Home Safe and Sound. .. ..

The hubbs and Sprat made it home safe and sound yesterday.  So glad to have the boy home for a few weeks, of course I may not be saying that in a few weeks.  You know how teenagers are, as you can see from the picture below he has already assumed the teenager position.   The brown lump behind his knees would be the B and she has also assumed her position.  

Speaking of the B, she was very excited to see her daddy and her boy come home.  She felt she had not seen them for years and she acted that way too.  She jumped and fussed and barked and wagged her tail like you would not believe when they came in the house.  

I have a secret to tell but you cannot share, if the word gets out I may never get to see this sight again.  So if you promise not to tell I will share what I saw.  It was almost like being in the wild when two rival species meet that usually fight to the death and you wonder what will happen.  I was brought to tears when I saw my two boys hug each other.  No, they were not trying to choke each other out as I would have thought had this happened over the Summer. They were truly happy to see each  other, in fact Big T has already enlisted his big brother advice on how to set up a prom posal for his "girlfriend" for the Spring.  Shhhhh!! I was not suppose to hear about that either.  I love hearing them talk with each other in a nice manner and not fussing and yelling at each other.  To all the Moms that are in that sibling rivalry phase, there is hope and there is light at the end of that tunnel and it does not appear to be a locomotive.  This Mama is going to enjoy Christmas having all the fellas at home together.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve and I am truly thankful for all of our blessings even the mouth one, the B. 

Update on Our Clan. . . Bring on 2018. . .

I have been away for a bit, life happens and we must continue.  Some days are more difficult than others with regard to my work.  It is quite sad sometimes the situations I must hear about.  My sister keeps reminding me I am where I am for a reason and that God has put me in this job with  a purpose.  I still cry some days as I am making my way home and I will call my hubby on the way and cry to him about my day. He is my rock and my cheerleader on those days that are so difficult (grateful moment).   It is hard to believe I have been with this company for over a year now.  I kept thinking they were going to fire me for the first 9 months I worked there, you know the old dog new tricks.  I had my PCI review last night, I worked night shift last night.  I  had a good review and they are pleased with my performance and for that I am truly grateful, this job came at a time when my family needed the income and I needed to be able to help my family.  My very sweet hubby carried our family for fourteen years and I would not take that back for anything, I was there for my kids when they most needed their mom.   My schedule is pretty flexible so, I am still able to be there for my boys if they need me. (another grateful moment). 
The hubbs had a banner year with his job and we have made great strides in paying our house off and saving for college.  We are thrilled Sprat will be going to his number one pick college in August with a merit scholarship, it will not cover everything but it is a nice start (grateful moment).  Big T has soared this year in his new school, I never know what he is going to come home with.   Big T is learning how to interact with local business members of our community.  He has made presentations for the business leaders and for the various eighth grade classes in the County. Big T took a test that is given to seniors right before they graduate to see where they will be placed in college classes and did really well and does not have to take that test again (grateful moment). 
Yes, I am bragging just a little but we had a rough go of it last year and I am just extremely grateful for the blessings we have been given this year.   I have said many times that God will bring us to our knees so that He can lift us back up again.   We have been lifted and I am humbled by his grace. 
We are struggling these last few months with family troubles with extended family, so I ask for prayers, God knows what our families need.   I am praying for peace, comfort, and strength for our families.  I probably will not be back until after the New Year, lots going on with work and family.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. 

Happy Thanksgiving. . . .

Just a quick post today to share how truly thankful I am for my family and friends.  We have been blessed this year by many prayers.  I am not sure we would have survived this year with out prayer and the good Lord above directing our path.  He does move mysteriously, sometimes he takes things away from us only to give us something better and make us realize that we still need Him.
Thankful and looking forward to what 2017 holds for our clan.
Stay tuned for we do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds it.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

BIG NEWS!!!!!!

My very dear sweet hubby has his old job back with a generous raise!!  Praise the Good Lord above and a big thank you to every one that was praying for us and who have inquired about how we are doing.  We are very excited!!!  He is slated to start November 1.    I guess he will be hanging up his apron, much to my dismay.   

Stay tuned lots of new adjustments to our family with us both working.  This could be very interesting.  

We are very thankful and feel very blessed.  

More Hotcakes. . .

