Thanksgiving with Friends

This was our 2nd annual Thanksgiving with our great friends. Me and my family really enjoy our time with them. (Names have been concealed to protect the innocent!)

We love you!!















Gator Buddies!!



















Hay Hay We're the Monkeys!!!



















Sweet girls! Best of friends!

Sweet girls! Best of Friends!

(couldn't find bandanas big enough)

Love you! Miss you!

Louisville Slugger museum

This is my youngest at the Louisville Slugger batting cage in Louisville, KY. We took a tour of the factory to see how the bats were made. We also learned a lot about the history of Louisville Slugger. We had a blast!

This is my oldest swinging fast pitches with a Louisville Slugger TPS in the batting cage.
























This is me, swinging my bat to a slower, old woman pitch!






















This 'glove' bench was on the 1st floor of the museum. I stood on the 2nd to get this one.

Celebrating Birthdays

My oldest turned 11 a couple of months ago. Here are a few pictures from her party. I can't believe she's 11. Time has flown by so quickly. She has brought so much joy to my life.




Do ya think she liked her present?



















We weren't really sure if she liked it.

Her first camp!

My oldest went to camp for the first time this year. She went to Teen Valley Ranch. It's a Christian Camp near Boone NC. She had a great time!

She did many fun things like the zip line, tubing and many other fun games. She and a friend each sang in the Talent Show.





But more important than that was the spiritual growth. She took classes on Quiet Time and Seeking God's Will For Your Life. It is awesome to see the Lord working in her life!

















The scenery was beautiful. Her Dad and I and two other couples from church went up on Friday for the last night. They had their last service by the campfire. It's was really fun. I forgot how much fun it was to go to youth camp.








They really loved their counselor, Kristina.







The worship time was awesome as well! Many of the kids stood and testified of how the Lord had worked in his/her life that week.




This week was just another reminder of my girl growing up; leaving elementary school and going to her first camp.

Saying Goodbye!!

Here are some of Leah's friends. Many of her friends are going to a different middle school. It made this day sad for them as you can tell.

This is LR and her 5th grade teacher. Leah had a great 5th grade year.

This is LR's friend since Kindergarten. They are going to different schools next year.




































This is Logan Ann with her friends competing in tug of war!




















This is LA and her Kindergarten teacher. She is so sweet. LA couldn't have had a better teacher her first year at Elementary School. Logan Ann received the "most dependable" reward for her class. LA had a great year.

SCHOOL'S ALMOST OUT!!

I can't believe the school year is almost over. My oldest, is finishing 5th grade and my youngest is finishing Kindergarten. This is the only year they will attend the same school. The final awards day iand 5th grade graduation is coming up soon. I went to my niece's 5th grade graduation last year and it was a total waste of Mary Kay. This year I have already scheduled the day off. I know I will be a washed-out looking Mama that day.

This is LA at the last awards banquet. She received an Awesome Eagle Award for her character and behavior.

This is LR at the last awards banquet getting recognized for making the A honor roll.

MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY.....

The other night me and my family were riding home from 'town'(you country folks know what I mean). My youngest daughter was being very talkative. You know why they get like that; they think if they stop talking then they'll fall asleep. You know for them that is just the worst thing!!?? But anyway, before each of her sentences, she would say "Mommy". She wanted to make sure I was listening. When we were about 5 minutes from the house, I looked over at "Mommy's husband" and said "I think she has said Mommy at least 20 times since we left "town". Even though my flesh was getting a liitle annoyed, the Holy Spirit stepped in. I smiled and realized that hearing my sweet little girl call out to me was a GREAT thing. How many Mothers only have a memory of their children calling out to them as "Mommy"? How many women longed to be called "Mommy"?

I'ved been a Mom now for 10 years. I love being a "Mommy". The Lord has entrusted me with 2 beautiful daughters. What a privilege and honor. But even more than that, what a responsibility! My girls are watching me; how I respond to life's struggles, difficult people, maybe a bad day at work and especially how I react to them when I'm tired. Do I listen? Do they call out "Mommy" because they think I'm not listening? Maybe that's why sometimes they don't listen to me. The Lord has used that ride home to show me the importance of listening. As my girls get older, I know they'll need to call out to me more and more. I want them to know that they can depend on me to stop what I'm doing, give them my attention and listen with unconditional love. If I don't, they will call out to someone who will. I'm not perfect, but my Lord is! I have a lot to learn. I want to live so close to Him that I can hear His perfect voice as I continue my journey in "Motherhood".