A Life of Gratitude

Its been a long time since we've had a house showing so we were all pretty excited about the one we had today! Its a lot of work to prepare for a showing and since Bryan was at work, I had to do it all by myself. My back doesn't like all that cleaning! Thankfully, I had two cute little fellas to help me! Evan just wiped the entire house down with a baby wipe but Dylan is actually a really great helper! He helped dust, clean the hardwood floors, scrub the kitchen table and vacuum!  Aren't my helpers adorable?! Today I am thankful that we finally had a house showing. Even if the person that visited today doesn't buy it, I am still grateful that people are looking at our house! I am also thankful for my little helper and my big helper! They make the tasks of cleaning the entire house difficult but fun. I am grateful also for my husband, who models for the boys, how to be a husband that helps out around the house. They enjoy helping me because they see t...

My sweet little doodlebug has started calling me MOMMY! He has called me "ma-ma" for months, but now he says "Mommy" in the cutest voice ever! He really drags out the m-y, it is adorable! I have to admit, hearing him call me Mommy is bittersweet.  I absolutely love hearing him call out to me in that precious voice but he is also growing up. He no longer uses those two little syllables. He can say several words very clearly now. He also says "no, dog, more, dada, eat, night-night, go, nack (snack), tutle (turtle), kitty, bye," and a few more. He is getting so big!! MOMMY and Doodle (as I call him) Today I am thankful that my baby Evan, who is quickly becoming a big boy, is so healthy, strong, and has such an explosive personality. I am also thankful that he is calling me MOMMY! There is absolutely nothing more precious than my children. I love being their mommy and I love hearing them call for me! What an amazing blessing my boys are! I believe...

We have had a fun-filled weekend with family and friends! Friday night we had dinner with my parents, Saturday we attended two birthday parties for two of Dylan and Evan's friends, and today we went to lunch with some of our friends from church. Dylan also got to go a friend's house this afternoon to play.  We have had such a great time with these special people in our lives! I love the quote that says, "Friendship is like standing on wet cement. The longer you stay, the harder it is leave, and you can never go without leaving your footprints behind."  It is incredibly true that friends have a lasting impact on us, regardless of how old we are. Friends are definitely precious gifts from God! Today I am thankful for friendship. Not only did my boys get to spend time with their friends this weekend, but I did also (since their friend's mommies are my friends). I truly enjoy spending time with friends and family! Its one of my favorite things to do! I am als...

One of the reasons I love attending MOMS is the childcare. Dylan absolutely loves going each week because he has such a great time. I really like it because its more than just babysitting. Dylan learns something valuable each and every week. He is always eager to tell me what story they've read and all they've learned.  Today when we got in the car Dylan could not wait to tell me the story of Jesus' first miracle. In his sweet little voice, he said, "Jesus was at a wedding and all the jars were empty. They ran out of Cheerwine! Mary was there and she wanted them to go get more Cheerwine but instead Jesus filled up the jars with water and then He turned it into more Cheerwine!" A few minutes later he told me, "my teacher really said wine but I think wine is really Cheerwine in heaven, plus its red." I love hearing Dylan talk about Jesus! I don't think I'll ever forget this retelling of Jesus' first miracle.  Look closely...

"Her children rise up and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28a We celebrated my mom's birthday this evening with a birthday dinner. This house was full of little boys! You can probably almost hear the noise and excitement. It really was a fun night. I think my mom enjoyed having all of her grandchildren together. We all enjoyed celebrating my mom! My Mom and all her grandsons My mom with Dylan. This is the special canvas we made for her birthday. My mom with Evan and Breaker (16 months and almost 4 months) My mom with Baby Breaker Today, on my mom's birthday, I am thankful to have such a lovely mother. The older I get the more I appreciate all she has done for me over the years. And I'll even admit it, from time to time, I find myself talking and acting just like her! Proverbs 31:28a says "Her children rise up and call her blessed." Its kind of funny but I wonder if "rise up" means once the children have grown u...

We stayed around the house today because Evan isn't feeling well. He has a runny nose and is cutting a couple teeth, again. Poor guy. He still has tons of energy but it was obvious that he didn't feel well all day.  It has been months since Evan has let me hold him and rock him. He is always on the move! As most mommies would admit, there is an upside to a child feeling "under the weather." Evan let me hold him for almost an entire hour this afternoon! I enjoyed every second of it!  Look at this sweet angel! Today I am thankful for those sweet moments holding my lil' monkey. He isn't so little anymore and doesn't need me to hold him very often. I miss holding my little baby. Although I hate when boys aren't feeling well, I do love the "upside" to it. 

This afternoon we had the opportunity to attend a Wake Forest basketball game with our friends, Jordan and Shanna. This was a first for me and the boys! I'm not a huge sports fan but, I have to say, it was a lot fun! There is just something about actually being in the arena. All the music and cheering and a very close game made for an exciting afternoon! Dylan has been playing KidsHoops at church so he was interested in watching the "big guys" play. Evan just LOVES "ba-ball" so this was an extraordinary experience for him! (Our entire family has started calling basketball, "ba-ball" because Evan must say it at least 100 times a day!) Today I am thankful for the opportunity to spend the afternoon with family and friends, doing something new and exciting! I am also grateful that my sweet boys were able to experience all the fun of a college basketball game! We all had a terrific time at the "ba-ball" game! We had a really great time! ...

