What a wonderful weekend!

June 15, 2009 By

We had the best weekend! It was somewhat busy, but was SOOOO much fun!!

Saturday evening, of course, was the Father/Daughter dance at our church. This year the dance was called Hop With Your Pop and it was so much fun!! I got to go to take candid shots, so I got to be a small part of the fun.  Here are some pictures:

Macey prior to the dance:

001

Mariana:

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Sweet sisters in their 50′s attire:

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The expression on Macey’s face says it all – they LOVED it!

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Twistin’ the night away:

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And, here are the loves of my life at the end of a most WONDERFUL evening:
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Needless to say, the Father/Daughter dance was a smash hit for our family! It was so awesome to me to look around and see all the daddies there with their daughters. There were so many dads that would be out on the dance floor to twist, hand jive, hula-hoop, hokey pokey, etc. all in the name of love and fun. It was just terrific. I am so grateful to those at our wonderful church that made it all happen!

Sunday was another great day for us. We went to church and attended the Contemporary worship service in its new location (Fellowship Hall). It was a truly great service. Afterwards, we went out to lunch with some of our good friends and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We all took naps yesterday afternoon which was niiiiiiiiiiice. We hit the pool for a bit on Sunday afternoon. Some friends had very kindly and generously offered us a twin bed, so we went to their house last night to get it for Mariana. (She loves it, by the way!) We went to dinner with them and, once again, had a blast!

So, it was an all around great weekend and was just full of happiness and blessings for our family. Hope everyone else had a great one too!!

Blessings,
Kelly

PS: Some of  you might have taken notice that this is the first time I have posted pictures of the girls’ faces. For a long time, I didn’t post because I just felt like my blog was “too public.” But, I have come to realize that it doesn’t even matter if this blog is public. Many of you also post pictures of your children too.  So, I’m posting photos now and trusting that it’s all good.

Filed Under: Church, Kids, Photos

It’s Sock Hop Saturday!!

June 13, 2009 By

WOO HOO! It’s Saturday!! We love Saturdays around here because those are typically family days. Today is no exception. This morning Mickey has already been out for a run at the river and now we’re all hanging out at home for awhile. Okay, we’re not “just” hanging out, we’re also tidying up around home. As soon as it warms up a bit (it’s only 71 right now), we are going to take the girls to the pool for awhile. Should be a lot of fun!

This evening is a big event for Mickey and the girls. It’s the Father/Daughter dance at our church and this year it’s a Sock Hop! The girls have their poodle skirts, tees and scarves all ready to wear. Mickey is going to sport a white tee, rolled up jeans and cool sneakers. I can’t wait to see my precious family all dolled up. Our friends Dave and Christie have been working so hard to get all this done and today they are going to be going non-stop, pretty much, to make it all happen. They are awesome, y’all. Just awesome! (And we thank them so much! Hopefully they will let us bring them lunch today.) The girls are just thrilled and can’t wait for the dance. I’ll be there taking candid photos, so I’m pretty excited too. Bring on the sock hop!!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

sockhop

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Family, Home, Kids

Praise Reports…

June 10, 2009 By

I am going to do better about updating my blog.
I am going to do better about updating my blog.
I am GOING to do better about updating my blog.
Seriously…I am.
I hope. ;)

In all honesty, I have every good intention of writing more here, but the days are so busy lately. Life is good, in fact I’d say its mostly GREAT, but also very busy.

I have some praises to report since my last update.

