Vacation, Vacation, Vacation

This year we went to the beach. I think I will make several post so they won't be so long and I can do a little bit at a time.

We left about midnight on Tuesday. They boys have been so excited. They didn't even go to sleep before we left. We all brought pillows and blankets to sleep in the car. Tim and Pops took turns driving. All of the kids slept pretty good the adults not so much.

We stopped in Mississippi for breakfast at Ihop. I had a very proud mom moment. I took the boys to the bathroom and Noah used a paper towel to open the door when we were done. I don't know where he learned this from.

Then it was back on the road again. We ate at Panini Petes for lunch in Fairhope. It has been shown on the food network. It was kinda hard to find but was very good. We had to park a little way from the actual restaurant and walk. You had to walk up an alley to even get to it. We had to ask directions.

They had a wishing well.

I had a turkey panini. It had a garlic sauce and a melted cheese on it. It was very good. I didn't care much for the fries though.

Timmy had the black angus burger with a blue cheese sauce on it. The meat was very tender.

This is the alley you had to walk down to get to the restaurant. It was very pretty.

We finally got to our Condo about 4:30. We were all so ready to be here and out of the car adults included.

The Beach

Hopefully more post will follow.

Andrew's 5th Birthday

My sweet Andrew turned 5. It is amazing how different each one of your children are and yet how you love them each so much. We love the way Andrew makes us smile. He is very compassionate toward people. He has prayed for an older man in our church that has been hurt almost every evening and at every meal. He never forgets. He always has a hug for those special people in his life but he does not want to give hugs to everyone. He might even be willing to fight not to have to. We are not for sure how you make it into his select circle of people that he is willing to hug. Mostly immediate family or an older person. He loves to be around older people. He wants to go see Mrs. Imogene at least once a week. He might not be able to remember what you have told him to do five minutes later but he never forgets that he wants to drink hot cocoa in the morning. Every morning he wants to drink a slightly warm sippy cup of hot cocoa in his momma's bed. He usually wants his momma laying beside him also. Which she doesn't mind to do. He loves playing with friends but he also is able to entertain himself quiet well. His favorite toys are little men. Small men that he can carry easily. He carries some around with him where ever he goes. He is excited about going to kids day three days a week this fall. He likes being read to but has no interest in learning to write his letters. We know that God will be able to use Andrew's willingness to help others and his concern for the elderly and sick one day.

On the day of Andrew's birthday I was in my office and could hear him when he woke up for the day. He was saying "woohoo it's my birthday. woohoo it's my birthday." It was so cute.

Andrew chose to have donuts for his birthday breakfast. We had his party at the children's building at our church. It worked out really well. I think the kids enjoyed it.

He wanted a star wars cake. These were the little men that would go on it later. He thought they needed to be played with before going on the cake.

Andrew's star wars men

Andrew and Papaw playing ski ball

Austin and Noah playing hockey


Cassie and Elizabeth playing video games

The Rock Wall

Just look at that cute smile.

Emma on a roller racer

Andrew doesn't really like to eat cake and ice cream but he does like sherbert. He ate sherbert and left the rest of the cake and regular ice cream for the guest.

Birthday Cake

Julie liked the sherbert also.

Memaw had the job of holding the baby.

Andrew really wanted to have a pinata. They had a lot of fun wacking it.

I didn't let the big kids hit the pinata but I did let them get the candy once it came out.

Opening Gifts

It is amazing how the cheapist gifts bring the most joy. There was lots of sword fighting going on. He says his favorite gift was the Ninja swords that he got.

The Word

We have had a rule this summer in our house. Well actually we have had several but at the very first of the summer we made it a rule that before we watched TV or played video games we had to have our teeth brushed and have read our Bible. Clean teeth and reading the Bible are essential to starting your day right??? Anyway one of the boys was complaining about something and we started talking about how some people don't even get to have a Bible much less read it every day. That got me to thinking. Actually my brain is constantly running about something. That is the reason it is 5AM and I am on the computer typing away. It my own words can put me back to sleep I can only imagine what it does to those who choose to read them. hahaha

Anyway I have been thinking a lot lately about the value we put on the Word of God. The other morning I happened upon this verse. Proverbs 13:13 - He who despises the Word will be destroyed. But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

Here is just a little information that I thought was interesting.
The definition of Despise - 1. to look down on with contempt and scorn or 2. to regard with dislike or repugnance.
Despise Synonyms:
scorn, disdain, contemn, hate, look down on, look down upon, spurn, sneer at, flout, dislike, loathe, detest, abhor; see also hate 1.
despise implies a strong emotional response toward that which one looks down upon with contempt or aversion to despise a hypocrite; to scorn is to feel indignation toward or deep contempt for, often with the implication of rejection or refusal to scorn the offer of a bribe; disdain implies a haughty or arrogant contempt for what one considers beneath one's dignity to disdain flattery; contemn, chiefly a literary word, implies a vehement disapproval of a person or thing as base, vile, or despicable See also syn. study at hate

Do I despise the word. Do I really give it value or do I look down upon it with contempt. Another verse then comes to mind. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Do I truly believe this? Does it apply to my life? Does it really have all the answers?

