Christmas Eve

Today we travelled to Marion to begin our visit with family. Tonight we celebrated Christmas with my family at my sister's house. We enjoyed a yummy fajita dinner with the best salsa ever (thanks to Brad). Afterwards, we went to a short service at my parents church and then returned to my sister's. We started out singing some songs, including 12 Days of Christmas - everyone had a day. This was very much out of the norm for my family, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. And then we opened presents. Nathan's favorite present was an Air Hog Helicopter from his Mimi and Papa (aka Chicken Leg) and Natalie received a Nintendo DS game. She doesn't have the game system yet - she is saving her money and should be able to buy it soon. Tim and I both were blessed with some wonderful gifts. Tim got dress socks, cologne, Razorback coasters and a new travel bag. I got a crock-pot with a timer, some soft pajamas and bath gel. We had a nice visit with everyone and enjoyed meeting my niece's boyfriend, a sweet guy! So, tomorrow is Christmas Day and we will spend it with Tim's parents and his brother's family.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Christmas goodies

Yesterday, I went to a friend's house and we made all kinds of Christmas goodies. I got there at 9 a.m. and left at 2:45 p.m. This is more baking than I have done all year. But it was so much fun doing it with a friend. And of course, I got in some playtime with her sweet little boys. Lets see I made:

• Peanut Butter Balls
• Peppermint Bark (hers has milk chocolate and white chocolate)
• Cake Balls dipped in chocolate
• Brown Sugar Chewies

It was great time to visit with her and spend some time with a dear sister in Christ. She even fed me lunch. I am reliving my kids younger years through her boys.

Merry Christmas from the Cains!

Merry Christmas from Tim, Allison, Natalie, and Nathan Cain

Christmas...

This is from the Girl Talk blog that I read regularly. I thought about typing up something, but this was so good, I wanted to share.

I know many people who are suffering this Christmas. Their trials weigh upon my heart as I cut fresh holly for the mantle and bake cookies with the kids. All the Christmas gaiety—“Have a happy jolly Christmas, the best time of the year…”—feels as out of place as a circus act at a funeral home.

For Christians though, Christmas is never out of place. Sure, the trappings of the holiday may be more painful than pleasant some years. But Christmas for the Christian can be a welcome reminder of our certain hope, a celebration of promises kept by God.

In Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, compiled by Nancy Guthrie, Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains:

“What God did when he sent his Son into the world is an absolute guarantee that he will do everything he has ever promised to do. Look at it in a personal sense: “All things work together for good to them that love God”—that is a promise—“to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28, KJV). “But how can I know that is true for me?” asks someone. The answer is the incarnation. God has given the final proof that all his promises are sure, that he is faithful to everything he has ever said. So that promise is sure for you. Whatever your state or condition may be, whatever may happen to you, he has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5, KJV)—and he will not. He has said so, and we have absolute proof that he fulfills his promises. He does not always do it immediately in the way that we think. No, no! But he does it! And he will never fail to do it.”

Whatever your state or condition this Christmas, whatever your future may hold, God’s promises are certain. He kept His promise to send His Son and He will keep His promises to you—to be with you in trial and to deliver you. When Christmas reminds us that God keeps His promises it truly can be “the best time of the year.”

“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted” (Isaiah 49:15).

Revive our Hearts True Woman Manifesto

Go to this link to sign and read the True Woman Manifesto. http://www.truewoman.com/?id=312

Candance Cameron Bure - "Full House"

If you enjoyed Candance Cameron on Full House, check out her new movie. http://www.christianwomenonline.net/candace_cameron_bure_2.html. The movie sounds good. Her big brother is Kirk Cameron, who was in Fireproof and co-host of the radio show, The Way of the Master.

Another birthday...

Well, it seems like the time has come again to celebrate yet another birthday. Tomorrow, November 22nd I will be 37! WOW! Next year, it will be 20 years since my high school graduation. I am thankful to have in my life a wonderful family and some of the best friends anyone could ask for. In fact today my co-workers surprised me with a few gifts.

