My Husband Rocks Friday!!

Today is Friday and I'm joining Katy Lin over at The Great Adventure for My Husband Rocks!!

You know, I could pull out the big guns and really brag and tell you what an awesome man I'm blessed with. I could brag about how hard he works to support his family and I could tell you how incredibly Christ-like he is and I envy that in him.

But I'm not.

I'm just going to tell you the facts.

This man loves and accepts me just the way I am. In 25 plus years of marriage, he's never tried to change anything about me. Not once.

He loves me if I'm the perfect weight or if I'm 75 pounds overweight (and I have been) or if I'm somewhere in between.

He always tells me I'm beautiful even when I'm covered in garden dirt and my hair is stringy from sweat. And he means it.

He quietly indulges me when I act 10 years old and even smiles when I dance to music he can't understand a word of.

He's patient if I've had a bad day and he can't kick his way through the house. He hates clutter, but he'll never complain.

He holds his tongue with me even when I haven't held my tongue with him.

He won't dunk me under the water in the pool, even though everything in him wants to, because he knows it scares me.

He'll watch chick flicks even when he'd rather be watching a documentary or something on the History channel.

He loves drag racing as much as I do, but when we go, he'll watch me because I get so wound up when the racing is going on.

It always amazes me when I stop and think about it how awesome God is.Even before I had a relationship with God, He picked out this man and blessed me with him.

Salvation aside....what a debt I owe.

Thankful Thursday

I am SO ready for Thankful Thursday this week!!!

God has richly blessed and I'm eager to share my 5 thankfuls!!

Here we go!

1) I am thankful that DD's graduation was such a blessed event. We were surrounded by friends and family and it was such a beautiful time for all of us. It was such a blessing that we even got pregnant with this beautiful child and to join her in celebrating such a milestone in her life.....

2) I am thankful for the wonderful time I had with R yesterday and our kids!! Yes, it was loud! Yes, it was chaotic! Yes it went quickly! But God blessed us with safety and fun...

3) I am thankful for a ministry called Celebrate Recovery. I have a friend who is going through a very difficult time with her oldest son and his addictions. This ministry has given her hope and strength.

4) I am thankful that God watched over my DH today. For some reason he is experiencing dizziness, tightness in his chest, and unusually high blood pressure (for him). We went to the Dr. today and Doc doesn't seem overly concerned, but he has ordered some tests for him.

5) I am thankful for praise and worship music. Nothing brings me before the throne quicker than making a joyful noise before my Father.

For more Thankful Thursday, join Sonya over at Truth 4 the Journey.

Our Story

To catch up with Our Story, click on the Our Story label on the left side of my blog.


The End of Cancer...Going Home


Her entire head was wrapped in bandages. The little girl had never seen so many bandages on one person in her life! Was this Maw? Her Maw? The person in this bed barely moved. She looked up at her mommy who was looking down at her little girl. Mommy took a deep breath, put her hand on the little girl's back and together, they went towards the bed.

Mommy put her hand on this person's shoulder and the bandaged head moved. The little girl was able to see this person's eyes and she knew at that moment this was indeed her Maw...
Afraid to speak, her thoughts inside her head went wild..

"Is cancer so bad you have to be completely wrapped up in bandages?"
"Who did this to Maw?""She looks like she is going to die!"
"Can't we just go to Maw's house and find Maw...this has to be someone else!"

Suddenly the person on the bed moved her hand and patted the spot beside her...just like Maw would do. The little girl looked down at the hand and noticed how much it did indeed look like Maw's.

Slowly she crawled up on the bed and noticed that there were tears in this person's eyes. She felt the hand move to touch her face and the little girl just laid over on this person's...Maw's...tummy and cried. This was her Maw and she was going to take care of her and make her better so those bandages would go away and Maw would be back to normal.

Maw rubbed the little girl's hair and listened to Mommy while she filled her in on the trip and where they were staying.

