Double Digits

 Timothy turned 10 this year! He is officially in the double digits! He always enjoys having a birthday! He is such a sweet and loving young man. All of his siblings are crazy about him and they like to spoil him.

 Grandparents came up and helped us celebrate! We always have the best time when grandparents are here!

 Our family gave him "art" supplies. He loves to draw and is really good at it.

 When your sister likes to bake you can have your own personal cake for your birthday! SPOILED!

Sarah made him a soccer cake for everyone to eat and enjoy. She enjoys making everyones birthday cakes. Timothy told her he wanted cool ship on his cake so she made him his own personal cake with cool whip on top.

Timothy loves playing soccer and basketball. If he ever has a free moment we can hear him out on the driveway shooting basketball. He is very special and we are all very thankful that God gave us Timothy. Praying for the great things God has planned for him!

It's Great To Be 8!

This girl is growing up WAY too fast! I never thought she would turn 8 so soon! We love this girl! She is such a joy and blessing to our family and to all who meet her. Joanna is a friendly little girl and quick to make a friend. Her heart is so sweet and she loves reading her Bible. She always has a question or two during our family worship at night about the passage of scripture we are reading through. I am sure she could teach a Sunday School class. :) 

 She chose to eat at Mexican for her birthday. We took her out to eat and she loved every minute of it!

 Joanna is definitely a mommy's girl! Hard to believe she is my baby girl!

 Here she is after they sang Happy Birthday to her. (See the photo bomber?)

 Bryan's parents got her some clothes for her birthday and she loves wearing what they gave her.

 My mother and Bryan's parents came up and helped us celebrate Joanna turning 8 AND watching an indoor soccer tournament. My mother gave her a tool bag with tools, which is what she asked for.

 Here is Bryan's parents with one of our soccer players.

Bryan and I take a picture with one of our other soccer players. Sarah was there but she was helping with the score board. Isaac was also playing in the tournament, but I didn't get a picture of him. :(

We had so much fun celebrating Joanna's birthday! Joanna is a very special young lady and I know that God has great plans for her. I pray that she will always know God's love for her and our love for her. God is good and we pray that Joanna will serve Him all the days of her life. It was sad that my dad wasn't here to help celebrate, it just won't be the same when we are together and he isn't with us.

Don't Blink... They Grow Up Way Too Fast!

The child that first made me a mommy is now 17! He has turned into a young man and his time in our home is getting shorter. One day it will be time to launch him into the world and out of our nest. I thought I would include some pictures and I wanted to start with an older picture. I am not sure how old he is in this picture, I am guessing 9 or 10. This picture is very special but this young man is even more special. 

Below are two recent pictures. We celebrated his 17th birthday with grandparents in AL and these are a couple of pictures from that night.

He is a young man that knows what he wants (actually needs). He asked for some new shorts and a top from my parents and he asked Bryan's parents for a nice button up shirt to wear to church. They were great about getting him those things and actually Bryan's parents got him 4 nice shirts. He was very blessed!

Isaac has started his Junior year of High School! He is enrolled in two dual enrollment classes at the local community college. He is on the high school soccer team and playing recreational soccer right now. Isaac is a very talented young man, he is learning the guitar and can play the piano! God has a special plan for him and we are praying that God would go before Isaac preparing the way! We love him more than he will ever know!

15 Years Old

We celebrated Sarah's birthday this past weekend with grandparents! On Friday Bryan's parents (Pop and Gigi) came up and Gigi brought us some delicious lasagna and butterfinger cake! YUMMY! Then Pop, Gigi, Bryan, Elijah, Timothy, and Joanna went to watch Sarah in the play she was in (more about that later). Then on Saturday my parents came up and we all celebrated Sarah's birthday at lunch. I fixed some of her favorite foods. She and I made a cheesecake for us to enjoy. On Saturday night my parents stayed and was able to attend the play that night. 

 Pop and Gigi got Sarah a set of luggage for her birthday. She had asked for this because she is always ready to go somewhere. She was able to pack the biggest suitcase and take it to 4-H Round Up...perfect timing!

 My parents got her clothes, which she asked for and needed. She took these to 4-H Round Up.

 Sarah was playing the piano while Bryan and Gigi sang along. It was very special!

 Here is the cheesecake we made for Sarah's birthday! It was a caramel pecan cheesecake and very delicious!

Here is Sarah with Pop and Gigi. We are very blessed to have the grandparents come up for birthdays and celebrate with us!

