Some VERY Yummy Snacks!!

So...I've been in the kitchen lately fixin' up some yummy snacks for the fam. Take a look...

Peanut Butter & Other Stuff Granola Bars
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. honey
1 stick butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. quick-cooking oats
1/4 c. sunflower kernels
1/4 c. raisins
3 tbsp. wheat germ
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla.

Stir in the oats, wheat germ, sunflower kernels,

and all the other yummy stuff.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a 15 x 10 in. cookie sheet (that has sides) with parchment paper.

Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Press granola mixture firmly onto cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely and then cut into bars.

Now...let me tell you the REAL beauty of this fabulous granola bar...you can add anything to it that your little heart so desires. I've added almonds, peanuts, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries, etc...add whatever you like and enjoy!

Almond Honey Granola

3 c. quick-cooking oats

1 c. silvered almonds

1/4 c. wheat germ

6 tbsp. honey

6 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. applesauce

2 tbsp. warm water

1/2 tsp. salt

a handful of golden raisins, or sunflower seeds,

or dried cranberries, or dried blueberries, or dried cherries,

or cashews, or ... get the picture...

you can add anything to this granola that you'd like

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet that has sides with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, almonds, wheat germ, and any other nuts you'd like.

In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, applesauce, water, and salt.

Pour the liquid over the oat and nut mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on the cookie sheet. If you want some chunks of granola, squeeze small handfuls into little clumps.

Bake for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes so that the granola does not burn. After the granola is done cooking, mix in raisins, or dried cranberries, etc. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

My kids LOVE this for breakfast!!

Beef Jerky

2-3 lbs. Veal cutlets

1 c. Dales Marinade

1/4 c. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

couple of squirts of lime juice

couple of shakes of garlic salt

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Place meat in a Ziploc bag. Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meat. Let marinade for about 2 hours. Place in dehydrator. Set dehydrator according to it's directions for beef jerky.

This one is a winner for my hubby!!!

What kinds of yummy snacks do you and your family chow down on?

Childlike Faith

At the beginning of the year I sat down with my new pink journal, pen in hand, coffee close by and began jotting down some goals for myself, my family, and my ministry. I also wrote down several statements that I was believing God to do during the year. One of those "believing God statements" was for the salvation of my 7 year old son.

Believing God would rain down His grace upon my son but not knowing when this day would come, I began fervently praying that He would bless me to be a small part of this very special day.

My kids and I begin our home school days with devotions. The Princess Momma gathers her Bible and devotional materials, heads to the dining room table and spends her time with the Lord there. Mighty Warrior and I sit down at my desk and read through his devotion, discuss what we've read, and then he usually has some type of craft to do that goes along with the devotion.

As God so sovereignly arranged it, Tuesday, January 26, 2010, my husband had taken off from work for the day and was entertaining the Princess Momma and Wee Princess while Mighty Warrior and I were doing his devotion. I had read through his devotion the night before and knew that the next morning we would be talking about salvation. All night long I prayed that God would draw my son until Himself and that Mighty Warrior's heart would be opened to the things of God.

"God wants me to trust in Him," I began reading to Mighty Warrior. "Our verse for the day is from Hebrews 11:1, 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,' " I read to him, pointing to each word on the page as they flowed from my mouth.

I continued reading, "When builders make a house, they use wood to create a frame. This frame goes up first, then everything else is added in around it. Without the frame, the house would fall down. The stronger the frame is, the longer the house will last. Just like that frame supports the house, your faith in God is the frame for your life as a Christian. When you have faith in God, you trust and believe that Jesus died for you. If your faith frame is strong, your Christian life will last and grow. But if your faith frame is weak, you could turn from God and your life will be like a house with a bad frame- it will fall down when bad things happen."

After we read we talked about the fort that he and the Princess Momma were building down in the woods. Because this adventure was fresh on his mind, he understood completely how important it was to have a strong frame. Now, tell me God didn't orchestrate the timing of that fort being built!?!? For about thirty minutes we talked. I would ask questions, he would answer. He would ask questions, I would answer. Back and forth our conversation went.

Finally those big brown eyes of his met mine and he said, "Mom can I just pray already and ask Jesus in my heart?" Tears filled my eyes as I responded, "Yes, son. Yes you can."

The two of us knelt beside my desk chair and he prayed on his own a beautiful faith-filled childlike prayer asking Jesus to forgive him of his sins and be the "builder" of his life.

