It's A.......

Wow you guys! What a wonderful evening we had!! Krista and Kc were so excited and well, Krista had been patient long enough ;) She was ready to get this show on the road!! LOL They had quite the turn out to see what this baby was going to be!


Here are the infamous cupcakes.....just waiting to be bitten into so that we would finally know ~ were they filled with Pink or Blue on the inside???? Angel did an AWESOME Job! They were absolutely DELICIOUS!!



The Plan was to let Rylee bite into the cupcake but she decided she didn't want to soooo...Momma was happy to oblige! :) She only bit enough to see and then she said ~ "It's ...... BLUE "



It's A Boy!!! You know, honestly we just want a Healthy Happy Baby but I am sooo happy they are having a boy! Now we will have a little Prince to go with our Princess ♥



Here is most of everyone who we made the shirts for.... just a few are missing. Only a few people were sporting PINK


I had to share how we made Rylee's shirt "special" with a Princess iron on! Isn't it darling!!



Here is my Precious Family! It just humbles me everyday How Very Good God has been to me! I am soo very Blessed Just before my Mom snapped the photo Rylee yells "Fuzzy Pickles" We were all cracking up! :)


We will be holding this Precious Baby Boy in our arms come early next year! Until then, the Lord is working away knitting our Precious one into all HE wants him to be. I cannot wait to see what God has in store!

Thank you all for sharing in my JOY!

I'm Sooo Excited & I just can't Hide IT ;)

Tonight THIS ♥ is what we will be doing???




My friend and Yours ~ Angel suggested a Gender Reveal Party!! I had never heard of one before, have you?? Early this morning Krista and Kc will be having their Ultrasound done and the tech with write down what the baby is then seal it in an envelope and hand it to Angel.
Krista and Kc along with about 30-40 others will find out tonight as we bite into one of Angels Famous Cupcakes. Inside, the filling will be either pink or blue


Also, Everyone has been asked to cast their vote as to what they think the Baby will be, by wearing Pink or Blue shirts....So Brian and I made everyone (our family and Kristas mom and their family) shirts. We looked and looked for Blue tshirts but finding 14 of them in all the right sizes was IMPOSSIBLE! SOOOO ~ I thought AHA...I could TYE DYE them !! So we did. Then my Brother created the "team baby boy" LOGO. Then my Dh did all the names :) It was truly a team effort! Dont' they look AWESOME!!



Our names are based on what Rylee calls us!



LOOK who else got in on the action!!! Look at Maggies Feet and Mouth!! OMG We couldn't even get on to her! We were cracking up laughing!! What a MESS she is and THAT FACE.... Gotta Love Her!!




Hope everyone has a blessed Monday! Be sure to Come back tomorrow so I can let you all know what this baby is!!!!

Leave a Comment and Help ~

Meet Collette. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. In the video below you can learn more about Colette and her Journey! You will be so inspired by her Miracle as well!

We have an opportunity to help others who might receive this same Makeover Blessing! Go to any or better yet ALL of these links and leave a comment! Each comment made will bring $1.00 towards this cause!

Spiritual Sundays

Katillac Shack

Country Wings in phoenix blog

Guideposts FB page

Pink Saturday

That is $5 towards the next makeover! Thank you ALL for helping! It is sooo awesome to bless others isn't it!! :)

Have a beautiful weekend ~ love to you ALL! & remember .....God is STILL in the MIRACLE business TODAY! Praise HIM!

Thank you Spiritual Sundays for being such a wonderful blog, Shining for Jesus, and blessing the lives of all who visit! Thank you for helping promote this CAUSE!

As The Deer Pants for the Water ~ Simple Pleasures

As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God

Every Evening, families of Deer graze through our back yard. I never take these beautiful animals for granted! Almost always I catch myself humming or singing the infamous Hymn..... for HE truly is my Hearts Desire. He is my Strength and my Shield.