The other day I was praying with a friend. We were praying for our church. She had a form where you pray scriptures. It was the same format at the Moms In Touch prayer times we just customized it to be praying for our church instead of the schools. Anyway we mostly were praying for guidance. By the way their are a lot of scriptures in the Bible about this.

So I really think it worked. I know, I think I sound surprised. It wasn't that everything has changed and is perfect after the prayer time but their is a peace present. Our children's ministry is making some big decisions right now and you know what. God can guide us. The scripture tells us that he will guide those who ask. God word is true. I always say that I believe everything the Bible says but my actions usually prove that I don't. Such as not thinking that God can guide us. He can make light to our paths.

So I think I have babbled on enough. I just wanted to praise God for showing himself to me through that prayer time. God's Word is true and it can lead us through every situation.

Now if I can just impart these values onto my children that will be great. Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

No Never Not Me

My husband would not tell our children not to play with his toys in the garage and then correct himself and say tools.



Of course I would never not take cookies to a friend just because they were not as good as hers. I am definitely not that prideful.



I would not go into my children room and complain about the smell. My oldest child would not say "mom, we are boys". Really I do have good smelling, clean children even if they are boys.



I am not trying to find the best restaurants to eat at on our vacation in Alabama. Really food is not that big of a deal to me.

I did not go out on a date with my husband by myself without kids. And while on said date I did not try to scrape ice cream off of his face and put it back in his mouth. Really I know the difference between Tim and Ti.

My husband did not almost refuse to change our baby in the public restroom because I suggested putting paper towels down on the changing station before he laid him on it. Really Tim is just as conscious about germs as I am.

I did not have a very proud moment when one of my boys used his foot to flush the toilet in a public restroom. Really something like that would not make me so happy.

You Just Can't

You just can't out give God that is.

Last Sunday in class we decided to help out a few families that moved or would be moving into a new place. I had all the children bring can foods and I went through my pantry also. Timmy was so looking forward to unloading our pantry a little. If you have ever seen my pantry you would understand why. One of the families I put just a little cash in to help a little bit more to buy the fillers for a meal. It really wasn't much at all.

God just proved himself again, that you can't out give him. We loaned out our camper to some friends. They wrote us a thank you and put a little gift in the thank you. Just to let you know we don't accept money from friends for borrowing something of ours. So they will have to take it back or I am going to be super mad. (that note is just in here incase they happen to read my blog) I will accept a homemade dinner for payment though. Then Noah went out to get the mail and guess what. I had a check from the hospital. This was money that I had over payed for Titus' birth. Yes it did take them 5 months and several phone calls to get my money back but I did. So basically God gave me back 2500% of what we gave away. Doesn't that make you want to give something away. God is just amazing like that.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

The gift we gave was above what our tithe was and truly God blessed us more than we have room for. God always keeps his promises.

Ti - 5 Months

Ti is 5 months old now. He is a good baby. I really wish that he would consistently sleep through the night though. He coos almost constantly. I think he is going to be a talker. He can grab things but he can't quite get them into his mouth yet. He absolutely loves his brothers. His face lights up when they talk to him. The other morning I went into his room to find Noah up in his bed trying to change is diaper. How is that for a wonderful big brother. I did have to finish the job. Noah hasn't quite got the hang of that yet.

He loves his mobile.

Through the Fire

This week is VBS. I am the Bible truth teller (story teller) for the younger ages. I think this is probably the best place for me. I really enjoy trying to figure out a way to keep their attention and help them learn something at the same time. Keeping about 25 preschoolers attention can be a hard job.

I am so excited about the story tonight. "The three thrown into the fire" I so love to read this story. I was reading it again this morning to the boys. I wanted to shout out a praise for Jesus. Imagine being strong enough to say "even if my God chooses not to save me I will not choose to do wrong." I was talking to the boys about how I pray that no matter what, they would choose to do the right thing. And then Noah says "Mom, that was kinda like the time one of my friends wanted me to steal a pencil at school and I said no." Now that makes a momma proud. Andrew also informed me this week "even if you break a window, God still cares for you". I am wondering if there if something happened that I don't know about.

Something else that stuck out to me in this story is that they didn't even smell like smoke after coming through the fire. I can think of trials in my life where I think I came through a trial alive but a little stinkier than before. How close to God these men must have been walking not to even have a hint of smoke on their clothes. When people see me do they see someone with smoke stains and a stench or do they see someone walking by Jesus through the trials?

The first night of VBS went well but before it even started Andrew ran into a table in the KidZone.

He is a tough kid. I don't think he even cried.