Fixed on HIM

Fall Fun: Action!

2011-11-01T13:45:00.001-04:00

The Last One...

2011-10-05T13:22:00.001-04:00

Head on over to Grace Full Mama for the last giveaway for her new blog launch! Winners will be chosen next week... check it out today before it's too late to enter.

Another Awesome Giveaway!

2011-10-04T08:13:00.000-04:00

Joy at Grace Full Mama has another incredible giveaway today. She is also sharing the vision for her new blog to encourage us mama's and all women alike. Don't miss out... head on over there!

She's Back...

2011-10-03T11:52:00.004-04:00

... Joy, the encouraging mama from The Stay- at- Home Missionary and she has a new blog she just launched today with an incredibly awesome giveaway. You can find her as she says, "at the intersection of grace and truth" or just click on this button below to visit her at Grace Full Mama.

Looking forward to this sweet and safe place to share, learn, and be encouraged as the Godly wife, mama, and friend HE created me to be!

Major Giveaway!

2011-09-28T14:07:00.003-04:00

Something Big is Coming and a $56,000 Homeschool Sweepstakes! | Home Educating Association

Check out this link above... especially you homeschool momma's! They are giving away so much that you might want to stash your winnings in the closet until Christmas!

A Giveaway!

2011-09-14T08:40:00.000-04:00

Home Educating Family Publishing

Go checkout this site for an awesome giveaway! This seems to be an amazing art curriculum that anyone could benefit from. They are giving away ten of these very soon... go check it out!

It's Official... Our School Year has Begun!

2011-09-06T18:25:00.003-04:00

We had a great first day for the 2011/2012 school year. We had several new changes mixed in with our usual stuff. It was fun, and full of peace. Thank you, Lord!

Our students in 4th & 5th grade this year.

Busy filling out their annual survey of all their favorite things!

My Favorite Season

2011-09-02T09:12:00.001-04:00

It is almost here... can't wait for it to arrive! It's like the anticipation of a gift that is wrapped up so pretty waiting to be opened. What is it I am referring to... fall!

The start of a new school year, cooler weather, beautiful scenery, more enjoyable time outdoors, great time for reflection, and all the sweet autumn scents.

We are looking forward to our first family camping trip and a road trip to the mountains during this season.

What about you? What is your favorite season, and what do you look forward to most?

“Not” Back to School Blog Hop: Student Photo Week

2011-08-17T08:14:00.012-04:00

Madeline, age 10, 5th grade

She loves to read, dance, sing, shop, and spend time with family.

Amelia, age 8, 4th grade

She loves to sing, draw, read, walk on her tippy toes, and spend time together.

They are the sweetest of friends and get along most of the time. Most of what they do involves being together by choice. Swimming, riding bikes, playing with Littlest Pet Shop, Lego building, artistic creations, and their love of horses strengthens their bond with each other.

We are looking forward to starting our 6th year of homeschooling soon!

Please join us in the "Not" Back to School Blog HOP at Heart of the Matter Online.

"Not" Back to School Blog Hop: School Room

2011-08-10T23:51:00.013-04:00

Welcome to Cornett Academy!

We are very blessed to have a room devoted in our home to school in. When we built this house several years back, this layout really caught our eye. It was all about having a playroom for our kiddos back then during the toddler/ preschool years. That all changed though when the Lord was leading me to seriously look at homeschooling our young girls. Over the past few years we have been clearing the room out of toys, etc., and it is officially our school room now. It is beginning to have the feel that I initially envisioned when we began this adventure.

We also school at the bar stools in the kitchen, table (on occasion), and reading on our couch in the family room. When we get a bit stir crazy we pick up the table and move it out into the family room so that we can enjoy the natural light from the windows. It is way too hot here to attempt this in the summer though. In fact, the school room is the coolest spot in the whole house during summer. Field Trips are the ideal learning environment for us and we like to scatter them throughout the year.

This past year my sister donated her old sewing table to us that has now become the teacher's desk. :)

Here is a closer view of the left side of the room. This table that the girls school at has been with us since our oldest was about 18 months old. My mom got it on clearance at Pottery Barn Kids. We still love it!

Here is a closer view of the right side of the room. The white & blue table holds all our supplies/ manipulatives.

In the far right corner as you walk in is our music area. My parents bought this awesome karaoke machine for Christmas last year. Our girls both love to sing. :)

In the far left corner as you walk in is our cozy little bookshelf that originally came from a public library when we picked it up at a garage sale. We also have the singing Audubon clock above it.

Here is a close up of our curriculum shelf. Unfortunately it is still set up with last year's books. I haven't ordered all our things for this next year yet. We start school the day after Labor Day.

Here is our art wall and where the last bit of toys are hidden. SSShhh... we like to keep that quiet! :)

This is our Missionary wall. We hope to add much more to this soon.

These have been hanging in our schoolroom for some time now. This will be the sixth year we are entering into solely by the Grace of God.

This is one of my favorite accessories in the entire room... the Crayola light switch cover. We bought this shortly after moving into our home several years ago at an arts & craft show. Such sweet memories!

Hope you enjoyed your visit into our little school room. I have really enjoyed seeing/meeting all of you and the beautiful & creative spaces that you school in. What a blessing it is to do what we do! Nothing quite compares to pouring into our kids and witnessing their growth and maturity. What an awesome sight... when they allow the Lord to mold and shape them during their years at home.

Have a wonderful year, ladies!

Please join us in the "Not" Back to School Blog HOP at Heart of the Matter Online.

VBS: Kingdom Spies vs. Enemy Lies

2011-08-04T22:20:00.013-04:00

The girls are having a blast at VBS this year. The dress up themes have been so much fun too.

Crazy Hat Day

Nerd Day

our Nerdy girls :)

Mia was one of the winners for this day. :)

Sports Day

soccer player & a cyclist

Spy Day

Agent Madeline

Agent Mia

This was the last night!

Molly had to join them in this pic :)

"Not" Back to School Blog Hop: Curriculum 2011- 2012

2011-08-01T12:20:00.023-04:00

This is my first attempt at participating in a Hop. I am very excited to visit everyone's blog and learn a lot more about all the curriculum that is offered out there.

By the grace of God this will be our sixth year of homeschooling. The first three years we exclusively used Abeka and the structured approach worked well for us. Last year I switched our oldest daughter to Rod & Staff in order to cut down on our costs, yet maintain a similar teaching method. It was a great fit for us and we will stay with R & S for both of our girls in Math, English, Reading, and Spelling. We are going to branch out a bit this year though in Science & History.

