I Love Hymns

I've had this Hymn stuck in my head all day today.

Little is Much when God Is In It

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the voice of God is calling
To the harvest calling you.

(Refrain)
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus’ love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem too small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There’s a crown—and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ Name.

Words & Music: Kit­tie L. Suf­field

Wordless Wednesday

Except that I don't think that I have ever been wordless in my whole life!

And of course my picture isn't wordless either. My creative, clever, hardly been wordless a day in his life either, son and his sweet little friend took a square piece of plywood and turned it into this....



I think they were interrupted before being able to finish it...

All About Me

I am…....ready for summer!
I want.....to lose 10 lbs.
I have...... a loving and faithful God
I wish......my house was spotless today
I hate.......sand and dust
I miss......my sister - DisneyWorld for 14 days
I fear.......less than I did a year ago
I feel.....changed
I hear......kids playing outside
I smell.....the fresh scent of Spring
I crave.....vacation time with my husband and kids
I search....for patience and wisdom
I wonder.....what God has planned for us
I regret......wearing heels with my sore ankle
I love.........lattes from Starbucks
I ache........for more than words can say
I care.........about my neighbors
I always......wear a seatbelt
I am not....decisive
I believe......greater things are still to be done
I dance.......at 5:55
I sing.....a lot, but LittleMiss says it's scary.
I cry.....privately
I don't always.....remember things that I should
I fight.....outside influencers on my kids
I write......with a pen or marker. hate pencils
I never.......want to fly over the ocean
I listen......to music while I blog
I need......summer shirts and a haircut
I am happy....with our church and friends!

Stretching

I'm loving this weather! I'm going to take LittleMiss up to the school this afternoon to play with WeeklyAd during recess. It's a true blessing how much the two girls enjoy playing together.

Had a little heart to heart with my grandma today. I had a complete meltdown yesterday (and mini pity party) brought on by the swarm of difficult people in my life. I know the Lord is trying to teach me something but the learning process has been hard...and long.

I truly believe some of it is spiritual attack as well. I'm telling you, the enemy exists and is a roaring lion who would love to destroy me, my family, and anything else that would bring Glory to God. Management and I have had such significant growth and calling these last few weeks that if ever there was a time for the enemy to try to get at us, it would be now. But I'm not having it and I'll Praise The Lord through it!

My quiet time this morning was in 1 Kings and not particularly helpful on the topic of difficult people or spiritual warfare but considering my Tweet a couple days ago, I had to laugh out loud when I read this - "When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him." 1 Kings 1:1

My foot was so excruciating last night after my (hopefully) final injection (just under the inside ankle bone). Today it changes between hurting and tingling which is really a great sign that it is indeed getting better. I don't even know what caused all of this trouble but it started back in January and the Dr. said it is like Carpal Tunnel in my ankle. Terrific doctor!!! If you ever need a Foot & Ankle Specialist let me know!

No plans for the weekend - hooray! Though I'm hoping my nephew is born on Sunday. Don't know why but I think Sunday would be a great day for his arrival.

We'll see.

Earth Day 2009

~HAPPY EARTH DAY~

WeeklyAd's S(ppppp)ecial Tree

Management prides himself on his yardwork. He pines away, longing for the day(s) that he can get outside and pull, plant, prune, prance (only with his daughter of course), and pick. At times it is thoroughly pathetic obnoxious as he examines the landscaping, piece by piece, leaf by leaf and quizzes the kids on the proper names of the plants. And don't be surprised if you come over in the Spring or Summer and get a proper tour of the premises. I'm sure my poor parents have had their fill of parading around my house. Let's just say that he has a passionate appreciation for God's creation.

With great pleasure he planned out our front landscaping and proudly planted a tree (yes, as lurkerhv provided, it is a magnolia tree) purposely underneath WeeklyAd's window pane. "It is a pretty tree for my pretty girl" he said. Actually he used the word beautiful but we are going with P's here not B's. It is perfectly placed and a prominent figure in front of our home, particularly in the Spring. It could potentially grow as high as her second story place of rest. She's so pleased that her daddy was so thoughtful and did something particularly special specifically for his little princess. She is very patient, waiting proudly for it's petals to bloom. And once they appear, you will find the little princess and her papa perched by the tree, counting the blooms, and placing their noses directly in the petals for the pleasing aroma. Wish I had a picture of the process!

They make quite a pair!

The 18th

Another Stolen Idea~
Go to your picture file. Find folder with pics from April 2008 and then find the 18th photo. Share on your blog.

Well, apparently I did not take even one picture in April 2008!?!? I have Easter pics from March and yardwork, dance costumes, and baseball pics from May but not one from April. Hmmm....