This year I have experienced some changes and they have all been for my good. I am thankful to the Lord for all he has blessed me with, especially salvation.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV

Various pictures...

Natalie takes a swing...



Nathan received a new set of clubs from his Pepaw



2 of Nathan's paintings he entered in the Saline County Fair - "Blue Ribbon" winners



Natalie's creations - tote bag, pillow and pillowcase.

Nathan's birthday pics...

Nathan's turns 10!

Natalie's science project in action...

For Natalie's science project, she chose to plant 3 pots of pansies. The project is to see which pot does best based on the amount of water they recived.

Clothes for sale...

Heartstrings satin dress, size 6, $25


The Children's Place, size 10, $15

I am selling the above dresses. Please let me know if you are interested.

Things are looking up...

Since October 21st, my surgery date, my life has slowed down quite a bit. That particular week is a blur because of the meds I was taking for pain. The following week got a little better, the pain had subsided and I was just sore. And now, I am beginning to feel like my old self again. I still have to remind myself to take it easy and continue to let my body heal. I am easing back into household stuff. My sweet angel, Natalie, has been a tremendous help to me over these past 2 weeks. She has worked so hard to warm our meals at night and helped out with laundry. I would like to say Nathan jumped in, but he did alright.

During this time of recovery I have had a lot of time on my hands. I always use to look forward to my time alone at home. Now, I welcome anyone to visit with. I actually look forward to picking up the kids from school just to have people around. The Lord has used this time to show me truly how much I need Him and others in my life. I am so grateful for Tim who was there with me in the hospital, for my parents coming for several days to help out the kiddos and Tim's mom who gave up her weekend to help out. I know I couldn't have gotten better without their help. Also, I have to be thankful for the wonderful people in our care group at church. We enjoyed some yummy meals they so graciously prepared for us. I could get use to that!

So, thank you for your prayers and support during this time.

Well, the last few days have been somewhat a blur for me. At the beginning of the week I began preparing my body for surgery on Tuesday. Needless to say, this was not the fun part. Bright and early Tuesday morning we made our way to the hospital to be checked in. If you would like more surgery details, please feel free to call or email me. Once we arrived back home on Wednesday, I was greeted by my wonderful parents. My mom had prepared some homemade potato soup for me and it was delicious. I am often reminded how much as an adult that I still need my mom and dad. I loved having them here. My mom is so good to take care of the household stuff and of course my dad provides a lot of humor. Today I decided to read and ended up in Psalm 117 - the shortest Psalm. It says:

"Praise the Lord, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!
For His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!"

This reminded so much of the Lord's love for His children and how He cares for us through others. My husband has been absolutely wonderful - always at my side and very helpful. Sometimes our guys don't know always what to do, but he has been there to help in whatever way needed. Also, my dear parents, as I said were wonderful. We have received so much love from our friends at church - meals, flowers, phone calls, visits, etc. The Lord is so kind to bless our lives with wonderful friends and family. I am grateful for all of you! I still have a some more time to go recovering and hope to focus more of the Lord's lovingkindness to me and my family.

VOTE...

This is an email I received from Family Council:

Don't Let Anything Stop You from Voting

When will it be a moral and political good for the Arkansas government to go into the gambling business? When will it be a moral and political good to place any foster or adoptive child with gay couples? Never, is my answer. Not this year. Not next year. Not 10 years from now. Not 50 years from now. Never. As Arkansas closes in on Election Day, the issues are tightening up. It's going to come down to which registered voters will make going to the polls a priority. Lottery proponents are counting on those of us who have rejected lotteries at least 5 times in my lifetime to have grown weary of the battle, to give up. Groups that have embraced political correctness on gay parenting are hoping that finally, you have too. Please, with all I can ask you, don't give up. Don't EVER give up on your convictions because of weariness. If we do that, it is only a matter of time before we lose every fight. We have to resolve to fight bad policy every time it comes, and support good policy every time it comes, for as long as it comes. Early voting begins this coming Monday, October 20th and ends Tuesday, Nov. 4th. Please vote FOR ACT 1, The Arkansas Adoption and Foster Care Act and AGAINST AMENDMENT 3, the State-run lotteries amendment. Your kids and grandkids need you to stay in the fight. Don't let anything stop you from voting.

