So blessed

Last week my kiddos got the lovely stomach flu. I hate that bug! But honestly, we have been blessed because you know it goes around so many times and we haven't had it for quite some time PLUS, my husband and I were spared of catching it. PRAISE.GOD! MY DH cleaned up the yucky stuff when my son missed the toilet a time or two . Ya, HE IS THE BOMB!!! I can handle alot but not throw up :) Let's just say, I take care of handling any animal throw up or accidents so .....we are even, right? ;)

Anyway ~ it was a crazy week to say the least. But, my sweet hubby made this weekend so special for me. Quite a while ago my mom had asked us to be a part of her potluck group dinner because this month she was the host. We had made arrangements for our kids to stay with their sister for the night but after they got sick I just didn't know if it would happen or not. Well, I am happy to say on Friday both kids were back in school and by Saturday were feeling great and back to their happy selves. So we were able to have the night to ourselves and also enjoy being with my Mom and Stepdad and all of their friends....funny and oh so sweet friends! It was an entertaining evening :) My mom just always does a beautiful job and her personal touch on everything shows the love in her heart that she has and makes everything so special!

Unfortunately Mom was the one snapping pics all evening and there isn't one of her :( I will make sure that doesn't happen again!!!!












I am so blessed ~ Thank you honey for a night with you. Thank you Mom for letting us be a part of your sweet friends and enjoying a night filled with love and laughter. Thank you Lord for loving me and blessing me with such a wonderful family!

Have a blessed Monday!

Friday Funnies 2 for 1

Ok so my friend Kim is responsible for Friday Funnies! It is sooo much fun to participate and see what others share as their funny but this week Kim ALSO put out a request for songs to work out to. She shared with us that she liked 80's music and so I found this in looking for my Friday Funny and knew she would love it and I hope you all do as well. Tim Hawkins is one of our Favorite Comedians....sit back and Enjoy!!!



My son found this little picture and thought it was pretty funny...



Happy Friday everyone!

Pursuing L♥ve

This week’s portion from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is from verse 5 and says, “Love is not provoked.” The KJV reads, “Love is not easily provoked.” The word easily is not in the original language. The original language is actually worded very strongly, “Love is not provoked at all” not just easily provoked.

That last sentence really struck me....Love is not provoked AT ALL not just easily provoked. Wow! AT ALL??? How many times in.my.life. have I been provoked??? What I can say is this. I have learned over the years that SOMETIMES being provoked is really the Holy Spirit speaking to me and wanting me to learn something. My buttons "being pushed" or as we would say "being provoked" is truly an opportunity. But, being the Gentleman the Lord is ....It is up to me/us what we do with the opportunity and when we will seek HIM, and listen and allow HIM to work in us that is when we can learn some of the facets of this LOVE. When you see a pattern of situations in which you are provoked seeking professional help in a Life Coach or counselor will help! It did with me!

I can also say other times when I have been provoked that I could easily list numerous excuses....tired, selfish, worn out, not in the mood, etc. etc. see I told you they were excuses! ;) Would't it just be better to say the truth! Like ~ No I haven't had any quiet time with the Lord or Yes, I feel far away from HIM right now but I just can't find the time to spend with him with all that I have to do in a day and getting up that extra hour in the morning is just more than I can do right now.
Don't we know that if we were spending time with the Lord, honestly being with HIM, sharing our heart and being still before HIM not just running through the prayer list or reading the chapter of the day, we would be Filled with HIM and when we are Filled with HIM and walking with HIM, those times of being Provoked are fewer and farther between!

We have had those moments when the Lord reigns down on us and we are just filled with so much Love and Peace ~ When we see all people through HIS eyes. Yes, Our Love walk requires Much from us but more than that.....MUCH is given, MUCH is available, MUCH is waiting!

The next time you find yourself PROVOKED.....remind yourself of this verse and ask yourself to be honest within....pour your heart out before the Lord ~ He knows it anyway and Longs to lead the way to an intimate and authentic L♥VE

Please join Marsha in this pursuit of Love here

Love and Blessings

The Love of a Grandchild and prayer for a friend

My dear friend and sweet sister in Christ Kat from Heart2Heart will be having surgery this Thursday for a hysterectomy. If you know her you know she has battled severe pain for the last 5 months and to be honest longer but finally has found the right Dr. and knows it is the right time for her to have this surgery. Please join me in praying for her this week. She is a wonderful woman of God and I have been so blessed by her friendship. She was there for me in such loving ways while I was going through losing my Dad and we have grown so close. We have cried together, prayed together and are so thankful the Lord brought us together in friendship! I will be so happy when she is feeling pain free and able to live life as the Lord intended for her to! Please take this button and post it to your blog if you would be so kind


Also my friend Lori at Girly Muse is feeling under the weather and it has just continued to attack her and her kiddos and I am asking the Lord for this to be the end! NO MORE SICKNESS! NO MORE COLDS, COUGHS, AND YUCKY SNIFFLES :) Be well my friend be well!


