Firsts and Lasts

When your daughter is a Senior in High School, let me tell you..... "The time flies by way tooo fast!" Experiencing so many things for the very last time can at times break this mommas heart.



Her last High School Spring Break
Her final football game as an Athletic Trainer
Shopping for her last ever Prom Dress
Her final Basketball game as an Athletic Trainer
Multiple Senior Nights recognizing them and all of their accomplishments
Her final Soccer game as an Athletic Trainer


Along with all of these Lasts in her life we are also experiencing Many "Firsts"

Applying to Colleges
Being accepted and deciding where to go
Attending College Open Houses
Filling out countless Financial Aid Forms
Going to the College Greek Discovery Days

I will be honest, whether we are experiencing a First or a Last Situation I am in need of some serious KLEENEX! This weekend alone, we found the most beautiful Prom Dress for Jenna's very last Prom EVER! The very next day we were up and on the road by 7am to drive down to the College she has chosen. We went down to "Greek Discovery Day" to see if joining a Sorority is something she might be interested in.

During the Parent session one of the college advisers told us our #1 assignment as parents is to stop being Helicopter Parents ~ definition ~ to stop hovering over our children.

All the Parents listened and laughed and if they were like me they had to look within and ask...."Am I a Helicopter Parent? Do I hover?"

The Lord has blessed me abundantly with my children. To love them, care for them, and lead them in the way they should go. Each day has been such a gift! I know I haven't always done things perfectly, and no doubt at times I have definitely hovered.
I know letting go is a process, so for now, I am CHERISHING every single day....whether it is something we are experiencing for the first time, or sadly.... the last time.

I am so excited to see all the Plans God has in store for my girl....her Hope, her Future

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

TGIF ♥

Hip Hip Hooray It's F-R-I-D-A-Y

You know what that means :) It's time for some Friday Funnies! Kim over @ HomesteadersHeart hosts FF each week so if you want to enjoy more funnies head on over there or even better than that, join in with us, and share your own funny!! The More Funnies, the more Laughs for everyone!!

My Son found this funny and he said "Mom, you are going to love this and I bet you will want to use it for your Friday Funny" He was CORRECT!! This is soo cute! This sweet baby can't figure out if his Momma blowing her nose is scary or funny??


Happy Friday my Friends!

Thought for the Day:

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
-- Mother Teresa

Trusting in YOU Lord

I am so thankful that with so much going on that brings a heaviness and concern we have Hope in the ONE who cares for us and is with us no matter what. Thank you Lord for Spring and the signs of "all things new." Thank you for seasons in our spiritual walk as well.

I know many are hurting and in need of a touch from the Lord. Some need a breakthrough. Some just flat out need a miracle. I have received many emails for friends needing prayer. As I interceded on behalf of my friends, I felt the Lord showing me how my grand- children live daily knowing they will be loved and cared for,and having all their needs met, that He too would be there for all these needs I was laying at the foot of the Cross. In seeking what to blog I had this on my heart and thought of these pictures of my grandkids.... The Joy on their faces and the trust in their hearts....

Thank you Lord for meeting the needs of those who put their Trust in YOU




The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Ps 28:7

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Ps 9:10

DIGIORNO HOUSE PARTY

Blogging has given me and my family soo many blessings! One of those blessings is having the opportunity to review items and then share what we think! Receiving FREE items is AWESOME!! I recently was given the opportunity with Houseparty.com to host a DIGIORNO Pizza & Hoops Party. I got a PartyPac in the mail that was filled with awesome GOODIES!! Throwing a party for Friends and Family and sharing all these new items is sooo much fun!

Here are some pics from our party

We got FREE.....PIZZAS, BREADSTICKS, WYNGZ, AND COOKIES


Did Someone say FREE PIZZA???


My Sweet Grandson was sporting the Basketball attire but bless his heart he was soooo sleepy ;)


My Honey got busy makin all the DELICIOUS food


DiGiorno has some delicious Pizza!! They are introducing their WYNGZ and Cookies as a side to their pizzas! The Wyngz were gone in literally minutes! They were a SLAM DUNK!! The Cookies were Nestle Tollhouse soo you know they were fabulous!!!




Rylee & Jen helped too!



We shot some HOOPS


LOOK AT THAT AIR!!



Rylee LOVED Playing Basketball INSIDE


She Scores!




Some of the Party Favors we received were some REALLY LOUD noise makers



We shot some video of the crazy and OH SO LOUD noise makers....it was sooo loud but at the end of the video you will notice it never even phased my Grandson! HE SLEPT ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT!




THANKS DIGIORNO AND HOUSEPARTY!! THE PARTY WAS A HUGE HIT! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN PLAYING HOOPS AND LOVED EVERY SINGLE BITE!! IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT A DELIVERY NIGHT.....IT WAS ALL DIGIORNO!!

Spiritual Sundays ~ Blessed by Burdens

Today for my Spiritual Sunday post I am sharing from my Billy Graham Devotional ~ Unto the Hills. To join in and share your own post go here


Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as adversity has done. Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs, the most poignant poems, the most gripping stories. Out of suffering and tears have come the greatest spirits and the most blessed lives.

J.R. Miller wrote, "Many of us find life hard and full of pain. We cannot avoid these things; but we should not allow the harsh experiences to deaden our sensibilities, or make us stoical or sour. The true problem of living is to keep our hearts sweet and gentle in the hardest conditions and experiences."