Here is a list of what we will do together for 4th and 5th grade.

Bible

Grapevine Studies- New Testament Overview, Stick Figuring through the Bible

We did the Old Testament version a couple years ago and our girls loved it.They love to draw, color, and create. What better way to learn God's Word than to draw their way through it!

Health

Rod and Staff Health 4/5

We didn't use this last year, so we will make use of it together this year.

Science

Exploring Creation with Astronomy

We are very excited to be doing this together and have heard so many great things about Apologia. I am also looking forward to just having to teach from one book. We will be covering two of their topics this year to stay on track in completing all of them by 7th grade.

Astronomy Notebooking Journal

What a great addition these notebooking journals are! We will do Astronomy in Semester One.

Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

This will begin in Semester Two.

Zoology 2 Notebooking Journal

The field trips for this one will be a highlight for sure.

History

TruthQuest History: American History for Young
Students I

This is brand new to us this year. This is getting me out of my comfort zone as far as structure goes. Although visiting the library will be a welcome change in routine. Reading aloud with more discussion is what lead me to this choice. The reviews were outstanding too. We will be doing this first one during Semester One.

TruthQuest History: American History for Young
Students II

This will be the material we cover in the second semester. I would love feedback from anyone who has already used this program. Any pointers that you can share on planning it out?

5th Grade

Rod and Staff Arithmetic 5

I love the simplicity of this teaching method. Last year it helped our daughter become more of an independent learner too. It is very well laid out, easy to understand, and it is a hardcover book.

Rod and Staff English 5

Again, the simple layout of this and the way it flows is such a blessing. There is plenty of review and just enough oral and written practice on the new concepts that are covered each day.

Rod and Staff Spelling 5

A much more thorough approach than Abeka. We were used to just memorization for the first three years. This covers so much more than that.

Rod and Staff Reading 5

Our fifth grader loves to read and flies through the pages. In fourth grade
R & S uses the Bible readers and does a great job with the paired workbooks that aid in comprehension and vocabulary. Beginning in fifth grade they transition into the upper- grade reading series containing 40 prose works, 15 poems, and 5 composition themes. There is also a workbook that goes with it.

Abeka Art Projects

We never used this so I couldn't spend the money on anything else. Most of what you need for supplies is already in this book.

4th Grade

Rod and Staff Arithmetic 4

I am believing this will be a good transition for our youngest daughter from Abeka. Another thing that I adore about Rod and Staff are the old fashioned pictures throughout the book of classrooms, simple moments of old time fun, etc.

Rod and Staff English 4

Another great tool is that you only have one book for the teachers manual. Each page has a reduced snapshot of the students text in your book and has the points to cover in teaching, as well as, the answers to the worksheets and tests all in one book.
The instructions for what will be taught are very clear and easy to follow.

Rod and Staff Spelling 4

This really challenged our fifth grader last year. I am hoping it will do the same for our fourth grader this year coming from Abeka.

Rod and Staff Reading 4

The biblical content of the reading material is what sets this program apart. The workbooks are great to strengthen their comprehension and vocabulary.

Abeka Art Projects

Again, these were not used so we will save the money and make use of them this year. Most of what you need for supplies is already in this book.

Extra Curricular

Our church offers our girls amazing opportunities in the Arts. They have been in several plays with a church wide cast at Christmas and Easter. They have also been a part of the annual children's play where they have sung solos and had speaking parts.

This year they are going to be taking a dance class with Ballet, Jazz, and Lyrical.

On Valentine's Day we plan to host a craft & cookie exchange.

Field Trips

Our family really enjoys learning through field trips. We started off the year in 2010- 2011 by going to Kennedy Space Center. That was one of the neatest ever and we all had such a great time. It was an awesome value on Homeschool Day and they even gave you a ticket to come back a second day. You will need it- there is so much to see and do there. This year we already have a big science center and aquarium on the calendar to visit this fall.

We will begin schooling the day after Labor Day this year.

Hope you all have a wonderful year teaching, learning, and pouring into your kids. What a blessing it is for us all to have this opportunity to spend such precious time with our children! May the Lord bless and guide us throughout the year!

Come and join us in the Hop...

Coming Soon...

2011-07-30T14:11:00.008-04:00

I heard about this over at Are We There Yet. I am really looking forward to these four weeks of fun. I haven't ever participated in anything like this before. It will be awesome to share and connect with others who school like we do. Come and join us!

Resting in HIS Glorious Beauty

2011-07-19T10:02:00.001-04:00

How can we not rest and trust in a God who created all of this?

He gracefully and gently reminds us to look around and remember how big He is, and just how little our trials are in comparison to HIM. He is inviting us daily to place all things in HIS hands so He can go to work in our circumstances. He sees all things, and knows the plans and purposes He has for us... ones to prosper us and not to harm us.

So the next time you are up against a major trial look around at the beauty He has surrounded us all with. Let the calm stillness and peace of His presence overtake you.

Be encouraged that once we surrender our trials over into His hands that He will work all things out for our good. He is a faithful God- rich in mercy, grace, and unconditional love for you. Remember His promises!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

Fresh Season

2011-06-22T17:55:00.002-04:00

I had a few minutes today to visit some of my favorite blogs... you know, the ones that always encourage you.

While I was there visiting and really considering my response to Holley Gerth's simple, yet powerful post of You're Seen a very recent and fresh seasoned response came forth to finish the statement of "We'll See..."

This arose from a crossroad I found myself at just a day ago. This truth that I unmistakeably met with eye to eye assured me, without any doubts, that a choice had to be made. Which route was I going to take? Was I going to continue to believe lies (as I had in this area for many years) or the truth? I heard the truth, the healthy path of travel. Although, it hurt in the flesh just thinking of the process I would have to go through that led to my deliverance and healing. I do have the freedom to choose though, and the enemy would love for me to take his shortcut- the one that appears to be the easy one... the one that leads to many forms of death.

I chose life- to walk that path with Him, by faith and not sight- knowing that His love, and grace will surely lead me to victory, for His glory! Here is my response to the phrase We'll See... visit Holley's blog and share how you'd finish this statement.

We'll see... if our deepest cries to be unconditionally loved and accepted- the ones that we can so easily and unfairly place on our spouses to meet without even thinking. Where the raw emotions begin to stir with the help of our soul's enemy who fuels the ungodly fire within when we choose to allow the words to start flying- lashing back and forth. Tearing down one another when we really want to build each other up!