Childlike faith...it's a beautiful thing. Hearing your own child acknowledge his sin and his need for a Redeemer...something I will NEVER forget and I will be forever grateful to God Almighty for allowing me to be a small part of it.

God is good. He is believable. He is faithful. He is Savior. He is Redeemer. And, I will praise Him all of my days. He is no respector of persons; young and old, rich and poor, red and yellow, black and white, He loves them all.

"Jesus said, 'Let the children come to Me.' "

Matthew 19:14, NKJV

Devotional reading from "Gotta Have God 2: Cool Devotions for Boys, Age 6-9" by Diane Cory

Chicken & Potatoes...who knew?

God very often teaches me lessons through my children.

For instance...

"Mom, what's that you're cookin'? It smells REALLY good," my seven year old son said as he peered over the counter trying to catch a glimpse at what was being prepared for dinner.

"It's garlic potatoes and mushroom chicken," I responded.

"It sure does smell good! I'm really hungry," he said as he darted back to his room.

A few minutes later he returned to the kitchen, "Is it ready yet? I'm really, REALLY hungry."

"It won't be long. You can go ahead and set the table and get ready," I instructed as I reached for the dishes in the cabinet.

"Yes ma'am! I'd be happy to."

Shocked by his eagerness to obey, I handed him the dishes, silverware, and napkins. He quickly set the table and then stood at the counter watching with excitement in his eyes as I took the chicken from the oven and put the potatoes in a bowl.

As I fixed his plate and placed it in front of him, I could almost see him begin to salivate. It wasn't like he hadn't eaten that day. In fact, he had eaten...quite a bit. He was just ready to dig into his meal.

"Mmmm! Mom this is so good!" he said as he shoveled the food into his mouth.

"I'm glad you like it," I replied.

"Man! This hits the spot!" he continued.

All throughout dinner he ranted and raved about how good his meal was.

"Mmmm!"

"Yum!"

"This is SOOOOO good!"

I sat there in utter amazement at his enthusiasm over a plate of mushroom chicken and garlic potatoes. Then, it hit me. A lesson. A GOD lesson.

For whatever reason, my son was very excited about dinner that night. He willingly, and immediately I might add, obeyed when instructed to set the table. He not only ate everything on his plate, he enjoyed every single bite he put in his mouth. He continuously praised and thanked me for his dinner. When his plate was clean, it was apparent his belly was satisfied to the full.

Every day is a new day to pull up a chair at God's table and feast on His Word. As I thought about this "feasting on God's Word", I asked myself these questions...

First of all, am I eager and excited to sit at His table? Does my heart long to dine with Him?

Am I even prepared to sit at His table and eat? God's table is set and ready, is my heart?

Do I enjoy the food He feeds me? Do I take it ALL in, even the parts that bring conviction to my soul?

Do I praise Him and thank Him for the Words He has prepared for me?

Do His Words satisfy my hungry soul?

"Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it."
Psalm 81:10c, NKJV

Feasting at His table. Dining with the Almighty. Filling my hungry soul to the brim with the riches of His glorious Word. That's what I want. That's what I truly desire. That's what my heart longs for.

Who knew that a seven year old boy and a plate of mushroom chicken and garlic potatoes would result in a God lesson? He did!

Let's Chat

Oh my goodness gracious!!! It seems like forever since we've chatted. Pull up a chair, grab yourself a cup of coffee and let's talk, shall we?

How in the world are you?

Did you have a most wonderful Christmas? Enjoy lots of yummy food? Receive any cool gadgets for Christmas?

What about New Years? Did you ring in the new year with friends?

Me? To be honest with you... I for one am glad the business of the season is behind us. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but it does make me SO tired... ya know, going here, there, and yonder. Tired, I tell ya. Tired.

Life is beginning to settle down for us, or should I say... life, as we know it every day, is getting back to normal. All the Christmas decor has been taken down and put away until next year. Old toys have been replaced with new ones. Company has returned home. And, the house is back in order from all the hubbub of the season. We are ready to embark on the journey God has before us for this 2010 year.

Here's a little peek inside what we've been up to the past few weeks:

The kiddos and I spent 2 1/2 weeks at my parent's house while hubs worked in Houston.

My grandmother, who was visiting from Florida, taught my daughter and I how to crochet. I crocheted my first scarf. Hooray for me!!!!

Our oldest daughter turned 10. I can't believe it!!!! Soon she'll catch up with me, cause I'm only 21, ya know!?! *smile*

My son can now speak 5 languages. Well... not really. But, he is convinced he can, so why burst his bubble, right?

