WOW

Were we not just posting Halloween Pictures of our kids and speaking of things we were thankful for? How in the world is December almost over and I am yet to blog? This month has flown by! I mean we have had a Christmas party to go to each weekend. I seriously have the most amazing friends and church family! I am super stoked about this Christmas! It is the first in the Boatner Ranch and it also is the first with our precious Mercy! I am so excited about taking the Winkles family picture this year and having our sweet brown sugar baby in it. "For this child we have prayed and the Lord has granted us our petition." I got to meet Miss Mercy's bff yes I said BFF her best friend forever. Since they were both precious little babies in that orphanage in Africa. Stella is a beautiful little girl and reminds me of my sweet niece. I love those brown skin beauties! ;) Tomorrow I am so excited to be making Candy with Bo's sister and Momma. It is the one thing I look forward to doing each year with them. We have not done it since Walker came along but we are starting it back up tomorrow and I am so excited! This year has been a year of many blessings my kids are all healthy and have dodge major sickness so far this year, our house is finished and we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. God has been so faithful to us! I start my allergy shots tomorrow YIKES NOT excited about that. Whelp i am tired now, G'night!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ who crawled up on that cross to die for you and me. I am thankful that he loves me even when I mess things up. I am thankful that he has blessed me with the best parents, the best sisters and their families, the best husband and best children in the world. He has given me far more than I deserve. I am thankful that 12 years ago today the Father introduced me to the one he created for me. I am thankful for all of the up's and downs that we have been through because without them I would not have the marriage I have today. Jesus I love you and I thank you for your Mercy without you I am nothing, but with you I have all that I need! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember even if you feel you have nothing you got more than someone else does, so give thanks.! Be Blessed!

Thankful day 3

I am so thankful for my husband today! When I think that before I was even born that God knew that Bo and I would be married it just completely wrecks me. I know without a shadow of a doubt I married my one and only!! I married this man for life, I took a vow that I take very seriously before my Father (God) that said I would love him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live. Believe me those vows have been tested and tested to the point to where most would break. However greater is he that lives in us than he that lives in the world. Without him our marriage would not be where we are today. Through God's grace and mercy and his never wavering love for us that we have learned to give each other much grace, mercy and love. So today I am thankful for my God fearing husband who allows the Lord to lead and guide him all that he does! I am thankful that he is the head of our household and he takes that responsibility very seriously. He is my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and loves me even when I am a grumpy pants! This man tells me how beautiful I am even when I am wearing the exact same thing I wore when he kissed me bye in the morning. Only now its covered in snot, sweat and stains and my hair is a hot mess. I am just blessed beyond words. I love him for all of these things but I love and am most thankful for the changes this man has made in his life that he loves Jesus even more than he loves me. I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Blessings!

Thankful day 2

Wow yesterday was so stressful around this house. The kids are out for the whole week of school and it was rather loud in this big ol house and I know more than 4 times before lunch I made them all separate and go to their own rooms. Then after lunch I was just like you know what how about I just bring all the laundry into my bedroom and do it there so I can shut the door and not have to hear it all. The only thing I do not like about this house is the thing I love about it. That its an open floor plan! RATHER LOUD!!! So today's thankful I am thankful for my home! I have dreamed about this house and even wrote essays in High School about it. (with a little tweaking to compromise for it to also be my husbands dream house)This house is so perfect for us and I can not wait to fill it up with family on the weekends this summer. I love figuring out how to decorate it for Christmas. This house was built with my husbands own two hands just for me. I can not tell you how much this means to me. Ahhh that's another days thankful. What an amazing Man of God I have in my life! LOVE THAT BOY!! I am thankful not only that it gives me shelter and warmth but that God Blessed us with this house! His favor is all over this house and this house is truly built on God's Word. THIS is his house we just live in it! I am so excited about Thursday's family festivities I can not wait to see all of my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins I love my family and do not get to see them enough. Family is great isn't it? I hope everyone has a great day. Thankful day 2 that's a wrap! Blessings

Thanksgiving!!!