I do believe we'll see when we get just one glimpse of the revelation of Perfect LOVE - HIS perfect love for us... and then, and only then… when we are equipped with that powerful truth, that no lie can stand up to, will we be able to set our spouses free from the unfair cages we have kept them in from an unmet need that they were never intended to meet.

How faithful is our God! How far and wide and deep is His perfect love for us! His grace is amazing… and the forgiveness, deliverance, and healing HE offers us all is complete. HIS love bridges every gap and is truly without any lack.

Ephesians 3:14-21:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

A Return is in Sight

2011-05-20T12:03:00.001-04:00

The barricades are being moved, and the cones are being stacked up for removal... how grateful I am that this detour is coming to a close. God is so good, His faithfulness is overwhelming, and His grace- absolutely amazing!

Looking forward to sharing soon!

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

Detour: You Are Being Redirected

2011-01-04T16:28:00.003-05:00

I am taking a break from blogging. I will still be keeping up with our life in pictures though and will be posting them through our share site over on Shutterfly. If you would like to visit, and see what we're up to, here is the link ... The Cornett Academy . You can even leave us a comment. :)

This is a detour- I am not shutting the blog down. I'm just unsure of how long the construction will take (aka- the work the Lord is doing in my heart, and the new direction I am anticipating from HIM).

In the meantime, Happy New Year to you & your families! May it be blessed with the Lord's peace, protection, and provision. HE is so faithful!

With eyes fixed on HIM,
Denise

Thankfulness on Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T11:47:00.054-05:00

The girls have been patiently waiting to hold Olivia, their first cousin on my side for a little while now. That day arrived on Thanksgiving. What sweet smiles and looks of delight on their faces.

Madeline was so happy... it even made up for Olivia's brief moment of discontent, I think!

SO precious!!

Mia loves this little one... no matter if its all smiles or tears!

Total delight!!

Thanks Uncle Carl & Aunt Dee-Dee! We love you & Olivia too :)

Harvest Gathering

2010-11-20T10:55:00.014-05:00

Our church gathered together for a fun day outdoors full of activities.

Here is my Mom appreciating the work put into this restoration.

My silly husband participating in the cakewalk.

This was the turkey shoot. I have to admit that I did not know what this was. For a moment, I really thought we were going to see live turkeys. :)

The classic hayride... it's my favorite. The view of this one was the best... 45 minutes going through a pasture full of cows, their babies and even a few horses too.

Aaaahhhhh!

They came right up to us and even head butted the trailer a few times.

This is Blaze. What a relaxing day full of big belly laughs!

Happy Birthday Roy!

2010-11-13T13:52:00.003-05:00

Since we already had the birthday party for Roy last month, we enjoyed a quiet evening out to dinner at Olive Garden.

I love you, Honey!
Thanks for working so hard for our family.
By the way, you are even more handsome now than when we first met. :)

We love you, Daddy!!!!

Golfing on Grandma's Birthday

2010-11-03T12:18:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandma!

My mom is a great golfer!

Madi & Mia enjoying the afternoon on the golf cart.

This reminds me of my sis & I when we were young. We grew up on the golf course, and actually found it easier to learn how to drive a car from our experience on the golf carts.

My honey is a great golfer too and I love to watch him play!

This was a beautiful course.

3 of a kind! :)

We do have hills in Florida...this is one of the highest points in FL.

Mia's turn at the wheel...with Grandma's help, of course.

Great swing, Mom!

My handsome hubby :)

Two cutie pies :)

Great swing with a pretty sunset on the way.

God is Good!

Happy Birthday Mom! Thanks for letting us share the day with you. We love you!

Shout it Out ... 40, 50, 60!

2010-11-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

We celebrated three birthday milestones recently. You guessed it... 40, 50, and 60.

A friend of my sister's made this fun cake. She owns a sweet, little cake shop at the mall called, The Glass Slipper Cakery where she creates all kinds of beautiful & yummy confections.

My brother-in-law turned 40, my hubby turned 50, and my mom turned 60.

Don't they look great?!! ...We sure do love all three of them! :)

Women of Faith

2010-10-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

We had such a wonderful time at the Women of Faith conference in Tampa last month. My only complaint was how FREEZING it was in there!! It was hockey season and there was only a thin mat between us and the ice. Can you say fun?!! We even had to make a trip to Walmart for items such as long underwear, socks, blankets... it was quite the fashion show walking around that place!

Steven Curtis Chapman on stage... it was awesome!!

Christy & me :)

This is where we spent most of our breaks... in the warm sunshine!

Thanks ladies for such a great weekend!

Just for Fun!

2010-10-28T09:32:00.001-04:00

M & M toes

Fishing Firsts

2010-10-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

I was at the Women of Faith conference a couple of weeks ago. While I was away, Dad took the girls fishing for the first time and they loved it!

Mia's first catch!

Madeline's first catch!

F-U-N Giveaway

2010-10-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

I was visiting a blog this morning when I came across this super FUN giveaway. I had to share this. Go to this blog to enter the giveaway. These would make great stocking stuffers. Also, check out the artist's site... you can try your hand and imagination out with the demo under the Learn How To Play picture on the left. Hope you have as much fun with this as we did!

Now, let me introduce you to... Professor Smitty- at your service! He has a love of wiggling his ears... any place..anytime!

We would love to meet your creations, if you wouldn't mind sharing. Just leave a comment below.

Creative Crew

2010-09-30T22:52:00.005-04:00

Dad says, "Madeline, can you go put the water bottles in the fridge, please?" She says, "Yes sir" and here is what we find...

I love her creativity... and our creative Creator!

Madeline, the flower maker & Mia, the turtle (notice the shell on her back) :)

Commune with HIM

2010-09-30T08:22:00.002-04:00

Last night at church we were a part of a very special communion service. The man who plays Jesus at the Holy Land graciously gave of his time, alongside twelve other Disciples... I mean- men from our church, to present the Lord's Supper to us. It was incredible to experience this!

By the way, the third disciple to the right of Jesus is Roy who was playing Andrew.

Olivia- 6 Week Visit

2010-09-25T19:19:00.000-04:00

School + Friends = Fun

2010-09-22T18:51:00.001-04:00

We had our friends over the other day to school together and celebrate Abby's birthday too.

Sweet Friends ~

Madeline schooling...

Micah's ~ sweet ~ schoolin' spot...

Mia was in the kitchen at work with her momma. :)

Abby was finished first and enjoying her birthday presents.

Birthday brownies about to be shared and enjoyed amongst friends.

