Before and After

This is my sister Angela, our Mama and myself 2 years ago. It was our last Christmas with her. She passed away 2 months after this photo was taken. We miss Mama so much. There is something we do not miss and that's the pounds! My sister starting losing weight in the summer of 2006 and it inspired me to do something as well.

Here we are Christmas 2007. Angela has lost 45 lbs and I have lost 30. I hope to catch with her soon. We both feel so much better. I know Mama would be so happy for us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

This is my baby! She just turned 6 years old. I can't believe it. It seems like yesterday she was posing for this picture. She is my prissy girl. She loves make-up, pocket books and such. She must have gotten that from her Nana and MeMaw cause she sure enough didn't get it from me. L.A. is a precious little girl. I love her very much!

HILARIOUS!

My favorite radio station is JOY FM. We've had the radio station in our area for a little over a year. I was checking out their website last night and came across the funniest thing. This guy is a Christian comedian. I seen him a few years ago. He is hilarious! Click on this link Artist Jokes (JOY FM) and scroll down to the last picture that says "Aaron Wilburn". I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

We're BACK

We just returned from spending Thanksgiving with our good friends in Alabama we had a great memorable time. Leah and I went shopping on Friday with everybody and their Mama. We headed out at 5:45 am and shopped until we met the rest of the crew for supper about 5:30. We had a great time with a lot of laughs. Our sweet husbands watched the kids. I thought I would share some pictures of the fun they had while we were out shopping.

Aren't they cute!

Gone fishin'

Thanks for letting me share our Thanksgiving memories and photos with you! God bless you!

Now we have moved in to the Christmas season. Only 35 days till Christmas. Let us not forget during all the hustle and bustle of this season that Jesus Christ, 'the Way, the Truth and the Life', was born to die for us. Let's keep Christ in Christmas!

What's Cooking?

Yes! This is me making gravy. As Leah explains in her blog, it was our first time making the Thanksgiving feast without our mothers (and aunts) doing all the cooking. I have a whole new appreciation for all the work my Mom put into making Thanksgiving so special. By the way, the gravy was 'the bomb'. Leah prepared a brining to soak the Turkey. It turned out so good. It was so tender and tasty.

This is Leah Belle making her first butternut squash dish. It was tasty but the rest of the crew decided they 'butter nut' try it (ba-domp-bomp)!

We had a great time spending Thanksgiving together. After lunch, Joel read a devotion and Leah read a Thanksgiving book to all the kids. It was a special time for us all.

I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving; making memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Alabama Home Sweet!

This is our redneck table wagon with all the condiments!

Three Amigos stop long enough to pose for the camera before taking off on another adventure!

We had a great time by the fire last night. This is LR and her Alabama friend enjoying smores!

We are wondering if we should be singing "Cum-Ba-Ya". Where's the guitar!!

We are certainly having a great time with our friends here in LA (lower Alabama). For more details on all the fun you're missing you can check out Leah's blog!

The weather is here, wish you were beautiful! (I think that's how the postcard reads)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

GLORY! GLORY

I am alive! Several have commented they're tired of seeing the orange walls of my bathroom. I decided tonight was the night to update my blog.
Shawn and I were able to go with the group of Senior Citizens (Frontrunners) from our church to the Gloryfest conference in Pigeon Forge. We had a great time! They kept us hopping the whole time. We enjoyed our time with everyone. It was great getting to know each other better and laugh and cry together. You all know I do both quite often. While we were there, we heard some great messages by some great men of God. Junior Hill, Bobby Welch and Dan Spencer were the preachers. They all brought great messages. We learned in Psalms 37, not to fret. Junior Hill compared the word 'fret' to the phrase; 'that burns me up'. When we grumble and complain, we become critical people. When we're critical, we tend to spread it "among the brethen"! Critical people are discouragers, not encouragers. When we act that way, we also confuse the lost. They don't understand why we say we love Jesus, but we act like man. Bobby Welch spoke on moving forward with the Lord. Get past your past, live for today. See what the Lord wants you to do today and guard your future. Seek God's will for your life. I just remembered another message that Junior Hill brought to us. He used Paul as an example about how the Lord can take our weaknesses and make us stong. Nothing's impossible with God! God's best servents are those who are totally dependant on the Lord for His guidance and direction through the power of the Holy Spirit. We don't have to be eloqent, savvy and have all the answers to speak for the Lord. We just need to be obedient and faithful to the Lord and seek His will for our lives. I cannot remember who said this but I like it.; "God's will for your life is not under a rock somewhere for you to find. God's will is found one right decision at a time". In life, we have many decisions to make, both great and small. We need to let God lead us to make the right choices. I know behind a shadow of a doubt that God has a plan for my life and I don't want to mess it up. I love this portion of Psalm 37, which states "Trust in the Lord, and do good, Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" AMEN! SHOW NUFF!!

