The Tortoise and the Hair

I Pray everyone had a Blessed Memorial Day Weekend! My kids have officially begun their Summer Vacation! I know some are still in school for a bit longer....so hold on! It will be here SOON! :)

This weekend Our Sweet Grandbabies came and spent the night with us which can only be described as HEAVENLY!! Swinging outside, taking walks, reading books, and the best part?? HUGS & KISSES OXOXOX

I took a walk around the house really early on Saturday and found this guy peeking over the rocks just ready to nibble on some flowers! LOL



Peek-A-Boo




Here is our Sweet Rylee! She LOVES to be outside and just ONE of her Favorite things to do with her Papa is to put Corn out for the Deer to eat when they come by! The weather was soo Beautiful... and so is her HAIR!!!

She had so much fun running ....


And Running.....


Oh to have her Energy!



Til' Tomorrow.....

Spiritual Sundays

Are you a:

Peace ~ Maker OR Peace ~ Keeper?? Last week in our Series titled "Getting Past Your Past" Pastor Craig Groeschel shared on the difference of

Peace -keeping vs. Peace - making.

I will be honest. I always felt it IMPORTANT to "Keep" the Peace. It wasn't until I started learning a few things such a boundaries or even personalities that I started to recognize that "Keeping" the Peace is sometimes really just sweeping things under the rug or better known as "Stuffing my feelings, and being run over."

Pastor Craig said it this way....

"A Peace Keeper" is one who hates conflict and stuff's their emotions, brushing them aside and refuses to work toward reconciliation.

"A Peace Maker" will face conflict and/or the issues with humility and intregrity, always seeking to work toward reconciliation, healing and in turn bringing about true Peace!

I don't know that you could find one person who has not been "hurt" and as much as we sometimes can focus on that hurt or that pain, we would do best working on those situations or people where we are ones who have caused the hurt. Seeking to bring forth Peace, not only allows for freedom within, and freedom to those whom we have hurt, but it is in this process that the LORD is Glorified.

It is in humility that we can seek to bring forth Peace. It is in humility that we can honestly look within and look into those whom we have wounded and ask forgiveness. When Christ brings truth into the light, exposing it...it is here that Peace and Healing are made. Not kept. Freedom goes forth and brings life to all in its path.


Matthew 5:9
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God

Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays. Please join in with us each week and be blessed by so many who share their hearts and the Love of Christ ~ You will be blessed!

Memorial Day Thanks

As we begin the Memorial Day Weekend I just wanted to say Thank You to all of those who are fighting for our freedom and for their sacrifices as well as those of their families!




May we all take a moment and pray for them and for our Leaders too!

Have a Blessed Memorial Day weekend my friends!

21 Years and Going Strong ♥

Happy 21 Years Honey! EAch day is a gift...one I never take for granted. God made you JUST FOR ME and I am forever grateful!








SCRATCH THAT! MAKE IT...... TWENTY ONE YEARS!!!












From the day we pledged our love
I seem to love you more
Over time our love has deepened
And grown stronger in the Lord
Through all the ups and downs we’ve had
Our love has not grown dim
The light burns brighter to reflect
The love of God within

© By M.S.Lowndes

THANK YOU HONEY FOR 21 WONDERFUL YEARS! Praying the Lord Blesses us with MANY MANY MORE!!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I shared with you all about our new landscaping a few weeks ago and just had to share these pics with you

So cool ~ Looks like a ♥



Our Sweet Garden Angel ~ Her face made us think of Rylee ♥, isn't she sooo cute!


One of our GORGEOUS Roses LOVE THEM! So would my Daddy!


PINK POWER!


LOVE the Purple!!


Our VERY FIRST YELLOW ROSE!!! Took much longer to bloom but sooo worth the wait!!


Our Cats LOVE the Flower Bed too! :)

This is our HUGE and Oh SO Lovable "Coopey JOE"


Our Quiet and Shy "Pongo"


The Queen of all Cats ~ Katrina Carol Anne"




The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts"

The Much Anticipated Walk

So Very Proud of you Jenna


So are Nanny & Papa


Rylee too! ♥


As Are Your brother and Sister


And now.... A New Season Begins



Dear Lord,
As I look toward the future
Bright hope conducts this prayer,
For I know the plans You have for me
Were wrought with divine care.

Holy Spirit, lead me.
Let me run at Your command,
Yet be still and know that You are God
When trouble is close at hand.