Looking back, she realizes how hard this must have been on her Mommy because 22 is so very young to be so far away from home with a little one and all alone.

Each day over the next two weeks, the little girl and her mommy would get up early and make that long walk all the way to the hospital. They would sit with Maw and talk to her even though Maw couldn't talk back. The little girl would read books to Maw and play dollies and every now and then, Maw felt good enough to sit up so the little girl could climb behind her and brush her long white hair. Maw had such pretty hair...

They would make this trip to Maryland 4 more times, staying anywhere from a few days to two weeks.

On one such trip the little girl and her mommy were walking towards the hospital and talking. By now, she had gotten used to the mean woman where they stayed and even the walk didn't seem quite so long.

"Baby, when we get to Maw today, you'll see that she won't be wearing any bandages."

Yes!!!...Finally..she'd be getting her Maw back!!

"You've got to understand the Maw is going to look very different."

"How?"

"When she came here, they had to operate to take the cancer out of Maw's mouth. In order to make sure that they would get rid of all of it so Maw would never have to come back here, they had to take out these bones."She looked up at her mommy and noticed mommy was rubbing her jaws and chin.

"In order to get to the bones, they also had to take away all of this skin."Mommy was still rubbing the same places.

"They are going to fix Maw's face when they are sure all of the cancer is gone, but in the meantime, she might look very scary to you."

"Is Maw going to be able to talk to me yet?"

"No. Not until they fix her mouth. I know you want her to be like she was before the cancer, but she will never be that way again. Do you understand that?"

She didn't really understand, but she'd been around Maw long enough since the cancer to know that she was just happy that Maw was still alive.

"When the do fix Maw's mouth, she won't look the same and she will have a very hard time talking.She's going to have to learn to talk again and you're going to have to be patient when you try to understand her. Okay?"

"Yes, Mommy. I'm a big girl. It will all be okay. Maw didn't die and it will all be okay."
Mommy rubbed her little girl's head and they went in the hospital.

Sure enough the bandages were gone and in their place was a mask like the doctors wore..but it was okay. The doctors would fix Maw's face soon and they would never have to come back to this place again.

Over time. Maw did go home. Her face never looked the same again and like Mommy said, Maw had to learn to talk again and the little girl had to become a better listener. But it was okay. Maw was alive and there would be many more mornings of homemade biscuits and homemade yellow gravy. There would be many more walks up the mountain picking flowers. There would be many more bee stings.

And speaking of bees....

Just Me and My Buddy....(And the Kids!!)

Oh what Moms will give up for their kids!!!

I have mentioned before that me and a friend of mine have a standing Girl's Day Out once a month. It's never on the same day. She and I have so many schedules to balance we could never schedule the same day each month. It's sometimes amazes us that we can even get out once a month at all!!!

This day is very important to us and sometimes it seems as if we have to move heaven and earth to make it come together. It's not that we do things that are just over the top fun and crazy....Most days find us getting a bite to eat....well, we always are getting a bite to eat....and usually we'll end up at Target and the Dollar Tree, for sure. Sometimes we'll go to the Thrift store and usually a Christian book store.

We just really enjoy the time out together. No hubbies. No kids.

Well, this will change today....

Today, R and I are on our way to Huntsville. It's about a 2 hour drive from our houses and she hasn't been there in, like, forever and I haven't been there in, like, forever...so we plotted and schemed. Planned and persuaded...and today's the day!!!

No husbands...no kids.....ooooppps....well actually, we have kids. 3 (possibly a 4th) to be exact.

R still has a son at home and both of mine are still at home. R also has a daughter who lives about and hour and a half away (she's where the possible 4th child comes in).

See, when our "precious" children found out we were going to a land with huge shopping malls, enormous thrift stores and food courts beyond your wildest imaginations....they ALL put in for the day off of work so they could go with us!!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO US???!!!

Well, actually, they made us feel guilty....