The wee princess is now completely potty trained. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!!!!

I dyed my hair. It turned black. I dyed it again. It stayed black. I washed it with dish washing liquid. It still remained black. I cut my hair. Now, it is short and a faded blackish brown color. Sigh.

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve service at my parent's church. Joined with other brothers and sisters in Christ in taking the Lord's Supper and focusing our minds on the true meaning of Christmas.

Feasted on fried turkey and all the fixin's for Christmas day dinner. It was DELICIOUS!!! Way to go dad!!!

Hubs and I enjoyed a day to ourselves thanks to the grandparents. Did a little shopping, ate lunch at Olive Garden, and saw "The Blind Side". It was heavenly!!!

I got a really cool new pink leather journal that I can't wait to fill the pages of this year.

Set some goals for the year. I'll be sharing some of them with you later this week.

Oh... and, I made THE most scrumptious pot of shrimp and sausage gumbo ever!!!! Yum-o!!!



Well...that about sums it up for our fam. What about you and yours? What have you guys been up to lately?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

From our home to yours...Happy Thanksgiving!!!

"Praise the LORD!

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

His faithful love endures forever."

Psalm 106:1, NLT

Snackin' Issues

9:00 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I have a snack?"
Me- "It's not time for a snack yet, you just ate breakfast."

9:15 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I have a snack now?"
Me- "No. Remember you just asked me that question and I just gave you an answer?"

9: 30 a.m.
Son- "Mom, I'm really hungry. Can I have a snack now?"
Me- "Didn't I just answer that question?"

9:45 a.m.
Son- "Mom, I'm reeeaaallly, reeeaaallly hungry. Can I have a snack now?"
Me- Give him the "mom look."

10:00 a.m.
Son- "Mom, can I PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE have a snack now?"
Me- "Yes! Yes, you can! Because, now it IS time for snack."
Son- "Well, what can I have?"
Me- *Sigh*


Do you have snack issues at your house? Surely not! (smile) My kiddos love to eat and every time I turn around they are asking for something to snack on. Hubs says they are the "snackinest youngin's" he's ever seen. I would have to agree!

I recently read an article written by a friend that I do believe may have solved some snackin issues in this here house of mine. I've followed Amy's advice and prepared ALL my kiddos snacks, both morning and afternoon, for the next two weeks. Take a look.
We went to the store together and they helped me pick out some of their favorite snacks: apples with peanut butter, cheese sticks, fruit leathers, pickles, carrots with Ranch dressing, granola bars and a few other yummy things.
When we got home I divided the snacks and placed them into Ziploc bags. Each bag contains two snacks for each kiddo. I labeled the bags by the day of the week and by the time of the day the snacks were to be eaten. For example, Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon, and so on and so forth. I also went ahead and put the peanut butter in the bags with the apples and the Ranch in the bags for the carrots because who can eat apples without peanut butter and carrots without Ranch? Not my kiddos! Then I placed those bags into two baskets, a refrigerator basket and a cabinet basket and put the baskets in their rightful spots.
I made a menu for the next two weeks that lists what they have waiting for them to devour at snack time. This menu lets my kiddos know where they need to look for their snack, in the fridge or in the cabinet.

Now, when it's time for snack we have a plan in place and all parties involved are happy and well feed. What do you do for snack time? Any special, yummy snacks you and your family love to devour together? Do share!!!

By His Grace Family

Hello dear friends! I am so glad you are here. I am a thirty something year old wife and momma who is seeking to serve the Lord in all that I do. My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have been blessed with three beautiful children.

Although I was saved at the age of seven and felt God’s call into full-time service for Him around age thirteen, I spent many years “wandering aimlessly through the wilderness”. After my many years of roaming, God got a hold of my heart and the two of us have been inseparable since.

The Holy Spirit has placed within my heart a burning passion to study and teach His Word. My desire is to share God’s unconditional love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness with ladies of all ages. God has opened the doors for me to share my story through teaching and writing Bible studies and devotionals for women to use as tools to help them grow in their relationships with the Lord.

God continues to daily stretch me and mold me into the woman He created me to be before the foundation of the world. I'm so excited to be able to share with you what He has done for me. I pray it will be a blessing to you and help you in your walk with the Lord. Much love!

I'd love for you to meet my family...