Happy Birthday Abby!! We love you :)

Olivia- 5 Week Visit

2010-09-21T19:14:00.000-04:00

Yea God!!

2010-09-20T17:03:00.000-04:00

We had our garage sale on Saturday. The girls had hopes of selling enough refreshments to raise enough money to go to the Homeschool Day at Kennedy Space Center.

Praise God!! They sold about $86.00 worth of oreos, candy bars, and ice cold water bottles. So, we are going to have an awesome family day and first time experience at the Cape.

Grateful...

2010-09-15T12:12:00.000-04:00

Whoa... I am so grateful that this sweet girl didn't take care of things like I did when I was her age. She woke up with this all over her hair, face, arm and sheets. Can you imagine how much FUN this was to get out, without using scissors? She said, "I was going to cut it out" and I gently reminded her what happened when I did that as a young girl. You don't want to wind up with a boy haircut like Mommy did, do you? :)

It Was A Hit!

2010-09-13T09:43:00.004-04:00

We all enjoyed Toy Story 3 on Ice. What a fun way to watch a movie!

Grandma joined us for the fun.

Our friends, Jeremiah & Christy

Roy & I

The girls were all fascinated... it's so entertaining just watching their sweet faces.

Part of the round up with Woody & Jessie...

... and the ending!

Sarah, Mia, Abby, Micah, & Madeline :)

God is Good!

2010-09-06T21:09:00.001-04:00

We are so blessed to have been given tickets to go and see Toy Story 3 on Ice this upcoming weekend. Our girls are real Toy Story fans, and their Daddy too. :)

When times are tough and money is scarce... our God is so Good and Faithful!

It's Not Too Late...

2010-09-04T12:15:00.001-04:00

... to head on over to (in)Courage and take part in their daily doses of encouragement and fun giveaways. This is an awesome site filled with a community of beautiful believers just like yourself. Check it out, the last giveaway is on September 13th.

P.S.- I won this yesterday... I can't wait to see it in person! God is so Good!!

GRACE Tile Set (with rod and knob set too)

The School Bell is Ringing!

2010-09-02T10:46:00.005-04:00

School has started! We had a nice, relaxing day of orientation yesterday. Our school room has a new set-up with some new additions, as well. We have also changed some of the curriculum we use. We are excited for this new year and all that the Lord has planned, and in store as we all learn together.

Mia, our 3rd grader and Madeline, our 4th grader...

... and our room we school in...

... and the other side of it.

We started a new tradition of them filling out a questionnaire of some of their favorite things. I was inspired by Monica's idea over at The Homespun Heart and changed hers up a bit to suit our girls.

They were to sign their name, list their favorite things to do, favorite foods, some of their friends, favorite Bible verse, favorite season and school subject, and anything else they'd like to share.

Then they were to trace their hand on the back of the paper.

Finally, on the second page to draw a picture.

This is one of the new additions, and my personal favorite to the school room this year. My sister graciously gave us her sewing table and it has now become my desk.

Now I have a place to call mine; and to set down my cup of coffee and do some lesson planning.

Look who is happiest of all.... MOLLY!

She can now be in here with us, without getting into trouble...

... since this room is also filled with toys, which we have managed to keep a little more hidden now.

She loves to get a hold of whatever she can. So, this room suits her very well now!

The artists busy at work...

... with their love of drawing. :)

Lock- In 2010

2010-08-28T18:34:00.004-04:00

The girls got to attend the Lock-in at church for the first time this year. It is a sleepover at church with activities, games, crafts, worship, movies and bounce houses (in the sanctuary). There is tape on the floor down the middle of the room. The boys are on one side and the girls on the other. There is absolutely no crossing over that line! They also asked all the kids to bring clothes that didn't fit or that they were tired of. Every child was then able to pick things out to bring home...what a blessing!

Madeline & Mia said that they did stay awake the whole night. The kids that make it get a certificate or reward of some sort.

Here is one of the two inflatables inside that they all got to have a blast on.

They are lovin' it... and it was great exercise too.

Here is a view of both bounce houses.

We rented one similar to this one for a birthday party one time.

Their set- up at the campout!

Starting the outdoor games...

This one is to see who can keep a piece of Hershey's chocolate on their tongue while sticking it out, and without it completely melting, or falling off.

This was really funny to watch...

...it's getting tough...

...and they have started to drool!

I think the girls were beating the boys...

...we're almost to the final circle...

..so much fun & laughter!

They were not giving up...

...go Madeline & Mia!!

Here is the final circle, which Madeline made it into.

Madeline right towards the end... before she was out. There were six girls that won!

Here is the second game. You put an Oreo on your forehead and have to use your facial muscles to scoot it down your face and into your mouth, without the assistance of your hands.

This was also hilarious to watch! The girls friend, Micah won this and she is only seven.

Then they finished up with a water balloon toss.

Two boys teamed up and won this... might I mention that they are both baseball players. I know, I know, I am so competitive!! :)

I love you, girls!!

Lord, I am so blessed... and I love my family!

Dainty & Delightful

2010-08-24T07:52:00.005-04:00

At last! After spending the whole day with her she opened her eyes right before we left. :)

Last Days of Summer

2010-08-23T07:39:00.000-04:00

Our summer is winding down and school is approaching quickly. Our free time is dwindling away the closer we get to the first of September. We have had a busy, yet very fun & peaceful summer together.

Their creativity inspires me.

It was a quiet summer in regards to meeting up with friends. The girls were so happy to see Sarah, their BFF before school starts.

They love to role play. I think this had to do with a prince, a princess, and a dragon.

This was Snow White, of course. :)

Wii with Uncle Carl!!

Women of Faith 2010

2010-08-22T07:29:00.000-04:00

A couple of ladies at church invited me to go to the Women of Faith conference coming up in October. I have never been before and am looking forward to all the God's girl time and fun! I will be awesome to be in worship with the Chapman's leading too. I can't wait!!

Our Second Visit

2010-08-19T11:56:00.002-04:00

We made a trip over to Grandma's to visit Olivia, and of course, Mommy & Daddy too. We also got to see Grace & Tiffany, Carl's mom and sister. We were all floating!

Welcome to the family little one- we love you!

She is so adorable!!!

The blessed and joyful parents- Carl & Darlene (my sis)

Can you see the adoration on Mia's face?

What sweet days await with these cute cousins together!

Grandma Grace soaking in every moment with her first granddaughter. :)

Aunt Tiffany in total delight with her niece.

Oh, how I miss the baby days!

I am really looking forward to the holidays this year!