You know that whining that ALL kids can do. Makes you feel like you NEVER let them do anything......

"Why don't we ever get to go to the super cool malls?"

"We don't ever get to go anywhere fun."

"How could you go without us? Won't you miss us?"

"Don't you love us enough to want us along with you??"

Oh....puhleease!!!....You'd think we were running away to another country....but it worked.

They're going with us.

And it's okay.......sort of....I guess.....

No really. These kids have grown up together and are more like brothers and sisters than buddies.

So..with that we're off!! Off to enjoy (?) a total of 4 hours in a van with teenagers singing and yelling and squealing and annoying their sisters and 4 different voices asking in unison, "Oh!!! Can we stop there??!"......and 'there' being 4 different stores.....

Think I need some chocolate and a Vanilla Bean frappacino from Starbucks.....(Didn't you know that's what makes Target even better????!!)

Signing off......2 Moms and a Van Load of Fun..........

Looks Like She Made It!

I made it.

Yes, I cried....almost immediately. Yes, she cried..privately, when she hugged my neck and whispered in my ear, "Thank you."

We have graduated our first born from high school.

She looked so beautiful and we were so proud. Not just of her academic achievements, but of the young woman she's become.

So many family and close friends there to celebrate this wonderful moment in our lives.

Those that were there the day she entered this world. Those that were there when she took her first steps, said her first words. Those that were there when we decided to leave public school and those that were there when we took our first steps into homeschooling. Those who've cried with her over broken relationships and the deaths of friends. Those who sold her her first car and who watch (with their stomachs in their throats) as the poor car never stays in the driveway for long. (She bought her car from our neighbors)...Those that were there who work with her everyday and mean far more to her than the label, 'co-worker'.

Those that couldn't be there, but were lifting her up in prayer because they knew that meant the most.

THANK YOU.


Friends and family listening to Beth speak on her school years.


Holding the gift that her 'little brother' gave her.


Beth with Mom and Dad after receiving her diploma.

Only a Little While Ago.......

Today is a very special day in our family.

Today our oldest is graduating high school.

I absolutely can't believe it...!!! These 18 years have gone by quicker than I could have ever imagined!!!

It seems only a short time ago we were trying fertility drugs to even get pregnant in the first place and now....graduation....

Only a short time ago I was in labor for 37½ hours. Only a few days ago, I gave birth to a beautiful 6lb 3oz, 19½ inch long bundle of perfect, sheer joy.

Only a little while ago she was taking her first steps and saying her first words.

Only a little while ago she was begging me to put "percoy" (makeup) on her beautiful little face.

Only a little while ago she was living on "dubby dubbies" (pickles).

Only a little ago she would fall asleep in my lap while we read stories.

Only a little while ago she would put my face in her hands and say, "I love you so much Mommy".

Only a little while ago she was starting kindergarten.

Only a little while ago we brought her home and decided homeschooling was the route God wanted us to take.

Only a little while ago she was jumping in the mud, running in the rain and tracking it all through the house.

Only a little while ago she lost her first tooth, got her first pair of high heels, her first pimple.

Only a little while ago she squealed every time a fish sucked on her leg while she was in the Gulf.....well, actually...she still does that!

Only a little while ago she went on her first date, got her drivers license, a job and a car.

Only a little while ago she walked out of her bedroom in her first formal gown and went to her first prom.

And now today...another first.

She's so excited...and deep down, I am too. But this mom is going to have a very emotional afternoon. I don't know how I will ever get through the speech I have to give...only by the grace of God I'm sure.

I do have a request of my bloggy friends......

We live in the Central time zone. At 4:30 pm, we are going to be gathering around Beth and laying hands on her and lifting her and her future up in prayer. I ask that whatever time zone you are in, that you would line up with 4:30 pm Central, and pray for Beth and her future. Whatever God lays on your heart, just join us in prayer.

There is tremendous power in prayer and united prayer is incredibly powerful.

I will try to post some pictures next week.