Today I am NONI ♥ Yep! As of today I will be able to have my Rylee girl with me on Tuesdays. Our daughter made the decision to go back to work doing hair! I get to have Rylee on Tuesdays and her other Nana will have her on Fridays :) It will be such a wonderful treat each week to spend the day and even the night before with our precious girl. She brings such joy and laughter into our home and being gone last week we missed her sooo much! I never knew how precious it would be and yes I know what people say It is the best thing in the world to be a grandparent! Boy were they right! :) We will have sunny skies and she already enjoyed being outside last night playing with the remaining piles of snow. I can't wait to take her for a walk and maybe even have a picnic....no matter what it is we do I am so thankful to be blessed by this precious Love....The Love of a Grandchild!





Mommy and Rylee





I treasure you all! Love and Blessings

Who is watching you?

Undercover Boss is a new show on CBS airing on Sunday Evenings. If you haven't watched it ~ I recommend it. It is a show where the CEO of a company goes undercover and works within their companies ~ all facets of the company ~ from packing to customer service, cooking, working assembly lines, waiting tables etc. Depending upon the company and what service they provide.
It has been so interesting to watch these CEO's and how the majority of them say that while they sit behind their desks and work towards growing the company and making it run at the most sufficient way possible that this causes them to "not be around the people that work for them" on a regular basis. In a nutshell they don't see them AT ALL. In the shows you see some of them really connect with their employees on a personal level and get involved in their lives going as far as offering them some sort of bonus at the time of the reveal. Some employees are promoted and some well, they are let go (not on the show but later if their performance doesn't improve) It is a great lesson for all and especially to share with your children. One thing I have tried to teach my children is that although we think we are doing something and may possibly feel as we are getting away with something the LORD alway sees. He knows our thoughts even before we think them so of course HE will see our actions at the time we are doing them.

For Believers Our Boss or CEO is the Lord and HE doesn't stay AWAY from us trying to figure things out to make us better He waits lovingly for us to seek HIM and has all the answers we need. He is watching us even when we sleep. He longs to talk to us and to hear our hearts. On the show during the reveal so many of the employees are just amazed even to the point of tears how they are shocked that their boss would take his/her time out to listen to them, to show them that they care. The Lord does this everyday and for me I am so thankful to know that I don't have to wonder if I am being watched or that someone is going Undercover to make sure I am doing what I am suppose to. Don't get me wrong.....I make mistakes and I definately can improve my daily life....but I have the Ultimate CEO and HE lovingly teaches, guides, directs, and cares for me along with providing for all of my needs.....

I know for sure I will never be fired, never be let go, and will always have a place in HIS Family....isn't that the best boss you could ever ask for!!

Thank you Lord for you are worthy to be praised!

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Spiritual Sundays

If you need encouragement Spiritual Sundays is a special place! Please join Charlotte and Ginger here and be blessed!

The Word tells us in Psalm 119:105

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"

A few years ago the Lord gave me an idea.....I made little Scripture books for each of us. I asked the kids what the areas they felt were a struggle and did the same for my husband and myself. Then I made a book for them with Scriptures to help them speak/memorize/etc. when those situations came up along with Encouraging Scriptures and Praise Scriptures because don't you know it is sooo much better to put on a Garment of Praise for that spirit of heaviness!!







Let the Word be a LAMP to YOUR Feet....It is YOUR SWORD and your answer in ALL THINGS!

Have a blessed weekend!

Going home

Time goes so fast when you're away from home doesn't it! I honestly cannot believe we are packing up and hitting the road to go home this morning.....

We have all had a good time here in Tennessee. The cabin was just wonderful and being with my family has been so much fun and the memories will be cherished forever....

As we started out yesterday morning I knew it would be the day that we would wander into the smokey mountains and scatter daddys ashes.....but those were my thoughts and as the Lord has shown me sooo many times in sooo many different ways this past year.....things don't always go the way I think they will.

We gathered around the table yesterday with our coffee and one another and started talking and sharing our hearts. I know the Lord directed our conversations and our hearts because so many things were shared, so many tears we shed and in the end laughter rang throughout as we talked about our Daddy knowing how things would have been so different had he been sitting here with us...but you know what....HE.WAS. After our talk we all realized we needed to honor his wishes and scatter his ashes in California and we will plan this trip this summer or early fall but after all was said, cried and laughed out I know that this is the right thing to do. I had a peace knowing we had made this decision and that the Lord directed us in ways we didn't even know or expect....Isn't it awesome how HE does that! I just LOVE HIM SOOO!

