More Prayers

I had asked everyone to pray for my friend Connie. She is doing much better and is back to work part time. Her daughter that had the problems is doing better except now she is pregnant. The guy is sticking around and says he wants to make a family. I pray that Ashlee does well and this gets her and Brandon away from the wrong crowd. I am bringing Ashlee with me Tuesday night to our first Mom's C.L.U.B meeting as we will be talking about what to expect when you're pregnant and the physical changes, etc. I pray I can be a good influence on her and help her through this. Her dad wants her to have an abortion but thankfully she is against that. There is no reason to be critical about it now. It's happened and we can just take one day at a time and get through it. There's a beautiful new life waiting to be born and we can just make the best of it!

Wedding pictures

Jamie's sister, Kari, got married in October. I just got around to ordering pictures. Jamie was an usher and the girls were flower girls. They looked so adorable. Neither one of them made it down the aisle though. The church was so small it had about 10 pews on either side. It was a long morning getting ready and doing pictures and when it was time to walk down the aisle they open the doors and Hope throws herself down in the aisle and throws her basket of petals. OK..one down. Then it's time for Faith and the ring bearer to go down the aisle and she just has a melt down crying hysterically...so two down. I sat outside with the girls during the wedding but they looked so sweet!!

A wonderful weekend

I spent Friday at the clinic. We didn't have any visitors but Monica and I spent the day talking and that was wonderful. She's such a loving, wise person. I love talking to her. Saturday my mom and dad and I went to Missouri to watch my baby niece Caytlin graduate high school. I left the girls here with Jamie's mom. I knew they wouldn't sit through it. Jamie had to work. I am so proud of Caytlin!! She actually graduated mid semester and has been going to beauty school. She will be done in September. She will fantastic at it. She's cut my hair the last two times we've been there and they have been the best hair cuts I've ever had! I am so proud of my big brother Rodney. He has been raising Caytlin (18) and Kelsi (16) by himself and he is doing a wonderful job. They are both beautiful loving girls. I had a great time with my family. We always have so much fun when we get together. The only complaint I have about us getting together is out of the 23 people (including kids) we had at my brothers 11 of them smoked and the smoke kills me and I hate the kids being around it. They try to smoke outside or open windows but it still stinks!! Other than that I love being with my family. We play games or just talk and joke around. We stayed up until 3 a.m. just talking and watching movies. Sunday we came home late afternoon and today we went to Jamie's mom's house. His brother Shawn and his wife Robin came in from Michigan with their new baby Kaydence. She is 8 months old. We spent some time there today and then came home and took a family nap. Jamie made dinner while me and the girls went outside. I read my book while the girls jumped on the trampoline and rode their bikes. Now we are getting ready for bed and back to the normal life tomorrow. I love my life! Thank you God for my wonderful family and my husband and beautiful girls and whoever else you decide to place in our home eventually :)

Last Day of Kindergarten!

Today is Faith's last day of Kindergarten. She is so excited to be a big first grader now. I can't believe she will be 7 in July! Every day she does something new that makes her seem so grown up. She actually had Mrs. Kempf for her teacher but then she adopted a baby and is on maternity leave so Miss McNaugton took over. They were both wonderful women and Faith loves them. We took a canvas tote and Faith put her hand prints on there in the shape of a heart and on it I wrote "Thanks for your warm heart - Love Faith". Faith is sad to be leaving her teacher. She made the sweetest picture that says "I will miss you Miss McNaugton" and she drew a picture of her and Miss M holding hands and her picture has tears coming down..how sweet is that? She has such a big heart. My baby's growing up!! Now it's time for my tears.

I love my job(s)!