Our oldest daughter married a Swiss. They had seven children and usually spent their summers in Switzerland and their winters in America. Sometimes when we visited them in Switzerland we took the children and went high up in the Alps on chair lifts. We crossed over miles of land, looking down below at some of the most beautiful flowers to be found anywhere in the world. Those flowers had survived the heavy snows of winter. The burdens of ice, snow and winter storms added to their luster, beauty, and growth. It was hard to believe that just a few weeks earlier these flowers were buried under many feet of snow. Our burdens can have the same effect on our lives.

As Christians face the winds of adversity and the storms of trouble, they rise like the skylark. They are like the trees that survive the storm because their roots are driven deep. They are like the trees that grow on our mountain ridges in North Carolina ~ trees battered by winds, yet, trees in which we find the stronger wood.

The skylark, the flowers, the trees -- all these illustrate Job's words: "When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (23:10NIV). The Christian who understands this aspect of God's nature can find comfort in his suffering and peace in his pain. "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal." (Job 5:17-18NIV)

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Our Father and Our God, thank YOU for the blessings and burdens of my life. Please help me to be gentle and sweet, in spite of hard expriences and difficult times. Teach me to be humble in good times. Let others see Your Strength and love shine through my life at all times. Because of Christ.
Amen.




May you all have a blessed weekend

TGIF ♥

This has been such a wonderful week! But Seriously, it has gone WAY TOOO FAST!! The Icing on the week is to end it laughing right ;)??? Of Course it is!! So join me over @ Kim's why don't you?


Not only is this just the cutest video but I think we can all learn alot from this little girl!! Let me know if you agree!! ENJOY!!

A New Look ~ lovin it!!

I shared with you all I was getting in some new curtains this week. They arrived 2 days early!! WOOHOO! We have lived in our house for 5 years now. When we had our house built, we were one of the only houses back in our area so having curtains wasn't all that necessary. Plus we love our view! Deer walking through our backyard and trees ....glorious trees! Well, fast forward to today and there are no more empty lots. We have neighbors everywhere and have finally decided to cover the windows. I am not a decorator at all and have always looked to my Mom or friends for their expertise. Last week my Mom helped me look online for some curtains and we found some that we both loved! I ordered them last Friday and they were delivered Tuesday :)

Here is the before




And....the After



It is so cozy and we both love it! Thanks Mom!

Hope everyone is enjoying their week! Today is Angel @ All the Mus' birthday so everyone who knows her hop on over and give her some birthday love!! She will love it!

A little bit of this and a WHOLE lot of....

This week is SPRING BREAK!!! If you could see me now you would know I am doing the Happy Dance :)

What do you ask, are we going to do? Hmmmm, well let's see:

Stay Up Late. Sleep In

Take My Grandbabies to the Park and enjoy the warm & wonderful sunshiney weather that has been forecast

Hang my new curtains that should arrive on Thursday! (pics to come)

Shop with my daughter for Prom Dresses

Have a DiGiorno Pizza Party for HouseParty ~ shoot some hoops, take some pics and enjoy all my family & friends who come

Have a Slumber Party with the kids and grandkids ♥

Go on a lunch date with my Mom ALONG with the kids!!

Read some awesome books to review.

Go visit my daughter at her NEW JOB!! So proud of her!

Cut my Sons Hair!! My oh My.... is it ever long!!

Cherish the days that my husband is able to take off towards the end of the week ♥ ♥ ♥

Spend time with the ONE who has blessed me with so much. Worship the ONE who is soo worthy of all my Praise. Seek the ONE who, in times of trouble, gives us Peace.


Have a blessed week my dear friends! XOXO

Spiritual Sundays

I received Joyce Meyer's The Confident Woman Devotional for Christmas and I LOVE IT! Today, for Spiritual Sundays I am sharing from it. If you would like to Join in with others or just read other inspirational posts go here

COOPERATION REQUIRED

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11

The most important thing is not how we start but how we finish. Some people get started with a bang, but they never finish. Others are slow starters, but they finish strong.

God has a plan for each of us. It is our destiny. But it is a possibility, not a "positively." Even if someone prophesies over us wonderful things in the name of the Lord, what is being prophesied is the heart, the will, and the desire of God for us. It doesn't mean it is positively going to come to pass. We have a part to play in seeing that plan come true.

I challenge you to cooperate with God every single day of your life to develop your potential. Every day you should be a bit further along than you were the day before. We must each discover our God-given gifts and talents, what we are truly capable of, and then put ourselves to the task of developing those gifts, talents, and capabilities to their fullest extent.

Lord, I am thrilled that You have a plan for my life. That I have a destiny is amazing. I want to cooperate with You today and make that a reality. Amen

Friday Funnies ~

Happy Friday Everyone!! I ESPECIALLY L♥VE this Friday because as of 2:35 today we will OFFICIALLY be on SPRING BREAK!!! Hallelujah, Thank YOU JESUS!!!! Are those of you who have kids on Spring Break this coming week as well? I was so worried with all the snow days we had that they were going to take our Spring Break away but Praise the Lord they didn't!!

ANYWHO..... Back to Friday Funnies! If you would like to join in or just need some to laugh, head on over to visit Kim


My daughter showed me these pictures and they had me crackin up! Knew they were perfect!!

"Want to catch some rays.....get in line"


"Found this attached to my panty hose!!!"


"Can you stick out your tongue and touch your nose?"


"Oh DEER!"


Happy Friday my Friends! Remember ~
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings