliver them.

I pray especially for Your people who are going through intense persecution, torture, imprisonment. Help them and their families to lean hard on YOU, and give them supernatural strength. Protect them, encourage them, and uphold them. Provide for their every need. Make YOur Presence unspeakably real to them.

Give you joy to those who suffer, Put a new song of praise in their mouth, so that many will hear what You've done and put their trust in YOU.

May you all have a blessed weekend my dear friends

TGIF ~ Nails :)

Tis the Season of Mani's and Pedi's isn't it :) WOOHOO! I just laugh at this everytime and had to share with you all for this weeks Friday Funny! Please go join my friend Kim @ Homesteaders Heart and get healthy as you laugh your way through some posts!



Have a blessed Friday everyone

John is having surgery

I know it is Thankful Thursday, and that is why I am sooo Thankful I can come to all of you and ask you to join me in prayer. Today John will be having surgery to remove some lymph nodes where the cancer could have survived. He is trusting this not to be the case but agrees that it is best to be aggressive.


Those of you who are new to Magoos News can go here to learn more about John and his precious family and join in His fight to win the battle of cancer!


Thank you all sooo very much for your prayers! John and Jenny Buck appreciate it from the bottom of their hearts! and SO DO I!

When you walk through the fire

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

I've shared with you before about how the Lord speaks to me when I am mowing and today proved to be yet another day in which HE spoke. I've also shared here before that years ago we began working with a Life Coach and the Lord has done a HUGE work in me and in my husband but also in our marriage. When the LORD works in you as individuals, HE also wants to help you as parents, so of course it will cycle down the ladder to your children. WE learned soo very much about who we are. Who we are in HIM. We learned about how our past truly affected our relationships today and we looked deeply into that and together with the Lord we have broken so many generational curses. They do not have any power over our future but more importantly over our childrens future. Our children have seen us work diligently to make our family, our marriage and our walk as believers as strong as possible. They see the LORD working in us to be a team for HIM no matter what the circumstance!

I remember at one point of us doing our work we had some friends going through a class at Sunday School that dealt with marriages and making them stronger. The teacher of the class told them that by the end only 1/4 of the people would be there to see the completion. He explained further that people have a hard time looking within and really allowing the pain, truth, and/or confrontation to come out into the light to be healed. And true to what he said...the class windled down couple by couple.

I have to say....this has been true in the case over the years as we have referred friends, couples who we met and were having troubles in their marraige, or people we would meet in ministry who were having family issues. Our Life Coach would meet with them and at times they would meet for awhile but honestly the majority would stop. WHY??

If we could only grasp just HOW VERY MUCH the Lord wants to heal those inner wounds, those deep needs that only HE can fill. For some, the hurt and pain that began when we were just young children but that still affect the way we handle our relationships today can be healed! Is it hard. YES! Is it one of the most difficult times you will walk through. YES.

You know the verse "May I decrease as HE increases!" What I learned as I took this journey through the fire was that alot of what the LORD took from me or rather allowed me to release were the things that were things straight from the enemy.....

Shame, Sinful thoughts or ways, pain, lies ~ you get the picture. But to me, they were reality and yet... I was a Believer. I knew the Word, I had a relationship with the LORD and still I wasn't walking in the victory the Lord had for me.

It took almost losing my marriage to seek help and honestly the enemy almost won. By that I mean, the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy. That could mean any number of things. For myself, it was keeping the generational curse of divorce going. Keeping sinful spirits alive and attempting to pass them down to my children and most likely my grandchildren. BUT!!! GOD MOVED! HE HEALED! HE FANNED THE FLAMES AND THEY BURNED HOT! HE walked my husband and I through the FIRE with ONE who would keep the flames from burning us but would burn away the things that were not of HIM.

Today while out mowing I felt the Lord saying to remember....to encourage those who come in my path that ~ IF they will CHOOSE to walk through the Fire ~ HE will be with them. They will face their fears, wounds will be healed, futures will forever be changed, relationships restored ~ but even with all of this .... add to that ~ the walk you once had with the Lord will also be RENEWED & STRONGER than you ever knew possible! For some it may even be finding a relationship with the LORD and walking with HIM day by day, learning about all that HE has for you!