Sorry I have been MIA! I feel like I have been MIA to my life for some reason! I have been so busy with church, doctor's offices and my children's activities that I feel like I have been missing. Its all been a blur ha ha ha! SO I am really excited about our Thanksgiving plans! We are going to be eating with my extended family this year all my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and their children. We are super excited and can not wait to spend that special day with them. SO I am going to try my hardest to spend the rest of the week posting something different that I am thankful for. I have been doing this on my Facebook page but sometimes like I said I have been gone and have not so I am going to try my best to keep it up. So I just told you guys what I am doing for my thanksgiving what are you guys doing for yours?

Today I am thankful for health. God has watched over and protected us from serious illness or injury. Blessed we are all just blessed. I hope you guys are having a wonderful week and let's hear those Thanksgiving plans!

Blessings!

Sneak Peek Wordless Wednesday!

Photography by: Tracy Baughman

Awesome Quotes!

"It is more important to help a stumbling brother or sister than to prove yourself correct. You can be 100% right and still be wrong" John Bevere

"People can be your greatest source of inspiriation or your greatest source of agitation. Sometimes one person can be both! Don't let people rob your peace." LifeChurch

"The most important thing about what anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person who says them" Brian a blogger dude

What Music we listen to is one of two things its either 1. who we are or 2. who we want to be." Mark Hall Casting Crowns

"Who you are in private is who you really are" Pastor Rusty Nelson

Halloweek in pictures

Thankful Thursday!

Today on my Thankful I have so many!

I am thankful for my Husband! He loves me even when I loose my temper over something so stupid as going to the grocery!

I am thankful for my children who all and all are healthy!

I am thankful for my parents! They are full of wisdom even when I do not like what they are saying I know they love me and only speak the truth in love over me.

I am thankful for my sister! I need their wisdom in my life and my goodness their children are funny!

I am thankful for my friends. They always keep me laughing and allow me to vent when someone is being stupid in my life!

I am thankful most of all to the Father that is coming soon for his church. I am thankful for all the signs that give me hope and promise that our time on earth here as Christians is coming to an end. Its like Pastor says the earth is crying out he is coming. Are you ready to meet him on that day?

I am thankful that I have this blog and this opportunity to share my faith and my salvation by grace and grace alone! God is good and his name is great and greatly to be praised!!! BLESSINGS!

Husbands child!

This past weekend we took a trip to a new punkin patch up here. They had this little cow exhibit and you could see what it would be like to milk a cow, well This is my life in a few second video. He is totally my husbands child

The House!

So I just realized I had not posted pictures of the house in all its final glory! I also realized I do not have a picture of the outside of the house completed! Ughhh Soon its raining today and I am not going out there! So here are the pictures of the house!

WordLess Wednesday Post

Not so much wordless

So where have I been you might ask. I have been here reading everyone's blogs but not in the mood to be very transparent for everyone to see the hurts I have been walking through and the things I just don't see would be right to put out on blast for all. I will just say this Racism is not CHRIST LIKE AT ALL PEOPLE. How on this earth can someone claim to be a Christian and make racial, prejudice, ignorant comments and go to church each and every single Sunday and say I am a Christian. I am sorry the Bible says from the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak and let me tell you who you are in private is who you really are. I have seen some people in private and I have seen them out in public and two faced'ness is just sickening to me. Yeah I am not perfect I making mistakes every single day, I have made some seriously bad choices for my life once twice maybe a hundred times. ha With all of that being said I love the one who loves me and all of my imperfections and over looks all of that. I hoped I could keep this topic light and airy but its just not working. I guess I better leave it be just know that You have the power of life and death in that tounge so lets speak life not death into someone!!! As for me and my house will serve the Lord.The one who does not look at the color of ones skin but at the heart of the person. I will say this LOUDLY and PROUDLY if any of my children were to bring home a child who is not sheet white I would be absolutely ok with that. I will say to them what my father said to us "As long as he is good to you, he loves the Lord and puts him first in their lives I DO NOT CARE IF HE IS PURPLE" Life is to short to be worried about this craziness! People get ready Jesus is coming soon and lets not get lost and waist our lives away with hatred and bitterness. Lets pray for those who's souls are in question. My Ambien is kicking in and there you have it my first blog in a while SORRY its a heavy one! Blessings

Not house pictures!

but I feel it is something even better! I had forgotten about this video I made the other day. I was in the laundry room finishing up the laundry and I heard Silas singing so I came in saw this and had to get my camera! HOW PRECIOUS it is to see my youngest child worshiping! :)

It's done!