It brings me such pleasure to see them each and every night! When I get too close, they alert one another and run like this picture shows. I know though, they will be back the next day They come back faithfully day after day, because they know they will be fed ~ as much as they can eat! Isn't that just how we should be ~ Coming to our Father....hungry and trusting to be fed to overflowing!


Share you simple pleasure here

Counting it All Joy

I just L♥VE to spread JOY, don't you? If you would like to join in and pass along some JOY of your own, go visit Angel. I know she will be filled with JOY if you do!

This week Joy is in my heart because ~

The temperature has dropped considerably! I was able to go out and swing with Rylee for a good long while! This brought both of us JOY

With School starting last week, we are finally getting into a routine and that always brings me JOY

Last night we went to Jantzen's Open House @ his school. I met all of his teachers and am so happy because they all seem to be just wonderful! He is thrilled with each one and that fills me with JOY

Very soon we will learn if we will be having a new Grand ~daughter or a Grand ~ Son ♥ THIS brings me exceeding JOY


My husband, My daughter and I are all reading or listening to the exact same book! That is too much fun and brings me JOY I L♥VE to talk about the book I am reading for sure! :)

When God speaks to me it typically will be in everything I am doing ~ sermons I hear, books I read, emails I receive! Does this happen to you? It brings me such JOY that the LORD cares that much for me to make sure I get all HE has for me!


Here is how I found my Son and Dog Maggie last night on my bed :) Tooo cute ~ and such JOY


I pray you all have a JOY filled week! I cherish each and every time you all come to visit! You all bless me sooo and fill my heart with JOY

Words ~ Do yours bring life or death?

Week 4 of Toxic ______ is WORDS


Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose Proverbs 15:4


You know the saying ~ "Sticks and stones may break my bones but Words will never hurt me" What a bunch of baloney!! Yet, this is what we tell our kids??

We all know Words can hurt us and some can remain with us for Years!! We also know a kind word can change our whole day. If we receive a written word in a positive or uplifting way, we hold on to it & look back on it when we need some encouragement
don't we?


We must guard our hearts against Toxic Words We all know we cannot control what others say BUT We can control what we hear! If we align the words spoken with Gods Word we will know not to allow lies to penetrate our heart.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us:

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Listen to this about our Words! Proverbs 15:4

Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim

I don't know about you ~ I don't want to speak words that wound OR maim! Verbal abuse takes sooo much time & work (counseling) to heal from! They can ruin our self esteem or crush our spirit for sure.


Here is an excerpt from Max Lucado's "A Love worth Giving"


Before you speak, ask: Will what I’m about to say help others become stronger?

You have the ability, with your words, to make a person stronger. Your words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not share it? If you had water and saw someone dying of thirst, would you not give it? Of course you would. Then won’t you do the same for their hearts?
Your words are food and water!

Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged.

Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down!

Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you."



As we go about our day, We all must remember ~

We are NOT who others say we are

WE ARE WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE!

Words are very powerful! After all...... God didn't wave his hand and create the planets, the oceans, our world, etc.

HE SPOKE it all into being


Oh Lord, I pray my words speak Life today and always!

Weekend Wrap up

Our weekend kind of started on Thursday. We spent the evening surprising one of our friends on her big 5-0 birthday! Her husband invited quite a few to a local restaruant and I was soo happy to see such a big turn out! Some friends even came from Ohio! The biggest highlight though, was that their Son came! She wasn't expecting to see him until September. So when she saw him and screamed ~ running into his arms, I think the whole room was in tears! It was quite emotional!! Happy Birthday Connie!

We decided to go to church on Saturday night so we could have a day at home. A true day of rest on Sunday. I will be sharing on the message tomorrow! Toxic words! It was a goodin :) After church we had dinner with Angel and her family! We just about closed the place down LOL

Angel and I had a really good time :) We talked, laughed and talked some more!




Our husbands did too!! They are two peas in a pod and we are so blessed to be married to them!


How about you? What did you do this weekend? I pray it was a blessed one and that you have a blessed week to come!


