This little light of mine...

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Do you remember that little song from your childhood? I know I do, I even remember teaching it to my own kiddos and even kiddos at church when I was a music teacher.

What I like about that simple little kids song is this: it reminds me to let my light shine. So many times I mess up, maybe just by actions, temper, or just whatever, may cause one not to see my light shining. I am the first to say, that I have a log in my own eye at times.

But lately, I am weary of seeing so many Christians willing to  hide their light under a bushel and deciding to look, act, and behave like the rest of the world. We should be set apart! We should be different. Our light should be shining.

It breaks my heart to see Christians involved and actually loving the dark side of things through entertainment, language, or literature.

You see as a child, for the first 13 years of my life, my family rarely went to church. I went enough to know who Jesus was, and to know that I was lost as a goose. I was confused and actually had nightmares.  I thought that the devil; complete with horns, red suit, and a pitch fork would appear in my bedroom and take my sinful self to HELL. There was a spiritual warfare going on in my mind ...and it was an awful dark place....and I am thankful that Jesus saved me from that and set me free.

So, it breaks my heart to see those who love the Lord, or at least say they do, simply hiding their light under a bushel, or maybe they let Satan just blow it out...I don't know. We as Christians are to love the sinner and hate the sin...we aren't supposed to get in the ditch and wallow around in the sin with the sinner. We are supposed to be different in words, actions and deeds. We are not supposed to look like the rest of the world.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna  do my best to let it shine! Are you?

"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

Craig's list fun

Zach has had a set of drums on Craig's list fah-evah! lots of lookers, lots of offers but nothing ever really panned out. Finally last week, someone said want to trade for a les paul. After checking it out Zach said Yeah man. The adventure happened late yesterday evening, and I had to go take the drums. Cause he doesn't take those with him to school everyday. So off we all went on a Craig's list adventure. The guitar is awesome. He was playing it last night, and Jolie  had to join in with her elmo guitar...and the momma had to snap a few photos of the two jammin' together. LOL

Sunday Snapshot~

I have failed this week when it comes to taking lots of photos...so I am just re-running some of my favorite memories from this week. I'll be charging my camera batteries in the meantime so that I can catch some more family moments.

Earlier this week, I went outside to find my kids playin' and this is how I found my girl...

She's a sport, I'd say!

Jolie says, "Hula for me, Shek, Pease!!!

Modeling Zach's band Merchandise.

Those expressions...priceless.

Fav photo friday~Merch models

My oldest boy has a Christian band,  and he has been working on a cd for many months. He has big plans for a cd release show very soon. Tonight he brought home his merchandise...and his siblings were excited to dig in the boxes and pick out their favorites. They were very cute modeling his merchandise. We wanted Jolie to show the peace sign and look cool, but to get her to do that we have to ask her how old she is. She held up her two fingers, and the puckered lips are just icing on the cake in this photo. Zach was thrilled with his models.

Are they cute models or what?

Check out other Favorite photos at The Long Road to China....and back

There's no crying in baseball

Yesterday was a pretty day...it was an awesome super de duper day...no one should have been cooped up inside kind of day. So, after school and lunch, I sent Shek and Jolie outside to play so that Karlie and I could continue drilling in the geography facts for her test that she had to take today. We could hear them squealing and having fun. We knew they were really playing hard because Jolie had to come in for 2 band-aids.

 When we were finally done drilling geo. facts, I went outside. They were no longer on the swing set, but in the driveway, and this is how I found my baby girl! Dress shoes, skirt on, baseball glove and batting helmet. I had to rush back for the camera. 

 I asked Shek why Jolie had on the helmet, and he told me that in case he accidentally tossed the ball and hit her in the head he wanted her to have  protection...because

"There's no crying in baseball..." what movie is that line from??

 I even snagged an action shot of Shek catching a ball..he gave me the ultimate compliment. He said, "Mom you throw as good as dad!" As many of you know, in school, I signed up for band and choir to get out of PE., only to move to a school where that wasn't allowed and I had to take the dreaded PE for 1 year....I think when the PE coach saw my athletic abilities, she wished I would have been in both choir and band...