We are now another private blog!!! This blog just got to be to much like work trying to make sure I did not write out the kids names! So maybe now that we are private I won't feel like Its work and I will be here more! HA

So things are going great in the new house. We are still working on making it a home! I have loved going shopping for things to decorate with. Sister in law came to town and we went shopping. (I think we did really good.) I have fallen in love with Marshalls, Ross and TJ Maxx all over again! Great places great prices and the hunt makes it even better! :)

The kids are starting to sleep in their own beds. We found out that they were sleeping in each other's rooms. Going from being right on top of each other for years I guess it would be hard to sleep in a room all by yourself. Silas bless his heart he has slept in his bed maybe 3 times. He was sleeping on his crib mattress in my bedroom floor until I decided I was tired of it being in my floor and wanted my bedroom (not a nursery). So he is sleeping on the chase in the corner if he comes into our room at night or if we decide he can just sleep in there. He calls it his bed.

School has been going great for the girls, MacKenzie bless her heart she is just having issues. First weekend of the school year she came home said that her teacher told her to write the whole Alabama History Glossary. Ummmm No it went more like this.
Mrs.Vance- Children do not forget to write your glossary words.
MacKenzie- Mrs. Vance I do not unerstand what you mean?
Mrs. Vance- MacKenzie go to the back of the Alabama History book and write all the words. Well that's all MacKenzie heard because she came home and told me she had to write the whole glossary. I about fell out, but she worked 6 hours on Friday 6 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday she got to letter R before I was just highly hacked off. Finally Sunday night I send her to bed and said I will email your teacher. I did and I was as nice as I could be. Teacher calls me and says "OH MY GOODNESS YOU MUST THINK I AM A WITCH I said for her to write the first chapters glossary words not the whole glossary. I AM SO SO SORRY!" I said I am just glad you are not "THAT TEACHER" ha ha ha Well we thought it would teach Kenzie a lesson ummm Not so much she has forgotten to write things down since and even once forgot her work book. Thank Goodness for Hannah's Mom who copy and faxed it to me. SHE is a blessing whomever she is! :)

Bella is having a blast in Mrs. Kirkland class. She does not have many of her friends from 1st grade in there and she likes it that way I guess. Mrs. Kirkland is a wonderful person. I got to know her when Kenzie and her son Cole were in Kindergarten together. She just loves on Bella and gives her sweet hugs and kisses. Bella is that child she needs hugs, kisses and just acts of love! :) Bella has pulled more cards in 2nd grade than she as in her whole K-5 and 1st grade combined. ha ha She has pulled 2 cards for talking. That brings her total pulled card count for all of her school years to 3. :) I can't complain she has made wonderful grades so far and is in love with Mrs. Kirkland little guinea pig.

We have had a very sad week here in Scottsboro. We had a little boy pass away from the swine flu (Alabama Dept of Health Confirmed late last night). He was only 11 years old and it just breaks my heart. I remember watching him play soccer one year when Kenzie was playing. That child was an amazing little athlete. One of my friends children was really close to him and he is having such a hard time right now dealing with his friends death. I am an adult and I can not wrap my brain around the death of a child, so how is a child suppose to understand. My heart goes out to all of his friend and mostly to his family. I don't know and I hope I never do know how his parents feel. Lets please remember to keep the Garcia family in our prayers this week and make sure you hug those babies a little more today. :(

This week I have had the chance to spend a little extra time with my girls and kinda talk with them before they go to bed at night about their day and see what's on their minds. The main thing we have talked about all week was Alex and his untimely death. They wanted to know why. I told them we may never know why. I had the chance to talk with them about what the Bible says about life and death. That the Devil comes to steal kill and destroy that Christ comes that we may have life and have it more abundant. I told them that we are not promised tomorrow and that we need to live our lives every single minitue trying to please the father, because in an instant we could go home to be with Jesus. I love those talks they remind me of the talks I would have with my Momma when I was my girls age. She would be trying to take a relaxing bath but either my sister's or I would come in and sit down in the floor or put the seat down on the potty and just talk till her bathwater was cold! Ahhh I love those memories. JESUS YOU ARE GOOD and no matter what I will praise you!

Well this blog was HUGE I am going to work better and keeping things updated. I may even post a few pictures later today of the progress on the inside of my house! I hope everyone is having a blessed week and living every day for the one who created you! Blessings

The Birth of the Hymn Precious Lord!