Labor Day Laboring

Well on Friday we went on our annual day trip to Hillsville, Virginia for the Labor Day Flea Market. On Saturday, I started my Labor Day project which was to paint our half bath. I worked on it Saturday and today. I am finally finished! I wish I would have taken a picture of the way it looked before. It was a pale yellow, but now it's Clemson orange (not Florida Gator or Tony Stewart orange). My next project is the laundry room. Any color suggestions are welcome. Let me know your ideas.

New School Year

Another summer is over; another school year has started. This one is very special. I have one starting her first year in Kindergarten and one starting her last year in Elementary school. They have completed their first week. This year will be the only school year they will be at the same school. Both seem to have had a great time and love their teachers. It seems they grow up so fast. No matter how old they are, they will always be my babies!

Here She Comes Miss America!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted on my blog. The above picture is of my girls, with their cousin. She has been clogging half her life. She's very good! This was the night she was crowned Petite Miss American Clogger. This was a very special night. We were glad we were there to share in this moment. I'll be back soon!

We are back from our Rudd adventure! We enjoyed seeing the sights in VA and PA. The picture at top left is of an Amish Farm. Isn't it beautiful? The top right picture is the'fam' aboard the Strasburg Railroad. The picture below is from our first stop at Natural Bridge, VA. We had a great time. We walked the trials at Natural Bridge, visited the wax museum, toy museum and the Caverns. Then we headed toLancaster, PA to see the Amish farms via the Strasburg Railroad and a buggy ride. We visited the Train Museum. Out of all the children, Shawn liked it the most (haha). I made a mistake of letting him take pictures. He took over 100 of the Train Museum. The only part of it he missed taking pictures of was the rest rooms. Our last day in Lancaster, we went to see the drama, Psalms of David. It was awesome. They acted out scenes from the life of David; They showed how the Psalms have inspired songwriters for so many songs written today and many, many years ago. After that we headed to Harrisburg (Near Hershey). There we visited Chocolate World where we took a trolley through Hershey. We went through a simulated factory tour (3 times) to see how Hershey makes their world famous chocolate. It was great. On Friday, we went to Hershey Park for the day which included ZooAmerica. We all had a great time. We enjoyed it. The girls enjoyed this part of the trip the most. A great time was had by all.

I couldn't get too far past Father's Day to write about my Daddy. As you can tell by his smile, he was a happy man. He always had a smile even when he was sick. He passed away February 13, 1993. I think of him everyday. Because of his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior I know I will see him again. My Dad was a truck driver, but when he would come home from a trip, he would get his 6 hours (that's all he said he needed), then he would get up and spend time with us. If he wasn't on the road, he was at my sporting events and my practices. He would play catch with me in the yard and pitch for the neighborhood softball games and shoot hoops with me in the back yard. He taught me the hook shot. I love my Daddy very much and I know he loved me. What he taught me goes a lot deeper than just a hook shot. He taught me the importance of good character, treating people the way you want to be treated and to be honest in all things. What a great man he was. I know he's enjoying Heaven especially since Mama arrived on February 20, 2006. They're singing and praising the Lord together again. I thank the Lord for my Daddy this Father's Day. I am so glad to have had him in my life for 23 years. He impacted my life so much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEAH!!

My friend Leah T.'s birthday was yesterday (I will not release her age). I just wanted to give a shout out in her honor. Leah and I are such close friends even though we live so far apart. We still talk frequently on the phone and visit each other about twice a year. During my Mama's illness, she was there for me. She helped me through so much. When my Mama died, she and her family drove 10 hours to be here with us. Leah T. has a special place in my heart. She is such a kind, humble and geniune person and I count it an honor to have her as a friend.

I thought I'd show you some pictures of my 'baby' graduating from pre-school. I can't believe that she's starting kindergarten this year. I cried when I saw her in that cap and gown. She had a blast at her commencement program. She walked right up to the mic said her lines and sang her heart out.