Bryan asked me to marry him on Valentine's Day eleven years ago so, this day is very special to me! I truly enjoy making valentines and doing sweet things to show love to the precious people in my life. I just want to love on others because I feel so loved! In the past I've celebrated this day of love by taking Dylan to my grandmother's nursing home to pass out valentines to the residents. Since my grandmother passed away last year, I decided to take my boys to a nursing home a little closer to our home. I invited lots of ladies from MOMS since we didn't meet today. I was hoping a few might come but I was blown away by the turn out! We invaded Clare Bridge nursing home with around 16 noisy children and 9 mommies! We passed out a ton of homemade valentines, some candy, hugs, and lots of smiles! This is part of our group...the rest must have still been visiting with the residents. Dylan and Evan weren't shy at all! Dylan loved handing out his ha...

As Valentine's Day approaches I have been thinking a lot about all the precious relationships I have the privilege of enjoying. One of those relationships is with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This, by far, is the most amazing relationship I have ever encountered. Jesus knows everything about me....the good, the bad, and the ugly. He knows every thought I have, before I even think it. He knows my fears, my successes, and the sins that I struggle with. And still, He loves me. Unlike many people, He never gets annoyed with me or tired of me. He never leaves or threatens to leave me. He never talks about me behind my back or rolls his eyes at me. He pursues me and is constantly right by my side. He wants me to live in complete confidence of His love for me. Sometimes that kind of love is hard for me to wrap my mind around. For years, even though I had accepted Christ as my Savior and believed in Him fully, I often questioned my salvation. I think it was because its hard ...

My laptop has been acting up for the past few weeks. It kept freezing all of the time and not working properly. Bryan has been trying to fix it for me. It would work better for a few days and then start acting up again. So today, he took my laptop to work with him. I didn't think much of it. I thought he was just going to have someone help him work on it (since he works in the IT department at Duke) but he was up to something sneaky! I was totally surprised when he came home with a new ChromeBook! He traded my old laptop in for a new smaller, leaner version! I love it! I have actually figured out how to use it pretty quickly too.  I am using it to type this blog! Today I am thankful for my thoughtful husband. He knows how much I enjoy surprises so, instead of taking me to get a new laptop, he bought me a new one and surprised me with it. I love it and I love that he put so much thought into getting it for me! Thank you Bryan! I love you!

We heard an amazing testimony today at church. One thing that really spoke to me from the inspiring story is that God meets us right where we are! Whatever need we have, regardless of what we are going through, no matter what we have done in the past, God meets us right where we are!  That is such good news for all of us. I know so many people right now that are hurting. I have many friends who are dealing with scary circumstances, overwhelming grief, struggling marriages, fear that almost consumes them, and even life-threatening illnesses. Each of us is dealing with something different but regardless of what is going on in our lives, God is right beside us. He is pursuing us and loving us.  If we feel like God is no where to be found, its probably because we aren't truly looking for Him. God is always willing to meet us right where we are. I've seen it in my own life many times before but most recently, I have seen God meeting others right where they are. Even when i...

I was blessed with the opportunity to be the speaker at MOMS today. I felt so honored and humbled to be asked to share with the group but this is was totally out of my comfort zone! I taught elementary school for 5 years so talking to children is a breeze for me, but speaking in front of over 75 adults is another story entirely! I've been preparing for this day for months now but no matter how much I prepared, I was very nervous! I was absolutely certain that God wanted me to do this but certainty doesn't erase difficulty! I have to say though, I wasn't nearly as anxious as I anticipated being. God gave me His peace today, that's for sure! Me with some of my MOMS friends and my real Mom---I love these ladies! I shared Joseph's story and discussed God's sovereignty.  There were some laughs and almost a tear or two but overall, I think it went pretty well. Today I am thankful that I stepped outside of my comfort zone, shared with the ladies of MOMS and ...

Bryan and I found out earlier today that a friend from high school passed away last night. He was only 31 years old and died of a massive heart attack. How tragic?! We looked at his facebook page after we heard the news and we were happy to see that on December 5, exactly two months ago, he shared with the world that he had given his life to Christ. Hallelujah! He said that he was high on the Holy Spirit, and unlike when he was using drugs, this high never goes away! He said he wished everyone could feel the joy in his heart! Today I am overwhelmingly thankful for salvation. Salvation is a free gift from God, available to anyone who will accept it. Jesus gave his life on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might spend eternity in Heaven with Him. We must believe that Jesus died for us and decide to turn away from our sins, from the things of this world, and genuinely live our lives for Jesus. According to the facebook post, our schoolmate found salvation just ...

For almost a year I have listened to podcasts by Myra Thomason. I really enjoy listening to her. She was a terrific Bible teacher. I attended church with her when I was in high school and I always looked up to her. She passed away last spring and I was immediately drawn to her blog and podcasts. Since I started listening to her teach, I have had a strong desire to somehow let her family know that God is still using Myra! Well, yesterday while attending a funeral, I was surprised to see Myra's husband. It took me awhile to work up the guts but I finally decided to share with him how much Myra's podcasts have meant to me. I am so glad I talked with him! He told me that he was very grateful to hear that God was still blessing lives through Myra's teaching. The tears in his eyes proved that he was truly touched. Today I am thankful that God gave me the opportunity to share with Myra's husband. I have honestly been hoping for that opportunity for nearly a year. I am...

I heard a story yesterday at MOMS that I just can't get out of my head. Its about a little boy that entered a store one afternoon and saw a little boat for sale. He immediately recognized the little boat because it was one that he had made himself but was recently lost at sea. He asked the store owner about the boat and he said someone had recently sold it to him. The little guy explained that he had carved and sanded the boat. He made it with his own two hands. He even pointed out some scratches he had accidentally caused. He asked if he could have the little boat back because it was the best thing he had ever made but, the owner refused. He told the boy that he had purchased the boat and if he wanted it back, he would have to pay for it. So, the little boy said he would come back very soon to buy back his boat. He went home and counted his pennies but he came up short. He did odd jobs and chores until he was able to save enough money to buy his prized possession back. Once he ha...