She Has Arrived...

2010-08-19T11:36:00.001-04:00

Our sweet, adorable, beautiful, little niece & cousin...Olivia Paige.

We are all in love! When we see her, we can't stop looking at her, and when we hold her, we never want to put her down, either. Mia even said, "she is cuter than I was" and we explained that every baby, every child is cute. Enough of my talking though, you must see for yourself ...

This is the lobby/ waiting area of the hospital where she was born .

Olivia's cousins patiently waiting to go in and meet her for the first time!

Grandma and her third granddaughter, Olivia.

What a precious profile :)

Mia, Aunt Denise (me), Madeline, and Olivia

Uncle Roy and Olivia

Uncle Roy whistling to her like a birdie. :)

Can you tell we are all in awe of God's gift to all of us?

A moment of silliness on the way out!

Mia thought it was super cool that she was born right across the street from her cousin.

Baby Wipe Creations by Madeline

2010-08-17T08:20:00.002-04:00

Madeline's creativity always brings a smile to our face. These cute little dolls were made from dried baby wipes, staples, and a couple pens.

Turn From Fretting to Fun!

2010-08-16T08:03:00.000-04:00

We have been extremely busy and on the go lately. Our house visually reflects our schedule. This can become a major stressor for me, if I allow it to. So, on Saturday we knew we needed to have some quality time with the kids. When we got home that afternoon our MESSY house was just staring at me. I thought... why am I fretting? We can turn this into some fun... and stay cool inside too! So we all enjoyed the creativity of my handy husband as we camped out at the movies in the comfort of our own living room.

By the way, the clean clothes that were all over the furniture were still there patiently waiting. :)

Our campsite...

... all we saw was this amazing tent!

One of the cute ticket gals at this canopy covered theater.

Guess what was playing? One of our favorites... Narnia!

Tickets in hand, waiting to be punched.

The other cute ticket gal.

Even Molly was enjoying this campout. :)

What a fun time!

The Chronicles of Narnia

Missing You, Checkers...

2010-08-05T23:52:00.002-04:00

The girls goldfish, Checkers died tonight. We have had him for 16 months and all of us have grown pretty fond of him. We will miss watching this graceful beauty swimming around in the bowl, it was quite relaxing to just sit there in front of him.

The girls had won Checkers and his two pals, Goldy & Ginger at a church carnival in March of last year. Since Goldy & Ginger died it has been just Checkers for a while now. Mia, Madeline & Molly are in this picture, too.

Less than a month after winning the three of them, Grandma bought them a more suitable bowl to hang out in with a neat hiding spot in the bell.

Here he is back in January of this year... swimming solo at that point.

This was just last week. We had a feeling it would not be long since he was not eating much anymore. :(

We'll miss you, Checkers!

VBS Worship Showcase

2010-08-02T07:43:00.219-04:00

Last night was the worship showcase from VBS last week. It was so awesome to see all the performances from the workshops that the kids were so diligent in learning last week. It was also a blessing to witness the youth, side by side, with the younger generation of kids in worship and on fire for the Lord. They all had so much fun praising God!

P - R - A - I - S - E P - A - R - T - Y

Kids of all ages loving the Lord :)

Madeline's group performing their dance, she is the second one from the right.

Madeline is on the far right.

Mia's group in Scripture Cheerleading, she is in the back row on the right.

Mia is in the front row on the right with her arms in the air.

This was their favorite song and dance to do...

I worship God with my head, with my hands, 

with my heart, with my feet, with my soul!

I worship God with my soul, with my feet, 

with my heart, with my hands, with my head.

It had a fun, hip hop rhythm to it... it made you want to jump right up there and join in!

This blow up thing was in the sanctuary on the stage during VBS waving up and down. Of course, the girls loved it!

Throughout the evening, woven in between the performances, we all got to witness the children who were being baptized. Madeline and Mia were two of those children! In their case, this was not the first time for them. However, they both felt led to do this again for different reasons... and who are we to question this or stand in their way? It was such a gift to witness. :)

Our Children's Pastor, Kathi and her husband, Pastor Terry, who is our Worship Pastor. Mia chose Pastor Terry to baptize her. Kathi is asking Mia if she has asked Jesus into her heart... she said YES!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Madeline chose Pastor Gary, our Senior Pastor to baptize her. Again, Kathi is asking Madeline if she has asked Jesus to be the Lord of her life... she said YES!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. - John 14:6

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

Girls Night

2010-07-31T10:16:00.001-04:00

We had girls night tonight in honor of my sister, Darlene before she has her first baby.

Madeline & Mia did not join us at dinner. However, they were thrilled to see Aunt Dee- Dee and say "Hi" to their cousin, Olivia before we left.

My sister is beautiful... the pregnancy glow really compliments her.

Both Grandmas & Aunts were present... our mom, Debbie, Grace (mother-in-law), Darlene, Tiffany (sister-in-law) and me (in the next picture).

We had a very nice evening at Mimi's Cafe. It was good to have the time away to just talk, laugh, and learn more about one another.

We are all looking forward to meeting Olivia!

VBS: Spirit Day

2010-07-30T07:12:00.000-04:00

It's the last night of VBS... it's a BIG Praise party!

Day 5 Soul Goal: I will lift my voice in song to my Jesus all day long!

VBS: Sports Day

2010-07-29T07:03:00.000-04:00

Madeline the Golfer... Mia the Horse Barrel Racer

Day 4 Soul Goal: No matter when, no matter where, I will lift my heart in prayer!

VBS: Nerd Day

2010-07-28T11:07:00.000-04:00

Their first question was, "Mom, what is a nerd?" This was a theme that we were struggling with as their parents to answer. We told them that it is an unkind term that is sometimes given to someone that is very smart. What does a nerd look like??? Hhhmm... I'm not sure.

Day 3 Soul Goal: I will always stand up straight and give my life to God in praise!

VBS: Patriotic Day

2010-07-27T10:53:00.000-04:00

M & M in red, white & blue!

Day 2 Soul Goal: At church, at home, and in the street, I will praise God with my feet!

VBS: Crazy Hat Day

2010-07-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

Flower Farmer, Mia & Underwater Lover, Madeline

Daddy did a great job helping Madeline out with this one!

The assorted sea life on her hat were pool toys & pipe cleaners.

I (Mom) helped Mia out with hers.

She had a fleece hat on underneath with ties at the top of it. I wove the pipe cleaner flowers in between the ties at the top. We used a pet's grass skirt as the grass for the flowers to grow out of.

