Congratulations Dest!

Destinee just turned 13 years old in November and is growing into such a wonderful young women. I just received a letter in the mail from her school...she has held straight A's honor roll all year and she has been excepted into the Honors Intensified English class for next year. She works so hard and we are so proud of all that she is accomplishing. God is doing a great work in her, she studies hard and serves at church in the toddlers and nursery classes as well as leads the children's ministry worship along side Brandon Powell. She has developed this really funny personality which i think these pictures show ( sorry Destinee..next time you and Sam have a sleep over...you might want to use your own camera...hahahahaha) I think she will always be our "Drama Queen" but it is neat to see the other side of her and all that God is doing in her life! We continue to pray she would grow into a young women after God's own Heart!

1st snow fall

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

1st snowfall

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

It's Snowing!!!

I was sitting on the computer working on some Children's Ministry worksheets and I hear from the living room Gabriel yell out "IT"S SNOWING"....I went out to check, sure it was not, I didn't even think he knew what snow was....(I now know that playing seasons bingo is teaching him, plus he has such an awesome school...they must be telling him all about it!)Sure enough though it was snowing! Tammi will love this posting, because she will say that's not snow...but for the kids....they have been praying for the past few months for snow...so they were all excited(Destinee, Junior and Spencer were not home as they went with the church to Toby Mac concert)...it was falling enough for them to see it and feel it hit them but not enough to land and cover the ground...I posted 2 videos, the best i could get with my camera at the time...don't blink! You will miss it...but if you look closely in the very beginning of the video you can see it fall! This kinda snow works great for a "BEACH GIRL".... :) OH!!!! The funniest part of this whole story...man i should have gotten a picture of it!!!! This was the one Sunday afternoon that John decided he was going to go out and change the oil and filters in the cars!!! Hahahahahaha...can you imagine what the neighbors must be saying...Crazy Californian out doing oil in the snow!!! So funny!!!

Legacy

The women at church have been going through the book of Acts and it has been an amazing study for me...I am continually amazed at the Faith and Obedience of Paul...and am shocked always that God could take a terrible man with a history of severe wrongs (Saul becomes Paul) and He could transform this man into a beautiful man of God and use him mightily in His kingdom. I want to be transformed in such an incredible way just as Saul was and become a women who loves her Lord and Savior so much that she would stand on the steps of an angry mob and BOLDLY proclaim the name of Jesus even if it were to cost me my life!

We have also just started a new Tuesday morning study "Pleasing God" by Kay Smith and it is really powerful...it is a very personal study and it points you right back to the word of God and how incredible it is to see that Jesus had such consuming fire and desire to do only what was pleasing to His father! Man...I want to burn like that..I want to not have to ever ask again is this right or wrong what I am about to do but to ask "Is this pleasing to me God" and how much simple my life would be if it were based on simply pleasing God in all that I do, say, act, respond!

Not only that...could you imagine if I were a women who had Faith and Obedience of Paul and a heart that's only desire was to PLEASE GOD...man wouldn't that be a Women, Wife, Mother that would be worth following after and wouldn't she bring praise to her husband and set an example to her children that would spread generations!!!!

Thank you Jesus...for the continual reminder of how great Life in you is!!!

Here is a song I heard on the radio this morning!!! ( I have added it to my music box below click on it and you can listen to it)It is powerful...God has been really speaking to me about what people will say about me when I am no longer here on earth...and my desire is to be remembered as a women who love her God so much that it was evident in all things!

Nichole Nordeman - Legacy From the album Woven & Spun
I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me And I enjoy an accolade like the rest And you could take my picture and hang it in a gallery Of all the Who's Who's and So-and-So's That used to be the best at such and such It wouldn't matter muchI won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides The temporary trappings of this world I want to leave a legacy How will they remember me?Did I choose to love?Did I point to You enough?To make a mark on things I want to leave an offering A child of mercy and grace Who blessed Your name unapologetically And leave that kind of legacy Don't have to look too far or too long awhile To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy Not well-traveled, not well-read Not well-to-do, or well-bred Just want to hear instead Well done, good and faithful one I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

Saturday night we had a couples dinner for church.It turned out to be a great night of fellowship. One of the families that goes to our church rented out their clubhouse and it turned out beautiful with all the decorations and we catered food from Olive Garden and they hooked us up with so much food....we are stilling eating the bread sticks and salad that was left over :) Here are a few pictures from the evening. I pray you were all blessed with a wonderful Valentine's Day and felt the LOVE of an amazing GOD!!!!

Here are pictures of John and I ;)

Here is Kristen and I

John, Me, Kristen and Bobby

Funny things kids say...