I love my new devotional book "Hotcakes and Hallelujahs"  today I was reading the part about a new beginning.  The verse that begins this sections is 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are new."  This is so appropriate at the beginning of a new year.  You take stock in your life, what things you would like to change or stop doing all together.  There may even be things that you would like to do more of, like growing your relationship with God.  Spending more time in prayerful conversation with God.
I have to share this with you about my Ethics class I am taking for school.  We were talking about what ethical system drives you.  I picked religion, because that is the basis of my life.  I had a young man question how I could blindly follow something I could not see or touch.  He was attacking my faith, but I did not get offended, he obviously did not know any better and was repeating what ever he had heard from someone else.  Again, I was not offended, I took this as an opportunity to witness to this young man that was obviously confused.  He thought it was insane for someone to "claim" to walk and talk with God.   I shared with him the fact that I carried my two boys in my body and gave birth to them was all the proof I needed to know that God was real and that he was working in my life.  I see God in my everyday life, I journal my prayers for my family and when I go back and look at them I can see exactly where God stepped in and moved us along.  We had an interesting discussion on this subject of religion.  I do not know if I made a difference or not with this fella but he has been added to my prayer list.  I know that God puts people in your life for a reason, whether to teach you a lesson or for you to teach them.  I feel like this fella is the later.
How would you feel if someone said these things to  you?  Would you be offended or would you take the opportunity to witness?  Let me know what you are thinking.

Garden Tuesday

Dear hubby has been fretting over not getting the garden planted this year because of his leg.  Today his dear sweet brother came, while I was in class, and tilled the garden to plant.  He planted lettuce, radishes, potatoes,  peas, broccoli,  cabbage and onions.   Hubby was able to get out for a little while to see it.  That little trip outside wipped him out.  He still has a way to go on recovery but he is making good progress.  He has been doing his hand therapy everyday and his finger has improved greatly.   I know that he will approach his knee therapy the same way.  It is just a matter of time when they will start that.  He is still straight legged until further notice.  We see the surgeon again in another week.
I am so thankful for our friends and family, everyone has pitched in to help us out.  Our family is blessed.

Update on My Challenge to Me. . .

At the beginning of October I set a challenge to me, to pray for all of my Facebook friends everyday.  I am proud to say I did pretty good.  I think I only missed a few days. 
Now,  I am sure you are asking how could I pray for all of my friends specifically?   Well,  this is how I did it.  I pray each morning after my crew has gone to school and work.  That is my quiet time to talk with God about what is going on in my life.   I called each persons name in my friends list and asked God to watch over that person and their family.   I lifted each person to Him for His grace.  I know, I don't know their troubles or pain but He does. 
When you pray for others, putting yourself aside, you are also blessed.   I do feel blessed because of this challenge.  It made me aware that I should think of others and always be praying for those in need whether I know them or not.  
I am not a holyer than thow kinda person.   I just have a passion for God in my life and I want to share that with everyone.   My family and I have been so blessed by God's grace and I just want everyone to know how great He is.   I am not perfect and the great thing about that is,  God does not care.   He wants us, in all our imperfect ways, and for that I am grateful. 

Feeling Blessed. . .

Funny things just keep happening to us.  Not funny ha ha, but funny unusual.  Dear hubby and I have been sticking to our budget and we are paying off our car in record speed.  That is the only thing we owe on besides the house and I am so happy about that.  Anytime we get extra money we pay extra on the car.   We are also saving our 3-6 month emergency fund.  That has been a huge deal.  We have never had extra money to truly save before.  We have always saved through the 401K offered through dear hubby's job and that is growing like crazy.
If you have never listened to Dave Ramsey, I highly recommend it.   He has a plan that works.  It is working for us in ways we could never imagine.  I like Dave because he uses scripture to illustrate his plan and shows how the Bible has a plan for money management too.  I like Dave's concept of giving, hubby and I have always given off  the top to our Church and other local charities.  In Dave's budget giving is the first category, because you should give first.   The Bible also says what ever you give, you will receive in return ten fold.  I have seen this just this week.  It is so funny how things happen sometimes.  Think about sharing your wealth with your Church or a local food bank.  They are all in need and you will get back way more than you ever give.  If you are giving try giving a little more and see how your life can change.  Ours has changed in ways that would take me years to post.  We are truly blessed.

What a wonderful crazy week. . .

Received news of a wonderful blessing, a windfall actually.   God is good!  I made a 98 on my computer exam and I am so happy for that.  I turned in my rough draft for my term paper in my Ethics class and feel good about it.  I am getting ready for two wonderful weeks with my boys out of school.  I get only one week so they will get to visit with Memaw  while I have class two days.  We are still working our way through Dave Ramseys' program to be debt FREE with great progress.  Everyday we get a little closer. I finished my third book with my new book club.  On a side note, I am not buying these books I am getting them from my local Library.  This month we read, "Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Greggory Maguire.  This was by far my favorite book so far.  I have a new respect for the Wicked Witch of the West.  Great book, I would highly recommend it.  We start our new book, "Submerged" by Cheryl Kaye Terdif.   Today is the beginning  of Holy Week and we had a great service today and the Childrens' Choir sang "Hosana"  one of my favorite Hymns.  So proud of our Choir.   I must add that  I just watched Kansas beat UNC !!!!  yipeeee!!!  I am an ABC fan, Anybody But Carolina.   But I digress, God is good and he does watch out for those in need and those praying for help and guidance.  He proves this to me daily and I am so thankful.