TPAC Recital 2008

Karly's Recital 2008
She did a beautiful job dancing again this year. Of course we were so proud of her. My parents were able to come back to see her perform. She looked so graceful out there. She says this is it that she wants to try basketball which is fine. Whatever she wants to try is fine by us as long as she keeps her commitment to it. So I guess next year I will have pictures of her shooting hoops instead of dancing. That will be different. Karl will probably enjoy basketball much more.

Goodbye Brett and Susie

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Today was the last day of VBS and Ms. Susie's last day at the office. Brett and Susie Cox are some of the dearest people. They have an amazing way of making everyone feel loved and special, especially children. My girls adore them both. They love to come to the office with me so they could go see Ms. Susie. They loved to have sleep overs at their house, of course they would have ice cream and candy for breakfast. But that was ok because it was Susie. I love to give Susie a hard time about Madie's bad teeth and all the candy she has given her over the last four years but really I never minded. Because along with the candy was lots of love. When you don't have family around it is so nice to have people like Brett and Susie who will come to plays or dance or cheer leading. Thanks for always coming to their events.


Susie asked me the other day why does God allow you to make such special relationships with so many people and then he takes them away from you. Mrs. Susie I have thought about that a lot and this is what I have come up with. You and Brett have touch so many lives at FBC. So many families love you and all those families will be praying for you. I know my girls will remind me every night "pray for Brett and Susie". Also the kids in Brazil are going to be so blessed to have you in their lives. Every hug, every smile, every time you show them love you are showing them God. Don't get me wrong, I so wish we could keep you but I know God has an amazing plan for you. Don't forget to start a blog so we can check in with you. We love you both dearly!

VBS 2008

Karly's Crew

Madie's Crew

VBS is going great!!! Our theme this year is Power Lab.

The kids are learning where true power comes from-God. It has been so much fun.

Today we learned that God gives us the power to be brave just like Peter was when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water. I love that story. Can you imagine how scary that one step was? We learned that somethings either sink or float and Peter floated on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus his power source. I know VBS is for the kids but man I love the basic messages of the Bible that continue to speak to me, no matter how many times I hear them.

The coolest thing today was I did this science experiment in second worship testing things that would sink or float. So in case you were wondering, a lemon will float but a lime will sink.

A peeled orange will sink but an unpeeled orange will float. The one that I just don't get was a regular coke will sink but a diet coke will float. So we decided to see if Pepsi was different but nope, regular Pepsi floated and diet sunk. I don't get it!!

Tomorrow is our salvation message. So please pray for our kids that they will listen with their ears but more importantly with their hearts.

Another one bites the dust

Today we lost another hamster. This one was a girl named Teddy. We only had her for about two months, Smore we had for 4 years who passed about two months ago.

We are getting ready for VBS this morning and I hear Karly "mom come here", I am of course in a hurry and say "why". Karly replies "I think Teddy is dead". Of course I am like in my head I don't have time for this but I go up and he is laying on his back with his arms in the air. Oh yeah not good. So I am like "oh I am sorry girls... Ok well we have got to go". Well then Madie runs upstairs to get something and yells "Teddy just moved". So Karly and I run up and yep he is still alive but barely. So I put the water up to her lips and she kind of drinks a little. The girls ask me to pray for her so I do.

So after VBS the girls (Karly, Madie and Izzy) run upstairs to see if she is ok but no she is gone. So they dug a hole in the back yard and covered it with some rocks. Karly wrote "R.I.P Teddy June 17th".

No more hamsters!!!!!!

Happy Late Father's Day - Karl

My poor wonderful husband, for the last four years VBS has been the week of Father's day. Which means for my dear husband that Sunday is spent at the church working all day. He is so great about it and does everything with a smile and with a great heart. This year I forgot to even give him a card. Poor guy!! The girls had bought him one but in all the busyness of the day forgot to give it to him until tonight (TUESDAY).
So to my dear husband and the father of ALL of my children the two we lost, the two we have and the children of our future, I love you and would not want to co parent with anyone else. You are an amazing father to our two girls. They have no idea the sacrifice you have made for them. All the years you worked 60+ hours a week so I could stay home with them, all the times you take off to be with them when they are sick or to go to 4H camp or to a field trip or one of your special date nights with them. They are so blessed. I am so blessed. I love you dearly and I always will.