Sarah is one special young lady! I know God has something special for her and He is going to use her to do great things for His Glory! She loves an adventure and a good book. Sarah is such a blessing to me and a great help around the house. She is learning to care for others and one day care for her own family. I love this girl and very thankful that God made me her mother.

Where Has the Past 15 Years Gone?

On June 19-21, Sarah led a Culinary Camp at the 4-H Extension Office. She planned the camp and led it with the help of a dear friend. There were twelve 4-6 graders that attended. They had lots of fun and Sarah enjoyed it just as much as they did. They learned new skills and each day they prepared food and that was their lunch. Sarah had such a great time and a great response that she will be leading a 4-H Culinary Club this next school year.

Today is Sarah's 15th birthday!! Where has the past 15 years gone? I will post more in the days to come about this precious blessing! Lots going on in her life lately and can't wait to share! Love you so much Sarah!

Elijah Turns 11!

Can you believe how fast time flies! This young man is now 11! Sarah made his cake just like he asked for and he added the M&M's to the icing. This boy is a builder! He can be very tender and loving. Yes, he is almost as tall as I am, which is not a whole lot. LOL! This boy is very independent and likes to be in charge. He is a great helper and has a huge imagination! This boy likes an adventure and he is 110% all BOY!! Elijah enjoys reading books! We are crazy about this young man and know that God has great plans for him!!

Look Who Is 9!

This big guy is 9! We moved to Tennessee in March of 2010 and he turned 1 in April 2010...so when I look at him I think that he has lived in Tennessee his whole life! We have been in Tennessee a long time! :) This big guy is special...to lots of people! Timothy brings joy to our family and we are crazy about him. He is a great brother to all of the other children.

We celebrated his birthday with grandparents on the Friday before Easter while we were in Alabama. Then of coarse as a family we celebrated on his birthday with a scavenger hunt for his presents, scones made by big sister Sarah, and chili for supper. He is one spoiled boy! Timothy loves all things green and spider-man.

Timothy with a couple of his birthday presents. He had a great time celebrating and we enjoyed showing him lots of love. Our prayer is that not only will he know we love him but how much more God loves him! Praying that Jesus would deposit Himself into Timothy and that Jesus would mold him into the man that God has created him to be.

The Trip Home

 We had lots of fun and made lots of memories but we were also ready to get home to our animals and normal life. Each night we camped in our pop-up camper and never had any problems or issues. God is good!

 These were a couple of pictures of scenery on the way home. We camped in Nebraska before making the long trek home. The weather on our trip was pretty but windy. From the night at the Badlands to this last night in Nebraska it was windy the whole time, some days were more windy than others. Very thankful that God kept us safe and that He provided each and every thing we needed for this trip to be possible.

On our last trek home it was Elijah's birthday so we let him choose where we were going to eat for supper. He chose Golden Corral...he likes buffets! :) This boy turned 10 that day and enjoyed every bite of his supper! Love this boy!!

One More Birthday to Celebrate!

Our last birthday celebration this month is Bryan's! This man is more than I can put in words. He loves the Lord and desires to glorify God with every breath he takes. Bryan is a godly husband and father. We are very blessed that God created him just for us!

 Here is a picture of us taken recently. I love him more today than I did 22 years ago!

This is a family picture that my mother took Sunday before church. Bryan loves spending time with us and we love spending time with him! The children and I got him a few of his favorite snacks to enjoy during the week while he is at work. Bryan's greatest desire is to see others having changed hearts and God saving their souls. Thankful to have him in our lives and to celebrate another year! Bryan, we Love you very much!

Another Birthday to Celebrate!

The next birthday in January is mine. Bryan and the children are always so good about making my birthday very special. They always make me feel like a queen. This year they had me a treasure hunt to go on and a little gift with each clue, Sarah made supper, and they each made me feel very special!

 Here is a picture of me and my wonderful blessings! This was taken in May 2017 on our trip to Yellowstone. I am very blessed to have them call me mom!

This man is the best! He always goes above and beyond to make every day special but especially my birthday! His birthday is the next one we celebrate! Can't wait to let him know how special he is!

I had a wonderful birthday and am very blessed!

Our Baby is 7!

In January we have three birthdays to celebrate and the first one is Joanna's! This precious gift is a joy and blessing to us all!

Here she is around a year old

Here she is at 6

 Here she is at 2

 This one is at age 4

Being silly at age 5

We had a great time celebrating her birthday and are looking forward to celebrating with grandparents soon! She is full of laughter and loves to make others smile. Joanna is a great sister and is loved by each of her siblings! I can't imagine life without her. I am blessed to have her call me mom! Praying the Lord will grow her into a godly woman, that He would live through her and be glorified in her life. Thank you Lord for Joanna.

