LIKE MY DADDY

Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

He is such a "Tator" I just cant say it enough. He looks so much like his daddy, people even ask if I had anything at all to do with making this child. But he loves his momma so much.

The other morning he was out playing with this old toy electric tractor that doesnt work anymore, my granny was watching him and she said he took a stick and beat on the battery part of it. She didnt know what he was doing so she asked him and he told her he was fixing it like his daddy had fixed the big tractor the other day. One day Sam was moving dirt or something up to the house, he had cut the tractor off for a bit and when he tried to crank it, it would not crank so he took a wrench and hit the alternator or something and it cranked....so Jake was doing the same thing to try and make his tractor run. Then Friday afternoon he was out playing with the tractor again and my granny again was watching him play and this time he took a rope and tide it to the tractor and then tide the other end to this little 3 wheeler thing he has. Granny asked him what he was doing and he told her he was going to pull the tractor off with his 3 wheeler to make it crank, again something he had seen Sam doing.

On the weekends Sam runs a dozer just for extra money and bc he likes to play with dirt I think (just a big kid) He takes Jake with him sometimes when he has an easy job to do. Jake loves going to get on the dozer.

So for his birthday this year we got him a little digger so he could again "BE LIKE DADDY"

He is so funny. Yesterday morning we got up going to go to church, but Gracie has been sick all weekend running fever and coughing with a respiratory infection we chose to stay at home. Sam was getting ready to go out side and piddle around and Jake decided that he needed to go and help his dad. He went and changed his clothes and come in the kitchen where I was and told me "Momma see, I look just like my daddy". He was so sweet about it. He had gone and gotten a pair of blue shorts on and a red shirt on so he could match what his daddy was wearing.

NOW HOW SWEET IS THAT

God Sends ANSWERS

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

We serve such an AMAZING GOD!!!

The past couple of weeks have just been really rough for me and I think I have finally let the load fall, though Christ has not let me fall.

Working full time, soccer for two kids, homework, church, trying to take care of my grandmother (bless her heart) and all her worries and make her feel loved and wanted, making sure I find time everyday to spend with my kids, my husband (who is probably getting ready to leave to go out of town for work) and who has been struggling himself, a brother who cant seem to get steady on his feet and I worry about all the time and I feel the need to bailout whenever he falls, BEING PREGNANT and trying to hold all of it together - I feel today that I have fallen really short of my duties.

Then I get to work and pull up my blog page to post, and I notice that a friend of mine has just posted (3 Minutes before) words that made me cry.

(FROM THE SITE OF ENGRAVED.BLOGSPOT.COM)I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekial 22:30

I usually spend the time on my way to work in prayer with God, asking him and thanking him for that is in my life, some mornings I cry to him, some mornings I laugh to him - this morning I did neither, I sat in the quiet of my truck and disappeared. Wondering what the purpose of all in my life is and why does it have to be so much at the same time.

My husband has been down a lot lately - I ask that you all lift him up. We have had struggles and it is through the love of Jesus that we made it through, not understanding why we made it, but knowing the will of God is stronger and He will make all well in HIS time.

I love my husband very dearly, more now than ever - I think it is bc of the hard times we went through that I love him even more, but seeing him hurting and stressed is very hard for me and I do not understand why he struggles so hard and I feel today that I can do nothing.

But after reading from the ENGRAVED site and the words that God placed on her, I feel that I am here to stand the GAP.

My load is heavy and I feel to weak to carry it right now. My eyes are overwhelmed with tears that I just hold back bc I am suppose to be the strong one.

My friend asked if we knew anyone who needed prayer or anyone that we felt was slipping through the cracks. I would like to band with her and ask you all the same questions and also ask that you take that person and lift them as high as Christ.

You may not can doing anything but pray for them, BUT - praying is all you really need to do!!!

Our life, both joy and sadness, is in HIS HANDS.

ITS MY PARTY

Joy is sown for the upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:11)

We had Gracie's Bday party saturday at Roller World. This was the first party that she had ever invited friends from school. Alot of kids showed and had a great time.

Sam's momma made her cake and it was delish!!!!. The soccer ball part was Chocolate and the base was white.

Trying to talk daddy into skating - it didnt work though

My tator just being a "TATOR" - aint he cute

Gracie and "OUR OTHER DAUGHTER" Savannah. Her and Gracie have been friends since 3 yr old preschool an she spent the night with Gracie Friday night.