  • Macey had a wonderful week of dance camp at our church last week. Two of her friends from school attended also and they all got to be in the same group. They just loved it! Friday was their recital and it was entirely too cute for words.
  • We got to spend all day Saturday with some great friends and we absolutely had a ball. We were as tired as could be on Saturday night, but it was the good kind of tired that comes from having FUN FUN FUN all day long!
  • On Sunday evening we got a house full of company. My best friend Terri came up from South GA with her two daughters. Also, our friend Hannah came to visit us from Missouri with her three daughters. So, we had a house brimming full and it was just incredible!! The girls ranged in age from almost-six (Macey) down to seven months old (Hannah’s baby girl) and they had so much fun playing together. Terri and I get together several times a year when I am in South Georgia, but neither of us have seen Hannah in several years. So much has changed in our lives, but the friendship has remained. God sure blessed us with a wonderful time together over Sunday evening and Monday morning.
  • This week Macey is attending the afternoon VBS sessions at our church. They are doing “Camp E.D.G.E.” this term and she is having a blast! In her crew, she has four friends from school so that is also exciting. She comes home each day telling us about what they did, what she learned, etc. It’s such a blessing! And, from what I have heard, over 900 (!!!) kids are in attendance. All those seeds of faith getting planted just makes my heart sing!
  • I have joined a Wednesday morning Bible study at our church. I have been wanting to do this for quite some time and it finally worked out. I am LOVING it! Our group is so sweet and we have all ranges from moms of young ones to grand-mothers and maybe even some great-grands. It’s absolutely blessing me more than words to be there!
  • We have a great babysitter that is watching the girls this summer so I can do things like go to Bible study. Her name is Kayla and Mickey and I have known her since we were Youth volunteers at the church several years ago. Kayla is fantastic with the girls. She is so much fun and so creative. Today she did tie-dying with them. How cool is that?!
  • The weather has been beautiful and summer is officially upon us. That is always a praise in my book as I just love summer. We’re getting a bit of rain today, but that’s always needed around here.
  • We have also planned a mini-vacation for our family. We are going to Nashville, TN for a couple of days and then back down to Chattanooga, TN for a couple of days before heading home. We are SO excited about this trip! I have used some online sources like Hotwire and Expedia to score some really great hotel prices as well. Can’t wait!!
  • This coming weekend is the Father/Daughter dance at our church. That will be Saturday evening and Mickey is taking both girls. This year it’s going to be a sock hop and the girls both have their cute poodle skirts, tees and scarves ready to go. I have been asked to take candid photos, so I can’t wait to see it all!

Those are just some of the many things I have to be thankful for in my life. I just had to share.

And, if you’re reading along, please  hold me accountable to posting. I need to and want to, so I should make time for it.

Blessings,
Kelly

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Entertainment, Family, Kelly, Kids, travel

Busy Busy Busy…

April 13, 2009 By

This week is shaping up to be a busy one for me. Every day there is at least one “thing to do” on my Google Calendar. Good thing the calendar will send text messages to my cell to keep me on top of things. ;) Most of this week’s activities are going to be fun, especially Macey’s class field trip to the children’s museum on Thursday, but some are just necessities like check-ups at the ENT for Mariana. Still, with something to get out of the house to do every day, we’ll have a hopping week.

Now that Lent is over, I am back on Facebook. It was actually kind of nice to give it up. Don’t get me wrong, I missed the interactions there, but it was a good Lenten sacrifice because it really freed up time for me. I have discovered that a lot has changed on there in time time I was away, but I’m adapting well so far.

Speaking of Lent, I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter. Ours was great! We went to our church’s contemporary service (which is normal for us) and the message was just incredible. We had a very low-key afternoon at home which was also nice. We pondered going to the zoo for awhile in the afternoon, but opted to stay home and relax which was a great decision.

I got my hair cut and colored today. I just love my hair stylist, Jenna! She is so sweet and does a great job with my hair. In addition to “doing hair”, she is also director of children’s ministry at a church in a nearby town, so we always have a lot to talk about on that note too.

The weather here has been nuts lately. This morning we had a good bit of rain with crazy wind. Lots of limbs and debris around our neighborhood. From what we have seen, nothing bad happed, so that’s good. The power went out at our church, so Mickey couldn’t work today and the kids all had to be picked up from preschool early. Crazy crazy!

Guess I should wrap this up and figure out supper. It’s getting close to that time.

Have a great evening, all…

Blessings,
Kelly

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Family, Kelly

Is it naptime yet?!

