Working Away

We have been BUSY around this house with so many things, kinda like this little guy!!! Making sure it's just right.

Working hard helping daddy with the new screened in porch.(Notice the pencil behind the ear for marking correct measurements, just like dad)

That looks about right!

Until next time..................

When you are busy working away, remember this most important truth:

Philippians 1:6 NIV
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Robin

Our Birthday Girl's Celebration

This weekend we celebrated Clara Beth's third birthday. It was a much anticipated event around this house. Both little ones could hardly wait for the party day to get here. We spent Saturday getting everything ready. Here's our table waiting for our guests! This was our second celebration. The first one was on Clara Beth's actual birthday. We went out for lunch after church and then it was back to our house for cake, ice cream and presents. She had to wait a whole week for this party to finally get here!!!! Paul smoked a Pork Tenderloin early in the day. The smell teased our taste buds until it was finally sliced and ready to serve.

I had assorted breads for the adults to make their own sandwiches. The children were able to feast on ham and turkey cheese wraps, pasta salad, and fruit kabobs along with a few other goodies.

One special tasty and very messy treat were these lemon sippers. They had quite a zing! Paul rolled chilled lemons then cut a small "x" into the top. Then we inserted a soft peppermint stick into the"x" to sip the juice through. Sweet and Tart!!! If you try these wait until right before serving to insert the peppermint stick or they will begin to dissolve like some of ours did. No matter everyone enjoyed them anyway!!!

Here's our birthday girl in her special birthday dress. Not looking quite like a princess is she?? That's what happens when you refuse to take a nap!

Emanuiel was a little more excited about singing "Happy Birthday" than Clara Beth was about hearing it. She did perk up when it was time to open presents.

Here's Clara Beth opening up something as Emanuiel supervises. These two hot and sweaty little ones changed into bathing suits and jumped into the pool before the wrapping paper was cleared away!! I was so busy seeing to everything that I didn't get any pictures of all of their friends who joined us to celebrate this joyous occasion.

It was a wonderful evening spent celebrating with friends and family. No more birthdays in this family until November, so we'll just have to find other reasons to throw a party!!!

Until next time we can all remember to celebrate the ordinary, my favorite days of all!!!

Ordinary can be extraordinary especially to our Heavenly Father: look at Peter and John!

Acts 4:13 NIV
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Robin

First Morning of School

This week it was time for everyone to head back to sch00l. Emanuiel started back with Mrs. Welch and begins the four year old program officially next week. Land began seventh grade and Clara Beth went back to Mrs. Dawn's house for her own little preschool program. Here are the two little ones bright eyed and ready to go on their first day! I love the expression on Emanuiel's little face and if you look very closely you can see the remains of breakfast in Clara Beth's hand. That girl LOVES bacon!!Here they are watching and waiting for Land to join them.

It's so sweet the way Clara Beth is looking up at her bubbie. He looks like a giant beside the two of them.

It's hard to believe how quickly the summer slipped by. Now there will be other things to look forward to. We can't wait to go to Land's football games and cheer him on. Even though the weather is still sweltering here in the deep south, we know that the cool crisp days of fall aren't far away. Here's hoping to a wonderful year of growing and learning!!

Until next time................

Proverbs 9:9 NIV
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

A little side note, that bright white shirt that Emanuiel had on didn't last long. He had a first day mishap on the playground. When I saw him in the school office his shirt was covered in blood. Thankfully, it was just a very small bump on the head and he didn't even cry. He did, however, ruin this cute little shirt but that's okay, shirts are easily replaced. What would a first day be without a little drama!

A Special Birthday Celebration

Last night we had a wonderful birthday celebration for Anna Kayla. After a very long and busy week back at school it was so nice to spend some special time with my family. I didn't even mind the cooking. I could actually feel the stress just melting away while I was getting everything ready. Anna Kayla's place at the table was waiting just for her. In keeping with our family tradition the menu was every thing that she requested. We had a true "Southern Supper". We feasted on Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, Brown Sugar Yams, Lima Beans(her absolute favorite), Brown Rice, Cantaloupe and Flaky Biscuits.

Here's the birthday girl just before opening her gift. It was a silver circle necklace and she loved it. Too bad I didn't see the bean necklace they had on their website or I would have ordered it since that girl loves her Lima Beans!!