Always remember
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength! Phillipians 4:13....With HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

10 Reasons why I didn't blog yesterday

Tuesdays' Top 10 (10 reasons I didn't blog yesterday)

1) After my quiet time my Mom surprised me and joined me in working out with me! Day 8 of the 30 Day Shred, completed with my MOMMA ♥

2) After we worked out we cleaned up and went to lunch at this wonderful place called the Pecan Porch! Tortilla soup and 1/2 a sandwich w/ green tea.....YUM

3) We picked up my son from school and went to AT&T store to connect Moms bluetooth to her car. She got a new phone for Mothers Day from my Stepdad....She said "I'm in the 21st century now !!!" LOL I love my momma!

4) Headed to Target to get Diapers and goodies for my grandbaby who would be arriving shortly!

5) got a distressed call from my brother and we talked....praying for him as he is going through a rough time. I know he is right where he needs to be and I pray He can see the Lord in all of this because ONLY HE can minister and heal him completely

6) My husband had to go to OKC very early due to the Hail storm and tornadoes. They hit his store there. The hail was golf ball size and busted out windows and went straight through the ceiling in the warehouse. So he spent the day trying to fix the roof as you can only imagine there were no roofing companies available for miles and miles! HE was there 7am to 9pm working to get it where it wouldn't leak and they could continue with business as usual. He left there at 9 and still had the two hour drive home ahead of him! HE was exhausted! Here are some pics of the damage. The people said it looked like a snow storm after the hail was done falling.....BIZARRE!

Those holes are the size of the hail. It went straight through those condensing units on the air conditioner.


Here is the HAIL! HUGE


7) Arrived home got things picked up and fed everyone

8) My Rylee arrived and we played, colored, went outside to swing. Came in took a bath and had a popsicle in the tub :)

9) read books with Rylee and rocked her to sleep praying over her as always and thanking the LORD for the gift of being a NONI ♥

10) picked up everything AGAIN. Waited on my hubby to get home and prepared this post. IT WAS A CRAZY MONDAY!

Joy comes in the morning.....HALLELUAH :)

Words are Power

I have some devotionals that I use daily. One of those that I love is Joyce Meyer's "Starting and Ending your Day"

This actual devotion is in August but I know there are times I will look specifically for something I want to look deeper within and allow the Lord to illuminate those things that need to be revealed in me.

Hebrews 12:15
Be careful that no one fails to receive God's grace and begins to cause trouble among you. A person like that can ruin many of you.

Jesus said, "If you have faith and do not doubt....even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:21-22 emphasis mine)

Don't misuse the power of words by talking too much without faith or talking too little about your faith. Choose kind and gentle words that lift people and quiet gossip and strife. Believe that Gods' grace will prevail through what you say.

August 3rd Entry: by Joyce Meyer.


My prayer ~

Give us boldness Lord and balance. Let us know when to speak and when to be quiet. May we always believe YOUR Grace will prevail and not allow Fear to hold us back! When dealing with a difficult situation may we have discernment and walk in YOUR Love and Compassion yet set those healthy boundaries at the same time.

Have a blessed weekend my friends! Please visit Spiritual Sundays! Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for hosting this wonderful place filled with Godls love and hope each and every week!

TGIF

Well since i started Jillian's 30 Day shred I thought it would be appropriate to share some cute exercise pics with you! Since Kim who shares Friday Funnies with us each and every week is also our Fearless Leader at the Shredding Sister blog it seemed well, PERFECT!! You can join her here for friday funnies or you can read what's goin on with us ladies as we take this journey of shredding the weight away here












Happy Friday everyone! Thank you to each of you who prayed traveling mercies for my DH! He arrived home safe and sound and was greeted by all of us and his sweet Rylee with arms spread wide open yelling PAPA!!! It.was.precious! ♥

Giving Thanks!

Wow ~ it's Thursday already! This week has flown by!