Pastor Aaron asked Sunday morning who loved their job and I raised my hand and actually meant it. Of course, he thought we were fibbing! LOL. I actually do. My first job of course is mom and I love that. I also do medical transcription at home. I enjoy it because I do it when I want and at my own pace. I also work in a neurosurgeon/infectious disease office two days a week doing transcription. I really like it. I get to get out of the house a couple of days a week and be with adults. I can work the days I want and do things at my own pace. There's no one over my shoulder telling me what to do. The girls who work there are super nice and I feel welcome there. Also as counselor at the clinic. Although I haven't gotten to counsel yet just getting everything ready and working on the Mom's C.L.U.B has been rewarding! Thank you God for putting all these wonderful opportunities in my life!!

A Nice Day

Of course we got up and went to church this morning. Jamie had promised to take Faith fishing so they went to fish and I was going to either bring Hope home or wait around until the Pentacost in the Park but I know I'd spend my whole time there just chasing a 2-year-old. I went to my dear friend Trinity's and we just talked and laid on the couch and I got to play with the new baby! It was nice to talk with Trin again. We used to try to get together at least every other week and just chat and things have been so crazy we haven't been able to do that. I can't wait until we move to Boonville (pray, pray)!

The most beautiful sounds

in the world are....my children laughing, my girls talking sweetly to each other when they don't know I'm listening, a baby cooing, Stacey Franz singing, a room full of worshipers singing God's praises with all their heart, hearing mama for the first time, someone telling you they love you and meaning it...........

Mom's C.L.U.B.

I'm just sitting at the clinic awaiting some company. We have our first mom signed up for our Mom's C.L.U.B. meeting!! I am so excited. June 5th is our first meeting. I can't wait to meet these women that God will put in our lives. I thank God so much for the wonderful women he has put in my life as the counselor's at the Abba Clinic and the ladies who will help do the Mom's C.L.U.B. We are growing new relationships and I'm getting to know them all better! I also praise Sonya and those working the Manna Market. She's worked so hard to get it up and running and they have been so busy and have blessed so many families already!!!! I praise God for what is yet to come....more later.

Last Kindergarten field trip

Yesterday was Faith's last Kindergarten field trip. We went to the zoo and then to Howell Park for McDonalds and playing. It was pretty fun. I met a couple of new moms and we walked together. The weather was only in the upper 60's maybe 70's but the wind was blowing so hard and the sun kept hiding. By the time we got to the park everyone was freezing!! Faith still had fun though. I can't believe she's growing up so fast right before my eyes.

Mom's C.L.U.B

Well the Abba Clinic and Manna Market and the literacy center are open!! The Manna Market was booming tonight. We have had a couple of visitors to the clinic so far. We are going to have meetings at the clinic the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. We formed a group called the Mom's C(caring)L(listening)U(understanding)B(bonding). We will have different topics each week and we will meet and discuss that topic and have question/answer sessions and just form relationships with the women who come. We are going to start with pregnancy and work our way through to the delivery process and then bringing baby home and then have classes on bathing baby, diapering, colic, etc... We can use our own experiences as moms to help these ladies . We'll also have free diapers and baby items for the ladies who come to class. We are also going to have mini cooking classes! I am so excited to be a part of this ministry. Praise God!!

Our Pets

Ellie
Ellie and Max playing
My Max!

We have a wonderful cat named Max. He's the sweetest kitty. He's so loveable. He sleeps with Faith every night and watches over them. We had gotten a lab named Ellie for a short time but we don't have the yard for her to run and we live on a very busy street so we decided to give her a better home. Here are some pics of her though. She was so cute!!

Hope the Racoon

Hope decided to get into my bronzer and try to apply it herself. This is the outcome!

Still need 26 more to get to my 100

74. I can scratch #54 though. I got a speeding ticket today :(

Ok more later

Youth Sleep Over

Ok. The game was to put Cool Whip on your face and your partner threw cheetos and the one with the most won!
This is Jessica K and Kara ( I think)
Cassie V
Cassie V and Dixie

This is Kelli S trying doing charades. I have no idea what it was!
All the girls!