No baking for me this time because Anna Kayla requested this strawberry ice cream cake from her favorite ice cream shop. It was delicious.

Here we are right before devouring this cold, yummy ice creamy goodness!!! Notice the birthday girl is now wearing her present.

It was such a fun time for us, sharing a special meal and being able to have time together as a family to enjoy it and each other. Our lives, when school starts, become so busy there will be football practice, games, homework, meetings and so many other things that steal away precious family time. Because of that I need to remember to be thankful for all the time that we do have together and always try to make even the ordinary something special.

I hope that all of you will do the same.............Until next time let us all be:

Colossians 2:7 NIV
rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Robin

Someone Has A Present Waiting

Tomorrow is Anna Kayla's birthday and we can hardly wait to celebrate. It's a family tradition that the birthday boy or girl selects their favorite foods for feasting. The menu is all ready and her gift is waiting to be opened. Hmmmmmmmm, I bet she'll be wondering what's in this lovely blue box from Tiffany!!! Hopefully I'll have more pictures to post after tomorrow!!! What a blessing to be able to celebrate the remarkable young woman she has grown into!!! We LOVE you AK!!!

Until next time.........................wonderful gifts come in blue boxes but.......
Romans 11:29 NIV
God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Robin

Make a Smilebox postcard

Missing My Big Guy

The house is more quiet than normal this week. My big guy is away at our church's youth camp. I miss him so much and will be glad when he returns home on Friday. This is the longest amount of time he has been away. When I talk to him each night it easy to tell that he is having a great time. I am so blessed to have Anna Kayla and Greg there leading the camp. Things are certainly different around here without him, like the fact that our refrigerator is full because he's not here to raid it every few minutes of the day!!! I can't seem to fill that boy up these days. I have promised him that when he returns on Friday I will have his favorite spaghetti waiting for him for supper!!!! As much as I miss him I know that he is having fun, drawing closer to God and learning so much while he is away. We'll all be waiting for him when he gets home with big hugs!!!

Until next time....................

Proverbs 1:5 NIV
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--

Robin

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for my sweet husband, who takes such good care of me. That my daughter married a Godly man who loves her to pieces.

For my my big guy and my two little ones who keep me so busy at home and

always keep me on my toes!!

These precious feet belong to Clara Beth.

Until next time....................take the time to be thankful today.

Colossians 2:7 NIV
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Robin

The third picture was taken by my friend Karen. Stop by her blog to see her fantastic work.

A Slice Of Summer

Summer is quickly slipping by, I have to go back to school next Friday so we are trying to squeeze all we can out of what's left!! There are still so many things I want to do with the children and so many projects that I had hoped to get done. We are "under construction" around here and I plan to post pictures of that soon. Paul has been busy extending our screened in porch. The little ones love to play out there and soon they will have more room to do just that. We will also have enough room for a table and chairs for dining. I'm imagining evening suppers under twinkling Chinese lanterns very soon!!! Until then we'll just have to make do with our patio dining when we chose to eat outdoors!
Tomorrow please take the time to say a prayer for our little guy. He will be having some outpatient surgery in the morning. We hope to be home by lunch time. He may be out of
commission for a few days(no swimming)so I know he will miss not being able to splash around in the pool.


He's such an active little guy I know he will bounce right back!

Until next time............................ I hope everyone enjoys the sweet taste of "summertime"!

And when you have a few moments of quiet time:
"Taste and see that the Lord is good."
Psalm 34:8a

Robin

Christmas In July!!!!!!!!

I never know what these two are cooking up. I kept hearing Ho Ho Ho coming from their room so I had to go and check it out. Sure enough there he was, Santa himself, hat, boots and all gathering toys from around the room to pass out to deserving family members. Here he is putting little toys in his bucket drum.

Getting into his chair so that..................

good little girls like this one can climb on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas! When they were finished I found little toys delivered to all of our rooms, mine and Paul's were on the bedside table, Land's was in his room on the floor beside his bed and Clara Beth was carrying hers around the house with her. Hard to explain to these little ones that they still have a while to go before Christmas gets here. It doesn't seem to bother them though, they are content to have Santa show up like this when ever they like!!

Until next time................

If you too are waiting on something remember to......................