We will be heading home and going through Nashville so it may take til Friday before we get home but more fun awaits and my brother and nieces with be right behind us all the way!

I want to thank each one of you for your Love, your prayers and your Friendship ~ it just means sooo very much!

Fun and Seeing Santa over and over ??

We went down to Gatlinburg and walked around the quaint little town. We had a YUMMY lunch at Bubba Gumps! Our waiter was from Russia and we could have listened to him talk all day! He made our time there quite fun! He had a contest between the kids and the adults....Somehow I was put into the kids group and we had to answer question pertaining to Sponge Bob and the adults had to answer questions about Forrest Gump.....needless to say ~ the kids WON hands down!!! That is one show I HATE (spongebob)!!! but my kids and my nieces LOVE!!! We had a delicious lunch and then went to walk it off!

While walking around we noticed ALOT of men who looked ALOT LIKE SANTA!!! Finally, my husband stopped one of them and asked "Hey, what's the deal?" Well, replied the long white bearded man ~ "There is a Santa Convention in town" .....EXCUSE ME ~ WHAT???

Well, here is a couple that we were able to get a picture of....THEY ARE PRECIOUS AREN'T THEY!!





The kids went into the Wax Museum.....Here is my daughter posing with the MEN IN BLACK



The other attraction they went into was the Guinness World Record museum....Here are all the kids on the Worlds Longest Motorcycle



Today we will be going to scatter Daddy's ashes.....could you just whisper a prayer for us....it's gonna be sooo hard.
I love and appreciate you all more than I can say! Hope you are enjoying your spring break!

PIgeon Forge

We MADE IT!! We drove a total of 19 hours stopping in Memphis spontaneously and decided to go through Graceland. I was so impressed.....Elvis bought Graceland at age 22 for $100,000 along with 13 acres. The decor is definately the best of what was in the 70's ....green shag carpet from floor to ceiling. They had a TV in the kitchen and 3 TV's in his living area since he was told the President watched all 3 networks at the same time so by golly he would too! What astounded me was the wall of his gold and silver platinum records ONE AFTER THE OTHER lined the hallway! IT.WAS.AMAZING! To say the least. There is also a room of even MORE awards that have come since Elvis died. They have his clothing is glass cases along with the wedding attire worn by Priscilla and Elvis. I loved the sweet pictures of the family scattered about the home. Lisa Marie was just the cutest little girl!

We were also able to see his plane called Lisa Marie which at the time was quite the thing back in the 60's. He had a bedroom, a living area, a bar which if you didn't know Elvis was not a drinker...He liked gatorade, Diet Dr Pepper and some seltzer water but not really big on alcohol.

This is the jungle room you see the wall is a special indoor waterfall, notice the chairs!


This is the living rom in Blue and Yellow. It had the 3 tv's and the funky monkey! What is that??? LOL


This is Elvis' kitchen that Priscilla said was used day and night. Someone was always up and food was always being prepared


Priscilla and Lisa Marie


Entrance just outside the front door


This graveside is right beside his parents and grandmother. Also Elvis had a twin brother who is buried elsewhere but they had a marker to honor him there as well


This is the room I told you about that has awards since his death and trust me this is only a portion....it is unbelievable!


Wedding pic ....the dress and tux are just to the right....my Iphone couldn't get it all in ...darn!


The hallway of Gold and Silver platinum records....There are hundred of awards!


The Infamous Gold Suit


Hope you enjoyed your tour :) My iphone doesn't take the best pics but you get the idea :)
Love and Blessings!

Spiritual Sundays

To join Spiritual Sundays go here! You will be sooo blessed!

Trust in Him at all times. O people; pour out your hearts to HIM, for God is our refuge Psalm 62:8


Whatever you are going through....Pour out your heart to your Father! He longs to Comfort you, to give you Hope, to carry your burden, to wrap you in HIS arms and Love you, to wash over you with a Peace that passes all understanding and soo much more!

Be honest with HIM, lay down your worries, your anxieties, your frustrations and doubts! He is our Refuge! In
Psalms 109:21-22 it tells us:

But you, O Sovereign LORD,
deal well with me for your name's sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.

and if we ever think that HE doesn't hear us or that HE isn't there than remember this Scripture

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He knows our heart! He knows our thoughts! Share them with HIM ~every intimate detail! May you experience your Father in a whole new way this weekend my friends.....HE LOVE YOU and ADORES YOU!

Thank you Charlotte and Ginger for sharing this wonderful blog with sooo many! Love and Blessings!