Seriously?

Just a little fact about myself for you...I love to worship God through music and through words in a song.  I am not a gifted singer by any means but I can really meet with God in thru music.

So I am having a rough time in life.  My heart is flooded with sorrows.  Grief is something I walk through on  daily basis and disappointment weights heavily on my shoulders.  But nevertheless God is so good to me.  He has ever so tenderly and I have to believe compassionately brought me through so far.  It is amazing. 

So I am driving down the road a bit emotional bc I am sad and a Jeremy Camp song "There Will Be A Day" comes on.  There will be a place with no more suffering....  There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, no more fear.  There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more and we'll see Jesus face to face.  He'll wipe away the tears, He'll wipe away the tears, He'll wipe away the tears.  There will be a day.  Seriously?  Coincidence?  I think not!

Next song...Need to Breathe, "Washed By The Water"...Even when the earth crumbles under my feet.  Even when the ones I love turn around and crucify me....I won't fall as long as your around me.  Seriously?  Coincidence?...most def not!

I am full of hope tonight...not joy that is for sure but hope bc I know although I do not deserve it Jesus chose to love me first by dying on the cross at Calvary in just 4 short days from now... way back.  He loved me first and now I can love Him and be washed white as snow and have a promise of eternal life and joy in heaven with Him.  Thank you Lord for Easter!

Here are a few pics alot of pics of our trip to the flowertown festival!  How can you not look at these girls and know that there is a God....and not only that but that He is Delightful and Good!?!  I am humbled by these precious gifts!

I mean Seriously? ; )

you don't understand how long it took to get them both looking at the camera! Oh this is darby's friend Madeline!  she is fabulous!

not sure who was going to have more fun on this train ride?  The girls or Wilson (Madi's daddy)...

typical carson pose

mommy and cars (pronounced carse...its what I call her)

weirdest looking puppets I've ever seen don't know how this guy makes a profit?

they look so confused about it too.  Wilson was a champ.  The girls got balloons and little ballon animals and he picked them flowers and I totally missed it and wish I hadn't because apparently they smelt the flowers and then their face was covered with pollen.  sounds so cute!

getting ready for the $4 carousel ride!  Wonder what darby was telling Mrs. Tiffany (Madi's mommy)?

Watch out American Idol....Ha!

Darby singing Jesus Loves the Little Children.  She left out the red and yellow but still so stinkin cute!!!

Child Training...

So originally I wanted to share a cute cute video of Darby singing but I have to figure out how to make it shorter so blogger can upload it!  dern...but hopefully soon!  Its been a couple of days!  I have been a bad blogger!  I have caught a few of yalls post here and there but I need to catch up in a major way!  Well I can't get the video to work but I thought I could share two of my favorite child training tools so far.

The first is the Jesus Storybook Bible...Every Story Whispers His (Jesus') Name. Every story points to the promise and the coming of the Savior and Rescuer for all sinners!

The other thing I love is the Hide Em' in Your Heart...Bible verse memory tunes! They are cute and Darby has been known to shout scripture at the top of her lungs to these tunes!

Of course I don't do these things so that she will be saved or be good. I'm just trying to be a good steward of these precious gifts that God has given me. I will leave the saving up to Him and will and do pray earnestly for their hearts and lives and future! I will never share a "gospel" of being good with my kids. I will never teach them that reading your bible or memorizing scripture is what you have to do to go to heaven! A pox (as my pastor would say) on that "gospel". I can only PRAY and guide and lead them to the real gospel that it is NOT by works but by Grace. A free gift that we don't deserve. I pray that they would fear, not fear like he will do something good or bad to them, but reverent fear the Lord. F-flee from sin; E-edyify others; A-adore and worship God; R-run to the cross (an acrostic from my pastor's sermon Sunday). This takes faith and a handing over of your life to Jesus at one point but then everyday thereafter to say Lord here is my life...do what you will and I will seek to honor you! Oh I pray for my babes to hear Jesus when He says.... "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and you will find rest for your soul"! I know from personal experience before and even after I became a christian that Jesus is the ONLY place that I can trully experience rest and comfort in the chaos of a broken world.  He is SO GOOD wheter times are good or bad that remains true!
 

Overload...

I want to blog...I really do but the words aren't coming to me like I want them too.   I don't think I can say what I would like to say anymore eloquently than these two blogs that I read recently:

Cindy Foote @ this poetic present on the recent changes in our government and God's Sovereignty.

and

Joni Blair @ ECBC (my church) Women's ministry blog  on sufferings.


I know I have many new readers and most of them I don't even know.  I don't think I will be doing my blog justice if I didn't back track a little and post this link that explains my blog.  One of my favorite things about blogging is documenting my babes lives (especially since I am terrible at doing it on paper) but I also love to share some of my life and my walk with God as well.

I know I have asked you to read alot but I know you won't regret it if you click on those first two links especially...I hope that they will be good for some of your souls as they were for mine.

Blessings....

A Trip To The Beach!

Oh how I love the beach!

So saturday I really wanted to go to the beach!  The high was 78 degrees and my usual rule of thumb is not to go until it is 80 degrees inland.  The beach will usually be 5ish degrees cooler and if it is windy it will feel alot colder than that!  So anyway...I broke my rule!  It was a gamble and it was well worth it!  I am just so thankful too that both my babies love the beach.  This was Carson's first trip!  She loved it. 