Our Oldest is Driving!!

It has come quicker than I ever imagined, we have a child that can drive! In August we celebrated Isaac's 16th birthday! He is growing into a young man and I am excited to see what God has planned for him.

 Here he is with a deer he killed at the beginning of hunting season this year. Isaac enjoys hunting and fishing.

 We celebrated with grandparents at the river. We had lots of fun!

Here he is in his truck. This was my dad's truck and now it belongs to Isaac. He is a very responsible young man and it has been a blessing for him to be able to drive to places he needs to get to.

I really had no idea that he would grow up so fast. Isaac is a blessing, fun, and full of laughter. We love him more than he will ever know! 

Sarah is 14!!

Happy birthday to our oldest daughter! Sarah has grown into a young lady way faster than I ever imagined! We traveled to AL to celebrate her precious life with grandparents.

Sarah wanted to make her own birthday cake and here it is! Her cake was a 4 layer carrot cake drip cake. Very delicious! 

 On her birthday we traveled through the town she was born in, so we thought it was a great opportunity to drive by the hospital she was born at. This was a God opportunity because we don't normally go through that town any more but some circumstances caused us to be traveling that direction ON her birthday...of all days! Brought tears to my eyes!

Here is Sarah standing in front of the hospital. She is such a joy and delight to our family and to all who meet her. Sarah is a huge blessing to me and I can't thank God enough for the gift that she is. Sarah's heart is HUGE! I know this young lady will be used by God to serve others one day because she has such a servants heart. Our prayer is that as God lives through her, she would glorify Him by denying herself, taking up her cross, and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24). We love you Sarah!!

Elijah Is Now In The Double Digits!

Happy 10th birthday to this little man! He is our builder and fixer! Elijah loves to build things with his Legos or anything he can get his hands on. If it is broke he wants to try fixing it. 

 Elijah is definitely Dangerous, just like his shirt says, on and off the field! Never a dull moment with this boy around!

 We took him out to eat for his birthday and he enjoyed every bite of his meal and dessert! He chose to go to Golden Corral, he picked up his plate and headed to the buffets, looked around and said to Bryan "I don't know where to begin!".

Such a blessed mom to call this boy my son! He is a joy and blessing to me in many ways. I know that God has great plans for Elijah and I can't wait to see how all that unfolds. I could see Elijah being a builder on a mission team and sharing with others God's love and goodness! Praying for his little man to be a man after God's own heart and to be a blessing to everyone that crosses his path. Love you Elijah, more than you will ever know!

Timothy Turns 8!

Yes I wrote that correctly...he is 8!! This little man will steal your heart! He is always melting my heart! We had the best time celebrating his birthday with grandparents. This past weekend both sets of grandparents were able to come up on Friday. We had supper Friday night and then had cake and ice cream followed by presents from grandparents. Saturday morning Timothy and Joanna had a soccer game that we were able to watch, then we took Timothy out to eat to his restaurant choice. We spent the afternoon riding around to see the Amish and then back to our house for supper and presents from us. The weather was so nice that we were able to spend the evening outside watching the kids play. 

 Here is a picture of Timothy driving the gator around Pop and Gigi's pasture.

Here is Timothy helping with the dishes. He is a huge help around the house.

We are very blessed that God has given Timothy to us! He is a joy to our family! Timothy has a special bond with each of his siblings. Him and Joanna love to play together in her little kitchen. Timothy and Elijah have a great time playing Legos together or having an adventure outside together. Sarah and Timothy enjoy being silly together. Him and Isaac enjoy picking on each other. It is a blessing to watch each of the kids interact with one another and enjoy their siblings! Praying God will change Timothy's heart and that he will be the man of God that God has created him to be. May Timothy's life bring glory to God and cause others to glorify Him. We love you Timothy!!

Joanna Turns 6!

Here it is January 19th and I haven't blogged anything this month!! :-( I have lots of catching up to do!

January is Birthday month around our house. We celebrate 3 birthdays this month, beginning with Joanna's! She turned 6 and we did lots of celebrating! Grandparents came up and we took her out to eat for lunch and then made her requested meal for supper. Sarah made Joanna waffles for her birthday breakfast, yummy!! 

Joanna is a very special little girl! She brings joy, laughter, and blessings to each of us. She had a great birthday! We look forward to all that God is going to do in her life!