Anonymous

Thanks you for your kind words of encouragement to read my Bible and for also reminding me to change my settings to approve all comments left on my blog and to not except any comments from anonymous writers.
To all of you who left book suggestions thanks. I am off to read "Same kind of different as me". (And don't worry anonymous I have already read my Bible today also. )
Happy reading to all!

"The Shack" Book Review

Ok so I finished "The Shack" yesterday and I also read a review by a well known preacher (I will not use his name but) the review totally frustrated me. "The Shack" is a fictional story and you must read it as that. It is not the inspired word of God only the Bible is, "The Shack" is a book.

While reading it I saw God differently but not any differently then the Bible says. The book shows God as a loving God who wants to have a relationship with me -period. A God who is with me in the good and the bad that happens in my life. That he gives me a free will to make mistakes but he is with me. That sin is why the world is in the mess it is in not because he is causing the mess. All of this is biblical.

Yes, I believe that God used it to speak to me and to draw me closer to him. I think God can use anything he wants to grow us, a song, a sunset, a victory, a tragedy, he is God and he can use anything. The main way he speaks to me is during my quite time with him when I am reading His word, praying and writing in my journal.

So that is my review. If you are a reader like me why not read christian fiction that has a message about God. I also just got done reading "To know her by name" by Lori Wick. It had a great message also about a spy who had to trust God to help her survive in her job. She struggled with what God wanted her to do in the future, stay with her job or quit and do something new. It was great to read and hear how she figured out what God wanted her to do.

Ok I need a new book! Any suggestions?

The Shack by William Young

I started reading "The Shack" yesterday. I know you say "how do you have time to read". I have to read, I must read it is my escape. I take whatever I am reading every where I go so that when I am waiting for dance to be over, I read. When I am waiting for the dentist to stop filing Madie's teeth I read, when Karl is driving I read to avoid being scared. I love to read.

The Shack is a Christian fiction that is much like "Pilgrim's Progress" that I read as a teen and loved. Like it in the since that he uses a story to teach you more about God. This story is based on a man going through a trial (rain) like James 1:2 reminds us we will face and how the three parts of God helped him and their different roles. It is very interesting and deep. (I would rather be reading right now actually.)

It is a thinker. I know I am going to have to read it twice to really get it. Anywho! I thought I would blog it in case you too love to read. This book is great because it is an interesting story and I know in the end I am going to draw closer to my "Father, Papa, Daddy" (You will understand that after you read the book.

RAIN
Someone once told me when the rain comes just cling to the father and know that he loves you. Little did he know what turn our lives would take two weeks later and I can honestly say I had to constantly remind myself "He loves me" and he loved me through it. Thank you father!

Our Ohio Get Away

Karly and Derrick top right, Madie and Derrick top left.



Sweet Sisters holding hands after along day at the water park.


This is the Gorilla that scared us all to death.
The Worn out gang after the Water Park.












Karl and his girls resting on a hammer head shark.























May 29th we headed down to Ohio after work to see our friends, Derrick and Rebecca Johnson. We got in Thursday night around 9 and talked until 1:30 in the morning. Rebecca had to go to work Friday. Friday we did one of our favorite things to do we went shopping at the Easton's Mall it makes the Avenue in Murfreesboro look terrible. The girls of course spent all their money in one day on sunglasses and shoes of course.


Friday night we went out to dinner at Uno's pizza, oh my gosh!! Amazing. Then to Dairy Queen and then to the movies, another late night.

Saturday we went to a water park called Zoombies and to their Zoo in Columbus. It was so nice. The girls had a blast. The Zoo was great. The most memorable part was Karly standing at the glass staring at a Gorilla and all of a suddenly he charges the glass and beats on it and roars. We all found out that our hearts were in working order. Every one at that exhibit screamed. It was wild.

Sunday, I wish I had pictures of this but someone forgot the camera (Karl). The girls went golfing with the boys. They were their caddies. Rebecca and I went shopping of course.

We had a great time but it went way to fast. Oh on the way home we stop at the IKEA store in Cincinnati and shopped some more. That place is amazing, a little over whelming but amazing. We got Madie a new dresser and all kinds of other stuff for the house. FUN FUN

Now we are back home to reality. Not so fun!


P.S. Becca thought it would be fun for the girls to kick Derrick out of the bed and for them to sleep with her one night. Well she got elbowed several times by Madie and woke up with a pain in her neck with Karly and Madies name written all over it. Welcome to my world Rebecca!