Sincerely,Jerry CoxFamily Council President
www.familycouncilactioncommittee.com

Camping Trip Pictures

Nathan, Allison & Nathan at an old homestead.


Around the campfire.


Tim and his shoes - they have since been retired.

Camping

Okay, I have survived another camping trip. Each time it gets a little better. We travelled to Tyler Bend, off Highway 65 through Marshall. The drive was better for me - I tend to get a little car sick. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, got the tent set up, etc. and started enjoying our time with friends. That is probably the most enjoyable part of this for me - spending time with our dear friends. The Lord has really blessed us with a group that loves one another, loves each other's kids, helps one another, encourages one another and truly enjoys everyone's company. On Thursday night we enjoyed a group meal with chili, fritos and all the trimmings. That night was a little cold, but my mummy bag is so great! On Friday morning, after breakfast we enjoyed an "easy" hike. I am getting better at these, but this was hard. We had a little funny happen. Tim had left his shoes outside that night and of course they got wet. He was trying to dry them out and ended up burning some of the rubber soles. I would like to say I responded in a kind and loving way. The Lord is still working on me. I was defintely frustrated by this. I looked around and decided it was time to make an ice run. We all now laugh about this. The weather was great. But I have to say my bed never felt so good as it did on Saturday night.

Nathan turns 10!

On October 13, 1998 our sweet baby boy was born. That evening, Nathan Stephen Cain made his appearance without much fuss - he just slide into this world. And that has been his personality since. He is a sweet boy with a love of life. Nothing much gets to him, except of course if you should throw something away. He fills our home with much laughter. He likes to make people laugh! My heart is a little saddened when I think of him growing up and one day moving on. There is something about mothers and sons. Some of the things I love about him are:

1. Sweet smile



2. Creativeness and ability to create something out of nothing (literally)



3. Giftedness in math



4. Love of life



5. His hugs and yes his kisses



6. Cuddling in bed with him at night or early in the morning

These are just a few of the reasons why I love this little guy, but most of all because God created him for our family. He is a perfect fit for us! Happy Birthday Nathan - you are growing into a handsome young man. We love you!

Our beautiful girl!

The future Michael Phelps...

He may never win any gold medals - but he sure is cute!

Answer to prayer

The Lord is so good! I received a call today from my brother to say he had been questioning whether or not he was saved. He today went to talk with the pastor and now knows he is saved. This has been a prayer request of mine for many years. I have prayed that the Lord would show him his need for a Savior and that he would respond. He was in tears, which is defintely not normal for him. Over the past several weeks, we have noticed a softening of this heart. He has been a joy to be around and genuinely wants to be with his family. I am now praying for a man to come alongside him to disciple him. I have sent him many books in the past and he still has them all, but has never read them. One is a booklet by Peter Jeffrey, Seeking God. Please pray for him and that his salvation is genuine and he will allow the Lord to change him. I was crying myself - Praise the Lord!!!

McCain-Palin stickers, etc.

If you would like a McCain-Palin sticker, yard sign, etc. go to Ad Craft in downtown LR to purchase them. The Republican Party didn't send any items to Arkansas because we are swing state. So this place had some printed up and are selling them. The address is 1122 W. Third and the phone is 372-5231. Tim put my sticker on the car last night and I am so proud to have it!

Trying something new...

