Gosh.... its been a long time

Didn't realize how long it has been since my last post. Time has flown by. We have been so very busy, I just didn't take the time to blog. Well, let's see, what has happened since I last blogged.... Halloween came and went, Thanksgiving came and went and now here it is 3 days until Christmas!!! Where does all the time go? My days seem to pass by, one after another and I wonder what I accomplished during that day.
Kalyn's soccer season is over. The girls had a winning season. We thoroughly enjoyed coaching them. We had a great bunch of girls!
We had our annual church Trunk or Treat on Halloween night. It was better this year. We ministered to approximately 200 kids!! That's awesome for a town our size! We had a great time. Steven and I really like being with those young people.
Thanksgiving was blessed this year. We enjoyed family. Steven is able to be off work for Thanksgiving now and that is great. We are so thankful for what God has blessed us with. He continues to impress us almost daily.
I finally got to take my trip to Biltmore Estates!!!YAY!YAY! I have wanted to go for years and we just could never manage it. This time, we planned our trip a year in advance. We went the first weekend in December. The House was decorated for Christmas, a great time to go. Nothing like a different themed Christmas tree in every room! One drawback--they won't let you take any pictures of the inside of the castle. But we still had a really good time. I would recommend going, at least once.
So, despite all of our Christmas social events of the season, that pretty much sums it up. Not so much, when you look at it in print. But it has sure kept us hopping. Steven has been sick most of the month. He cant seem to get rid of the crud. He has been to the doctor, but I think he may need to go again. Sometimes, he can hardly catch his breath from all the coughing.
Kalyn is growing up more each day. She has asked Santa for just about everything you can think of this year. Whew.. the list has grown tremendously.
Well, I am gonna stop for now. Maybe it wont be so long next time. And maybe I will post some pictures also.

Sonshine Avenue Seminar

One classroom- decorated as movie theatre- even has theatre seating inside

The stage in the large worship room- actually moves

The characters were true to their parts.

Here are some pictures of the Sonshine Avenue Workshop that I went to at North Cleveland Church of God. The place was awesome. Bro Keith Mcmanus is truly annointed. It just pours out of him! I sat in wonder at the amazing things God has done for that Children's department. My feelings? I was totally and completely overwhelmed. Heard wonderful uplifting and encouraging things. I just kept thinking "This will never work at Skyline." " For one thing, we have very little money." " It will be close to impossible for people to jump on board, especially since they have never seen or felt the awestruck wonder of a place like this." ( Yeah.... I know that is Satan casting doubt and discouragement. But , boy, It's hard not to listen to him sometimes). So, for now, I am waiting. To see what God has in store for the Children's Ministry. I brought back some ideas that I think are gonna work nicely on Wednesday nights- countdowns, candy cash reward system, 3 strike discipline program, memory verses, repetitive themes in our lessons. Small baby steps, one at a time.

Children's workshop

Laura Olinger and I are attending a children's seminar for the next three days. The workshop is at North Cleveland Church of God, just above Chattanooga. We leave this afternoon and will not return until late Saturday evening. We are hoping for uplifting and the installation of creative ideas so maybe we can better minister to our children. The class itinerary looks great. They have several classes that you can choose from, depending on your point of interest, so our plans are to catch as many different classes as possible between the two of us. I hope the class proves to be wonderful. However, I have never been away from my family for that long. SO I am having some major anxiety over that aspect. Please pray for my peace and reassurance over this matter so that I may fully receive from the Lord during this seminar. My desire is to move our children out of "play", from candy, movies, and bible stories into active worshipers, prayer warriors, and praise facilitators. I just don't know exactly how to accomplish that yet.

nice vs. rude

Kalyn has had some " tickets" pulled at school. Not many. Just enough to get our attention. She got into the truck today when I picked her up from school. As soon as I asked her if she had a good day, tears well up in her eyes. She said" I lost a ticket today." She explained to me what happened and of course it is someone else's fault ( always is, you know). The class was coming into the room from P.E. A boy asked Kalyn to look into the hallway to see if the teacher was coming. So, the teacher sees Kalyn poking her little self out to snoop.
It is so hard for her to differentiate between being nice to someone and just saying "No". She associates saying "no" as being rude. How many times have we said,"Be nice" or "Treat others the way you want to be treated."? I tried my very best to explain to her how Steven and I are trying to raise her to be nice, but not a push-over, how to say "no, I don't want to do that." and still be nice and friendly and sweet. We want her to be able to take a stand, not be coerced, not affected by peer pressure but she is only seven and I already foresee the peer pressure thing being an issue. It absolutely eats her up inside for someone not to "like" her. I hope that she eventually understands the difference. Life is full of choices, in every direction. I pray that she chooses wisely.