Thought for the day ~
The tongue has the power of life and death Prov 18:21 Are your words speaking Life?

Sunday Spiritual ~ Perseverance

My Son, Jantzen is ....how do I say this? Persistant. No, He is...... VERY Persistant! I have shared with you what a sweet and tender heart he has. Yes, I am his momma, but I can honestly say he is such a good kid. He has a HUGE heart and truly a Servants Heart as well! This week we started school and on the VERY first day he wasn't even seated in my car before he started telling me that he HAD to get a schedule change. This was NOT THE NORM for Jantzen AT ALL! We have learned over the years that having a difficult teacher gives us opportunities to grow, to pray for that person/teacher, or just listen to the Lord as to what the assignment might be and why HE placed this person/teacher in their (my kids) life. So of course, I reminded my son of this, yet he was adamant and started to explain why.

There were 2 classes in which he wanted to change ~ Math and Honors English. He shared that he wanted to be moved up to honors math and that he just KNEW that's what was he was suppose to do. He said "I will not be challenged in that class and think I need to move up." Honestly, I had to agree with him on this one. But for the other class ~ honors English, it was simply a personality issue. Upon receiving his schedule I was "concerned" when I saw he had this teacher because she really does have quite the reputation! But again, I knew our thoughts on this. I also know we ALWAYS pray and ask the Lord for the kids teachers way before school begins and We trust the Lord completely in the ones they receive.

I told my son I would call the counselor the next morning to see about Math. In the meantime, My son CONTINUALLY brought up changing both classes! Seriously ~ IT WAS BECOMING ANNOYING ;0) He would wake up and talk about it, after school he began again! Persistance!

Finally, I was on the phone with the counselor explaining why we wanted to move Jantzen Up in math and learned the steps I needed to take to see if it was a possibility. Before we hung up I asked her about changing his English class as well. She told me the other teacher (the one he wanted) classes were completely full and that it was not an option at all! Yep, sounds like a closed door to me~ Surely, He was suppose to be with this English teacher.
I asked.
I did what I could.
RIGHT??

I explained to Jantzen that he was most likely going to be moved to honors math and that he needed to be prepared to work really hard and that he would CERTAINLY be CHALLENGED! Once again, he started in on me about changing Honors English as well. PERSISTANCE!!

I finally told Jantzen I had done everything I could possibly do. It was out of my hands. I suggested he pray about it and also said "You know what! If you want this so badly, maybe you should go talk to the counselor and show her how important this is to you!"

Well ....He did just that. PERSISTANCE

When I picked him Friday after school he was walking to my car.... BEAMING!! He handed me a piece of paper telling me not only did he get Honors Math AND the new Honors English teacher that he wanted BUT...... she ALSO changed the hours around to where he has the classes with his best friend!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! God is sooo good!

PERSEVERANCE!!!


As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered James 5:11

I am so thankful the lessons my son learned in all of this! His Perseverance brought about HUGE Blessings!

Happy Weekend my friends ♥

Friday Funnies ~ Bad Hair Day ??

What are you looking at???


Light socket??


hmmm


Oh my gosh~ this is sooo embarassing ;)


Visit Kim for more Friday Funnies

Simple Pleasures ~ Naptime

My friend Dayle hosts Simple Pleasures and here is what she has to say about it:
I've lived long enough to realize that the simple pleasures of life are the most important ones, but it's easy to let them slip by, unnoticed, during the busyness of an ordinary day.

That's why I created the Simple Pleasures series, to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And whenever I do, I'm never disappointed. It might be the sound of a baby's laugh, the gentle splash of a summer rain against the window, or flowers in a jar on the kitchen windowsill.

You're invited to share your simple pleasures with us here, every Thursday. Below are the guidelines for participating. I really hope you'll join us.


This week my simple pleasure is Naps!!


This.....Is what I felt like & my whole family looked like yesterday! LOLOLOL We are night owls in the summer and well, try as we may, getting back into the school routine and making everyone go to bed early just doesn't happen! So getting everyone up and out the door so early had us all soooo sleepy!