March 29, 2009 By

{{{Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn}}

Well, Mariana didn’t have a great night last night. That, of course, means neither did I. Not sure what was exactly wrong, but she didn’t sleep well. She woke up fussing/crying quite a few times through the night. She was a touch more congested than she had been, so maybe that was it.  I seem to recall that Macey’s second evening after surgery was a bit tough too. Maybe that’s just one of those things. Whatever the case may be, I’m ready for a nap. I hope today turns out to be a better day for Miss Mariana. She has been doing so well and hopefully this is just a little speed bump in her speedway to recovery. Her ENT had called and left us a voicemail checking up on her on Friday evening, but I just got the message yesterday. (Why am I so terrible about checking messages anyway?!) He also called yesterday afternoon to get an update on her. What a great doctor!! This morning Mariana is doing better, but is touchy and cranky. Naptime cannot come soon enough for either of us. ;)

We are going to miss church since Mariana is still recovering. We don’t like to miss it because, well, we MISS it. But, it’s really best to stay home today.

Macey went to her school friend Alice’s birthday party yesterday and had a ball! It was the first time we dropped her off at a party and she thought that was cool. Tinkerbell came to the party and painted faces, made balloon animals, did “magic” tricks, etc. Macey just had the best time!

After several days of rain, today is supposed to be sunny. WOO HOO! It’s supposed to be cooler than it’s been lately with temps in the 50s, but the sun will be nice to see. Everything is so green and springlike lately. It’s gorgeous! Of course, it won’t be long before everything is pollen coated. ACHOO!

Guess that’s it for my Sunday morning update. I’m thinking another cup of coffee (half-caff) is in order for me.

Have a beautiful day,
Kelly

Please remember to keep Baby Stellan and his family in your prayers:

Prayers for Stellan

Filed Under: Church, Family, Health, Kids, Prayers

Our Recent Happenings…

March 24, 2009 By

Before I post about what is going on in our family lately, I am once again going to point readers over to MckMama’s blog called My Charming Kids. Sweet baby Stellan (aka MckMuffin) is still in need of prayer. So is his family. Please lift up this precious baby boy and those that love him.

In news from my home front…

  • As I mentioned previously, my friend Dana and I went to see Kate Gosselin speak on Friday. I had so much fun hanging out with Dana and getting to just talk, share, laugh, etc. That was great! I thought Kate was good. She spoke for about an hour and most of it was about her struggles to get pregnant, their decision not to selectively abort any of their multiple babies in utero and how they handle things at home. So, that was very informative and uplifting, of course. I was just a little disappointed because I had hoped she would speak some about Proverbs 31 Ministries because she sometimes does speaking engagements through them from what I understand. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable evening out with a friend and I’m so glad that Dana and I got to go.
  • On Saturday afternoon I got to photograph a wedding reception. I had so much fun! It was “work”, sure, but it was quite a great time. I am almost done with the final edits of the photos. Mickey and I are also working on a photo montage video for them. I am so hopeful that they like the photos I got for them.
  • We went to church on Sunday. We have been trying to go at 9:30, but this Sunday it just worked out better to go to the 11:00 service. I’m so glad we were at that service because not only did we get to see our friends Jessie & Carly (who we LOVE), but the message was incredible! Jody preached on the Acts church and how that is what we should strive to be. Church isn’t about meeting in a building once a week. Church should be about what we do every day. How we live. How we reflect Christ in our lives so that others see and want to know what He means to us. It’s a lot to take in, but wouldn’t that be an awesome way to really live?!
  • Yesterday Mickey and I went to Macey’s school for lunch. We thought it was a special lunch for her “Character Education” award. But, no. I had the date wrong. That lunch is NEXT Monday. So, we just got to have a nice meal with Macey for no particular reason other than just because. And, hey, just because is always good enough. :) I hope I will get to go to the lunch next Monday, but I have jury duty beginning that day, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what time I’ll be done.
  • This morning I am taking Mariana to the ENT for her pre-op visit. On Friday she is having her ear tubes replaced and her adenoids removed. We hope this will help solve the continuing issues that plague her so often. Prayers, of course, are much appreciated.