Bubble Bath

Kalyn loves a good bubble bath. Hey, who doesn't? We rarely have the time to enjoy one. Tonight, Steven had a meeting. So us girls did some relaxing.

Steven's birthday

Steven's birthday was the 7th. Here he is opening his gifts. Yes, those are Elvis & Priscilla barbie dolls. Kalyn thought it was so funny that he got dolls for his birthday! He celebrated # 37. It is hard to believe that my man is that age. We should still be 25. Can't believe we have been together for almost 14 years. WOW!!!!

I apologize for not blogging much lately. Just busy like everyone else.
Kalyn started soccer practice last week. Soccer season keeps us moving constantly, and even this year, Steven is the coach of Kalyn's team ( 6 & 7 year old girls). Steven was on 2nd shift when their first 2 practices were scheduled so that left ME being soccer coach. And, let me tell you, I know nothing! about soccer. All I know is to kick the ball. I had a man who helped me tremendously, he was a godsend. Everything worked out fine. Those girls are awesome. I think we are really gonna have a good team this year. But, most importantly, I hope they have fun doing it.

Labor Day Outing

We traveled to Chattanooga for a 1 day mini-vacation. Since we were all off work and school , we took some time to just PLAY. It did wonders for us. We visited the downtown area of Chattanooga. I really like this place. Lots of fun things to do, most of them are free which is a big plus for us. We went to Coolidge park. It is a beautiful park, very family oriented. It has bike trails, walking trails, the sprinklers, lots of grassy areas for picnics.....just a truly nice place to visit and relax....to get away from the hustle and bustle. We walked across Market Street Bridge. Next time we go, we will take Kalyn's bike so she can ride across. Maybe we can take another quick trip in the Fall. It is really not that far away. We should go there more often. I put in my request for an anniversary trip.

Early Works Museum

We visited the Early Works Museum in Huntsville. It was neat. Kalyn and her dad really enjoyed it. I guess you have to like history to really get the true feel. Kalyn is riding in a horse and buggy that was used to haul cotton. Steven and Kalyn are wearing their real "southern" hats. Kalyn is showing her natural talent as President of the United States. The most interesting part was the wall of Presidents. Facts about each president were listed under their pictures. Kalyn was intriqued by Steven reading them to her. And adding a few of his own, of course. You gotta love the useless information.

Slumber party

Here are some pictures from Kalyn's birthday party. She had a slumber party. There were 4 girls. I think they all had a good time. Notice the facials. Such beauty queens!

A mother's prayer

I was remembering a talk that I had with Dottie just a few months ago. We were talking about her mother, Deanne, and how wonderful it is to hear her pray over us. No one can pray like Sis Deanne. Her prayers are always filled with God. Dottie was talking about when Josh was little, he would maneuver his way under Sis Deanne when she was praying just so he could hear her and feel the presence of the Lord. I thought how great that must feel. I wanted my child to feel like that toward me. I have been noticing lately that when we stand in church to pray, Kalyn stands and wraps her arms around me, just to be closer. I wonder if she is feeling that way toward me, just to hear me pray over her. How awesome are the heartfelt prayers of a mother!

LUCKY # 7

Today is Kalyn's 7th Birthday!! She is growing up so fast. Her person is unfolding more each day. She is becoming more articulate, more thoughtful, more compassionate, and more loving as each day passes. It is a joy to be a part of the miracle that she is. I can't thank God enough for her. Here she is with her waffles this morning before school. I'll post more pics of her birthday later.

Making bookmarks

Church started a new ministry last year. At the beginning of the school year, each student makes a bookmark. He or she can decorate it any way he chooses. Once each student has completed it, all the bookmarks are placed together. The bookmarks are prayed over and then the adults randomly chose a bookmark. Whosever bookmark the adult has chosen, the student then becomes that person's prayer partner. It is the adult's responsibilty to bathe that particular student in prayer. And, it never hurts to drop a note or small surprise to just let the student know we are thinking about them and care for them. Here are a few of the students showing off the bookmarks they made.