It wouldn't be VBS without a silly pic, right?

Just inside... the party begins!

Day 1 Soul Goal: With hands and heart, I will adore, and bring my all unto the Lord!

VBS: Praise Party!

2010-07-26T12:48:00.003-04:00

The girls have VBS at church this week. We are excited with the fun themes they have planned for each night. They have really been brainstorming over this past weekend preparing for this.

Monday- Crazy Hat Day
Tuesday- Patriotic Day
Wednesday- Nerd Day
Thursday- Sports Day
Friday- Party Day (Spirit Day)

We are looking forward to Sunday evening when they will be a part of the Worship Showcase presented to the entire church.

Detoured Blessings

2010-07-22T19:53:00.001-04:00

It was a really hard decision to release these into a new home. I originally had planned on hanging onto them... at least for our grandkids one day! I'm quite sure our youngest, Mia would not have had a problem with that either. These "little people" have been a real treasure in our home over the past nine years that we have been collecting them. They have taught our girls so much as they have grown and have been such a joy to watch them play aloud. It was so sad when I saw Mia (7 yr.) really struggling with the decision to part with these. They have been in bags in the garage for a few months now to free up some space inside.

We had a plan to put them on craigslist to sell them. So the other night we pulled them all out and took all the proper pics to show off their detail, I wrote up a long ad for them and our intent to bless a family, church, school, etc. with these. We also had them priced very modestly in hopes of helping someone else out in these challenging times. This whole event was also going to teach them about giving. We want our girls to understand the importance of not hanging onto material things too tightly, placing too much value on them.

All was well until Mia had a chance to play with them again, realizing how special they are to her still. My heart was really being tugged for her. I could understand how she felt... those "little people" were one of my favorites growing up too. The very next day after they were posted on craigslist we had some new friends over and realized that they had never played with these before...ever. Oh my goodness, I could not imagine that! On top of that, it was an opportunity to bless them as well... for the girls to bless their own friends!

I was so proud of Mia for making the decision to let go... even though she could have easily kept them. She did see the ultimate gift and value in giving...the joy, excitement & sweet smiles on the faces of her friends who received the blessing. God is so Good!

Here is the farm...the first in our collection.

Noah's Ark was the next one, I think.

Then the house, playground, garden gazebo, pink car, school bus and other fun add-ons.

I think this is one of their absolute favorites...the amusement park/ fair.

Finally, the royal castle.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
- John 1:16

Spontaneous Summer

2010-07-20T07:31:00.003-04:00

Unplanned, evening of VBS with a sweet friend - Take It In ... Live It Out!

Family fun at Bass Pro Shop ... dreaming of camping days ahead ...

filled with a much needed time to rest ...

and no shortage of fun!!!

Sweet Anticipation

2010-07-06T19:02:00.001-04:00

Our little girl has a request for her 8th birthday coming up in December.

Can we go see Narnia 3, please?

Kids-A-Flame Camp

2010-06-29T08:15:00.017-04:00

They did it! The girls went with our church to camp for five whole days without Mom or Dad. I believe Roy & I grew as much as they did last week by releasing them to go, and placing them in the Lord's hands.

The camp is on the Little Manatee River in Bradenton, FL. It is called Christian Retreat.

The grounds were nice with lots of space.

The view out one of the windows in the hall of the building they were staying in.

The sign reads, "Christian Retreat... Miracle Manor... Praise the Lord!"

Another part of the grounds, what a beautiful sight... My Redeemer Lives!

Here is Miss Crystal's room. :)

Here is Madeline's group performance in Beginner Flags. She is the first one leading the group onto the stage, on the right, in pink shorts with red flags. In the video (at the bottom of the blog) she will be on the left side in the front.

This was Mia's group performance in Scripture Cheerleading. She is in the front row, far left, with red shorts on. You can see her in the video (at the bottom of the blog) too.

Our precious & fully worn out campers!

West Coast Beauty

2010-06-28T23:02:00.005-04:00

The girls were at church camp for the week. It was about two hours away from us, and all of the parents were invited to come to their performance on the final evening when picking them up. Roy & I had some extra time to get there, so we took the old, country road routes down there. We even had some time to visit the beach... just long enough to snap a few shots, anyway.

Cracker Barrel... you always know what you'll get and how much it will cost ya!

We're almost beachside at the Gulf.

The water was so beautiful...this bridge is bringing us onto Longboat Key.

One of our first stops... to get out and snap a few pictures.

This was really neat to watch as he was preparing to jump on his board and let the wind lead.

The girls would have loved watching this!

It was a beautiful day...

so bright & crisp!

Roy & I enjoying our time together. :)

It was so relaxing there. We could have easily stayed longer, hot temps & all!

This is my favorite! Love the metal roof!

Happy Birthday Madeline!

2010-06-03T10:23:00.005-04:00

My favorite picture from Madeline's "Tropical Getaway"
Birthday Party in May.

Be back soon...school is almost out!

Jekyll Island pictures still to come too...

A Time of Renewal

2010-03-04T11:42:00.001-05:00

Pics coming soon from Roy & I's getaway to Jekyll Island, GA.

Sledding- Florida Style

2010-01-17T00:13:00.004-05:00

Who says you have to have snow to go sledding? When you live in the hills all you need is ice in the winter or even just an ordinary cardboard box will do the rest of the year. Here are several shots that we had to share. Such old-fashioned fun!!

Our neighbor, German & Roy

German's wife, Sylvia & the girls

Mia, Me & Madi :)

German & Sylvia

Roy & I

Madi, German, Sylvia & Mia

Mia & Sylvia

German & Madi

This one's a little blurry...too funny not to share though!!

Family of four :)

Madi surfing

Mia surfing

Head first :)

Starting to tire out...

...tongue hanging out & all! :)

What a fun hour or so that was!! We have finally found a great use for these hills that we are living in. :)

Yes Ma'am, Yes Sir...SNOW in Florida!!

2010-01-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

All the blue is snow...covering our little town on 1-9-2010!

We were so excited to see our state covered in blue that we got up early and headed north for Gainesville. We actually had a better chance of seeing it had we stayed home though. There was more precipitation in our area than there was north of us.

On our way back traveling through Ocala, we were so excited to see snow on the roof tops...even if it was just a little. :)

This is our van a day or two later. This cold snap lasted for about 14 straight days here. Our house stayed frigid pretty much the duration of that time. These FL homes just aren't built for those temps!!

Our van covered in ice.

Our favorite radio station...iced over on our window. :)

The best part of winter...the sunsets!!

