LOOK WHO'S TWO

I can't believe our little Hope is two years old! Here are some pics from her party. We just had a small family gathering and she had a minnie mouse cake.

Proud to Be An American

I sat at the computer tonight because I was unable to sleep. I knew I wanted to post something about Memorial Day but I wasn't quite sure what. As many of you know I am very black and white when it comes to politics and to be honest the way things are going turns my stomach. Normally on Memorial Day Jonathan and I reflect on the great things of our nation and how wonderful it is that people would give their life so that we may know the freedom we know today, the fabric of America. But lately when I think about our nation I get teary eyed and that's no exaggeration. I don't know that the same freedoms afforded to us that were paid for in blood will be there for my children. I am not even sure that the America we knew as children will be the same for them. Will they be persecuted for their belief in God as so many are today. Will there be a ban on saying the pledge because of God? Will they be permanently bound by the debt that is being created for them now? Will they even know what ideas that founded this nation and why it is so great or will they constantly feel like they have to apologize for it like our current president? Let me just say,this Memorial Day while thinking about all those lives lost for our many freedoms, I will not be ashamed of it! I am proud to be an American. I am so by the grace of God and nothing else and while the current administration wants to do almost everything to take God out of America it will not happen because people like me won't forget who has blessed this nation from birth to today; and we will pass that on to our children so that they remember that we are to be a "city on a hill." for His glory's sake. And to the men and women that have ever put on a uniform and served this great nation let me say "THANK YOU. YOU ARE OUR HERO'S AND THE HERO'S OF SO MANY OTHER NATIONS. THERE ARE SO MANY FEARS I DON'T EVEN KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE DEFENDED ME AND I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH."

Put Me In Coach!!

Joshua has been "in the circle.." for the last few games and I must say he has been pretty good. I know I am a bragging mom but so what it won't be the last time. He has done very well, but to me what is so funny is how much fun he is having. The good thing about T-ball is the fun the kids have. They just run around here and there trying to get the ball and it doesn't matter if it's their ball or not. As a matter of fact one kids that was running from 1st to 2nd for the other team stopped the ball and handed it to Joshua. Here are some of my favorite pictures of his last game from Nonna's camera.



A little advise from Dad the Coach


"Now I'm ready. Now I'm ready. Show me whatcha got kid."


Staring down the hitter.


Hope enjoying the game with Pop.

Watching through open fingers

When I was a kid I would love to watch suspense movies but most of time I would find myself watching the movie with my hands over my face and fingers spread just wide enough for me to still see if I wanted too. This was something that was not just tied to movies it was anything I thought scary, like roller coasters. But now that feeling is coming back only in a different way instead of it being a ride or a movie it's real life and it's our country. I feel like I am watching our country unravel through open fingers and I must admit sometimes I choose to keep my eyes shut. Anyone else out there brave enough to admit that? Sometimes although I know I am not helpless or hopeless I feel overwhelmed for the people that need hope. I can hear that little boy's voice from "The Sixth Sense" creeping in but instead of it saying "I see dead people" it's "I see lost people". Not just necessarily lost in the terms of Christian or not but in the terms of they may be Christians but they have lost their focus. We know them don't pretend you don't, it's the people that go to church or know they should, know who God is and that He exist and go through all the motions but still are confused on the most basic issues of right and wrong. They are lost, they haven't any direction and the one that is available for them for some reason seems more difficult to take. They have sold out to this world and what it has to offer and truth be told that isn't much in comparison. Do you see these people? Do you know them? Maybe they are neighbors, family or maybe it's you. Whomever they are to you they need love, grace and hope. I know this is a depressing subject but I just can't sit back and ignore the deafening cry for help that I am hearing any longer. I am really getting the verse that says "the workers are few." and I feel totally overwhelmed with responsibility not to cram Jesus down people's throats but just to offer some hope to family's not knowing what to do. And let's be honest here people there are a lot of Christian's feeling defeated and the truth is you are not. God has not called us here to leave us. I don't have the money to help poor families, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, but I will give what I have. I feel like Peter when he said to the lame beggar "Silver and gold I have not but what I have I will give to you, rise get up and walk." I can't give you silver and gold but I can tell you that you have hope in the Lord Jesus. There is so much pain that not dealing with the pain has become a way of life for people. More like pain management instead of real healing and somehow we have blinded ourselves into saying that we are not to hold our brother accountable. So we watch the filth that floods our tv screens, and then gasp in horror when someone is brutally murdered as a copy cat from a tv show. And we as a society are so sin soaked that we don't even realize how bad it is. When foul language has become common place and even on kids shows and we find ourselves monitoring cartoons we have let ourselves slip down this slope of complete crudeness that we have become like a frog boiling in water. We just smile and keep going and I just don't think I can keep that because I was never good at that anyway. Ok just needing some venting.