My Man

Chris and I have been married for 10 years. I'll be totally honest with you and tell you that these last nine years have been hard; very hard. We have been through our share of trials and at one point divorce was on the horizon. But, praise the Lord, our God had other plans. Some of my favorite times together are sitting across the kitchen table from one another while studying God's Word together. Chris is a Procurement Manager for a hotel management and development company. He is also pursuing a degree in Bible Studies and we hope to one day be involved in church planting.

The Princess Momma

ThePrincess Momma is our first born. She is a very imaginative child who loves to read and draw. She is forever creating a masterpiece to share with someone. I think she is one of the most tender-hearted compassionate children I have ever met. She has a servant's heart that I know God is going to use in mighty ways. Princess Momma says that when she grows up she wants to be a farmer that paints at night.

The Mighty Warrior

My Mighty Warrior is 6. He is our resident comedian and stunt man. This child keeps me on my knees. I never know what's coming next with him; he has no fear. One minute he's hanging by one arm from the tops of trees and the next minute he's jumping ditches on his bike. Mighty Warrior is our mighty warrior. His heart is full of compassion and he never meets a stranger. I can't wait to see how the Lord is going to use this child. When Mighty Warrior grows up he wants to be a train driver.

The Wee Princess

Wee Princess is the baby of the family. She was our unexpected blessing. I can't imagine what life would be like without her. She has brought much joy and laughter into our home. She is very inquisitive, enjoys plundering through the kitchen cabinets, and tries her best to keep up with her older sister and brother. Wee Princess is very much a people person. I believe God has BIG plans for this little angel.

Daily I am amazed at all the Lord has done in our family. He has brought us far and we can't wait to see where He will take us next.

Argh! Happy Birthday! Argh!

Happy Birthday baby boy! I guess you aren't much of a tiny baby anymore. *Sigh* I may not be changing your diapers, or rocking you to sleep at night, or burping you after you eat, but know this, my mighty warrior, you will always be my baby boy!!!

Mighty Warrior, you are the apple of my eye and a joy to my heart. You have taught me much about patience and prayer in these past 7 years. You are full of energy; it makes me tired just watching you fly around the house. You fear nothing, which makes my heart skip a beat everytime I see you hanging from the tops of trees. You are compassionate and strong. You are tough and you are a warrior in every sense of the word.

I pray for you daily, that you will fall head over heels in love with Jesus and serve him with all the energy that fills up that little body of yours. I love you my baby boy!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!

A few pictures from your 7th birthday. You wanted a pirate party, and a pirate party you got.

A new bike. Please take care of this one! This is the third bike you've had in 2 years. :o)

Bella enjoyed your party, too.

Happy, happy birthday to you!!!!

Priceless!

Bucket of worms- $3.00

Fishing license- $15.00

Fishing pole- $25.00

A day fishing with dad...PRICELESS!

Sketch pad- $12.99

Paint and paintbrushes- $18.00

Wooden easel- $20.00

A day painting with dad...PRICELESS!

Thanks honey, for being such a GREAT dad!! I love you!!!

Mama said There'll be Days Like This

Mama said there'll be days like this,

There'll be days like this my Mama said.

Oh, boy was she right!!! *sigh*

Family Vacation- Florida 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

And they said dinosaurs were extinct- HA!

I rise fairly early in the morning. Usually my first stop, after the potty of course (smile), is to the freezer to get out the coffee so that I can prepare of nice pot of freshly brewed organic coffee to get me going for the day.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find this little guy standing guard over the goods.

I guess Mr. T-Rex needs coffee to get going in the mornings too. Who knew!?!

One Last Hoorah!

We are off to the great state of Florida! Our plan is to visit with family, make a trip to the beach, and hopefully do a little relaxing before we start school next week. We covet your prayers as we travel.

See you when we get back!!

Connecting the Dots of Our Lives

Yesterday, I began sharing a few tidbits from our family's most recent adventure- Our 1st Ever Family Cultural Awareness Day. I promised to come back today and share with you more of our adventure.

If you'll remember, hubby had given us all an assignment before we entered the museum. The assignment was to report back to everyone our most favorite piece of art and give an explanation as to why we chose that particular piece as a favorite.

As we walked around the museum, there were many sculptures, paintings, and artifacts that caught my attention. But, it wasn't until we walked into a little side room that I became captivated by what hung on the wall.