Technically this picture is from May but it was my 18th photo from the Spring 2008 folder and it shows two things:

1. Here we are a year later and gearing up for more yardwork. Management LOVES yardwork and the kids, well as long as they get some fun thrown in there, they love it too.

2. Here we are a year later and the big mud/wood pile has been turned into a home and yard that belong to a very friendly couple with a one year old daughter and a set of grandparents too.



P.S. I think I was just supposed to post the pic and not babble about it so much??

Week In Review

Here is a little bit of our week in pictures. Anybody else think this week went by way too fast? But we couldn't have asked for better weather!!

~Easter Egg Hunt (also pictured are the Easter treats we made for our family)~


~Getting Ready To Hunt Eggs With Our Cousins~


~Hunting For Treats~





~Celebrating Papa's 60th Birthday~


~Lovin' The Warm Weather~



~Literally Watching WeeklyAd's Special Tree Bloom Right Before Our Eyes~

My Dad

I had been stuck on the couch for 4 weeks.

4 weeks of laying on my left side.

Laying on my left side and trying to entertain an almost 3 year old.

There was plenty of reading books, plenty of kids videos and cartoons, and plenty of guilt over my almost 3 year old who had pretty much spent the last 4 weeks stuck in a house instead of outside playing in the July and August heat.

My only breaks from the couch were 2 weekly trips to the hospital. One for the doctor on Mondays and one for an ultrasound on Thursdays.

Trips to the same hospital where my grandfather laid near to death for months.

Wednesday, August 7th, my husband had to drive to Ohio. He had managed to get out of most of the trip but was required to attend one day of meetings.

As he pulled away, I cried.

Life at that moment was hard.

My granpa had passed away the day before.

My husband was driving out of state with our only car. I couldn't drive anywhere anyway but I felt sad and alone and trapped and of course there was still guilt over the thought of another day of cartoons for my almost 3 year old.

And then....

Our power went out.

No husband, no car, no cartoons, no telephone, no grandpa lying in a hospital to pray for.

I was still gathering my thoughts and emotions when....

My doorbell rang!

It was my dad. I don't think that I have ever been so happy to see him or to hear these words, "I need a suit for the funeral and thought you might want to come with me to buy one?"

I happily gathered my almost 3 year old and decided that if a trip to the hospital for a doctors appointment twice a week was okay for physical check-ups then a trip to the store with my dad once a month was more than okay for my emotional well-being.

I don't think my dad even realized how much I needed him at that point and needed to get out of the house. To have something to do. To just tag along as he shopped. To run through the drive-thru and spoil my almost 3 year old with french fries.

To be rescued.

My dad is great at rescuing. He's great at being there!

I can't love him or appreciate him any more than I did then and still do now.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Thanks for showing up time and time again!

Two weeks after shopping for a suit, my little 2 lb. 10 oz. WeeklyAd joind our family!

He's Alive

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I Peter 1:3-9

Favorite Foto Friday

There is not a set theme this week for Favorite Foto Friday so it was hard to decide which picture(s) to post.

Because so many of our friends and family are headed to Disney this week, I've decided to share some of my favorite fotos from some of our past trips to the most magical place on Earth. As many times as I've been there, I'm always ready to go back!

Nothing Really New

I feel the need/desire to start being a little more creative with my blogging. I lost some of it when I switched over from Myspace and I want to get it back. I miss my Gleaning From Others the most.

The sweet, adorable LittleMiss "painted" the top of my brand spankin' new wooden table with her breakfast fork. I was standing right there...heard the dreaded noise...but was too late in my response to prevent it. The array of scratches are covered with a placemat but they are there and it makes me sad. It's been 7 days since delivery...sigh.

We started reading Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen Taylor. I'm not sure what to think about it. I never read the original Pilgrim's Progress so I can't compare the two but this one seems very obvious in it's message and I kind of was hoping it would be more allegory and the kid's would have to think about it. Know what I mean? Has anyone read the original and/or Helen Taylor's version and can tell me if they are similar or not? Is the original too old/mature for a 6 and 9 year old?

My new nephew, Mark David, will be here soon. It's exciting to be awaiting a new baby in the family again. My sister-in-law is excited about having a boy (after two girls) and of course HomeAudio is ecstatic to have another boy cousin coming. We can't wait!

Thoughts from American Idol?

Man Alive I wish that I could blog about LOST!! Oh.My.Word. it is so good! Lurkerhv, we need to grab some coffee soon and discuss this season!! I also need to return your crock-pot. :)

Creativity

I thoroughly enjoy looking through these pictures.

People are so stinkin' creative!

Unbelievable.

HOT

Wow, I hit 100 posts here on blogger. Wish I could have an Ace of Cakes treat to celebrate this milestone. One day I will get a cake from Duff Goldman. One day.

whew, I was lost there in Dreamland for a minute.