God , you are so Good!!!

1st Weekend of 2010

2010-01-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

We started off the New Year with a trip to the orange groves to do some picking. Bright, beautiful oranges to squeeze for some fresh OJ...Yummy!! It was a wonderful family activity and budget friendly too.

It was a gorgeous, crisp, sunny day...

The pickers in action :)

We were all bundled up from all the COLD weather FL was having.

When Roy & I were dating we used to go hang out in some groves close to Disney. A friend of his managed them so this brought back so many good memories. It was really neat to share in this activity with our children.

Aren't these just beautiful?? :)

It's Not About Me...It's Not About You...

2010-01-13T17:05:00.004-05:00

It's all about ~ HIM!!

With the devastating news of the life lost in Haiti from the earthquake, it really grips your heart...He grips our heart. That written Word that we read is quickly coming to pass with each day we see.

Lord, I pray for a massive surrendering of "our wills" over this country...to lay down our cluttered, fruitless & lifeless agendas in order to pick up your perfect will for our lives. Encounter us Holy Spirit, stir our spirit...help us to walk out that which we believe. So many are lost... without any hope, just hurts. Awaken us to your plan & purpose for our lives. Our obedience & complete devotion to you is critical in the days ahead. These times that we are living in are flying by and can change in the blink of an eye. Help us to be ready with eyes to see, ears to hear and mouths to speak. Lord, your kingdom come...your will be done...on earth as it is in Heaven. Lord, it is all about you...help us to burn bright in this dark world. In JESUS name I pray, Amen.

Meet Me In The Meadow

2010-01-11T14:57:00.004-05:00

Meet Me In The Meadow: You Can, Because He Can

Check out this link above...it is very encouraging!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:14:00.007-05:00

Prophetic artwork by: Gwen Meharg

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters,

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

~ Isaiah 43:16,18-19

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T11:41:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas from our home to yours ~

May your New Year be Blessed & Bright!

~ CHRISTmas At The Cornett's ~

2009-12-14T14:23:00.000-05:00

Join in on the fun!

Our tree

Our tree lit up. Look at this post for close-ups of our ornaments.

Inside our front entry

Table in our entryway

The true reason for the season ~ JESUS!

Our living room

Our Nativity

Entry to school / play room

I love this pillow!

Our table adornments

Handmade flowers out of tissue paper sitting in recycled toilet paper roll vases.

Christmas card holder

Our Advent calendar

My favorite Christmas placemats :)

Ho, Ho, Ho...Merry Christmas!

Our favorite Christmas Cutie of all...Molly!

Happy Birthday Amelia Mae!

2009-12-06T08:35:00.017-05:00

Happy Birthday Mia!!

We love you sweetie and are so proud of you. We pray for God's richest blessings & protection over you this upcoming year. You bring so much fun & laughter into our lives! Keep shining bright for Jesus. :)

We Love You ~ Daddy, Mommy & Madeline

Scrappin Time

2009-12-04T02:48:00.000-05:00

Annual Christmas Craft & Cookie Exchange

2009-12-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

We had our annual day at the community school for the Christmas Craft & Cookie Exchange. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the yummy goodies. The girls also had the opportunity to spend some of their money in the Christmas Shop. It was set up with pricing to meet the budgets of the younger generation. It was a lot of fun for them to shop for their family.

The Christmas Shop

Madeline enjoying the jewelry room. :)

Time for crafts...

Mia & Sarah

Mrs. Koch & the girls

Aaawww...Beautiful !

Love it, Madeline!

How sweet :)

I look forward to the hot chocolate!

Lining up for the cookies!!

They get to choose 3 to start.

Yummy :)

The Happy Momma's ~ Michelle & I

From Our Home To Yours...

2009-11-28T13:24:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas!

We are giving Praise to our Lord of Lords & King of Kings...

our Prince of Peace ~ JESUS!

Blessings, Love & Joy to you all this season~

Roy, Denise, Madeline & Amelia

Some CHRISTmas Cheer...

2009-11-28T11:57:00.002-05:00

Giving THANKS as a Family ~

2009-11-27T14:10:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful day at my sister, Darlene & Carl's house yesterday for Thanksgiving. They are such fun hosts. We all gathered for the usual food & fellowship and an exciting, not so traditional feast. Our menu was prime rib, loaded mashed potatoes, asparagus w/ hollandaise sauce, macaroni & cheese, and salad. For dessert we had homemade pecan pie cake, homemade peanut butter cookies and some strawberry shortcake & white chocolate macadamia nut fundraiser cookies. It was all delicious and such a beautiful day for us to all spend together...Giving Thanks!

We also had a craft time, courtesy of Aunt Dee- Dee. Followed up with some game time of Who Wants to be a Millionaire- we weren't very impressed. The usual silliness carried us through the rest of the evening! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T11:20:00.014-05:00

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

~ Psalm 100:4

Papa's Award

2009-11-24T18:55:00.021-05:00

We went into St. Pete / Tampa for the day on Sunday to celebrate the award my grandfather received from the Bishop in the Catholic Church. Papa has ushered for almost 50 years in the same church. He received the St. Jude the Apostle Medal.

This medal is given annually to recognize those persons showing distinguished and outstanding service to their parish. This medal acknowledges the great gift of the Church, its people, exemplified in these individuals who in their generosity and love of their faith have greatly contributed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their parish.

We enjoyed the day together with family and our dinner out at Macaroni Grill. :) Congratulations Papa!!! We love you and we Praise God for your devotion in serving HIM.

Papa with the Bishop receiving his award.

Katie & Laura with the girls

Our big table to celebrate at Macaroni Grill

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T17:54:00.002-05:00

We are going to enjoy a night in with our Christmas tree lights on. I had seen this movie at the Family Christian Store and thought it would be a great one for the holidays. I was so excited when I saw it at Redbox, we could not afford to buy it right now. For those that haven't tried Redbox yet, you should... $1 DVD rentals til 9pm the next night. You can even drop them off at ANY location.

Hopeful & Heavy Heart

2009-11-21T11:23:00.006-05:00

My heart is stirred for the holidays. The pace has already started to pick up. When the busyness begins...I need my heart to be still. In the midst of it all, I want this year to be different. I want it to be more than a blur looking back this year. My hope is for there to be a few ~ prayerfully considered events on our calendar to really look forward to. May we also consider, as a family, how we can impact others lives this season without even spending a penny (that we don't have) and bring a smile to a face that hasn't had one in a while.