Two large pieces of art hung side-by-side. At first glance, one's eyes might be inclined to quickly skim right over these paintings. One painting was of a young girl sitting by a fireplace; the other of a young woman on a ship. Nothing too earth shattering, right? There were no abstract images or bright, vivid colors to draw me in. Just two paintings, by two different artists, of two different women hung before me.

What caught my attention were the words of John Baldessari which hung to the left of the paintings.

I read those words and then once again stood before the two paintings of the two different women which were painted by two different artists and my mind became racing with thoughts of what might have been their life story.

Could this young girl have just swept her living room floor for the last time as her family packed their belongings preparing to go to a new land?

Or could she have been left all alone in her home because the violence of war had taken from her her precious father and mother?

Could this young woman have been a lonesome passenger on an old rickety ship sailing across the ocean to a land she did not know?

Or could she have been taken captive by pirates and been unable to escape the oppression of her captors?

Could the connection between these two paintings which were painted by two different artists of two different women be two hearts utterly shattered by the woes of the world in which they lived?

I found myself chasing story line after story line as I my eyes jumped from left to right and then right to left. Some many words, some many stories, so many connections could be made now that I had stopped; now that I had looked beyond the surface of what hung before me.

We each have been given a story. All of our stories contain different plots, different settings, different characters, and different outcomes. But, if we peer beyond the surface- beyond the cute clothes, the fancy jewelry, the make-up, and the stylish hair- there are connections that bind us together.

The paintings of our lives, although different, were all painted by the same Artist.

The paintings of our lives, although different, display very detailed strokes of an Artist who had a very specific design in mind when He picked up His brush to create the masterpiece.

The paintings of our lives, although different, can be connected if we look beyond the surface and read the story found between the lines.

Connections can only be made when we are willing to stop; when we are willing to look beyond what is easily seen; and when we are willing to take the time to connect the dots of our lives.

"You are members of God's very own family,

citizens of God's country, and you belong

in God's household with every other Christian."

Ephesians 2:19b, LB

"I mean that I want us to help

each other with the faith we
have. Your faith will help me,

and my faith will help you."

Romans 1:12, NCV

Spend some time today connecting your life with the lives of those around you.

Our 1st Ever Family Cultural Awareness Day

Friday night my husband began getting the kiddos pumped up for a big adventure we were to have on Saturday. He's notorious for always having something up his sleeve, remember God's Water Park? The kids went to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Ok, not really, but they were excited; each of them with their own ideas of what the next days adventure would be.

After tucking everyone in their beds I sat down beside hubs at the table and asked, "So, what is your plan for tomorrow?"

"Cultural Awareness Day," was his reply.

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow will be our first ever Family Cultural Awareness Day. We are going to the art museum."

Well, alrighty then. The art museum it is.

We got up Saturday morning, did a few chores around the house, packed a lunch, and headed off the the NC Museum of Art. Our oldest daughter was very excited; art is her thing. Our son...not so much. His reply after finding out where we were going was, "I hate art."

Hubby's goal in this "cultural awareness day" was to expose the kids to life outside of dirt, bugs, lizards, and Saturday morning cartoons. And, to get them to think outside the box and look at things, at life, at people from a different perspective.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the museum, we were all given specific instructions.

"Now listen. This is what we're going to do. When we get back in the car this afternoon, you have to tell us what your favorite piece of art was and why," hubs said.

"Ok," we replied and off we went.

I wasn't able to take too many pictures inside the museum, but I did get a few I'll share with you. We spent about an hour and a half walking around, looking and talking about the pieces of art from various time periods in history- European art, Egyptian art, American art, and a little Judaic art lined the walls of the museum. Some of the pieces were easily recognizable, others made you stop and say, "hummm."

When we got back in the car, everyone reported on their favorite pieces of art. The princess momma enjoyed the portrait of Emily and the various painting of Jesus. I was not surprised to hear Mighty Warrior's favorite piece was the headless sculpture. The littlest princess enjoyed the glass elevator. And, hubby's favorite was... well, I'll just quote him:

"The art piece of the doctors was of particular interest to me for several reasons. It displayed the harsh realities of war which was represented by the blood running down the piece. The older American doctor and the 2 Asian doctors made me think of WWII and the blood shed between the USA and Japan and the loses that we both suffered. The fruit and birds to me represented the hope of recovery both physically from the wounds of War, and also the wounds we suffered mentally and spiritually. It could also be a representation of the collaborative work that must take place on both sides to begin the healing process. In the piece both sets of doctors were working to heal the patient. What was the patient? Could be society, economy, stigmatisms, stereotypes who knows."