HEY EVERYONE!

Hello everyone!

I have been so busy. I can't believe that it's been since Mother's day since my last post. Tonight me and L.A. went to see our friend Kim graduate from high school. We became close to her at our previous church. She's been through so much in her 18 years. I am so proud of her. She accepted Christ a few weeks ago. We were able to go to her church for her baptism. Kim wants to become a nurse and work at Duke's Children Hospital. She loves children and children love her. My children always want to know when she's coming over to spend the night. I took a picture of her and L.A. tonight, but of course my camera batteries died so I was not able to download them. I did attach a picture of us taken at a birthday party. Congratulations, Kim on your Graduation.

Happy Mother's Day

I would like to pay tribute to my mother today. I do miss being able to pick her out a card and give her a hug and kiss. Even though I'm not able to see her on Mother's Day, I am forever grateful for the 37 years I had with her. When I think about missing my Mama, I think about what I miss the most. That is a her love that only my Mama can give. I remember when my oldest daughter was 3 years old. She would quote Johnny Bravo (in an Elvis voice) saying "Nobody loves ya like ya Mama". It was so hilarious but so true. Nobody will ever love you like ya Mama. She made me feel so special. My Mama loved me so much. I loved her too. I loved being her baby. She taught me how to live and how to die. I will never forget on her birthday (Feb 8,2006) when I gave her birthday card to her she began to cry and said "I'll be waiting for you". She passed away 12 days later. I know that I will see her again. I am so glad that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior. Without Him I don't know what I would do. I have a hope in Him that I will see my Mama again. But until then, I will cherish the memories that I have of her and my Daddy. The picture above is of my Mama her last Christmas with her grandchildren.

I would like to also say how thankful I am to be a mother. I have the greatest daughters in the world (see their picture above). I cherish my relationship with them. I love being a mother. I pray that I will be the mother to them that the Lord wants to be. I am so proud of them. They are smart and beautiful, but even if they were dumb and ugly, I'd still be grateful.

In all things, praise the Lord. I am truly blessed!

Happy Birthday

I would like to give a shout out to my friend Candy. She celebrated her birthday on Tuesday. She and I have been friends since 7th grade. We became inseparateable our Junior year of HS. It's hard to believe that was that was 20 years ago. We have a lot of great memories. She was a member of our family. She ate many-a-meal at our house (her favorite being my Mama's spaghetti). We had some great times. I told her that we were content to have $2 to put gas in my Toyota Corolla and $5 for us to eat at Hardees. Today if we only had $2 to put in the tank, Hardees would have to be right across the street. We've shared a lot of great memories. Here's just a few things we've shared.
1. The Shakers- Lip-singing to Motown
2. Winter 1986 - Sickness and a garbage bag
3. Swimming at the Colony Apts. Learning to dive.
4. Summer 1987 - Worked summer job at Hardees. We had to be at work at 6 am
5. Almost Carowinds!
6. Buenos Dios!
7. Rhinestone and Top Secret
8. Graduated together- Class of '88 is great!
9.. We both married our husbands in 1993.
10. We were in each other's weddings
11. We both had our first baby in 1997.
12. She was my nurse when I had my second.
Wow! (Candy, I'm sure you will probably have more to add.)

We don't get to hang out as much as we used to. We are all grown up now (well maybe a little) and have families of own. We usually talk to each other at least twice a month. No matter what, we know we can depend on each other.
Happy Birthday Candy!!
Love ya Candy Elaine Brain!!

I'm back. It's been very busy around here. Hope everyone had a terrific Easter weekend. We had a sunrise service and an 11:00 service. The services were a time to reflect on the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His triumphant resurrection. My 10 year-old daughter took notes during the 11:00 service. I wanted to share what she took away from the message.

The Miracle of the empty tomb.
Christ is the Christ of Calvary.
He died for you and me because He loved us.
He died to prove our sins were forgiven.
Jesus says that whoever trust in Him shall be saved.
Christ is the Christ of Victory.
He is my Lord.
I am tired of sinning.
The Lord loves you with all his heart that's why he died on the cross and rose again.
The Lord also sent an earthquake so everybody would know He was risen.
There was an angel to tell Mary Magdalene & Mary to go tell the disciples that He is risen.