Guess that’s it for now. Hope everyone has a beautiful day. Please keep praying for Stellan!!

In Christ,
Kelly

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Entertainment, Family, Health, Home, Kids, Prayers, school

Praise the Lord!

March 19, 2009 By

praise

How many times do we say “Praise the Lord” and never really think THAT much about the phrase itself? I know I’m guilty of it from time to time. There’s a parking spot near the door at Target? Praise the Lord. We already got Macey signed up for summer dance camp? Praise the Lord. Mickey gets to come home early today? Praise the Lord. If I don’t say it out loud, I still think it many times a day. But, do I really praise Him? Or, am I repeating a phrase I’m used to repeating? Makes me stop and think, really. I should give pause and actually give Him the praise. God is the fount of all good things. Why am I not praising Him more? That is the question.

Today’s post is actually inspired by another Kelly who blogs over at Kelly’s Korner. (BTW, if you get a chance to check out her blog – please do. It’s a great one!) Yesterday she posted an entry called Let’s Give Him Some Praise and that really got me thinking. As Kelly mentioned, it seems like you don’t have to look far to see sadness, struggle, adversity and trials going on in people’s lives. It would be so easy sometimes to get bogged down in the negative and forget all the positives God has laid out for us. But, His perfect provision is everywhere. Even in the things we take for granted like running water, homes that are heated and cooled via climate control, food on our table, clothes to wear, etc. God’s goodness can be found in everything from the tiniest detail to the most amazing miracle we’ve ever seen or heard. So, today I am going to list some praises. By no means is this list complete, but it’s a start at least. And, it’s also a reminder to me to praise Him more. Because He deserves all our praise, really.

PRAISE: I am married to a strong Christian man who loves and values his family beyond words. Mickey is the kind of husband who makes me feel beautiful because of his love. He cherishes me and I feel that every day. He also loves our girls so much and is an amazing daddy to them.

PRAISE: We both come from loving families that are always there for us. We don’t live all that close to any given member of our family, but we know in our hearts that if we ever needed family, someone would be here as soon as they could get here.

PRAISE: We are blessed to have two beautiful, sweet, caring and incredible little girls. They are healthy, smart, strong and full of life & love.

PRAISE: We have a place to call home. Our house may not be the biggest, fanciest, best decorated or even the tidiest there ever was, but it’s home and we are grateful for that. We love our home. We feel so blessed to finally have a house that we can envision our family in for years to come.

PRAISE: Our church is home to us. It’s not just a place to go on Sunday mornings. Mickey goes there to work and enjoys it tremendously. Mariana attends preschool at our church. I volunteer. Both girls enjoy Sunday School and are already looking forward to VBS. Our church family has surrounded us with love and friendship that we value so much. It’s a blessing to be there every time we walk through the doors.

PRAISE: We have some really great friends. Some we’ve known for years, some we’ve met recently and some that we even met online. Such relationships bless our hearts and lives tremendously.

PRAISE: It’s spring and that is such a time of renewal and hope. When the weather warms up, we can get outside and enjoy. Soak up the warm rays of sunshine and have a ball. It’s a great time of year!

PRAISE:  I am extremely blessed to get to be home with our girls. It’s a dream come true for me. I am so grateful and need to always remember to be thankful.

PRAISE: I get to enjoy some of my very favorite things like warm chocolate chip cookies, morning coffee made by Mickey, an occasional pedicure, date nights with Mickey, strawberry limeades with extra strawberries from Sonic (whenever we are near one), Chic-fil-A biscuits, shopping, baking cookies for others just because I know they like them, receiving email and occasionally a card in the mailbox, listening to good music and singing along in the security of the van, read great books, have friends over to hang out with us, grill out, watch my favorite tv shows via TIVO so I can skip commercials, dream of being on the Amazing Race with Mickey, jump on the trampoline with the girls, shop, buy pretty things for the girls, catch up with friends on Facebook (now on hold ’til Easter since it’s Lent) and so much more!