I love to take a quick nap...just give me 15-20 min. and I'm good to go. My husband LOVES taking Sunday naps!! Even my daughter LOVES when Rylee is here and it's nap time! She begs to go lay down with her so she can take a nap with her ♥
Isn't that sooo sweet!!

What about you? Do you like to take naps?

Thanks for sharing in my Simple Pleasure this week!

JOY Unspeakable

Do you know my friend Angel? If you don't, you should go meet her! I know you will love her like I do! She hosts this awesome meme and I don't know about you but I think it's awesome to have a friend who looks for the Joy in every situation! I hope you will join in and help spread the JOY

I am filled with JOY

because yesterday we woke up to Lightning, Thunder and Rain! Oh ya, and MUCH cooler temps! We seriously needed the rain! Rylee and I went outside and just sat on the porch listening to the storm! It was sooo peaceful! I loved watching her face when it would thunder and how she snuggled up to me for protection! Sweet JOY indeed

It was the last day of summer as well yesterday ~ well, as far as school goes....So since it was raining outside Jenna decided to build a tent :) Rylee thought it was sooo much fun and boy did it bring back the memories of when the kids were little


Joy filled faces don't you think?? :)

My son is just the sweetest young man! He is full of L♥VE and has given me sooo many hugs these past few days because he says "I will be at school and won't be able to give you as many hugs!" Joy to the brim I say!

My kids are starting school and while this does NOT bring me JOY LOL ~ I am choosing to be joyful knowing the Lord has wonderful things in store for this new school year!

What about you ~ What brings you JOY today?

Thoughts on Tuesday

What a great weekend we had! We were able to celebrate one of our dearest friends 40th birthday with her and a large group of people at a fabulous Mexican restaraunt on Saturday evening.



Sunday @ Church we learned more on the "Toxic______ Series" This week was "Toxic Relationships" I am loving this Series! I just love getting in the car and hearing my kids and their thoughts! They are really connecting to the Word and this series. It is just sooo awesome! I am amazed at how Boundaries play such a HUGE role in sooo many areas of life. Having grown up with NO BOUNDARIES I am praising God that I learned them (even if it was in my late 30's!!) and taught them to my children....It is NEVER too late with God! Never ever!! He will always meet you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE and begin teaching you, no matter what!




One line that spoke volumes to me in regards to boundaries and relationships was this:

"Jesus had 12 Disciples ....not 200!" Wow! I am a people pleaser ~ I want everyone happy but it just is impossible to please all the people all the time! As a believer it is our goal to be like Christ right!? Well, we must understand and recognize that Jesus did everything and I mean EVERYTHING in Love, even when HE set boundaries.

Toxic Relationships need to be recognized & discerned. Praying and Listening to the Lord is Vital. Only through HIM will you know if He can make the relationship work or if it is one that needs to be cut off.

Seeking the Lord for all of our relationships is so important. HE truly cares about each and every one of them. Those relationships in which we are just a light for HIM, planting seeds ~ maybe a co-worker, or the grocery clerk that we see each week....Ask HIM what it is that HE wants you to share or say during those encounters

For those Best Friend relationships are we lifting them up and being a godly influence? Or do we let our guard down and gossip? Are we controlling or manipulative? We always need to shine the Light within ourselves and not just point the finger elsewhere. So many times we call ourselves Christian yet we act just like the world does. Our relationships must reflect Christ. In prayer circles, in girls nights out, everywhere!