A friend recently blogged about going to all cash for spending. Tim and I would really like to do this - we know we spend too much on the credit card. Even though we pay it off every month, there is a lot of wasteful spending. So, this month we are trying to make the transition to using mostly cash and tracking our credit card spending better. For groceries, I have been putting a certain amount on a Kroger card and this seems to help with that. Our problem comes with eating out. Our family loves to eat out! I know it isn't all that good for you, but it is a hard habit to break. I like to cook - but haven't been planning as I should. That is my main goal and project is to plan meals and actually have the food on hand to fix them. This is something I know we need to do. More to come...

What's going on?

I realized I haven't blogged in a while - call it laziness, busyness - just hasn't happened. This is not to say we haven't been busy, quite the contrary. This year I am substituting more at the school, which doesn't leave me much time to devote to things at home. However, the money is pretty good and doesn't require a lot of planning on my part. I am also still working 2 days a week at our church, The Bible Church of Little Rock (http://www.bclr.org/). In my opinion this is the best church around this area. Just today our pastor started going on over our core values. Things BCLR will not waiver or compromise on. After listening, I am more grateful than ever that the Lord has us here. One comment, he made is that we make no excuses that all mankind is totally depraved. Not an expression you hear in a lot of churches today. I leaned over to my son and asked, "Do you know you are depraved". To which he said, what does that mean. I tried to explain and his dad said read Genesis 6:5. It says "The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." It makes you stop and think exactly what is being taught in the mainstream church of today. Alot of the ministry is based upon feelings and meeting everyone's needs. This is done by applying canned programs, not leaving much room for the Holy Spirit to work, etc. As believers, we are called to stand out from the rest of the world, not to just blend in or become like them. Church isn't meant to the be the world - it is where we come to escape the world and all of the struggles in it.

The Core Values of BCLR are:

1. Adherence to a high view of God.
2. Recognition of the final authority and total sufficiency of Scripture.
3. Teaching an accurate doctrine of man.
4. Affirmation of the foundational and functional purpose of the local church.
5. Operation upon the priority of biblical leadership.
6. Functioning as a community that loves God and loves others.

Having grown up in the Southern Baptist church, there really wasn't a high view of God that I saw displayed. I never heard about man being depraved. I heard that we were sinners, but that we could pray the prayer and then all was okay. As a child, I believed this and did twice walk the aisle and get baptized. I thought I was okay until a few years ago. One night my husband me if I desired God's word and to read it. I honestly said, no. TO which he ask me why. I knew then that I hadn't been saved and wasn't saved. I was so grateful to have people at BCLR to go to and search this out with me. I had been living with a false assurance that I was a Christian and would go to heaven. However, you couldn't tell from my daily life. I never read my Bible or opened it, unless at church, didn't pray much and became very defensive when my husband tried to encourage me to do so. At church I enjoyed the social gatherings that were fun. Although fellowship is good - if that is all I come to church for, what good is my salvation. Soon after, I searched the scriptures and prayed and the Lord did save me. This was all by grace and nothing to do with any prayer I prayed as a child. The Lord choose me to be His and I forever grateful. He came to seek and save the lost and I was one of the lost. Since that time, it is a still a struggle, but I desire it more and more than every before and know I can't live without it. Just recently I attended a conference on worship. This has changed my life - the Lord has changed my life. We are commanded in the scriptures to worship. I am presently reading a book "How to Worship Jesus Christ" by Joseph S. Carroll. It says the following:

"We were created to worship Jesus Christ. We were created for Him, to become something like Him in order that He might find pleasure in us."

"True worship is more than setting aside a few minutes each day to read the Bible and pray. True worship requires complete commitment of emotions, intellect, and will."

(printed from the back cover).

Governor Palin

Read this article on Governor Sarah Palin. I think she is going to shake things up a bit. I am glad John McCain picked her.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122057381593001741.html?mod=todays_columnists

The First Week of School

We survived the first week of school! I think the kids are glad to be back in a routine and with their friends.