PRAISE: Mariana is doing so well with potty-training. I’m telling everyone, this is a PRAISE!! We’re almost a diaper free household. That is sort of bittersweet, but mostly pretty exciting!

PRAISE: I have opportunities to practice my photography which I really enjoy. I’m super excited to have a chance to shoot a wedding reception this weekend. Then I get to shoot the wedding of some of our very good friends in May. Such a joy!

PRAISE: Macey is reading all the time and loving it! Can’t help but hope both girls will be book worms like me.

PRAISE: Several of our friends are expecting babies. We are so excited for them!

PRAISE: My friend Dana and I are going to see Kate Gosselin speak on Friday. I am SO excited about this!!

My life is so full of blessings. Our family is blessed beyond measure. PRAISE THE LORD!! There have been times when I have been guilty of not seeing these blessings and neglecting to be thankful for what I did have in the face of what I felt I didn’t have. I should be faithful enough to praise God EVERY day because every day is a blessing. Even though there will be struggles and trials in this life, the hope of my heart would be that I would be found to be faithful in the midst of it all.

Blessings,
Kelly

praise_the_lord

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Devotions, Family, Home, Kelly, Kids, Marriage

It’s VBS Time Again…

July 9, 2008 By

Our church’s second VBS session is going this week. This time Macey is attending and I am the Crew Leader for her class. It’s so much fun!!

I have some book reviews and posts to catch up on and I will do that soon. But, for now I’m going to go enjoy some quiet time. :)

Peace,
Kelly

Filed Under: Church, Kelly, Kids

Donations on a Dime…

June 12, 2008 By

As I stated in yesterday’s post, Macey is going to afternoon VBS at our church this week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the kids are encouraged to bring in various donated items for several charitable organizations in our area. On Tuesday they brought in hygiene products, Wednesday was non-perishable grocery goods and today is baby related items. Well, if you’ve ever read my blog or know me, you know I love a bargain. I definitely wanted to send Macey in with donations every day because this is a great way for her to learn about giving to others, etc. So, I clipped coupons, shopped sales and went to a wholesale club for our donated items. Check this out…

For right around $30, these are the items we donated this week:

3 tubes of toothpaste
3 toothbrushes (2 of them were in with the toothpaste tubes)
1 bottle of men’s hair and body wash
2 regular size bottles of shampoo
3 cans spaghetti sauce
2 boxes spaghetti noodles
1 bag rice
2 bags instant mashed potatoes
1 big box that contained several packages of baby wipes

Isn’t that cool?! Please understand that I am not posting this to brag in any way about our giving. Not at all. What I want to show is that giving can be done on any budget. There is so much good that can be done without breaking the bank. Clipping and using coupons plus shopping sales is a great way to make grocery dollars go a longer way. Shopping wholesale clubs is a great way to stock up on various items that are commonly used around the house as well. Remember, too, that there are always organizations that could use donations. If you ever run across great deals and you feel like donating, there is always a need. You don’t have to have big bucks to do good things, just a big heart. :) We can all do something and I feel blessed that we have been able to help in some small way through VBS this week.

Filed Under: Church, Daily Life, Kids

Prayers for Kenya Mission

April 18, 2008 By

Our church just had a mission team depart for Kwambekenya, Kenya yesterday. They will be there performing God’s outreach until April 26th. It is my honor and privilege to be a Prayer Partner here at home for those who are serving in Africa. I had hoped to go on a mission trip to Africa this year as I feel God is laying a calling on my heart for me to serve there. But, for me, this is not the year. Still, I can do my part here at home by remembering the mission team and those they are serving in prayer. If you feel so lead, please join me as I pray over them all.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mark 16:15 (NIV)

Filed Under: Bible, Church, Missions, Prayers Tagged With:
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