Boys!

I love every minute with these three guys!
When they are around, you never know what to expect!















They are each so loveable, playful, ornery, and affectionate!
















As they are growing...they are learning that having each other around can be a lot of fun!
Can you imagine when they are teenagers? Oh my goodness!
















They're already learning the advantages of ganging up on each other, too!
Big brother has his hands full!
















At the end of the day...there's always enough love and hugs to go around!

29 Years of Marriage!

THEN...

Monday, Art and I celebrated 29 years of marriage! We met at church when I was in 6th grade and he was in 7th. His sister and I were friends and he told her that he was going to marry me. Of course, when she relayed the message to me I laughed. Little did I know that he would turn out to be my hubby!

We started dating when I was 16 and got engaged at the beginning of my senior year in high school (hard to believe). I turned 18 in May, graduated high school in June and we were married in July of 1979. I was 18, he was 19 and we didn't really have a plan for our future. We just knew that we loved each other and believed that God had a plan for our lives together. It's not necessarily the best way to jump into marriage but that's the honest truth!

I was recalling a funny story recently. We had been married a short time and were having a little disagreement. I was upset and stepped outside the house and was leaning against the wall thinking. Just then, I heard Art call out through the screen door..."if you walk out that door, don't plan on coming back." He had no idea I was already outside the door! Eventually, he came to look for me and found me outside crying. He laughed and said something like "don't be silly, get inside the house". I just remember us laughing our heads off about it later!

It seems like our life has been a roller coaster. Oh, I'm not referring to our marriage, in fact, I'm happy to say that we've only experienced minor rifts in our 29 years together. I'm just referring to the joys and trials that God has allowed in our life. You know when you get on the roller coaster how you're ready for a thrill, a little anxious and maybe slightly nervous. You get on the ride with your companion, buckle up and hold on. The ride starts out slow but quickly you're moving upward anticipating what may come next. You've got your hands in the air, feeling brave, laughing and living it up. You reach the top but then the ride takes a plunge, your heart is pounding and you may have to pull your hands back down to hold on. You're whipped around a corner or two, laughing and screaming, looking forward, enjoying the ride! Things come at you quickly, like an unexpected twist or turn but there are sections of the track that allow you to regain your composer and throw your hands back in the air with confidence. Then, when you least expect it, you're descending at what seems like an incredible speed and you feel like you can't catch your breath. You're thrown into a loop, just holding on, trying to focus, thankful that you're buckled in! It's almost overwhelming and you wonder when the ride will be over. Just then you feel the roller coaster car slowing down and coming to a stop. You look at your companion with relief and then you're faced with a big decision...should we do it again? My answer is YES...with all the ups and downs, twists and turns, I would do it again and I can't imagine ever doing this life without Art, the love of my life and God...who keeps me buckled up and safe for the ride!

NOW!

Happy 4th of July!

I'm Proud To Be An American (watch video here)
Written By Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, '
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to L.A.
, There's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say:

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, '
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.

Remember when...

I've been reading this book, "I Need Your Strength Lord", by Emilie Barnes. It was a gift from a friend when I learned I had BC and it's full of encouraging words of hope! It's a book about finding God's strength amid distressing circumstances.

I would like to share a little bit of the book with you!

"Remember when...

Children just love to play that game. They love to hear and tell and retell family stories, memorizing the particular set of happenings and experiences that made the family what it is. Children understand instinctively that hope for tomorrow is built on memories of yesterday.

In other words, though hope is a forward-looking quality, it is strengthened by looking backward---especially when we look backward with eyes of faith. The more you look back in gratitude for what God has done for you in the past, and the more you retell the stories of his work in your life, the more easily you'll believe that God will do good things in the future.

Our memories can be so short, sometimes---and I'm not talking about forgetting where we put the car keys! We forget so easily the laws God has given us for our own benefit, the guidelines that are intended to help us live in hope. We forget as well the gifts of grace that shape our lives---the miracles of help and encouragement and redemption that keep us moving around and between and beyond the barriers in our lives. And this forgetfulness is one of the primary reasons we lose hope.

And so it's important to look back and remember. It's important to tell and retell the stories of who we were and what God has done in our lives and what he requires of us. The more care we take in preserving these tales of how God has worked in the past, the more powerful and realistic our hope will be---and the more hope we'll be able to share with others.

It really works. As we tell each other such stories, recounting the times we've seen God work in our lives---our discouragement fades and our hope grows more confident."

YOUR WHOLE LIFE CAN BE A STORY OF HOPE IF YOU LEARN HOW TO HEAR IT AND TELL IT! ~Emilie Barnes

So, my friend, what has God done for you in the past that gives you hope for the future? I would love to hear your stories of hope!

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people. ~Psalm 77:11-14