I am sooo thankful that sometime tonight it may be very late but nevertheless, my DH will be H♥ME!! ♥

Also, that I will be picking up my Rylee to spend the night with us and that we get to spend the day together tomorrow! ♥

I am so Thankful my children love to read and my Son actually posted a review here on my book blog! He was so excited I asked him to and did an excellent job at reviewing the book! Hop over and check it out :)

I am so very thankful for all of my Shredding Sisters and that I have completed 5 days! It has been quite the challenge but I did it!

I am Most thankful for the Love of my Heavenly Father who during the storms of life ~ weather or otherwise ~ HE is ALWAYS with me, HE protects, He loves, He leads, He heals, He restores! He truly is my Refuge and Strength! Without HIM I would be so lost! Thank you Father!

Crossing Oceans ~ A Must Read

My Review:

In reading about this book I honestly did NOT know the content would be so close to what I had just walked through in this past year, if I had, I am not sure I would have requested this book. That being said ~ again I see Gods hand even in my requesting and reading this book.

This debut Novel, Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes is one of the BEST books I have read in a Long time and would highly recommend it to just about EVERYONE! You will laugh and cry, you will ponder your relationships and you learn about true deep UNCONDITIONAL Love. A Mothers' Love that is so selfless and strong and yet at times the daughter within her brings about forgiveness as well.

This story of Jenny Lucas and her precious daughter is one that will encourage you to live life to the fullest, to seek forgiveness and to always keep what is important as the priority but you will also see a woman grow in her Faith and live "on Purpose" while each day she plants seeds in her daughters life that will grow and flourish in the years to come no matter what lies ahead.


We all seek to be loved, to have healthy relationships, but we all also fail at times. Crossing Oceans is a book that will inspire you to Love with all you have, to seek the Lord no matter what life throws at you and in the end it is HIM that we all are truly seeking ~ for it is HIM that has all we will ever need!

This is a book I will read over and over again!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Crossing Oceans Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 1, 2010)

by Gina Holmes



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit May 2010's issue of CFOM at Interview with Gina Holmes or Novel Journey.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Crossing Oceans, go HERE.



Watch the Video Book Trailer:

Tuesdays top 10

one ~ Jesus L♥VES you...This I know!

two~ My DH is gone this week *sniff sniff*

three~ I won't have Rylee today :( I have to wait til Friday! My DH ~ her papa didn't want to miss her since he is gone but will be home then so she will be here on Friday....I can't wait :) double to look forward too!!

four ~ I only have 2 more weeks of Physical Therapy....I will miss those girls sooo much! They have become more than just therapists! They are friends and Prayer Warriors!

five ~ It is amazing how much energy I have getting up @ 6am to workout but boy I was ready for bed by 7:30 LOL

six ~ Cannot wait to share my next book review with you guys....This book is a MUST READ!!! SERIOUSLY!

seven ~ making fresh green beans and new potatoes in the crock pot today! YUM plus they are low in calories! :) double winner

eight ~ It is a rainy week this week and we had lots of storms last night....No tornadoes here, Praise the Lord! There was 5 deaths in Oklahoma City and around Norman ~ pray for those families! I can't even imagine what they must be going through.

nine ~ Sunday (Mothers Day) would have been my Dads birthday....I miss him so very much. Normally my brother and I would have spent the week in Florida and attended the TPC Sawgrass Golf Tournament with Daddy. We haven't been home for mothers day in quite a few years. Some days are just really hard! Today while I was at Sams I ran into an old friend who is now a Nurse for Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She knew I had lost Dad and she just listened to me as I shared his final days. She shared some things that really helped me and gave me a peace about those final days and hours. It was truly a Divine appointment! Thank you Lord for allowing me that opportunity! I LOVE how you LOVE ME!

ten ~ Here are some pics my daughter took of the stormy sky last night! She is AWESOME! This was a wicked sky because it was really dark....but look at the color of the sky! WOW!









Love to you all!

Mothers Day and the Shred Begins!

I pray everyone had a blessed Mothers Day! I had such a wonderful day. We went out together with my Mom and Stepdad and my Brother and his girls as well.