The Funny Things that kids say...it just cracks me up...John's mom and I were just talking about this and so I had to share two of the really funny and cute ones right now.....

Gabriel's new favorite thing to say is "WATCH ME CLOSELY" in this voice like he is about to do something so amazing you won't even believe it....most the time I am amazed :)

Nathaniel's new thing is "Thanks Doll!"

He is so funny it just cracks me up and he does it with this tilt of his head and the shake of his hand...so cute!!!

Honor Roll Reception

Last night Spencer was honored at a reception at his school for making the A Honor Roll. He has had straight A's all year! He is doing a great job this year at school and working hard. He is really making great steps in the social part of school. He is playing at recess now, and he has had to do 3 projects that he has to stand in front of the classroom and give a report. He has aced all three! His teacher says he is an awesome student and a great all around boy! Isn't those the words that bless a parents heart?

(Pictured from Left to right; Ms. Smith , his teacher and Spencer and his student teacher)

Barky Bark Schnauzer!!! We are so very PROUD of you! You so totally ROCK!!! :)

Going Colonial????

So I thought "When in Virginia, Do as the Virginians would do!" Being that we live in Colonial Williamsburg, and visiting all the historic places...I have decided that we women have it way too easy in the 2000's !!! HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA....OK, so I am not even serious at all...although I do thank God for the modern conveniences!!! Anyways...our dryer went out and I have been sending clothes to my personal Cinderella's house to be dried and folded and then returned to me while waiting for the home warranty people to come fix it...but then I started to feel bad at all the time I was saving and all the extra work Cinderellie was doing...NOT!!!! Destinee and John decided one night they had to have these things washed and dried for the next morning and Cinderella's Carriage already turned back into a pumpkin so I had to get created and hang their clothes from a hanger off my candle stick (and John wanted to throw it away) and so it dried rather quickly I thought....Anyways had to share the photos it just made me laugh as I look at them!

He'll Shine :)

Have you ever heard the most perfect song at the right time and it just stops you in your tracks and causes you to cry out..."THANK YOU JESUS!" Well...God seems to speak to me through songs (probably because life is so loud in our home and it is the only way to get me to pay attention) A lovely lady at my church gave John a video to take home and share with me and Gabe...it is a signing video ( we are learning so much from it and also the ones his teacher sent home) so Gabriel really loves it because it is full of music..that is how Rachel Coleman teaches the sign language! So we have been watching it for about a month or so now (sorry Ms. Connie...I promise to return it soon) and not until the other day did the last song she sings really STOP me in my tracks and the words spoke so clearly to me and I knewGod was telling me I needed to stop worrying about what Gabriel doesn't do and to REJOICE in the things he is doing..and to remember Gabriel is exactly the boy God has created him to be and HE WILL SHINE!!!

So I searched all over the web to find a link to add so you could click and hear it but I couldn't find it so here are the words....

Shine
By: Rachel de Azevedo Coleman.


Sometimes I see you stuck
For such a long time
A daily nothing new
Pretend I don’t mind
With lists of things you’ll never do
Until somehow you do
And you do — you do — you shine
The days and months and years,
they run together
Is it just one day? Or is this forever?
You’ve taught me in your lifetime
More than I’d learned in mine
And you do, you do, you shine
Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
Shine your light on me
Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
everyone will see
Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
I’m so glad you are mine
And you’ll shine in your own time
Well, maybe I’m too close to see you clearly
Or is it now my role to simply believe?
You’re just one of those mysteries
That may never be solved in time
But you do — you do — you shine
And Sammy will do what Sammy will do when Sammy is ready to do it
And Trevor will do what Trevor will do when Trevor is ready to do it
And Lucy will do what Lucy will do when Lucy is ready to do it(And Gabriel will do what Gabriel will do when Gabriel is ready to do it!)
And they’ll do it in their own time
Yeah, they’ll Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
Shine your light on me
Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
And everyone will see
Shine Shine Shine Shine Shine
I’m so glad you are mine
And you’ll shine, and you shine

Gabe's School Celebrates His Birthday!

9 years of Miracles

Playtime :)

So I am always amazed...I know to most this is really simple but I PRAISE MY JESUS for this photo...the other day I had to run to the store to pick up an ingredient I was missing for dinner and when I returned Destinee and Gabriel were sitting on the floor playing Chutes and Ladders! I said what are you doing...and Gabe said "Playing" and Destinee said he called her to his room to get this game from his closet and he was sitting so nicely and taking turns!!!! He didn't really understand the game but it was a huge step of success!!! The idea that he wanted to play with her and then to sit patiently and take turns spinning and letting her help him move along the ladder!!! It brought great joy to me :)

Nathaniel's Birthday Celebrations :)