Wait for the Lord,

be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Robin

Has it been a whole year...................

It's so hard to believe that a whole year has passed since this little guy came into our arms for the first time. When I look at this picture that we took our first night together my heart just breaks. I remember how sad he was on that first day. His little life had changed drastically in just a matter of minutes and so had ours. Thankfully it didn't take him long to adjust to us, by the next morning he was showing us his bubbly personality. I told some one recently that you've heard of a "party in a box", well he's our "party in a boy"! He is extremely happy and never meets a stranger. He is a joy and I am so blessed to call him my son. Here he is after just a few hours with us clinging to his soccer ball and a snack bowl.

This picture was taken at Clara Beth's birthday party last August. Emanuiel had been home about three weeks. This is more like our happy little fellow.

What a ham, here he is in December clowning around on a motorcycle.

Our sweetie at the beach in June.

What a difference a year makes! This little guy brings so much laughter into our hearts and home. We love watching him grow and can't wait to see what the future holds. As I am writing this he runs over squealing "mommy" and wraps his little arms around me for one of my MANY hugs for the day. God is so good!!!

In May of 2008 we were told that we would not be able to bring this little guy home. The CCAA had denied our request, we prayed fervently for God's will to be done. I clung to this verse because God showed it to me over and over again in my quiet time and devotionals: "Therefore, I tell you all the things you pray and ask for- believe that you have received them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24. After four very long weeks our agency(CWA to whom we are forever grateful)called us and told us that the CCAA had granted our request and that Emanuiel would be ours. This wonderful news came on June 8, 2008, my late father's birthday, who was also named Emanuiel.

CWA is now sponsoring a special needs program called Project Hope to bring children and families together from China and Ethiopia. If you feel the urge, pray about it, God will provide for what He calls you to do. He may be calling you to adopt.....................

Until next time....................

I'll leave you with another verse that sustained us during that difficult time of waiting:

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Philippians 4:6

Robin

Destination....................Backyard!!

Well our vacations to the beach are behind us and dare I say it.....the beginning of school looms in the near future(sigh). I know, I know most people don't have nearly as much time off as I do but the clock is ticking. So for now we will just have to escape to the closest vacation spot available.......our backyard!!! Here's a little view from the windows in my kitchen, looks like it's calling our names.

That little table looks like a nice place for a pitcher of lemonade.

Some comfy chairs and cushions to sit on while I watch the little ones splash in the pool.

And if I really need to get "away" I can escape to this side of the yard for a little quiet time for myself(we all know that will never happen)!!!

So I guess I'll just do what the flag says and meet everyone at the pool!! What's your favorite backyard destination? Do you have one?

Until next time..............

Isaiah 58:11 NIV
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

I hope you find the perfect place to keep cool during these scorching days of summer.

Robin

Wordless Wednesday (Look At Me)

Until next time...................

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV
We live by faith, not by sight.

Robin

Where did my little boy go................

I'm not sure exactly when it happened but my "big guy" has really turned into a big guy. When I look at him now I don't see the little boy that used to love running around in cowboy boots and a football uniform. I now see a young man who has been working out over the summer because he will actually play middle school football when school starts back. This is something that he has always wanted to do

He's growing up so fast but thankfully he still loves to spend time with us doing things like fishing with his dad.

Sometimes I have to do a double take when he walks in somewhere because he has grown and changed so much over the past year.

I now have to stand on my tippy toes to give him a kiss!!

He may be changing but one thing that will never change is how much we love this big guy!!!

My prayer for him is this:

Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31

Until next time...................

Robin

Have you got the time(er)???

Take a look at what appeared in my bowl of apples................ see it???

Take a closer look......it's green like the apples, but wait, it's a pear that just happens to be my kitchen timer that I use for timing "time-outs". It seems that my little fellow(who gets the most use out of this) decided that he needed to hide it for a while. Pretty clever don't you think!!!

Until next time......................take some time today to count your blessings!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
[A Time for Everything] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

Robin

Wacky Wednesday Pictures

How about that!!! Elvis is alive and well and singing in the back of a convertible at a small town Hardee's!!! Who would have guessed!!!!

Until next time.....................

Psalms 63:5 NIV
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

You may not sound like Elvis but you can still sing and praise Him!!! Hope you sing your way through the rest of this week!!!

Robin