WE'RE BACK!!!!!!!

I have been dying to get a post on the blog but I refused to do it without some pictures and we just found the cable to download the pics. Yea!!! Ok so here we go.


Here's a picture of the outside of the house. Sorry it's covered in snow it's the only one I have so far.


This is Joshua's new room. We painted it green and he has a bed I used at my mom's house. The bedding and the room is done in a camping theme, however when we took this picture the room was not all the way complete, so I will get you one of the whole room. I think we were just trying to catch Joshua in his bed because he calls this bed a "huge bed" even though it's only a twin. He is so happy with his green room and "huge bed".

The rest of the house I just realized I need to take some more pictures. The living room looks completely different. I'll have some before and after pictures for you. The kitchen needs help still, but the dinning room is done.

Here are some snow pictures from our snow a week ago.


This is our backyard.


Also the backyard.






Us being crazy!!!


A view off the front porch.



Shiloh absolutely loved the snow. He is such a pretty dog.



Some people name their snowmen Frosty but ours was named Frank by Joshua.





We are loving our front porch!!!

Well that's it for now. I'll post more later.

Almost Done

We are almost all moved in. We have a few lamps and what not at Chad and Amy's left but other than that we are all moved in. Thank you to the many, many, many friends that helped us!!! We still don't have our dish network yet but we should get it Thursday. I have the kitchen almost unpacked and the dinning room, in fact every room in the house is at "almost" status. The floors still have to be redone and painting still has to happen. But at least when we wake up we know where to go for our clothes, towels, soap, toothbrush, and breakfast. Joshua is loving his new house and Hope seems to be happily toddling from room to room. Joshua has already met a new friend that lives up the street and we are registering him for T-Ball tomorrow. The neighborhood is very nice people have come over and brought all kinds of goodies for us and have offered to help in any way possible. There's also two little girls that live in the houses next to us that are Hope's age. I am very happy about the fact that both of our kids have kids in the neighborhood their age. Shiloh is adjusting to the back yard. He and the lab next door have barking contest to see which one can drive us crazy first. Jonathan and I have been sick back and forth so that hasn't helped us move very fast but we are almost over it. This weekend the plan is to buy the flooring and paint. Every room in the house has to be painted except the dinning and the bonus room will have to wait a few months. The bedrooms will be first then the living room and kitchen. I am not looking forward to painting the kitchen, but it has to be done. Joshua said he wants a green room and so he will get it. Hope is getting a neutral color and we are getting a blue room. The rest I haven't figured out yet. So here we sit at the "almost" state and when we get finished I will have some pictures that I can post.

Moving On Up

Guess what?? We found a house!!! Praise the Lord in Heaven!!! It's a nice house, but needs the floors redone. So some of you will be getting a call, hhhmmm sorry Jennifer but I am sure your husband will be called either to help move or the floors or both. I just want everyone to know that what type of friend Jennifer is, every time we move her husband gives of his time to help us and Jennifer selflessly lends him to us. So thanks to both of them!! Anyway, we are going to have some more help this time though as many of our friends have given their much needed services to us. I am so thankful for the wonderful friends God has placed in my life. Anyway, back to the house, it's in a nice neighborhood and it has a room for the kids to play along with a back yard!!!! We are so excited. We did a lease purchase option and with the Lord's help if it is His will we are going to buy it out after a year or 18 months. There are so many things that run through my mind like, paint colors because it will need to be repainted as the master is a mauve color to which Jonathan says "It's gotta go". Then the floors and finally I need some new slip covers for our furniture that is really old. I refuse to buy anymore until Hope is potty trained. Which leads me to this news, the dr called and said "I am not worried about Hope, but if you want to call Early Childhood Intervention then go ahead, but I think she's fine." So we (Jonathan, myself and the Dr) chose to wait until after her next Dr appt in Feb to decide what to do. Who knew another word for parenting is endurance? I will update again when we get to the new house.