I am so glad that she likes to take notes during the messages instead of writing them to her friends. Leah asked Jesus to be her Savior when she was 6 years old. She is such a sweet and considerate girl. She loves Jesus and has so much compassion for others. I love her dearly.

Are you sure Room 12 is ready?

What a beautiful day! I think it got up to 80 outside this afternoon. The kids actually were able to play outside after we got home. They really enjoyed playing catch with their Daddy, swinging and finally eating supper outside on the deck. I don't know about you but I'm ready to wear some shorts and flip flops. The question is,are YOU ready for me to wear shorts and flip flops? I am told, sunglasses are required in order to look at my legs! I am working on my tan at the 'fake and bake'. For all you who need a translation that's a tanning bed. I am so white, I've been twice and I've only used 11 minutes. I know right now you're thinking , "Where did I put my sunglasses?". Don't worry, I will not reveal them until they're ready. I was traumatized last year as I was trying to cover-up my whiteness at the "fake and bake". It was an ordinary day. I got off work and went to the tanning salon. When I arrived a little blonde girl took my number and marked my card. She said room 12 was available. As I approached the door to Room 12, I noticed it was closed. Now the first thing I'm thinkin' is "Somebody's in that room". I conveyed my concern to the young lady. She walked back to where I was and said "Oh, the air sometimes slams the doors shut on this side of the room". Right after she says that, she turns the door knob and pushes the door all the way open. SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE. The bed was empty but the room was not. I never did see her face. Believe me, I would have rather seen her face. She was facing the wall in the 'buff' and I'm not through. She was bent over. At this point, the little girl ran back to the front of the place, in a panic, leaving the door wide open and me standing there with that "oh my goodness" look on my face. So at this point, this big girl, "me", runs to the back of the place. I guess the 'nude tanned lady' felt a draft because she turned around and slammed the door. Bless her heart. Judging by her skin tone, she was an experienced tanner and maybe even a charter member of this salon. Even in all her experience, I'm sure this day would be one she would not soon forget. I would say I haven't seen the lady since then, but I wouldn't know that now would I? But if I did and could ask her what she had learned from that experience I'm sure this would be her advice to us. 1. When you enter the tanning bed room, shut the door and push your entire body weight against it to make sure it is closed. 2. Then push the lock button really really hard. This step should leave the an impression in your finger tip (you don't want to take any chances) 3. Right before you get in the tanning bed, repeat 1 & 2. This has really helped in my recovery. After I complete all "3 steps", I can know that unless a fire breaks out in the next 5 minutes, I'm good!!

I know you are thankful that I do not have any photos to attach to this story. I think the picture you have in your head is enough.

God To Our Rescue

Last week one of my devotions took me to Romans 8:28. It was really good, so I wanted to share it with you.

When Satan thinks he's done a terrible thing to us and that it will finish us off, God has another plan altogether. He'll take what Satan meant for harm and work it out not only for our good, but for the good of the many to whom we will minister

Romans 8:28
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.

We need to remember that we are valuable. God sent His Son, Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and then rise again on the third day. He would not have done all that just to leave us to fend for ourselves day to day. He is in it for the long haul. There's nothing we will face that He will not be right there with us. When just need to seek Him and find our strength in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Birthday Surprise

Tonight I had a nice surprise for my birthday. My friend, Jenni (my sister-in-law's sister) told me a couple of weeks ago she wanted to take me out to supper and bowling for my birthday. Well tonight was the night. Little did I know more of my friends were invited. When Jenni and I arrived at Rockola, my sister-in-law (and friend) Juli and my friend Susan were there. After we sat down, Penney and Traci (friends from High School) came in. We had a great time there, then we went bowling. My friend Lisa met us there. We had a great time and we have pictures to prove it. I am thankful to my friends for giving me this special night. They will never know how much it meant to me. I will never forget it. The only other time I was surprised for my birthday was when I was 17 years old. My friend, Candy surprised me with a cake and a small party at the skating rink. I LOVE TO SKATE! That was 20 years ago and I still LOVE TO SKATE! I will never forget that either. I had a great time making memories! This is a special SHOUT out to all friends. I Love you all!!!