Alabama Adventure

We went to the waterpark at Alabama Adventures the weekend before school started. We had a blast. The lazy river was our favorite part. We also ran into some friends, Rhonda, Phillip, Malisha and Preston. We were so glad to see them. Felt like old times. Miss you guys!

Kalyn's nosebleed

Kalyn has been having some major nosebleeds lately. We have gotten used to them. Kalyn is not even scared anymore. She just knows how to handle it. It has happened so often. Wednesday night, we were sitting in the living room floor, when Kalyn's nose starts to bleed. When it starts, it usually lasts for a while. Well, her nose was gushing! We couldn't keep kleenexs on it fast enough. It bled profusely for about 20 minutes. When I put one more kleenex under her nose, she said "I think it has stopped." Well, sure enough, it had. Not even a drop on the kleenex. No slowing down, just completely stopped. I asked her "You prayed didn't you?" She nods her head and sheepishly says, "Yeah". I explained to her how awesome that was. That was exactly what she should have done. And how faithfully, it worked.

The Power

Recently, in our Wednesday night children's class, I was reviewing the bible points that were addressed during VBS. With school starting back, I thought it would be a good time to reinforce those lessons. We were talking about the different kind of powers that Jesus gives us. We came to the lesson on "Jesus gives us the power to tell others about Jesus". I read the scripture Matt 5: 14-16. " You are the light of the world- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." After a few moments of silence, Sarah Lewis spoke up and so sweetly said, "That's a good one." I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Yes, indeed, Sarah, that is a good one.

1st day of school

The first day of 2nd grade! I am overwhelmed by the thought. It is so hard for me to accept that my baby is in 2nd grade. Last night, it was even hard for me to write 2 in the grade spaces on all her papers. Well, enough about me. Onto her.
She had a really good time. Loved it! Was so excited about going back to school. She picked out the perfect lunchbox and the oh so great backpack. Nothing else would do besides the one strap backpack. Talk about style! If you look closely at the botom of the backwards picture, you can see her cat playing with the too long strap. Kalyn was glad to see her friend, Grace. If you all remember, Grace is the answer to a prayer of mine. I was having difficulty making the decision whether to send Kalyn to school. Her birthday is so late in the year, I was afraid she would not do well, be too young, etc. So I asked God, if we were doing the right thing, to just let Kalyn have a special friend. In popped Grace. It was instant friendship. The two have been in the same classroom each year and are almost inseparable. We tell Kalyn all the time that Grace is an answer to a prayer. She just looks at us like Yeah, Right. Grace will always be special to us just for that reason.

Kalyn's new do

Check out Kalyn's new hairdo! Just in time for school to start back. She has grown up, matured so much this summer. I can hardly believe it. Seems like only yesterday I was fixing bottles and hunting down pacifiers. Where did all the time go? I want to get the book "LET ME HOLD YOU LONGER" for her. I have been meaning to and just never have purchased it. It talks about all the "last" things we forget to celebrate. We rejoice over every first step, first word, first day of school. But what about all those lasts...like, the last bottle, the last diaper, the last baby coo, the last time we picked them up off the floor, the last time we had to fix the cereal bowl, reach the shelf, fix a drink, etc. If us parents knew the exact moment of those precious "lasts", we would be heartbroken and want to hold on to them forever. I find myself experiencing more and more of those "lasts" than I truly want to.

PLEASE PRAY FOR DADDY

MY DAD WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL THIS MORNING WITH CHEST PAIN (again). UPON MOM'S REQUEST, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO HUNTSVILLE HOSPITAL TO SEE HIS CARDIOLOGIST. HE IS SCHEDULED FOR A CARDIAC CATHERIZATION TOMORROW AT 1:30. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS HEALTH AND THAT EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTHLY DURING THE PROCEDURE. PASTOR, YOU REMEMBER ALMOST 1 1/2 YEARS AGO, YOU WERE SITTING AT THE HOSPITAL WITH MOMMA. YOU WERE A GODSEND THAT DAY. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE PRAYERS WERE WHAT SAW DAD THROUGH AND CHANGED THAT DOCTOR'S MIND AND CHANGED THE COURSE OF TREATMENT FOR HIM. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR WHAT GOD DID.

Coolness on the way!

We have been without air conditioning since Thursday. Yes, Terrie, I admit I am spoiled. It has really bothered me these last couple of hours. Before then, I was adapting okay. But it has gotten on my NERVES! We were using a company that had made a good first impression on us. However, we have tried to be patient. He told us today that he did not know when they would be able to put in a new unit. Mind you , it costs ALOT!! So, Patience has run thin. Steven called a different company this afternoon and they are coming in the morning to install a brand spanking new air conditioner/heat pump. Now thats service!! So maybe by this time tomorrow evening, I will be basking in delectable coolness. HALLELULAH!!!