In our marriages are we edifying our spouse or berating them to others? In Proverbs 12 v. 3 this is what it says about wives:

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. ~ The Message versions says "A disgraceful wife is like cancer to his bones"

Yikes! I don't want to be like decaying anything or cancer either! AH YI YI!
I know in my relationship with my husband it is always important to ask questions: Like....
"What can I do better?" I have to be willing to hear the answer LOL and then work on it too! :)

Happy Tuesday everyone! Looking forward to sharing some JOY with Angel tomorrow :)

Something Beautiful ~

My friend Renee @ A Glimpse of Beautiful shares this meme with us each Monday! I love seeing all the Beautiful posts and know you will too :) go ahead ~ join in





God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10

I shared last week how much I LOVE the Ocean! Everything about it! There is just something so peaceful in listening to the waves. He created the seas on the 2nd day! Wow! The 2nd day! He saw that it was good....I have to say "good" just doesn't suffice when describing the Ocean or anything God created for that matter :)


What about you....Do you love the Ocean and listening to the waves? What do you find beautiful about the Ocean?

Spiritual Sundays ~ Gods Faithfulness

I dislike missing a week of Spiritual Sundays sooo much! I am sooo happy to be back :) If you would like to join in go here

I am always blessed when I read my devotional by Sarah Young titled Jesus Lives
I pray you enjoy this wonderful posts on Gods Faithfulness

My COMPASSION NEVER FAIL; THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING. You can begin each day confidently, knowing that MY vast reservoir of blessings is full ~ to the brim. This knowledge helps you wait for ME, entrusting your long-unanswered prayers into MY care and keeping. I assure you that not one of your prayers has slipped past ME, unnoticed. I want you to drink deeply from MY fountain of limitless LOVE and unfailing compassion. As you wait in My Presence, these divine nutrients are freely available. You may drink without cost from the spring of the water of Life.

May you all have a blessed weekend! I love you all!

Although many of your prayers remain unanswered, you can trust in MY great faithfulness: I keep all MY promises in MY perfect way and timing. Among other things, I have promised to give you Peace that displaces the trouble and fear in your heart.

If you become weary of waiting for answers to your prayers, remember that I also wait: so that I may also be gracious to you and have mercy on you. I wait til you are ready to receive that things that I lovingly prepared for you. Blessed are those who wait for ME ~ expectantly, longingly, trustingly.

Friday Funnies ~

I just laugh every single time I see this man (the older gentleman in the yellow)! His laughter is soooo contagious! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with love & laughter! To enjoy more Friday Funnies go and visit Kim and tell her I sent ya ;)

Simple Pleasures ~ Just a swinging

For me, there is something so very special about a porch swing.

I can swing all by myself and read for hours on end

Or, I could sit with a loved one and share a sweet conversation.

It could be an early morning where I sit with my Bible & Coffee and share some precious prayer time with my Heavenly Father.

Memories flow of the countless hours I would swing with my Nana and "La La" ~ a precious little melody we sang together ~ that I now sing with my grandaughter.

I can just enjoy a glass of tea and listen to the locusts, cicadas and frogs create their outdoor symphony

Yes, I am so thankful for the Simple Pleasure of a Porch Swing! What is your Simple Pleasure? Join Dayle and see other Simple Pleasures

Joy Unspeakable

Join in with Angel and spread the JOY

I am filled with JOY because I have the sweetest husband ever! While we were in Florida a big group of guys and some wives played golf. My sweet husband was asked countless times why he wasn't playing ~ He said, "I can play golf any ol' time, but I'm not here alone in Florida with my wife every day!" Awww ~ Sooo sweet and pure joy to my heart!

I am filled with JOY because Angel is coming home SOON and I miss her so much! I can't wait to catch up with her!!

I am filled with JOY because even though I left the arms of my honey I came home to the arms of all 3 of my kids and the sweet loving arms of my grandbaby! Plus, I was also met at the airport by the most wonderful loving arms of my Momma! I am sooo very very blessed!

I am filled with JOY because I came home to such a clean house AND all the laundry was done! can I get an AMEN on that one!!! PURE JOY :) Thanks Krista!! :)

I am filled with JOY ~ even though my daughter is going to be a Senior this year, she asked me to go with her to her enrollment! Yes, I shed a few tears and can't believe it is her Final year of school but her wanting and still needing me gives me such JOY!!


I am filled with JOY because I hope to be catching up with all of you real soon!!! I have missed everyone so much and look forward to spending time reading what is going on in your lives!!