I ended up with a dilemma cuz I really wanted them to wear their cute coordinating new bathing suits but I have planned to give those in their Easter baskets so I didn't but I almost did.  I grabbed hats out of the sale bin at gymboree on friday and Darby insisted that she wear hers!  It doesn't match but I am just so happy she was willing to wear it, it will match her new suit!  Here are some snap shots of our trip.  Taken on my phone...unedited.  My phone camera can be pretty impressive sometimes.

FYI- for your information...

Sometimes you come across the darnedest things!  I was pumping gas and noticed this sign.

Just in case you need to know....Never allow children to use the gas pump!

Oh! and if a fire starts...Don't remove the nozzle.  Back away immediately and tell an attendent!  Lol!

Just wanted to be a one stop shop for all your giveaway needs!  Here they are!

My friend Amy over at Our Journey Together is giving away a fab camera bag!

Dear Sabrina is giving away one of Amy's pieces of jewelry from her new etsy shop!

oh okay nevermind...alot of the giveaways I knew of have ended but there was a super cute one from The Vintage Pearl...I linked you to the actual website but I LOVE the necklaces and the sentaments that can be behind them! I didn't win... boo.  I never do..

These are cute tho!

A "Fancy" Feast For A Fine Occasion!

Real Quick...I forgot about show us your life today and had already planned this post but the only "missiony" type trips I have done were here in the states and I don't think I even have any pics on my computer!  One day I will have to post some pics from my husbands trip to India!  I love India!

So in honor of Carson's 10 month Birthday we decided to throw a party!

I'm not sure that this "fancy" feast is worth a super momma mention over at Natalie's blog but we had a grand ol time....

This dinner is considered "fancy" compared to you know...say frozen pizza or ckn nuggets and etc...

Yes, just spaghetti!  In effort to "spruce" it up a bit I used angel hair pasta and added some cheese to top and baked it and wa-la. 

Yes I used a JAR of spaghetti sauce...if some of you ladies could tell me where you get your energy from I will go to great heights and spend great money to get it for myself!  Or how about this!?! Does anyone know how to add hours to the day?  That could be good too!  Now occasionally I will wip up an actual fancy dinner and if time and energy weren't an issue it would actually be a hobby bc I LOVE it!  Speaking of spaghetti though I have a GREAT spaghetti alternative dinner that I saw a concept for and then kind of created a reciepe for it and it is delish and I will have to share it with yall one day!  Really easy, fun and best of all low cal! 

To really add to my "fanciness" I used an actual glass for the tea and "fine" china for the dinner.  By fine china I mean just our regular dishes...these are fine compared to plastic ones tho right!?!  I attempted to top off my "fanciness" by attempting some "fancy" photography...

I really do cook my family meals I am exagerating the fanciness of this but I tell you... some of you moms truly are super moms!  Yall inspire me that is for sure!  For now though I will continue with the party-party part of our night THE CUPCAKES...courtesy of Betty Crocker! 

Aww, poor Carson had to stick with yogurt melts for her desert...but soon little monkey you can have the real stuff!

Well, we did sing Happy Birthday to all of us and it was just a divine celebration!

Little Cutie Pie

Aww, little cutie pie who has also adopted the nickname Carsonator thanks to my lovely neighbors is celebrating 10 whole months of life today!  She is just grand.  I know I update you frequently on my little love but here are a couple of photos for your veiwing pleasure!

You can most often find her with her mouth wide open!  Love it!

She just learned the art of clapping!  And as with most things with Carson...she takes it really seriously :-).

I don't think I want this bow on...

yes.

There Has Got to be a better way!

There has got to be a better way of fixing things with out super gluing!  I made the worst mess of my fingers last night and it will be with me for days!!!


get it...

There has got to be a better way of dressing than this (so sorry if this is your style, obviously it is not mine)

I try to stay "hip" but if this is hip...I'm out.

There has got to be a better way of decorating than coloring with crayons all over the walls while Mommy is sleeping (she usually comes and wakes me when she gets up!  Not this time).  Didn't get a picture of this...

There has got to be a better way of taking care of the carpet than smudging lotion into it!  You can't take your eyes off a 2 year old for one second!  Unfortunately didn't capture this on camera either...

Last but not least... I certainly do wish there was a better way of enjoying these lovelies without consuming all the calories!

I bought a bag last night!  Yikes!  I had to give half to my neighbors to keep myself from eating the whole bag!

Oh question!  I want to grow a vegetable garden!  Really bad!  Have any of yall tried this?  Is it worth it???  I don't want to go spend the money to get all that I need and then nothing grow!  Darby and I just started some tomato plants that came with a green house and kit and had elmo on it (this is how this all started bc we went to lowes to get air filters and came out with this kit and not the air filters...annoying, I always do this).  I hope they grow for Darby!

Umm Hello..

Umm Hello...Can I kiss you, you are so stinkin cute!

Umm Hello...Can I eat yall, yall are sweeter than candy?

 

Umm hello...Can I have you forever, I love the way you smell?

Umm Hello...you are my new favorite perfume in all the land, one day will you be mine?

Umm Hello...Spring, I am so happy to see you!

 Yesterday we went to the park and had a grand time!  It was Carson's first time.  I snapped some photos on my phone so I tried to do some editing to cover up the crumminess of them...  I am so happy for the great weather! Isn't it fabulous?

Every time I find a new product that I like now I always think of my very first time I linked up to Kelly's Korner- Show Us Your Life... It was on your favorite beauty products and I was so excited to share mine and read about everyone elses!  I wanted to share with yall my 2 new favs I have discovered recently.  I don't actually have the perfume but I did get the little travel size roll on kind till one day I can get it!  Do you have anymore products for me?