Gracie's church buddy Catherine who almost didnt make it. Gracie didnt tell me until Friday night that Catherine wasnt at church Wednesday when she gave out invites. Just happened that Catherines mom stopped by the skating rink to pick up her other daughter when she found out about Gracie's Bday party. She rushed to Holcomb just to pick her up so she wouldnt miss the party. Pretty cool mom!!!

Still just being a "tator"

Granny, other Granny and Aunt Alicia just gabbing

MAKE A WISH

All my presents

Everybody's favorite - MONEY

THE 'Jo Bros' - think we have watched this a hundred times

Skooter time!!! The kids had so much fun doing this. I tried to get a bunch of pictures but my little ole camera and the dark dont go together really good. I did manage to get these two or three where you could actually see kids in the dark

Evan and Jake (Evan is my nephew)

Jake and Kyle (another nephew) being pulled. They loved it

Evan pushing Jake.

School buddies getting ready to leave

I think she had a really great birthday - wore me out, but I was really glad to see her having so much fun with her friends and just being a kid.

CUPCAKES

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18

Yesterday was Gracie's 9th birthday and she said she had a great day. We made cupcakes for her to take to school for her class to eat and I ordered balloons to have sent to the school. She was really excited about all that and the attention of course that comes with that.

We had a lot of fun making cupcakes and a lot of fun making the mess that comes with cupcakes.

Our Fun Fetti cake batter - so gooood!!!

Our cooking skills worked

We iced with Purple, Green and Pink - Girly, Girly cupcakes

We sprinkled with sparkley neon sprinkles

This requires very serious concentration

When we were finished we had a dozen purple cupcakes

A dozen Pink cupcakes

and eight Green cupcakes

**We ran out of cake mix before we got to green

We boxed them up and off to school they went. Not a single one made it home, which was a good thing because we still have so much cake left over from her party. Ill share that fun adventure tomorrow.

Gracie is gonna be like Sam's 'Maw' - celebrate the whole week as her birthday.

Have a blessed and beautiful day - and enjoy this awesome weather we are having - IN AUGUST.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE

"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved." John 10:9






My beautiful little girl is officially "9" years old TODAY. I cannot believe that it has been 9 years since I got to hold this precious little thing in my arms for the first time. She is growing so fast and finding her on personality.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE - I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!!

My Birthday Buddy

"And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them."Mark 10:16

This is Avery, she is 6 months old and is as cute a button. We share the same bday so she is extra special (hehehe)

My aunt sent me these pictures yesterday, she is just so darn cute. Look at her little painted toe nails.


I just cant wait until Sophie gets here and me and Gracie can play dress up with her.

SILLY SCHOOL GIRLS

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”


MY "ALMOST" Birthday girl



Things have been crazy around our house. School is offically back in swing, soccer started this week, we finished up on our garden, Sam has been working like crazy and has not been home much, I have been sick, my grandmother fell the other day and we thought she broke her hip (A true blessing she is fine just a little bruised) Gracie was sick the end of the weekend and Monday, got a call yesterday that my newphew was diagnosed with "SWINE FLU", Sam sold his Rhino on a joke thinking the man was kidding, got home yesterday and he had bought another 4 wheeler (yep I was irritated)(steam and all), I have been going crazy at work-just cant get my head in the game with it. Gracie's bday party is Saturday and I still do not yet know what we will get her, my emoitons and hormones are out the whazoo and I let the craziest, most nothing things bother the stew out of me, I feel like im going crazy, lady at church told me the other day that I made being HUGE look so beautiful (talk about building someone self esteem).

So last night after everyone went to bed I sat in the recliner holding the sweetest little boy who loves his momma more than anything in the world and cried my eyes out. I just have felt overwhelmed and out of control.

Then this morning I was carrying the girls to school and they were just cuttin' up and not having a care in the world. They play this game called "BANANA" when you spot a school bus you holler "BANANA" and who ever gets the most points wins. Wins what I have not yet learned but they have a ball playing this.






I truly love my life. I have been so blessed it is unbelievable. Sam and I have overcome so much, I have two really great kids, I have another baby blessing on the way, I have my best great friend that I work with and gets me through the day listening to all my gripes and who has seen me through the worst of times and didnt turn her back on me, In-laws that I adore, a mother and Pops who love me and my family indeedly, a second momma of he heart (Debra) that treats me like Im her own. I am truly blessed.

Why do we as adults let the little things in life get to us and when they happen why do they seem to happen all at once?

I know that God is there through it all and has carried me through the hardest times. I just wish I could stop looking through my adult eyes sometimes and see the world like the girls, Banana's and Oranges and winning nothing doesnt matter bc when I look at my life and all that I have I have already won.