My Beautiful Momma



Jen, Me and Mom


My brother, Mom and I


The clan


The OH SO SILLY clan :)


later Krista, Casey and Rylee came over to spend the afternoon with us



My kids made me rocks to go in my garden that they decorated and then I got a coffee mug from Rylee with pictures of all of us and her all over it! I love everything Thank you KIDS! My husband sent me Saturday to get my hair done. I got it cut and colored...Rachel spent 3 hours with me and I love my new hair cut and the color looks great! Thank you Honey ♥

My Mom got me some new work out clothes as tomorrow I begin the 30 Day Shred with all my Shred Sisters! We have started a new blog so you can follow our journey if you would like! Go here to follow us and encourage us if you will! I am so excited/scared to begin this! We have a GREAT GROUP OF WOMEN doing this Shred together and I am blessed to be a part of it!

Here is my before Pic....I have 35 lbs. to lose!


Happy Monday everyone

Happy Mothers Day!

I saw this and just HAD to share it here with you all!


I pray everyone has a blessed Mothers Day weekend....I know some don't have their Mothers' with them and miss them very much. Some still long to be a Mother, while others that time has passed. I pray for each and every one of you ~ May you find Comfort in the LORD and experience HIS Presence anew!

Please visit Spiritual Sundays here. Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for being beautiful women of God and leading this each and every week! You inspire me always!

Love and Blessings to you all!

TGIF ~ Mothers Day Fun

So glad it is Friday....I can tell by everyones post what a busy week it has been and no doubt the weekend will prove to be even busier! I pray you have a blessed weekend, and a Beautiful Mothers Day! Won't you come join us over @ Kim's for Friday Funnies!

Funny quotes for MOthers Day.... enjoy :)

My Mother taught me about 'anticipation.'
"Just wait until your father gets home."

My Mother taught me to 'meet a challenge.'
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you! Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me 'logic.'
"If you fall out off that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
You spend a half hour searching for your sunglasses only to have your teenager say, "Mom, why don't you wear the ones you pushed up on your head?"
You hear a baby cry in the grocery store, and you start to gently sway back and forth, back and forth. However, your children are at school!

My mother taught me about 'hypocrisy.'
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the 'circle of Life.'
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about 'behavior modification.'
"Stop acting like your father!"

A new spin on Thanks ;)

Well if your came here looking for "THANKS" you may find it in a whole new form. I am joining KMama @ the Daily Dribbles for Thankyou Very Much Thursdays....a form of "Therapy" for some ;)


Thankyou very much to the young woman who checked me in at the Doctors' office yesterday. I arrived 10 min. early since I had such a tight schedule and wanted to make sure it all worked out in time but YOU, yes YOU checked in the person below me and person after person went into their scheduled appt's while I sat there not understanding why after 1 hour I had not been in to see the Doctor!! Oh Yes, thankyou very much!

Thankyou very much MAGGIE for being outside on your leash that you HATE and coming inside after 4 hours only to go potty causing my DH to become VERY UPSET and have to clean up your incredibly Large MESS! Oh ya...thank you very much!



Thank you Gina Holmes the author of the new book I am reviewing for writing such an amazing book Crossing Oceans ~ so amazing in Fact that I could NOT put it down for the 2nd night in a row and only getting a few hours of sleep ~ Yes thankyou very much!



And finally thankyou Biggest Loser videos~ for being such a great way to break in to doing the 30 Day Shred....I am so sore now it hurts to walk....Whatever will I be when I start that? Yes~ thank you all so very much for breaking me in and making ever so sore!

Happy Thank you very much Thursday everyone ;)