Chelsea and a friend of Cassie F
Jessica K and Kara

Ok. This was several months ago but just got my pictures back! We had a Friday night service and we listened to Stacey's testimony. Stacey is the pastor's wife and she has a wonderful testimony to the horrible things she endured as a child in and out of foster homes. She met who she calls her mom & dad when she was 16 and she met Pastor Aaron and now she's our Stacey. I adore her and recommend anyone who can listen to her testimony do it. Also she has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. She leads our worship services. After service we girls went to Dana's house and had a sleep over. We played games and got to know each other!

Skate Night

Faith & Stasia
Friends ~ How cute!
Faith on her bottom ~ where she spent most of the night!

Even though it's been a few months back I just got my pictures developed from our LHCC skate night

Family

Caleb "Bubba" ~ 1

Hope (2) & Chloe (3)

Cousins ~ Faith, Hope & Chloe

Bubba

I have a wonderful family I have two sisters and one brother. They were 13, 14, and 15 when I came along and I was only 4 when my sister Gay had her first daughter Stephanie so I grew up with my nieces and nephews and they have kids the same age as mine or older. We try to get together as much as we can. My nephew Chad and his wife Stephanie have 2 kids Chloe and Caleb. We got together not too long ago at the Executive and just had dinner and swam in the pool. We went to my brother Rodney's for my niece Kelsi's 16th birthday. We're going back in a couple of weeks for his other daughter Caytlin's high school graduation. These are a few pics of Faith, Hope, Chloe and Caleb

Pray for my friend

I have a friend I met through the OB office I worked in in 2000. We've remained friends through the years. She has a 19-year-old daughter. Her daughter has gotten into drugs and drinking and has an abusive boyfriend. She recently tried to commit suicide twice and my friend had a nervous break down. She then got pneumonia and bronchitis because her immune system was so low. She can't drive because of all the meds she's on and she's on medical leave from work. Her work is giving her a hard time about coming back. I've been trying to take her to her doctor appointments so her husband doesn't have to take so much time off and getting her around for her errands and just being there when she needs someone. She's doing much better but she needs prayer to get through this and for her daughter too. Her daughter of course thinks she knows everything and will not listen to anyone. I think unfortunately she will have to learn some lessons the hard way. I pray that Connie gets to feeling better and can take care of herself and then she can start taking care of Ashlee and just try to be there for her. I know she's of age and thinks she can do what she wants. I pray God keeps her safe from harm from the terrible things she's doing to her body and she sees the light and will get away from the atmosphere and the drugs and alcohol and this boyfriend. Thanks for the prayers in advance!

Slowly crawling to my 100

63. I can't stand people who are always rude and talk hatefully and then think it's "just the way they are"......and that's a good thing??

64. I like to cook.

65. I don't like following recipes. I make my own up as I go along. Sometimes I just look to see what we have in the cabinet and work with that.

66. Sometimes I don't feel like a good mom because I get impatient with the girls and I don't like the way I react to things. I pray daily to be better.

67. I love the Brady Bunch! I love catching the re-runs on Nick at Night!

68. I collect churches.

69. I also collect angels.

70. I love taking bubble baths while I read.

71. I collect baskets too.

72. I have no stretch marks from my kids..........yet.

73. I love my house smelling good. I have air fresheners in every room of my house!

74. If I every won the lottery (I'd have to play first) none of my friends or family would want for anything!

Baby #3??

Well we've decided to start trying by the end of this year early next year for baby #3!! I used to want a girl so I could have all girls and I'm so used to them but I wouldn't mind having a son. I'll take whatever God gives us though! Of course I already have names picked out ~ Grace for a girl and Gracen for a boy. Jamie's not too sure about the boy name but we'll see if we can get him to agree. I want to stay with my "theme" names.