So for my boy to say I didn't throw half bad, that gave me some encouragement and made me try even harder...and I even caught a few too...there is something to be said about keeping your eye on the ball. I did  keep my eye on the ball in 7th grade PE...and ended up with a black eye. So I guess there is balance to that statement about keeping your eye on the ball!

Sweet Sibling Love

Sometimes Jolie would interrupt our little game of catch with the hula hoop...and we each had to do the hula to satisfy her. I am sad to say that I can't keep the hoop up as long as I used to when I was ten years old. I was a hula hooping queen back then...but oh well...I guess I should practice. 

Here's shek doing the hula hoop...there are no photos of the mom doing the hula, because after all, I am the photographer, right?

We are enjoying our beautiful days in the neighborhood..hoping your days are just as beautiful!

Flip Flops!!!

The only thing better than flip-flops is bare feet! At my house, we are happy with the spring time weather that has allowed us to dig out the flip-flops! I probably need to go see the pedi-specialists to de-winterize my feet, but in the meantime...We have on our flip-flops and we're ready for SPRING!

Pure Fashion: makeup, hair and photo day

A couple of weeks ago, it was time for the annual makeup, hair and photo day.

 We drove a looooooong way to the salon.

 Karlie opted for a straight look.

Each girl brought a thank you note to give to their stylist, as the stylists did all the girls' hair at no cost. 

 Mom and Daughter, aren't the precious in their pink.

 Another model getting her hair done.

 After makeup and hair styles were complete, the photos were taken.

Smile...

All of these photos will be in the program for the Fashion Show. Want to go, I have tickets!

Pull up a chair and chat a while...

Last month I wrote this post about friendship and how we need to be intentional with our relationships. Right after writing that post, I ran into an old friend. We used to have all kinds of adventures when our oldest kids were teeny tinies. We would go shopping,  talk on the phone, we'd take the kids to the park, we'd even paint rooms and complete the occasional craft project, and when there was a prayer need we'd pray a lot too and we'd always, always eat at Chick fil a.

So when I ran into my old friend, we decided it was high time to get together and do something. So She and her oldest and me and my youngest met Friday morning  for breakfast at none other than Truett's Grill aka Chick-fil-A.

We talked and caught up a little. Her oldest girl, who I've known since she was a toddler, was in the high school CORE group that I had the honor of leading for two years. It's wonderful to see what a wonderful, beautiful spiritual girl she has become.

As I wrote in my friendship post, I said, I have a camera in my purse, so get ready to say cheese. It's funny that all that time we spent together when our kids were younger, we didn't have a single photo of any of those memories. I have learned my lesson, I always carry a camera in my purse. SO, we had one of the Chick fil a workers to snap a few photos. It was his pleasure!!

 Jolie, me, Kara, Christy posing in front of the old timey car in the lobby.

             The sunshine was bright so we turned around and stood in front of the trolley.

 Chick-fil-A ...I could eat there 7 times a day...isn't that what Tim Hawkins says?...well, at least I could eat there once or twice a day...maybe not 7. lol

Jolie poses in the Phone booth in the lobby.

Talking on the phone, where's the texting capabilities on this phone!? lol
Back when Christy's kids and my kids were little, we had our first cell phones, huge big things that could not fit in a pocket, and such bad reception. I even remember when we both had pagers; we thought we were something, with those pagers attached to one hip and a baby attached to the other hip.
So glad we were able to make a little time and catch up!

Getting together with friends is always a blessing!

Can you say ham?

I do believe I live with a whole family of 'hammy' kids. Where did they get these hammy characteristics? Karl and I are so quiet and laid back and all!  Jolie likes to model her clothes like her sister, I know she's gotten the model moves from watching Karlie.

Today she found her tutu skirt and had to put it on over her dress, then she found Karlie's high heel silver shoes and proceeded to prance around. So I snapped some photos  of her hamming it up with my iphone .

