National Dog Day!

Did you know that today, August 26th is National Dog Day? 

Yeah...  neither did I!  Until just a few minutes ago. 

Apparently, this has been going on since 2004?  From what I gather, it started as putting awareness out there for our most beloved four-legged, furry friends.  And since it started, over 100,000 of man's best friends have been saved!

On the site, they have all kinds of information.  How to donate, ways to adopt, ways to spread the word about how to take care of our dogs and love them!


So, in order to honor National Dog Day...  please enjoy these pictures of my babies..  I mean, dogs.   :o)

Brandi as a puppy...  we actually got her when she was 5wks old and just a little under 2lbs.  She was the runt. 

And here are Brandi's puppies!  She had them back in January 2008.  Gosh...  it doesn't seem like it should have been that long ago!!  Beckham is in that puppy pile somewhere...  but he went by "Fred" at that time.  She had 7, but only 5 survived...

And here is one tired Mama...

But she LOVED her puppies...

Here's Beckham...  also known as "Fred"...  I was a little OCD in keeping up with their weight and progress....  I had charts...  it was a bit crazy... 

And this was Moose!  She was the one Christen wanted to keep....  but she went to a great home and was renamed: "Princess"... 



And here they are now...  I love my Brandi and Beckham...  They really are like my children and I'm so happy we have them.  Even though I was never really a "dog" person to begin with... 

So...  make sure to give your babies...  I mean doggies.... an extra treat today, OR if you don't have a dog and aren't allergic and have a great home for them, go adopt! 

have a great weekend!!

Giving Praise...

even when I don't feel like it. 

I believe that's an issue with everyone.  I know it can be an issue with me. 

If you have a teenager, or were one yourself at one point in time...  I think you understand how difficult life can be at times.  And how difficult giving praise to God can be at the times when it seems all my hopes and dreams for my daughter could be gone in a second. 

I have all these dreams for my child and when things don't go the way I want them to go, it's hard to remember that God is the one in control. 

I'm a control-freak.  So it's super hard to give her to God.  Because, you know..  I know everything..  HA!

Thankfully, after all is said and done, and I'm broken and feel like I can't deal with anything, that's when I feel closest to God and I can finally see things He's been trying to show me.  And He puts people in our lives that bless us.  And He reassures me that all my hopes and dreams for Christen are not gone, she's just a teenager!  She's a GREAT person.  And people mess up.  CHRISTIANS mess up.  I mess up!!  oh my goodness how I can mess something up...

 Please pray for my family, pray for ME to make Godly decisions, pray for Christen to make Godly decisions and pray for Jon to make Godly decisions.   

It's not important to go into details of the difficulties our family has been going through.  All families go through rough times.  What's important is, through God's grace, we will rise above it and be stronger for it. 

A billion per second...

That's how many thoughts I have going through my head...  or so it seems...

I get like this every now and then.. 

It's great for my creative process!  Because I'm normally thinking of what to create! (or mimic)

I want to take more pictures! 

Thankfully I'll be doing Christen's senior pictures soon...  not the formal ones...  the fun ones!

And a friend of mine is letting me do her son's senior pictures too...  

I.can't.wait!

I'm in the process of re-doing a picture frame...  but it's not going to hold a picture...  I'll post more on that project soon...

OH!  And I've got all my fabric to start on Christen's T-Shirt quilt...  the only thing I need before I can actually start sewing is the interfacing... 

I also acquired some blue ball mason jars from The Pickers Warehouse...  not sure exactly what I want to do with them yet...  but I'm sure I will figure something out...

So many projects...  so little time!

Ten on Ten August

What's Ten on Ten?  Well, THIS is Ten on Ten:

Basically, on the 10th of each month, you take ten pictures to capture your day...  one picture every hour.  I try to stick to that, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  An awesome blogger, Rebekah started it all I do believe.  She's pretty cool, so you should for sure check her out!

COLD Coffee 

Due to circumstances out of my control, I have to drive Christen to school, and we had to take the truck. 

Not how she wanted to start her first day of school her senior year, but oh well..

Updating requirements for work

I love my computer calendar and my phone calendar, but I can't give up my desk calender 

What is a cupcake holder doing at work?  Better yet, why haven't I taken it home yet??

Lunch time!!  yes, lunch in my desk drawer.. 

WORK!!

This is the back yard at my work.  Believe it or not, this looks way better than it used to! 

Pick up line @ the high school...  not my favorite thing...  but gotta do what I gotta do!

Senior pictures are ready to view!  Wow...  it's really starting to sink in..

The Secret Life of a Teenager's Birthday Party

First...  there's cake.. . and lots of pizza... but I didn't get any pictures of the large amount of pizza we had...  that's okay though, b/c really, the key to a great birthday party is the cake (thanks to my Mom...  she made Christen a Purple Velvet Cake from scratch!)

And sometimes...  knives are involved...  don't worry...  no one was hurt...  but you do see the concern in Christen's face..