Call Me Crazy

About 13 years ago I was a young mom who was overweight and had gone through some medical stuff a few years prior. In 1997 I gave birth to my Son Jantzen in February. But two months prior to his birth I was put on complete and total bedrest due to early labor. I could only lay on my left side and get up to shower and use the restroom. It.was.not.fun. BUT I knew I had to do this to make sure my sweet boy didn't come early. He arrived right on time and I was so happy to be among the living :) Then I had to have a hysterectomy a couple of months later due to some female issues. Then, In June, I was diagnosed with meningitis and was in the hospital for a week receiving antibiotics and pain meds....That was awful! But during that stay my doctor asked my husband if he knew I had a Heart Murmur. He said yes but we have never done anything about it so she told him she wanted to look into it. Come to find out I had a WHOLE in my heart from birth that was now the size of a half dollar (which is really big considering the size of your heart) Since I had this whole for 31 years it also causeD my mitral valve to leak. The doctor told my husband that I would need Open Heart Surgery and that they would have to repair my valve while doing the procedure. All of this was a bit much for my DH to take. He had spent the last few months being EVERYTHING...I MEAN EVERYTHING and now we were looking at Open Heart Surgery???? Really?? I made it through and felt better than I did EVER IN MY LIFE! The doctors told both of us that they truly did not understand how I hadn't had a stroke while giving birth or how I had survived with a whole that big..... The Lord had plans ~ Still does too :)

Anyway a few years later I met with my best friends early in the morning and we began to walk/run and I lost an unbelievable amount of weight. I got down to 117 and felt great! I kept that weight off until about three years ago I was diagnosed with Lupus and the rheumatologist put me on Prednisone. She told me I would most likely gain weight and also that it would be very hard to take it off. She was right. I gained 40 lbs and I HATE IT!

I am so ashamed of how I look. Well, my friend Kim has a group of women who have decided to join her in a weight loss blog and we have all committed to doing Jillian Micheals 30 day shred. We will begin when Kim gets her video. I am so excited yet I am scared to death. I have been very sedentary this past year with everything. Being at my Dads during his cancer treatment and then losing him in December and then you add in my surgery on my shoulder I haven't done much working out. So to say I am going in full force is RIGHT ON! I decided I would start with the Biggest Loser beginner videos while waiting on Kim's video to arrive and have done better than I expected!

If anyone wants to join us Please go visit Kim HERE She will be creating a blog just for this group and we will be contributing and sharing our experiences. Or even if you just want to follow along on this new blog you can do this ~ She is asking for suggestions to name this blog if you have any ideas...

Call me crazy but I am in! better yet ~ just pray for me because the Lord knows I can only do this THROUGH HIM!!

Tuesdays top 10

one ~ Jesus L♥VES You....this I know!

two ~ I think I have gone INSANE! I accepted a challenge from my friend KIM over @ Homesteaders Heart. We will begin doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred in a few days! If you interested in joining go here I am feeling somewhat better since I was able to get through a complete workout today...Biggest Loser and then I stuck in the Dancing with the Stars video and did a bit more :) PHEW!

three ~ My dog Maggie has begun running off from our backyard just this past week! It is causing quite alot of strife.....My other dog Tyson is always on a leash but she has always been sooo good!! There was NEVER a need to leash her....Hope she learns quickly as we will begin the training ASAP!

four ~ Our air conditioner went out on Saturday and Praise the Lord the weather has been in the 70's but still was warm inside this afternoon when I got home. My Sweet and OH SO HANDY Honey was able to replace the compressor and viola' the air conditioner is fixed!! HE is such a blessing! The man can fix ANYTHING!!

five ~ Have you seen "Date night??" with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. OMG SOOO FUNNY! definitely PG13 though!

six ~ Jenna and I took Rylee on a walk last night and had the best talk.... then came home and she took a bubble bath. Jenna played with her all night and then rocked her to sleep ♥ It is so precious to see them together!

seven ~ Can't wait to see what my good friend Lori has to say about American Idol tonight!! She nails it every week!

eight~ Thanks for all the sweet comments on my new blog look! The credit
goes to Heather at Leelou blogs! She is amazing and has sooo many free templates or you can also choose some of her custom work for as little as 10$!!! She is sooo wonderful to work with! Go over and check her out ....tell her I sent ya :)

nine ~ going to lunch with my childhood Friend Angel on Wednesday! We haven't seen each other in years and reconnected via Facebook a few months ago and are finally going to get together! I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HER in person! :) If you haven't found her blog go over and meet her! You will love her!!

ten ~ Looking forward to spending time today with my Rylee girl. It is suppose to be warm....I think we will plant a few flowers, take a walk, swing, read some books..I just Love my Tuesdays with Rylee♥