Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

My mom's birthday was this past Thursday. Since the kids did not have school Friday, we made the trip "home" and met my parents for supper to celebrate. My mom had NO idea we were coming and I wish you all could have seen the look on her face as the kids rushed up to her car door and attacked her. It was priceless. I didn't get a picture (it was dark) but you'll have to just trust me.

My sister and I had spent most of the week planning and scheming. Mom did NOT make it easy for us!!! First, she told my dad that instead of going out to eat on Thurs (her actual birthday) that she wanted them to go out Tuesday night instead. Well, after that panic was over, then she decided to schedule a shopping trip with my sister for Thursday - 80 minutes from home. We were sure that after a day of shopping, she would would back out of going out to eat Thursday night. Sure enough, she told dad that she'd be shopping all day Thursday and wouldn't have enough energy to go out to eat that night. AUGH!!!!! So, my sister told her that she couldn't go because Stephen didn't go work until 1:00. Well, Mom decided they could just go AFTER that. AUGH!!!!!

Mom then decided that they could just go to a local restaurant rather than go into town to eat - at the place we had already decided on. AUGH!!!! So, dad convinced her that he had some items he needed to pick up in town so she agree. Before it was all said and done, my sister called our grandmother who is in Florida who then called mom and basically t old her that she was nuts for trying to get out of going out for her birthday. LOL It all worked out and she was enormously surprised - which made all the hard work worth it!!!

Kendra gets a hug


Time to try on Mama's glasses




The family - minus my sister's crew

Pittsburgh Here We Come!!!

Our church was so kind as to send us away this weekend. The last couple months have been very stressful for us so they decided we needed a break. Thanks so much church family!!! Anyways, we found out that the boys do not have school on Friday or Monday so it worked out fabulously. We decided to take the time to go visit my sister and her family. They used to live in Tennessee and we rarely got to see them so now that they live so close (2 hours away) we are enjoying getting to spend more time with them. HOWEVER! We have not been to see their "new" place now that they've moved to Pittsburgh. So... off we go!!!

I happen to love Pittsburgh. We lived right near the Pittsburgh airport for several years and I worked in Pittsburgh for 3+ years. I think it is an awesome city. I'm sure I will have many pics to post next week. But for now.... Pittsburgh! Here we come!

I just got home from a lovely lunch with Cindy Misch. It was just what I needed. Thanks so much Cindy for 2 hours of girl talk!!! I had such a wonderful time and you totally made my day. Thanks!!!!

Hilarious Skit

Thanks to a friend, we found this skit done by Chonda Pierce and Ken Davis.

The Cup of Life - good lesson

A group of graduates, well established in their careers,

were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit

their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to

complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went

into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of

hot chocolate and an assortment of cups -

porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking,

some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help

themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:

'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were

taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.

While it is normal for you to want only the best for

yourselves, that is the source of your problems and

stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing

to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is

just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we

drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate,

not the cup; but you consciously went for the best

cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate;

your job, money and position in society are the cups.

They are just tools to hold and contain life.

The cup you have does not define, nor change the

quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating

only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate

God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate,

man chooses the cups.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything.

They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate!

Day of Rest?

My thoughts for the day:

Somehow I think we've seriously messed up God's plan for Sunday. I am more exhausted on Monday than I am on any other day of the week. Sunday's are more than a little tiring in a parsonage. It has to be stress because other than fixing a huge meal for company (most Sundays - not all), I really don't do tons of manual labor. But usually by Sunday night I fall into bed thoroughly beyond exhausted and wake up Monday morning feeling like I spent the night running a marathon. My kids also seem to be messed up on Mondays. It's been that way since they were newborn. Mondays have just not been good. So, if Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, why is it so exhausting for me? Anyways..... off to try to keep my eyes propped open long enough to finish school and keep the house from falling apart.

I just learned today (probably is old news) that McCain supports gay marriage. If I had any doubts about him before (which I did) that was all I needed to clinch my opinion. Here is a supporter made video clip advertisement that I think is great.

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My Little Leader

Anyone who knows Vincent well, knows that this child is a leader. He is very strong minded and strong willed. He is very passionate about his feelings and his thoughts. This mommy prays daily that God will use these character traits and mold them and shape them into a powerhouse of potential for God's work. At any rate, at the last teacher conference Vincent's teacher told me that Vincent is well liked by his peers and that he is an obedient student. These are things that a mommy likes to hear! Friday Vincent brought this home from school. He can't seem to tell me what he did to deserve it but it sure made me pop a couple buttons!!!

Gaining More and More of My Respect

The Perfect Church

I was reading my husbands blog this AM and he had posted this awesome poem. I wanted to share it with my readers also.

If you should find the perfect church without fault or smear,

Please, don't join that church, you'd spoil the atmosphere.
If you should find the perfect church where all anxieties cease,

Then pass it by lest joining it you mar the masterpiece.

If you should find the perfect church, then don't you ever dare

To tread upon such holy ground you'd be a misfit there.
But since no perfect church exists... made of imperfect men,

Then let's cease looking for that church, and love the one we're in.

Of course it's not a perfect church, that's simple to discern,

But you and I and all of us could cause the tide to turn.
So let's keep working in our church until the resurrection,

And then we each will join God's church without an imperfection.

Author Unknown