Abba Clinic

Well we met tonight and ran through a fake counseling session with the ladies who will be doing counseling to get a feel of the new clinic. I am so excited. I know God will send us the ladies He knows that we can touch or may even touch us somehow. We have a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday at noon and our first official day is Friday. There's an open house Saturday 10-12. The Manna Market will also be ready to go. Our little "store" looks so cute!! We have so much food but I know it won't last long. I pray that God continues to keep our shelves full so we can supply the needs of the families that will be coming there and we can give with grateful hearts. Now we are working on our little Mom's group. We will have meetings two Tuesdays a month and provide the women with insight and our experiences and answer questions as well as many resources. God is good!!!

Best Friends

Well Susan, Sonya, Jennifer, Julie & I went out to eat Friday night at the new El Maguey. It is very nice. Jennifer is moving up to Indy by our friend Jessica. She's met a wonderful guy. Jennifer has yet to settle down and find "the one" but I think this guy might be the one. He's French-Canadian and speaks French. She put him on speaker phone so he could talk to us a little. Good luck Jennifer!! There is an awesome concert up by where Jessica lives in July ~ REO Speedwagon, STYX and Def Leppard!! Talk about flashback. I can't wait to go and listen to the old music and hang out with my girls. Julie's having a hard time with losing her dad a couple of months ago. I pray that she finds comfort in the fact he's gone to be with our wonderful Lord and he is no longer in pain. I hope she can find some peace and she can share all her memories of him with her boys so they will never forget papaw Gary. I adore my friends and we have been there for each other through high school, boyfriends, break ups, weddings, babies and funerals. I thank God I have all these girls to call my friends and my "sisters". We can get together at holidays and email and it's like we saw each other yesterday. Thank you to all my friends!!!!!

Tastefully Simple

My friend Perri decided to become a Tastefully Simple hostess. They have delicious spices and mixes. The spices can be used alone or mixed with cream cheese to create a dip/cheese ball! I am hosting a party Thursday June 7th at 6:30 here at the house. All you have to do is get people there. Perri makes all kinds of appetizers so you can try things before you buy them. How cool is that?
Thanks Perri!!

My Girls

I have two beautiful little girls ~ Faith & Hope. They are my pride and joys. There are days I want to ring their necks but for the most part they are pretty good kids. Faith is 6 and in Kindergarden and Hope is 2. I started a journal for each of them at the end of last year to write down funny things they say or something sweet they did and sometimes just a little note from me. I hope to save them until their wedding day and give it to them as their gift. I wanted to share a few of the memories I've saved.
Hope ~ Mainly just little notes about how sweet she can be one minute and a little stinker the next. She loves to dance and "sign" to songs. Her smile can light up a room!!
Faith ~ Now this kid could keep you entertained. She loves to make up songs and dance. We went to a birthday party for a little boy and it was a monster theme. They passed out little goody bags and inside was Monster Spray. It had a little spray bottle with sign that said to spray for monsters. I just put it on the dresser and never thought anymore about it. A few weeks later Faith says "Mommy, if there are no such things as monsters then why do we need monster spray?" ~ Ummm, right.
My favorite is when Faith had just turned 4 we were going out to eat and "kidding" we had told her to say she was 3 because it was free for 3 and under. Well, months later one day a friend is over and her little boy and Faith are talking not knowing we could hear. Joseph asked "how old are you?". Faith says, "Well I'm 4 except when we go out to eat then I'm 3!" ~ Oops
Right now when she grows up she wants to be a cheerleader and a weather girl.
Who knew being a mom would be the most wonderful feeling in the world?!?!?!!

Hope Central ~ Abba Clinic

Only 9 days until the Pregnancy Resource Center opens! We have a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday the 10th and an open house on Saturday the 12th. The 11th is our first official day of being open. I am so excited. I can't wait to meet the ladies that God will be sending to us! In June we are doing a small panel of women two Tuesdays a month to have group sessions with some of these ladies to discuss being a mom. We haven't came up with a name for ourselves yet. I have a wonderful group of dedicated ladies that I will be counseling with and I am so fortunate to know them all. I know God will give us the knowledge and His words to reach out to these women. I also pray for the food pantry and things go well there and we have plenty of food for everyone who comes in! Praise God for all our blessings!!