So, I leave you with a funny story that happened yesterday. I have already shared it with my great email friend. While at the Speech therapist yesterday, Ms. Jenn, noticed some spots on Jolie's tongue and thought I had better get it checked out. She thought she might have the very contagious hand, foot and mouth virus. SO I called the doc on the way home and they said to come on by. Since Jolie is now potty trained and she wears the big girl panties out in public, I knew that we had better go to the restroom upon our arrival. So we rushed in to the restroom, and lined the potty seat with paper. She hopped up there used the bathroom and then started to wash her hands. I cleaned up all the paper, dried her hands and we headed out of the restroom and walked across the very crowded waiting room. Jolie was following behind me. I made it back to our seat, and sat down. Then Jolie stood in front of me, looked down at her feet and then back at me and said to me,"MOMMA!" I looked at her and I had forgotten to help her pull up her panties, and leggins. I gasped, and all the other mommas chuckled at me. It wasn't too long and they called us back. I guess they wanted to get the potentially contagious little 'streaker' out of the waiting room.

Good news...she did not have hand foot and mouth...but geographic tongue totally harmless and it comes and goes and eventually goes away.

I hate fat photos

I hate fat photos. 

I usually hit the delete button for my fat photos.

But I share this one today. This photo was snapped on Thanksgiving Day 2011, the day before my family and I started on

the 24 Day Challenge!

This is me today!

I've lost some lbs. and inches and feel awesome.

I am still working  toward my weight loss and fitness goals

I keep charting my progress, because

if there are others out there with the

fluffy problem, I want them to know there's hope.

If you're local, come to my AdvoCare mixer on Thursday night and learn more about what we are doing.

If you're not local and you have questions, email me.

Take me out to the ball game

Take me out to the ball game because that's what we will be doing from now on or at least until the end of May. Every Friday night and every Saturday.  Want' to join us? You'll know where to find us on the weekends!

Sunday Snapshot! Weekend Adventures

My Dad, known as Granddaddy Wayne to the kids, visited with us this weekend. He was an educator/school administrator for 38 years in the town where I was born. He retired four years ago. Now, he serves  as chairman on the county school board in his hometown in the deep south, he is Deacon, a Mason, and a Gideon. He keeps busy in his retirement.

Jolie is "reading-singing" to Granddaddy Wayne. This is one of her favorite books, Jesus Loves me is the title and the words to the book are the words to the song, so she sings it.

Jolie stops for a pose and a 'cheese'.

Shek had a scrimmage baseball game today, so on our way out to see it, we all posed for more photos.

I even joined in the fun.

Look at that squeeze. She loves her Shek.

We took a couple of photos to include in  our last post placement report. Check out that love look she's giving her dad.

Now check out the look she is giving me, I think we'll leave this one out of the post placement report.

She laughing in this one, so we'll go with this one for the report.

Granddaddy Wayne gave everyone a small Gideon New Testament. Jolie hugged hers close. She knows that Jesus loves her because the Bible tells her so.

I am so glad she knows that!

Just 6 monkeys in need of a photograph

Taking a group shot of my monkeys can be a challenge sometimes...because

at least one or two of them might be active and wiggly...

Sometimes...the weather outside isn't sunny and inside photos are sometimes...boring...

Sometimes one of the family members is not home at the time of  the photo taking frenzy.

Dad is always ready...photogenic, eyes always open, etc etc etc.

But sometimes the momma of the bunch likes to shut her eyes when the camera snaps, and if she doesn't shut hers, her oldest daughter does....

Sometimes it's just easier to get snapshots of the family with one or two people in the shot. BUT before next week, we have to have 6, count em, 6 photos of Jolie with both her parents at the same time, siblings optional. It's time for the 12 month post placement report, and that means 6 photos of Jolie with her parents. It can't be Jolie with Dad, while mom takes the photo, and Jolie with Mom while Dad takes the photo. It's both of us while, one of the kids takes the photos or maybe the tripod. Although I love taking photos of the kiddos, getting photos of all of us in them at the same time, and looking decent is rare, so I've got a fun task ahead of me for this weekend. 

Photos of the family.

Somebody call a professional!

I'll post the results out takes and all!