Your Word will be a lamp for me,
A guide to light my way,
A solid place to set my feet,
A compass when I stray.

May I live my life to praise You,
Not for fortune, nor for fame,
May everything I say and do
Bring glory to Your name.

May my eyes stay fixed upon You
As I seek the way that's pure,
Tasting Your love and goodness
Sleeping and rising secure.

Planted by Your living streams
I'll delight in all Your ways,
Hidden by Your sheltering wings
With new mercies for each day.

Even in a dangerous land
When storms threaten to destroy,
At the cross I'll stand upon the Rock
My Strength, my Hope, my Joy.

Dear Lord, show me Your favor,
At all times keep me blessed,
May Your face ever shine upon me,
With peace and perfect rest.

Amen

TGIF ♥

My friend KIM hosts Friday Funnies and trust me.....If you want to laugh, she has some hilarious funnies today!

We saw this commercial the other day and we all just cracked up!! Hope you will too!

On a side note....Today is Graduation Day for my Sweet Jen. So proud of my girl! So excited to see all God has in Store for her!



Happy Friday my friends!! Love you all XOXO

Word Filled Wednesday

Praise the LORD for HIS WORD and HIS PROMISES!





Have a Blessed and Joy-Filled Day my friends!

The Gift of Time

I spent the day Monday, with my Son. It was Precious time spent doing just some of the things we love. After attending his awards ceremony I took him out of school for the day, just to be together.....

We went out to lunch. We spent some of his gift cards that he got for Christmas! LOL Yes, you read that right....CHRISTMAS We listened to music, driving along with the windows down, enjoying the warm air and sunshine.

We talked, we laughed, and we acted silly! All 3 of my kids have very different personalities and I love it when I can spend that one on one time with them. To just enjoy them, time spent when you can just BE....

Thank you my sweet boy! For sharing the gift of You with me today. I love you so much! XOXO


What about you guys? What is your favorite thing to do one on one with your kids?

So Very Proud but Please slow down!!

Wow! Wasn't that a mess last week with Blogger! So thankful they have it all straightened out! I missed everyone didn't you?? :)


These final weeks of the School Year seem to just be flying by! I think though, that when you have a Senior in High School, it goes by even more quickly, don't you?? !!

Last week was Senior Awards Assembly and the Senior Talent Show. This past weekend was Senior Appreciation Day, better known as Baccalaureate. Each day brings these kids one day closer to Graduation and entering a whole new Season of Life.


This Morning I will be attending my Sons Awards Assembly, and am so excited. I was contacted, letting me know Jantzen will be receiving awards. The kids don't ever know if they are receiving an award or not, so the teachers contact the parents to make sure we will be there to see them being honored!

I shared with you all last week about the tragic death of Hance. Well, my daughter went to her boss and asked if there place of business could do a Fundraiser in honor of Hance. Her boss agreed and 10% of all the sales that day will go to MADD in his honor. Will you please Pray this day will be a HUGE SUCCESS and bring in sooo many people!!

We are soo proud of all our kids! I am So VERY blessed to be their MOM ♥ I know these next 2 weeks are going to fly by and I can only imagine how quickly this Summer will be. Can you Slow it down Lord... Pretty Please ;)

How was your weekend? Did it fly by? I pray you all have a Blessed Monday

Are you "sharing" your gifts?

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8 NLV

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Do you seek God as to how HE wants you to use them to bring glory to HIM? When you are the recipient of someone who has shared their gifts with you, or for you, do you recognize it and thank them and the LORD for them?

There have been a few things I have prayed for over the last couple of years....

One thing I specifically have asked the Lord about was having someone to "walk" with, around the neighborhood, to get some exercise.

Another specific I prayed & asked the Lord about, was this:

When my Daddy would come to visit we would always work in the yard together and then when I would go to visit him in Florida we of course did the same thing at his house. My Daddy was amazing with flowers, vegetables, you name it ~ he could grow it! Living with him in Florida during those final months of his life, we spent hours outside planting, picking, and pruning. It was heavenly. I learned alot from Daddy that summer but still I wasn't comfortable enough to just go to a nursery and design a flower bed or grow a garden of my own quite yet!

I shared with you all a few weeks ago about our new neighbors, and how wonderful they are right??!! Well, not only have I been walking with her every morning but she has an unbelievable knowledge for planting flowers, veggies, and trees. You name it, she can grow it ...just like my Daddy.