My sweet Mother in law sent this to me today in an email. Today all of Scottsboro mourns the death of young man age 11. We do not yet know the cause of his death. The family has asked for an autopsy. Please remember this family and all of the children here in Scottsboro. Me being an adult I can't get my head around it so how are these children going to do it? Bless us Lord!

THE BIRTH OF THE HYMN "PRECIOUS LORD"

Back in 1932, I was a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago 's south side.. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St.. Louis where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go; Netti e was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child, but a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis . I kissed Nettie goodbye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.

However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back.

I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.

The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.

People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead.'"

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that same night, t he baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart.

For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs I just wanted to go back to that j azz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis . Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died.

From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially one friend. The following Saturday evening he took me up to Maloney's Poro College , a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows.

I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 'Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.'

The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power.

And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.

-Tommy Dorsey

For those too young to know who he is, Tommy Dorsey was a well-known band leader in the 1930's and 40's.

Did you know that Tommy Dorsey wrote this song? I surely didn't. What a wonderful story of how God CAN heal the brokenhearted! Beautiful, isn't it?

Worth the reading, wasn't it? Think on the message for a while. Thought you might like to share this, I just did.

Sad to say!!!

I have been far to busy to blog! This new house has kept me super busy that and chasing my son around who has turned 3. Man It just seems like the other day he was born! UGHHH I know I know I promised once we got in this house to start blogging again but its so not easy to sit down and blog. I really need to start making time for it again. It is so therapeutic for me. I have also been thinking of going private I have thought about it and have done it a few times before. I just feel like I can not really talk about some things because well my family is my life and some things you just don't want perfect stranger's reading! So post your email in my comment section and I will add you to my readers list. This blog is going private! ;) I hope everyone has a blessed weekend. This is going to be a busy one but then again what weekend is not? Ha Blessings!

Please Pray!

We just got word that Stephanie passed away today after her long fight with cervical cancer! Please pray for her husband, 3 small children, Parents, brother (twin) sister and her brother and sister in law. Lord I have no words Lord you are GOOD and I choose to trust you and believe you are working all things out! Praise you Father for Mercy God, Mercy that you have given Stephanie Father she is no longer in pain, Mercy for the family Lord. We may not understand but you do. Father reach down from heaven and wrap your loving arms around her family and friends. Father I have never seen so many people rally around someone as with Stephanie. Lord this song is my hearts cry today. I will praise you in the Good & Bad, Happy & Sad. Father I LOVE YOU TODAY!

Rita Springer- Worth it all

I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I need
I will say to You

It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this

You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
I believe this
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
I believe this

Now go tell the people that mean the most to you that you LOVE THEM and grab those babies of yours and hold on a little extra tight today. If Stephanie could I know she would be. I just speak comfort, peace, mercy in Jesus Name! Blessings!

Visit Stephanie's caringbridge page to read the back story! Trust me you will be blessed by this woman and her family!

Where have I been you might ask?

Well we have been here. That's our cabin and a few pictures we took while celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in the Great Smokey Mountains!









Then Hubby, BFF and I took a little road trip to Nashville,TN to be there when my cousin married another one of our lifelong friends. We had a great time and I have tons of pictures but I won't bore you with them.













Then The Boy had swimming lessons for a full week. He has done really well and we are excited he is learning to swim all on his own! Then We had my family up for the July 4th holiday. I have an amazing family and we have a blast every time we get together!
















And we have been over here getting things done around here. These are my cabinets and our bathroom vanity. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL and I am in LOVE WITH THEM! :)















My oldest is at summer camp this week and here are a few of her getting ready to head up to camp with some of her friends form S'boro Campus!
















So while older sister is away at Camp I thought it would be cool to take the younger two to meet up with my sister in law and Nephew at Point Mallard for the day. We had a great time as you can see in these pictures.
















So that should catch you guys up with what's going on. We have just a couple short weeks and we will be moving into our dream home. It's beautiful and I have no idea how I am going to keep it clean because I takes me 3 hours just to mop the hardwoods. YIKES!!! I hope everyone is doing wonderful and has a blessed week. I am heading off to Camp in a little while to visit my precious baby girl who I have missed so bad. I LOVE THAT GIRL!!!