Natalie started 6th grade - WOW! I can't believe next year we start junior high and youth group at church. She still seems so young. She is having a good year so far - likes all of her teachers and is adjusting well. The teachers really expect a lot from the 6th graders. They really try and prepare them for the next step - teaching responsibility, accountability, etc. Natalie made a new friend the first day and also enjoys seeing her old friends.

Nathan started 4th grade - my baby is growing up! He is so excited to be able to change classes and can't wait for GT to begin. He goes to 4 classes - Reading/Spelling, Science, Math, Language and his homeroom teacher also does Social Studies. He had his first spelling test this week. This is his definite area of weakness, so we are really going to work hard on this.

I ended up subbing Monday - Wednesday and then worked at my other job on Thursday and Friday. I will post some pictures of the kids soon.

Menu

Okay, I am trying out planning my menus for dinner starting tonight through next Thursday.

Wednesday - Hot Dogs on the grill with chips and fruit
Thursday - Chicken & Rice Casserole (Paula Deen's recipe) with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Friday - Grilled Hamburgers, Chips and Fruit
Saturday - Chicken in the crockpot with Rice and Green Beans
Sunday - eat out for lunch and TGI Fridays frozen appetizers for dinner
Monday - Grilled Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli
Tuesday - Poppy Seed Chicken with Rice and Carrots
Wednesday - Crockpot Beef Tips with Rice and Green Beans
Thursday - Spaghetti with Garlic Bread and Ceasar Salad

I know you see a lot of chicken...Tim does prefer beef, but chicken was sale this week at Kroger.

More D.C. pictures...

Tim & Allison outside Air & Space

Washington Monument

Tomb of the Unknown Solider Guard

Nathan's famous house of cards (he was so proud)

At the Capitol

Here are few Washington DC pics

Natalie & Nathan (Air & Space)


Family at The White House

Washington Monument (turn your head)

Capitol Tour (Tim, Allison, Nathan, Natalie & Becca)

Back in Memphis...

Natalie and I started our trip home about 4:30 a.m. this morning. We both had our first ever taxi ride to the airport. Our flight left around 7 a.m. and we arrived safely in Memphis around 8:30. We were a little later due to some weather and having to be re-routed. It was so good to be in familiar territory. We came back to Tim's parents house and I started our laundry. The guys left this morning; however have had some delays leaving Dallas due to weather. I am praying they aren't delayed to long - I know they will be tired.

We had a great family vacation and look forward to looking at all of our pictures. I will upload some soon.

Final day in D.C.

Today, Wednesday, is our final day of our Washington, D.C. vacation. It has been a wonderful family time for us. I think the kids have enjoyed it - lots of walking and looking at monuments. But they have had fun at the museums and of course riding the Metro. They love how fast it goes.

This morning, we had our tour of the Capitol. We went through Mark Pryor's office and they did a wonderful job setting this up. We arrived a bit early, but they were ready for us. Becca, a young lady from Russellville was our tour guide. It was interesting to find out that she is from Russellville and grew up 2 doors down from my sister-in-law, Sarah. In fact, Sarah use to babysit her. She did a great job taking us around and explaining some neat things. However, we have agreed Nathan had the line of the day. While looking at some of the statues, there was one with 3 famous women (Susan B. Anthony was one and 2 others) - there was also a empty space. Becca said it has been said that this spot is reserved for the first female president. Without wasting any time, Nathan said "well that won't be happening for the next 4 years." Can you tell he has been around politics. Becca kindly said "you are correct". Afterwards at lunch, we all agreed how funny that one liner was. You never know what that kid is going to say.

After lunch, the kids stopped off at a bookstore to add a new member to the Webkinz collection. So, in the morning we start our trip back home and will spend the remainder of the weekend in Marion. The kids have a week off and start school on August 18th.

The Lord has been so good to provide us with this wonderful time to be with one another. His hand of protection has defintely been upon us. Also, our attitudes have been good with one another. We did it!

Washington DC continued...