Speaking of dreams, here is a guy that I love to dream about ~

Helping WeeklyAd with an art project:



His new sexy specs:



I made the mistake of telling him that he looks HOT. He does look HOT but I accidentally said it in front of HomeAudio whom immediately started chuckling. Despite the fact that I told HomeAudio that he may not use the word HOT until he is married, I feel the need to apologize in advance to any friends that attend church with us. I have little faith that HomeAudio will save the word for his wife and will somehow work it into the Bible lesson on Sunday. Let's hope not...but if so...I'm sorry!

But to remind myself that my sweet boy (who may or may not be kicked out of Sunday School this coming week) is in fact a tender-hearted cutie, I will share this story - remember that yesterday he had a tooth pulled and a baby root canal? Well man alive was he grumpy afterwards. He rested on the couch, played a quick video game, and then headed to bed early. Late last night when Management turned on the video games, he found a message from our grumpmeister. It was titled "love you" and said "I'm sorry I was grumpy today but they made me take sleeping gas." awe!

It's A Monday

I feel like I have a lot less freedom now than I did when my kids were little and at home all day. We had a lot of freedom then and I was involved in a lot less! I want to slow things down but I still want to be involved in their school activities and some things at church. I just need to find a good balance and this semester has not been balanced well.

Since hearing a talk at MOPS on loving my husband more, winning a book on Intimacy, and attending the Intimate Issues conference, I have been trying hard to focus more time and energy on my husband and our marriage. It wasn't bad or anything before but it's been great lately. Between all of the above and also some things the Lord has been doing in my husband's life, we have been growing closer and closer. It's been really nice to experience a very happy marriage and to spend more time together....but that means less, or no, blogging in the evenings. It's so hard sometimes to give up that "me time" when I can be alone and can actually think but it really has been worth it!

I was suggested by one and asked by another to lead an Investigative Bible Discussion at our church for MOPS moms on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. This is WAY out of my comfort zone but it's something I feel like God wants me to do...there is actually a really long blog that goes along with this so hopefully once I find balance or Management is out of town, I can share all of it with you.

An update on Nashville - Management will probably be going down there sometime in May. Still no word on whether or not I can go with him but either way, I'm so excited for him!

Still rooting for Melissa on DWTS and Melissa on Celebrity Apprentice too (or Jesse James). I never really liked Melissa Rivers before but I really like her now and think she deserves to win (so far). Jesse James seems to be a great guy and I really respect how he handled Dennis Rodman! I owe Sandra Bullock a huge apology (sure next time I talk to her) because she was right - Jesse is a really cool guy. Any other fans out there???

HomeAudio had a tooth pulled today and a baby root canal on top of that. He had horrible acid reflux as a baby/toddler and it affected his back teeth. Thankfully they are baby teeth but he's still in pain and finally resting comfortably. We're expecting a visit from the ToothFairy sometime tonight.

It's Pajama Day at school tomorrow so no ironing clothes! HOORAY! And my dear husband is having company over to watch the game so I will be watching American Idol, drinking hot cocoa, and heading to bed early.

Goodnight.

Stolen Idea

Ask your child(ren) these questions and enter their answers...Quite amusing!

As told by HomeAudio (age 9), WeeklyAd (age 6)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
HomeAudio – I love you
WeeklyAd – I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
HomeAudio – painting
WeeklyAd – when I say I love you

3. What makes mom sad?
H – when daddy’s gone
W – when I disobey her

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
H- tickling me
W- tickling me

5. What was your mom like as a child?
H- a nerd
W- she had curly hair

6. How old is your mom?
H- 31
W- 54

7. How tall is your mom?
H- 5’ 2 in.
W- 54 inches

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
H- watch movies with dad and cuddle
W- read

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
H- play with LittleMiss
W- read

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
H- the first lady to be a 5 star general
W- reading 100 pages

11. What is your mom really good at?
H- painting
W- tickling

12. What is your mom not very good at?
H- pitching a ball to me
W- giving people piggy-back rides

13. What does your mom do for a job?
H- babysits LittleMiss
W- babysits LittleMiss

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
H- pancakes with blueberry syrup
W- pig

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
H- she believes in God
W- when I was little you gave me lots of bubbas (bottles)

16. If your mom were a TV character, who would she be?
H- the Head On woman in the commercial
W- weatherperson

17. What do you and your mom do together?
H- play tennis
W- bike rides

18. How are you and your mom the same?
H- we both have brown eyes
W- both have brown hair

19. How are you and your mom different?
H- I like hot sauce and you don’t
W- we have different slippers

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
H- because you cuddle with me
W- because you say I love you

21. What does your mom like most about you?
H- that I’m good at fixing things
W- my hair

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
H- Candle Store
W- Target