My Neighbor is operating in her gifts ~ teaching me "How to" plant or prune my flowers, roses etc.
She is encouraging me every step of the way.
She is giving sharing her wisdom, knowledge, and time....very generously
She is sharing kindness as we walk and learn more about each other.

I am so thankful and very blessed! I am not just "seeing" my neighbor share her gifts, I am experiencing it first hand!
When we operate in the Gifts God has given us...the blessings are so sweet. Seeing the Holy Spirit work through others is sooo powerful!

Are you sharing your gifts with others? How did you feel knowing you had helped someone while operating in your Spiritual gifts? Spiritual Sundays is yet another example of two women operating in their Spiritual Gifts and sharing a place where we all can share Jesus and encourage one another or pray for each other. To join in go here

Prayers Needed

Today is a VERY SAD and DIFFICULT day for those in our community. We will be saying good-bye to a young man today. Last Thursday evening Hance Henrie was in Provo UT finishing up some ROTC training. He and some friends were driving down an Inter-state and a car crossed over into their lane and struck the truck carrying Hance and His friends. The driver, a 56 year old female was drunk. Hance was the only one wearing a seat belt and he was the only one who died.

My daughter was very close to Hance. My husband went to school with his parents. His Mom is Jantzens Honors Science Teacher.

I don't know why these things happen. I can't even imagine the grief his parents are experiencing. I am soo thankful they have such a strong Faith because truly in times such as this....It is ONLY through God that a parent can get through such a devastating circumstance.

Please, if you will, Lift up the Henrie Family today and in the days to come. His funeral will be late this afternoon, and I know for so many of these kids, it is going to be so very hard. But as hard as it is for them, it is beyond anything we could ever imagine for his family!




Thank you all for being such amazing friends and prayer warriors!

Mothers Day Weekend 2011

I hope everyone had a blessed Mothers Day and weekend! Our weekend was soo full! Friday night we worked Relay for Life's "Fight Back Against Cancer". We arrived @ 6p.m. Friday evening to volunteer ALL NIGHT LONG with my Son and all of the kids from his school What a great group of Kids! There were soo many people who participated from our Community. So many Cancer Survivors and yet so many who have lost their battle or are in the middle of their fight with this horrible disease!

It was an emotional yet beautiful moment when the did the luminary service. This was for my Daddy.


The kids had numerous contests to raise money during the night. This was a human cake LOLOL




Sunday we had dinner for all of my family and some friends to celebrate Mothers Day. My Husband made us a FABULOUS DINNER and the day was so special.

Three Generations


My Beautiful Momma


My Precious Kids. Our Oldest just arrived home from a 10day Vacation late in the afternoon! I can't wait to see her and our grandkids! I swear both the kids changed sooo much in that 10 days! I have missed them all soo much!!


How was your weekend!!? I pray you all had a Blessed Mothers Day!

TGIF ♥

Today begins the celebration of Mothers' Day with my Mom ♥ She and I will have lunch together and we are going to get Pedicures!!! I am SOOO EXCITED! When we're together, Mom and I share alot of laughs! Today is Friday Funny here @ The Magoos News sooo if you would like to join in head on over to Kim's

This guy is A TRIP! We have laughed and laughed and IF YOU WERE WONDERING ..... No, we haven't gotten the dance down YET ;)~




What do you think? Is he serious?? LOL

I hope all you Mommas have a very Blessed Mothers Day this weekend! Love to you all !! XOXO

My Girl ♥

I am sooo excited we FINALLY got the Senior Pictures in our possession!! Soo excited to share them with you all !



This Hat was my Daddy's. The One thing Jenna asked for when Daddy passed away. We Cherish these photos!










You have seen some of her prom pics but Oh MY! I love how she captured her in these pics!










Remember me telling you about the ICE COLD WATER??? LOL Here it is! Never would know would you?




Wasn't it just yesterday I was bringing this sweet little girl home swaddled up in that baby blanket, looking at me with those beautiful blue eyes. I never could have imagined the Love that filled my heart for my Precious Jenna Marie. To watch her grow, to see her become such a wonderful, caring, and loving young woman. I am so very proud of my girl. She is so strong, so smart, and I am so excited to see all God has in store for her! I love to see her operate in her Spiritual gifts, blessing those the Lord places in her path. The Lord blessed me 18 years ago and allowed me the privilege of being her momma ~ A gift I have Treasured every single day.