No more getaway

You may remember a blog post that I did a couple of months ago about our air conditioning needing a doctor. Well, it has happened again. When we arrived home last night, the air was not working at all. Could not get the thing to even turn on. Despite Steven taking a flashlight and shining all the places he knew to shine, there was nothing we could do. So we open all the windows, turn on all the ceiling fans and try to get comfortable enough to sleep. I guess the repairman gets my weekend getaway. I sure hope he enjoys it!!!

Any suggestions?

Steven and I are wanting some "couple" time. We would like to go somewhere, maybe for a weekend, even just 1 night would be okay. The problem is.... we don't know where to go. We don't want it to be too far. Maybe a couple of hours or less. Since we can't take time off work, this getaway has to fit into our busy schedules and timeframes. That severely limits us. Also, we have limited funds. So it can't be too expensive. But we really need this. No matter how short or meager it has to be. So I am asking for suggestions. Anyone been someplace nice lately? Any ideas?

Photos of VBS

This picture is of Sage Lewis, Kalyn, and Kenzie Manning one night after bible school was over. They are having a ball dramatizing to the songs.

Here is the 7 & 8 year old group. I was the crew leader. We are doing our "aha" for the bible point of the night. This was the best group! I loved being a part of them. They "lead" me more than I did them.

This pic is of some of the members of the junior drama team. They are leading worship for the altar service. They did an amazing job!

Our group won the prize for most offering one night so they got to slime a teenager. Ariel Evett just happened to volunteer for our night ( her brother was in my group). The kids had a blast pouring slime all over her. And, Bless her heart, she was a good sport.

Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School is this week. Started last night actually. We had a good night with 58 children present plus workers. Please cover us in prayer. I am praying for more kids, more families. But most importantly, for seeds to be planted that these young people cannot seem to outgrow. I want what is said, experienced this week to continue to grow in their hearts until they simply can't shake it. My wish is that they will fall back on the lessons, the excitement, the positive aspects, all during their lives. That 20 years from now, they will remember how much fun it is to worship Jesus. That HE has no boundaries, no boxes, no made up set of rules. Simply that HE IS!!

Look what the Lord has done!

Steven has accepted the Lord's call and became the 5th & 6th grade Sunday School teacher. He has been battling the feeling of needing and wanting to do more for quite some time. He just could never receive an answer. So when Ashley and Josh were talking about needing more teachers and that the 5th and 6th graders were open, Steven said God spoke to his heart and told him to "take it". Steven described the feeling to me as having tremendous pressure, so much that he couldn't catch his breath....until he said to himself, "Okay, I'll take it." He made the announcement Wednesday night. And he is so excited! He has so many ideas going crazy in his head. He is going to do a great job. However, you know how the devil works and he is already planting negativity. Things like... How can I be a Sunday school teacher when I have never attended Sunday school a day in my life? What if the kids don't like me? What was I thinking, I can't teach those kids anything. I barely understand it myself? We all know how deceiving Satan can be, especially at a time like this, so please pray for him. God continually pours out His annointing on Steven. You can see it all around him. I know that he is going to do great and mighty things. This is only the beginning.

As a family, we stand in awe of the amazing things God is doing for us. Just last weekend, Kalyn had a friend spend the night. The junior drama team was doing a drama in the morning service. Haley was planning to attend church with us. I needed to get to church early in order to prepare, so we didn't have much time that morning. But Kalyn came up to me and asked "Can I show Haley our drama? She wants to do it with us." I said " Yes, Kalyn, but you will have to hurry." As I secretly watched from behind her bedroom door, Our Kalyn ministered to her friend. She had no idea I was watching and listening. She taught Haley that entire drama (that our class had been working on for weeks) in a matter of minutes. It was simply amazing. Words can not describe how I felt at that moment.

Six Flags

We had a blast at Six Flags. Haley, Kalyn's friend, went with us. They loved the water park.