That, my friends, is my goofy, brillant, out-of-the-box husband. I love him so!!!

After the museum, we found a park where we were able to have a little picnic and just enjoy being together.

Once again, hubs pulled it off- a great adventure that cost us less than $10. Good job, babe!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Oh, and my favorite piece? Come back tomorrow and I'll share with you the two pieces that spoke volumes to me.

Happy Father's Day

To my precious hubby,

Happy Father's Day, baby! I remember when our first child was born. Tears flowed from your eyes like water from a fountain. You stood beside her bed in the nursery afraid to touch her yet watching ever so closely as the nurses cleaned her up. It didn't take long before you were changing diapers, rocking her to sleep, and getting up for those midnight feedings.

I've watched you over the years and with the birth of each of our children I've seen your heart grow bigger and bigger. Your love for our children is evident in your selfless acts of service and the purposeful time you spend with each of them- from the dates nights with our oldest, to the trips to the "man stores" with our little man, to the bubble baths for the baby girl- you know what makes them feel special and loved. You go out of your way to make memories with them; memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for showing our children how important it is to love Jesus and serve others. Thank you for working hard to support our family. Thank you for buying Hot Wheels tracks and getting down on the floor to race the cars with our son. Thank you for painting the girls finger nails and toes nails so that they match their outfits. Thank you for teaching our girls how important they are and setting the bar high for how a man should treat them. Thank you for teaching our son to respect his sisters and mother. Thank you for teaching our children that God made them unique and has a special plan for their lives.

You are a wonderful daddy!!! Happy Father's Day!! I love you!!!



Dear Dad,

There's a special bond between little girls and their daddies that grows stronger as the years pass by. Even though I'm married and have children of my own, I still long for those times when it's just the two of us.

As I sit here today thinking about how blessed I am to be your daughter, I can't help but recall some of my most favorite times with you. From sleeping underneath the tree you were perched in while hunting, to having you sit in the back of the church adjusting the microphone for me as I practiced my solos, to training my first horse thanks to Mr. Howard, to locking my arm in yours as you walked me down the isle to marry the man of my dreams, to seeing your face in the delivery room as hubs and I welcomed our second child, to staying up late talking about Bible prophecy and ministry- you have always been there for me, loving me, and encouraging me to be who God has called me to be.

Thank you, Dad, for loving God with your whole heart and for not being ashamed to stand on the Truth. Your committment to God has instilled in me a deep love for the Lord and a passion to teach His Word. Thank you for modeling for me how to truly love and serve people. Thank you for teaching me to see the big picture and to not make quick judgments. Thank you for loving my mom and teaching me what it looks like for a woman to be honored and respected by her mate. Thank you for always pushing me to go beyond what I thought I could do. Thank you for working hard to provide for our family everything we ever needed.

You are an inspiration to me. I love you so much and thank God for allowing me to be your daughter. Happy Father's Day, Dad!!! I love you!!!

God's Water Park

We are a family who likes to have fun.

We are a family who likes to be together.

We are a family who likes to NOT spend a lot of money.

We are a family who likes to have fun together while not spending a lot of money.

So...this weekend my awesome hubby took us to "God's Water Park". I was a little apprehensive to begin with not knowing exactly where it was we were going. I was VERY apprehensive when he pulled off onto the side of the road and announced, "We're here!"

My apprehension continued to grow as we climbed over downed trees and did our best to avoid puddles of mud that screamed, "I want to suck you in!!" while making our way to this "God's Water Park" that he'd raved about all morning.

But, I must admit, once we were finally there I was like, "Rock on babe! This is great!!"

Remember in the movie "The Swiss Family Robinson", when the family took the day off and enjoyed some time at the local water hole swinging from vines and sliding down the rocks into the water? This was so that water hole minus the vines to swing from. The water was cool and refreshing and it was peaceful and quiet. It was nice; really nice.

And, we were together.

And, we were having fun.

And, we were not spending lots of money.

We were having fun together, not spending money, and enjoying "God's Water Park" made especially for us.

If, I do say so myself, this is one B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. family- and they're mine, all mine.

The Wee Princess had a blast. She had NO fear. Zero. Zippo. Zilch.

Of course we had to bring the dog. She had a great time!

We swam a little.

We relaxed a little.

We had a leaf race.

We caught tadpoles.

We enjoyed the beauty of God's creation.

We swam some more.

And, we loved on each other.