I know that God has a purpose for the stripping that has taken place in our family this year. There are things that HE wants us to see now that we would not have seen before. My prayer is that we will respond in obedience when he lays those things on our heart.

What are your hopes for this holiday season?

Randomness

2009-11-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

It's been a little while since since I have posted anything. So, here are some recent pics over the past week or so.

Happy Birthday - My Love!

2009-11-12T09:52:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Honey!!

I hope you have a wonderful day today~ full of joy, peace and favor that can only come from our Father. Thank you for being the best husband & daddy and leading us in the ways of the Lord. We will miss you at work today and look forward to seeing you tonight.

I Love You ~ Denise

We Salute You

2009-11-11T11:31:00.008-05:00

We salute you and have not forgotten you ~ Our Veterans. Thank you for serving to protect us and our freedoms. Thank you to your families that have sacrificed...who were willing to spend time away from you. May we never forget the fallen and that our freedom is not free.

Praying for protection for you all & your families and that our country will stand together in unity, connected by prayer, never forgetting how & who our country was founded upon. In God We Trust. God Bless You & Your Families!

T'was the Month Before CHRISTmas!

2009-11-10T16:09:00.001-05:00

*T’was the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet during the holidays a MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ Christ is 'The Reason' for the Christmas Season!

~AUTHOR UNKNOWN~

**photo from ALL POSTERS**

ORPHAN SUNDAY

2009-11-09T17:18:00.002-05:00

I believe this past Sunday was Orphan Sunday. It is mind boggling and heart wrenching how many orphan children there are all over the world right now. If the Lord has ever tugged on your heart in regards to this please go here to read this post. I would encourage you to go read it anyway and I believe you will be touched and even be able to help by passing this on to those who are looking to find their family and bring them home.

Fellowship Luau

2009-11-08T16:20:00.001-05:00

Here is the lava cake in the makings.

My good friend Lee, who pulled this whole thing together. She is amazing!!! Although trying to get a serious picture with her is next to impossible. Love you Lee!!! :)

Mia, Madi & Isabella

Some of the decorations. It all looked so nice. It wasn't good enough lighting for my Kodak camera to get any decent pics...bummer.

Hula dancing lessons for the kiddos :)

My Honey & I

Surfs up...k~o~w~a~b~u~n~g~a dudes!!!

Hula hoop contest

Just having fun!! :)

I Know, I Know...It's Early!

2009-11-04T23:50:00.002-05:00

I couldn't wait any longer...I Love CHRISTmas!!! Roy was just saying the other day that he'd like to put up the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I said "really"? So, if our home can be decorated early then surely my blog can. :)

Our Lord is definitely worth the extra time of devotion...don't ya think?

HAPPY NOVEMBER

2009-11-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

From all the girls in the house!! :)

Happy, Happy Birthday!

2009-11-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, it was October 31st and all that represents (the evil stuff) but it was also my MOM'S BIRTHDAY too!! We were throwing the party for my Mom & Sister (her day a few days prior) and we has so much fun.

Happy Birthday MOM!

We love you both :)

Our neighbors & friends next door joined us.

Their newest grandbaby, Tatiana!

Our self serve station of candy & love...

our lit message read...

... &
our lit pumpkin message :)

Our gift to my sis. It says...

LIFE isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning how to DANCE in the rain.

Grandma's said...

GRANDCHILDREN are a gift from above, one to CHERISH and to LOVE.

All the pups were present for some fun too!

We had to take a pic of all the purple that wasn't planned that day!

and the orange too :)

Grandpa & his girls

Sword fighting w/ toothpicks!

Only Mia could come up with this and protection w/ the gloves. :)

Roy had to work but we were all ready for some game time when he got home.

PHASE 10

The birthday girl had FUN :)

Halloween Alternative

2009-10-28T13:32:00.005-04:00

October 31st is my Mom's birthday and fall is my favorite season. Yet we do not celebrate Halloween. This year we are throwing the party for my Mom & Sister and of course it falls on the 31st. Over the past few years we have not been home so we did not have the challenge of trying to figure out 'what to do' & 'what not do'. This year we felt led to do the following...

Carve our pumpkin with the name of ~ JESUS

Let your light shine :)

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:16

We will have a big bowl of candy outside on a self serve table with our JESUS pumpkin and this sign above posted. It is meant to represent TRUTH and LOVE...not to offend or hurt anyone.

My friend Leigh Ann at Devoted Living had a guest post at Impress Your Kids that is wonderful about this topic. Check it out here.

B.P.S.- Bull Riders Weekend

2009-10-27T14:09:00.004-04:00

This was a neat craft to hammer designs into the leather key chains.

Great try Mia!

Nice try Madeline!

Mia- the rodeo clown :)

Madeline wanted to clear her glasses :)

It's a race...who will win?

Mom/Grandma relaxing in these comfy, camo recliners.

Daniel Boone coon hat...only $3.95

Just love our country girls :)

It felt so good to just sit a minute...aaahhhh :)

Will E. Bite from Gatorland was there again too!

This was really cool...I think it was called a fishing rocket?

A Hit...Despite the Adversity!

2009-10-23T13:12:00.004-04:00

The garage sale was a success. The girls did very well with their sales...a few cents from $30.00. Madeline made sure to give every potential customer the rundown on what she was selling...whether they wanted to be informed or not. :)

Here are the leftovers that will be donated...not too much left.

I would have loved to sell more of the girls clothes, I am grateful for what did go though.

We are selling the girls STEP 2 picnic table w/ umbrella. Anyone interested that is local...we'll make you a good deal!!

I'll probably Craigslist the bigger items.

This was my sister's table...just one leg needs to be stained is all.

It was a gorgeous day, high in the 60's. The only challenge we had was during peak traffic time. We realized that someone stole all 6 of our signs that were up. We must make some pretty cool signs...the sale we had back in May someone asked if they could buy them. We said no, but you may borrow them. They did and really did bring them back! It was a bummer because these were the signs we had purchased for Roy's business with a poster board over them. I just hope we don't see them up this weekend in our area...not sure what we'd do.

Scenery Change

2009-10-22T15:20:00.002-04:00

For a while now we having been driving 30 minutes to go to church. The Lord has called us in a different direction recently though. We have joined a church, still 30 minutes away... however, it is due west of us vs. due east. This drive is full of views of the open country vs. the hectic city route we used to take. We are very grateful for this peaceful drive twice a week and also look forward to all the plans the Lord has in store for us all planted in this new church home.

The girls are preparing right now for a Christmas Pageant they will be in...we can't wait!! :)