We are still enjoying our time in D.C. Today we had planned to do a day trip to Mount Vernon, but heard it was very crowded and the lines were very long. So we opted to go back into Washington. We did get tickets this morning to do a tour of the Federal Bureau Engraving; however after a long day, we were tired (and it was looking like rain) and decided to return early to the hotel. We visited the Natural History Museum. Parts of it were very interesting - seeing the Hope Diamond (world's largest). The kids enjoyed the bug area and the gems. After this we enjoyed lunch at the Ronald Reagan building which has an awesome food court. This is by far the best place to have lunch - not very crowded at all and lots of choices. We then went back to the Air & Space Museum and the guys took in an IMAX showing of Fighter Pilots. Natalie enjoyed participating in a paper airplane contest (Nathan was a bit jealous he missed it). After this we walked around a bit waiting on the guys to finish. We caught the Metro and returned to call it a day. Tim enjoyed some quiet time at the pool. The kids and I rested in the room. Tomorrow we head to the Capitol for our scheduled tour. Should be interesting! More to come...

On Vacation in D.C.

We are on a long awaited family vacation to Washington, D.C. Natalie and I arrived late Saturday night - the boys got in earlier that day. We travelled separately due to frequent flyer miles on 2 different airlines. This is a summary of what we have done:

Sunday
After breakfast, we loaded the shuttle to head to the metro station. We survived with a little help from the station attendant. At first we were a little nervous, but all went well. We got to the Air & Space Museum as soon as it opened, walked around a bit. Tim then wanted to head outside and look around. We ended up about 2 miles away at The White House fence. It was really nice. We then went back to Air & Space for the remainder of the day. The guys loved it! There were certain things the girls liked - Natalie liked "How Things Fly" - an interactive area for kids. We came back to the hotel and went swimming, followed by Papa Johns Pizza in the room.

Monday
Today our day started with the shuttle around 8:30 to the metro. We went to Arlington Cemetary to catch the Tourmobile for a tour of the Washington sites and then back to the Cemetary. The best part was it saved our feet a lot of walking. Defintely worth every penny we paid! At the end of the day we ended up at the Cemetary. We got to see the Changing of the Guard at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That was very moving, like nothing I have ever seen. It was very good - the kids liked it as well. We then travelled on to see Arlington House - where Robert E. Lee & family lived for 30 years. We made it back to the hotel to relax and again had dinner in the room.

Tomorrow we are off to see the Museum of Natural History, National Aquarium and I am sure other things.

Heading to Washington, DC.

On Friday afternoon, we will pick up Tim from work and head to Marion to spend the night with his parents. On Saturday, we will head to Washington, DC for our family vacation. Because we had frequent flyer miles on American and Delta, we are flying separately. Natalie and I are going Delta (direct flight) and Tim and Nathan are flying American. The boys will arrive first and we will follow that evening. We are only going to be there for 4 days and will pack a lot in. On Sunday we are planning to visit the Air & Space Museum and possibly the National Aquarium. Monday we are taking a tour of the monuments and memorials using the Tour Mobile Bus. Tuesday we are hoping to take a day trip to Mount Vernon. Wednesday we have a Capitol tour schedule and will also visit the Bureau of Engraving. I ask that you will please pray for us - that our attitudes would be pleasing to the Lord and we would just have fun with each other. Also, pray for me using the Metro - I'm a little nervous.

Homemade Marshmallows

My friend Gina made these last week and they are delicious...enjoy!

I used this recipe from Slashfoodwith a couple of minor modifications - we used an 8x8 square pan, we didn't have any corn starch to mix with the powdered sugar for dusting at the end and, we didn't "dust" our marshmallows we rolled 'em! I found that putting powdered sugar on the knife made the marshmallows easier to cut.

Homemade Marshmallows

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cups light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set. In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef's knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar mixture.Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 large marshmallows, depending on the size you choose to cut them.