Cake fights  may or may not happen... 

Streamers may or may not explode in the living room...

And if the parents of the teenager are left alone with the streamers and dogs... 

well..... 

there's no telling what will happen 

Brandi was done and over it...  heading for the hills... 

She didn't want to end up like Beckham and consumed by the streamers...

17th Birthday party = Success...

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Tell me I'm dreaming...  tell me that it's really your 1st Birthday.....

and NOT your 17th...

cue the waterworks.



for this momentus occasion... I'm going to list 17 things I love about you, my daughter, Christen: 


I love: 

your heart for Jesus.  you teach ME lessons in faith and being devoted, thank you. 

your heart for kids, even though sometimes you won't admit you have a heart for kids....  

your heart for the elderly, again, even though sometimes you won't admit you have a heart for the eldery...  actions speak louder than words...

the love you have for your friends and your willingness to do anything for them

your sense of adventure...  doing things I never would have dreamed of, like going across the world without any family and not knowing a soul...  and coming back home with life long friends and great accomplishments.

your smile!  all the way from your toothless, tongue stuck out smile as a baby, to your beautiful "grown up" smile of today...  you light a room with your smile and you surely light up my heart...

the way you call me out when I need it...  even when I'm aggravated at the time, you don't hesitate (normally)...  you've got my back, but you also know when to show me the truth..

your sense of humor...  even when it's not appropriate! haha 

how you know what you want to do with your life and how you're making your plans to reach your goals. 

your amazing atheletic skills...  from the time you could sit up, I knew you were going to be way better at sports than me, thank goodness!  If it involves a ball, you can master it.  Even hitting a pitched softball 5xs out of 10 when you were just 3 years old. 

the way you don't let anyone hold you back from doing what you love: soccer.  You've proven that little ol' Tifton is not the end-all, be-all, kingdom of soccer.  You don't let anyone tell you that you "can't". 

the way you're becoming more responsible.  I used to worry, a lot...  and I still do, just not as much.  you're growing up!  that part isn't cool...  but little by little, I realize you are going to be an awesome adult and you'll be able to handle whatever comes your way.

your ability to laugh at yourself.  that's so important in life, really it is. 

that you'll still hold my hand...  not all the time I know...  but you will, sometimes..  I can't tell you how much that means to me..  and that you still tell me you love me and you'll hug me...  even in front of PEOPLE!  gasp!  ;o)

how you will talk to me...  really talk to me, about what's going on in your life.  I know we don't talk as much as we used to, but I hope you know I'm always here for you and always will be....

how you aren't like most teenagers...  you don't stay locked away in your room...  you want to be with us...

and finally, I love that you are YOU...  there's no one else like you and I thank God every day for you. 

So, Happy 17th Birthday Baby Girl!  I love you!

What Love Really Means

I love to sing.  I mean, I REALLY love to sing.  But, if you know me...  you probably may never hear me sing!  haha  life just works out that way I reckon.  But it's okay. 

This song, I've never been about to get through without crying.  The last part gets me.  right.in.the.heart.  Each and every time. 

It's because I know, God is speaking straight to me. 

He cries in the corner where nobody sees

He’s the kid with the story no one would believe

He prays every night “Dear God won’t you please...

Could you send someone here who will love me?”

Who will love me for me?

Not for what I have done or what I will become

Who will love me for me?

‘Cause nobody has shown me what love

What love really means, what love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day

She’s the woman whose husband has run away

She’ll go to the gym after working today

Maybe if she was thinner then he would’ve stayed

And she says…

Who'll love me for me?

Not for what I have done or what I will become

Who will love me for me?

‘Cause nobody has shown me what love

What love really means what love really means

He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone

He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done

He utters a cry from the depths of his soul

“Oh Lord, forgive me. I wanna go home”

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside

And it said “I know you’ve murdered

And I know you’ve lied

And I've watched you suffer all of your life

And now that you'll listen I'll tell you that I...”

 I will love you for you

Not for what you have done or what you will become

I will love you for you

I will give you the love, the love that you never knew

Love you for you

Not for what you have done or what you will become

I will love you for you

I will give you the love, the love that you never knew

No, I've never killed anyone, never even came close. 

But God knows my inner most thoughts and he still loves me.  Just like the murderer on death row, who none of us really believe deserves God's love, but will get it if they just ask. 

And this makes my soul cry.  Not for sadness, but for joy. 

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. 

for ALL have sinned. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

God is giving us a gift, something we don't deserve.  I don't deserve it, just as much as the murderer doesn't deserve it. 

To me, this alone should tug at an unbelievers heart.  We all want to belong and many of us feel like we don't belong.  With God, wherever He is, is where we belong.  And no matter what we've done, how far we've strayed, He will take us back, He will welcome us with open arms. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

This post was tugging at my heart and God told me to stop what I was doing and write it.  So that's what I did.