A New Song

About a month and a half ago, the Lord revealed Himself to me in such a powerful way. A sat down with the Lord for 3 hours. This is something I had never done. I was saved many years ago, but it was January 18th, that the Lord got my attention. I felt His presence so strong. I was the only one at home at the time. When I 'finally' sat down with him, I wept. I was so ashamed at how I had treated my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord led me to so many scriptures. I went to Matthew 27:34 where the scriptures says Jesus was offered 'wine mingled with gall'. He spat it out and refused to drink it. You see, this drink would have eased His suffering. He wanted to feel the full punishment of my sin for ME. He went all the way for me and I hadn't even been going half way for Him. Each day I would pass Him by. I thought of how I would feel if my children would come in the house and walk past me, not even acknowledging that I was there. How that would break my heart. Well, that was just what I was doing to my Father. I realized that I couldn't pass Him by any longer. I fell back in love with Jesus. I never lost my salvation (I never can), but I had lost my passion for Christ. The Holy Spirit gently reminded me of the beatings, mocking and finally the crucifixion that Jesus went through for me. I realized just how much He loved me. Realizing that fact made my love for Him stronger than ever. He went all the way for me. He didn't have to, but He did. He led me to Isiah 53, Luke 23:34, Matthew 5:24, 1 John 1:5-10 and Matthew 7:3-5. The Lord opened my eyes that night. In the past, I've made a lot of empty promises that were unkept, but this time is different. I am enjoying such sweet fellowship with the Lord, like never before. I don't want to miss anything God has in store for me. Since then, I have been able to resolve situations in my life. I've been able to truly forgive others. The Lord is working in my life and in the lives of my family. I can't wait to see what He has in store. About a week later, I was going over some chords on my guitar (G,C,D). These words came to me. I titled the song, 'Passing Him By'. If you've been passing Him by, I pray that today, you too will fall back in love with Jesus!

He was beaten and bruised.

Relief for the pain, He refused.

He died to pay your debt.

He went all the way

up Calvary that day.

Why do you pass Him by?

The Holy Spirit spoke to me.

I realized where I was

and where God wanted me.

Oh how I'd let sin reign.

I cried to the Lord in shame.

I cried 'Oh Lord, forgive me!

For passing you by.'

Cause you were beaten and bruised.

Relief for the pain you refused.

You died to pay my debt.

You went all the way

Up Calvary that day.

I will not pass you by.

No more just going through the drill.

Cause what we have Lord, it's for real.

In my heart you do abide,

and I will not pass you by.

My husband, Shawn's birthday is March 4th. Happy Birthday Honey! I love you! You still got it!

What Is She Wearing Tonight?

We went to our church's Valentine's banquet. On the way my husband says "Now, don't volunteer me for anything when we get here". He wanted to be saved from any embarrassment that might would occur in a "newlywed game". If you don't remember it, this game tests the "memory" of your spouse (i.e, where he proposed, what I cooked last, my shoe size). Our names were not drawn to play this "memory" game. You are getting ready to find out just why that's a 'good thing'. I love and respect my husband however I do laugh (along with him) at many things that he does. However no one laughs harder at Shawn than Shawn does. All the couples were asked to participate in the last game of the night. The ladies were asked to leave the room. The men stayed and each were asked to write down as many things as they could remember about what their wives were wearing that evening. Now remember, I've been sitting beside my husband since 4:45 p.m. (including the ride in the car). It is now, almost 3 HOURS later. We come back in the room. My husband wrote down a total of 3 things. 1. Blue jeans 2. White T-shirt 3. Green sweater. Well, 1 out 3 ain't bad! I was wearing, blue jeans, blue T-shirt and cream-colored sweater. That was our laugh for the evening. You'd think that by the next morning, he'd be paying more attention to what I was wearing. On the way into church, one of our friends asked him what color sweater I was wearing. I heard a long pause....then "I'm not sure". I do love him, bless his heart!

Come along with us!

Hello Everyone

Thanks to my friend Leah Belle for showing me how to start this blog.
I look forward to sharing my life's journey with you all. I am starting this blog on my 37th birthday. Wow. It seems like I just graduated from high school. Time sure does fly. I do love my life. I've had my share of troubles and trials, but the Lord has brought me through each one. In my relationship with Jesus Christ, I find joy and contentment no matter the circumstances. I have a great husband and two precious daughters who share this journey with me. Thanks for joining us.

Enjoy the ride.

Love in Christ,

Jennifer

Come along with us!

Welcome to my new blog. I hope you enjoy it.