I am filled with JOY because I have some new and OH SO COMFY pajamas that my Mom got me & since I write my posts at night and schedule them for the next day.....I am off to catch some zzzzzzzzz's


Joyful Thought for the day :) Prov 15:30


A cheerful look brings JOY to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones

Something Beautiful ~ Time together ♥

I'm H♥ME !! I had to leave my honey very early this morning. We had such a WONDERFUL TIME and OMG, IT.FLEW.BY!! Seriously, I don't know that 2 days has EVER gone by sooo fast!

My friend Renee started a meme today called "Something Beautiful" How very appropriate and perfect for my time away this weekend! Won't you join in and share Something Beautiful today :)


For me....There is no where else I would rather be than on the Beach!




Some of you know last year we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary and planned to get away but just before we were to leave town, we unexpectedly lost Brians mom and within days of her dying we found out my Dad had lung cancer. My kids and I immediately drove to Florida and lived there with him for the summer. After losing Daddy in December we tried to get away and spend some time in Florida in January. My husband went before me but I got snowed in and my flight was cancelled 3 times! Well, this year was our 20 year anniversary!! We spent the day working at our Sons school celebrating their last day! It was so much fun! So the Lord gave us yet another opportunity ~ My husband was to spend a week in Fl. having business meetings but the company was offering for the spouses to come up and spend the weekend!! We were able to fly together this time and we left early Friday morning in hopes of spending a full 3 days together. Can you believe that we got to the airport and found out that we could NOT fly out because we were checking a bag and arrived 5 minutes too late! Soooo.....we had no choice but to leave later. OK....so then we flew into Atlanta and first, they delayed our connecting flight 2 hours. Within 30 minutes of that Brian noticed that they had CANCELLED our flight! EXCUSE ME?? REALLY?? yes. really they did. We joined the 60+ people on the stand-by list and did the only thing we knew to do......PRAY! They told us that we would most likely have to get a hotel and not leave Atlanta until 11 the next morning. I rallied my pray warriors via Facebook and sent out texts and the Lord blessed us!! We were able to make the flight and even though we arrived 12 hours later than we had scheduled we were soooo happy to be at our Hotel and were thanking and Praising the Lord! Thank you all so very much, those of you who prayed with and for us!

This is where we spent the day yesterday.....This is Beautiful ~ The Lords creation in sight and sound!



Thank you Lord for this wonderful Time together and to our Daughter Krista and Son-in-law KC for staying here with the kids so that we could go....it was BEAUTIFUL!

Friday Funnies ~ Family waxing??

My Friend Kim hosts Friday Funnies! You gotta go visit her and get your Friday laugh!!!

You know the old saying "The family the prays together stays together"

Wellllllllll ~ In this family not only do we Pray together .......



We wax together! Brian and I are heading out of town this morning so of course I had to wax!! I usually do all of us at the same time and well, you know...provided for the perfect photo op! My men were HUMILIATED!! I think that is the word they chose LOL! Hey, I am the one with wax ALL OVER my FACE hahaha......







Happy Friday Everyone!

Simple Pleasures ~

My friend Dayle has started this meme and I have enjoyed participating so very much! Here is why she started sharing her simple pleasures

Are you noticing the simple things lately? I started the Simple Pleasures series to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And whenever I do, I'm never disappointed. It might be the sound of a baby's laugh, the gentle splash of a summer rain against the window, or flowers in a jar on the kitchen windowsill. ~ Dayle



On Monday's post, I shared the word of the week would be HOT and I was right! Wow....Everday we have had triple digits and the heat index has been 115's or so!

This week, my simple pleasure is the sound of a fan...it just takes me back to my nanas house and the sound just brings me so much peace and is sooo relaxing... For this week though, it is not just enjoying the sound of the fan but also keeping us cool in this blazing heat!

I am so thankful for my Fans...I have one in every room now LOL ~ even in my bathroom! HA :)