Hard times for families

I am sure what I am writing about has hit each one of our families in some way. It is the economy. My father was notified around the first of year that he was gonna inevitably lose his job. No one knew the exact date, some said end of March, some speculated the end of May. But now it is official. The last day for my dad to work is August 1st. To truly understand how devastating this is to him, you have to know my dad. He has worked his whole entire life, I mean WORKED. He missed out on alot things with us kids because he was working all the time. He has been with this same company for 33 years. He is not yet old enough to retire from the company without being greatly penalized on his pension. His health will not let him hold down another job. Besides, who is going to hire a 56 year old man with tremendous health problems? Sure, he can draw unemployment for a while, but what then , and in the mean time, what about health insurance? To purchase COBRA insurance would be more money than his unemployment check. Gratefully, my mom is working presently. However, her job is not too stable either. On another note, my uncle, works at the Toyota plant in Huntsville. He is the sole provider for their family, always has been. My aunt is in ill health and takes all kinds of medicine for fibromyalgia and other things. He is the only income whatsoever. He was told today that he is losing his job August 8th. Thankfully, their children have jobs and can provide for themselves. But, there again, what about insurance? Also, Steven's job has been slow for the last couple of months. They make windshields for airplanes. Who needs a windshield when the airplanes are not flying because no one can afford to travel because they are too busy trying to put gas in the car or buy food for their family?
Sadly, it seems to be a never ending process. It will continue to trickle down until it reaches every last one of us. What happens then?

KALYN'S NEW ROOM!!

CHECK OUT KALYN'S NEW ROOM! OKAY, NOT REALLY NEW. JUST REDECORATED. ISN'T IT JUST THE CUTEST? YES, WE DID IT OURSELVES. WHEW, LOTS OF WORK. IT TOOK US ALOT LONGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED--ONLY 3 WHOLE DAYS. BUT IT TURNED OUT GREAT! SHE ADORES IT. WE HAVE NOW STEPPED OUT OF THE "LITTLE GIRL" STAGE. SHE IS ALREADY TESTING HER OWN IDEAS. SHE HONESTLY AMAZES ME. I AM SO PROUD TO BE HER MOM.

Huntsville Air Show

These are pics taken at the Huntsville Air Show. Kalyn is with her friend, Dillon. Luckily we decided to go on Saturday instead of Sunday, the day of the tragic accident that took the life of a 5 year old. I can't imagine those parents' grief. I am sure they took their child to the place they thought was the safest place to be during a storm. They were trying to protect their child and instead placed him in harms way. The guilt would be unbearable. I don't know this family but my heart goes out to them. Steven works with a man that attends church with them. The man said this was their only child, they had tried for years to get him. I can totally relate to their circumstance. Please pray for them during your prayer time.

Petting Zoo

We visited Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo this past weekend. Kalyn loves to go there. She is definitely an animal lover. She says when she grows up, she is going to be a vet. Steven will not like sending his money to Auburn. LOL!! Now, that's funny!

Our yard has recently turned into a mini-farm.(I think of Rhonda while I type). We have 2 fish, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 chickens and a goat that lives at Grandaddy's house (Thank the Lord). Plus a very small garden this year. What were we thinking?

2 men of my life

Steven and Daddy--my absolute favorite men in the whole world. I think this is the only picture I have of them together. I love it. They are modeling their tuxedos for Chris's wedding.

Interest of a little girl

We visited Pastor Jeff Stanford's church Tueday night. They were having a "On Fire Camp Meeting" and Pastor Tommy Bates was the preacher for the night. Steven loves to hear him. We always get something out of his messages, no matter what. Pastor Bates had just started his message, read a couple of scriptures and started to explain them. Steven and I were watching Kalyn. She had her eyes and ears fixed on him, even though there was much noise in the room. She seemed to hang on every word he spoke. We were listening also when I heard a voice in my hear, "What does that mean?" He had used the word "contaminated" refering to a water source. When I explained it meant dirty or nasty, she never missed a beat, just nodded and kept right on listening. Afterward, on the way home, I asked her if she had any questions, that she could ask at any time. She said "No, I understood." I truly feel like she did, every word.

Steven's day

Steven has wanted a Jason Crabb "Through the Fire" shirt ever since we saw him at Winterfest. Steven performs this song at church, so it was only fitting that he get one for Father's Day.

Steven and Kalyn - a perfect father/daughter relationship. These two are so proud of each other. And it shows anytime they are together. Can't you feel the Love?

Steven has looked at, talked about and wanted a spray painter since Spring. He is the ultimate outdoors man. All he seems to talk about is what he can do to the house next- paint, remodel, fix, etc. The next project we have is to paint porches and decks. Great fun!