Natalie sewing

Natalie just finished up her last sewing class. She had been taking lessons at The Stitchin Post in Little Rock. She is so excited about sewing - not sure where this comes from, maybe her Mawmaw. She made a pillowcase, square pillow and a tote bag. She had so much fun and is actually getting pretty good. This week she is spending a few days at her MawMaw's house sewing some more. I will post pictures later of her creations.

Visit to Grandma's

Wow, these past few weeks have been busy - the summer is flying by so fast. The kids and I alongwith my sister and her 3 girls visited our grandmother and aunts the week of June 28th through July 4th in Houston, MS. We both have such fun memories of summer visits. My mom had 5 sisters under her, 4 of which still lived at home when we would visit for the summer. We have always had good relationships with all of our aunts. Since my grandfather passed away in January 2007, the visits are a little different. Walking into their house and not having him there is sad. We spent the week staying our Aunt Linda's and the 2 older girls stayed at my grandma's house. On Monday of that week we hit the local shoe store - the last family owned store is going out of business. I bought shoes for the kids, but my sister - well she hit the jackpot. Everything was 30-50% off - so she was like a kid in a candy store. On Tuesday, the kids suprised my grandma by repainting an old swing frame for her. My aunt is going to have the swing repaired. They had so much fun doing this and she was very pleasantly surprised. On Wednesday, the girls, my sister, Aunt Linda, grandma and myself had a special lunch at My Friend's Place. This is a tea shop in Houston - the girls love it. On Thursday, we drove to Starkville to see Kung Fu Panda and had dinner with my Aunt Amy and Uncle Donnie. Amy is my mom's youngest sister and only a few years older than myself - so she is like an older sister to me. Sadly, we had to pack up and return home on Friday morning. As always, we made a lot good memories, stayed up way to late playing spades (they tried to teach me Rook - but I am no good) and played a lot. We are already looking forward to next year.

Sleep issues...

Okay, so by now I would think I would be sleeping through the night - right?? Well, for some reason Natalie is waking up a lot and then wakes me up to say she can't go back to sleep. We have done everything possible to try and fix it and it is still going on. There is always a reason why she needs me. I will admit as an infant, I rocked her completely sleep - bad idea - but this only started really happening this past year. HELP!!! Last night Tim finally said she could lay on our floor. A friend said this is what they do and after a few nights, the child stays in their bed. She doesn't like waking up and being the only awake - very fearful. We have talked with her about praying and trusting that God will protect her and we as best as we can. Any thoughts or ideas would be most helpful.

Gardasil vaccine...

Does anyone know anything about this vaccine? I am taking Natalie in for a checkup next week and this is a shot they are recommending. Not sure if it is really needed for her right now.

More waterpark pics...

Mother's Helper

Natalie went last week to help out a friend with her kiddos. She has 4 - 3 girls under the age of 5 and 1 little baby boy. So, Natalie to play with the girls and keep the occupied for about 3 hours. They also made a trip to the library. I really think she is going to enjoy this and of course receiving pay was great. This is the first time she has really earned money - so she was very excited. I can't believe next year she will actually start the youth group at church, she has grown up so fast.

Fun day...

Today we enjoyed a fun day at a waterpark in Paragould, AR. You may be thinking where is this? Well it is about 20 miles outside of Jonesboro, AR. At their community center they have this awesome waterpark. And it is so affordable - $3 for adults and $2 for kids. It had 2 fun slides for the big kids and a great place for little kids. My mother-in-law and aunt went with us. Tim's aunt and uncle live in Paragould - so he was the perfect time to visit with them. After we enjoyed the waterpark, we went back to their house and enjoyed pizza and good conversation. We don't get to see them often, so this was a special day. I will post some pictures later. So, if you are ever in the Jonesboro area, check out the Paragould Community Center. It is also very near a Holiday Inn Express.

Summer is here...

Well another school year is almost finished...the kids have their picnic on Friday, May 30th. Technically they go through June 3rd - but there are ready to be finished. I can't believe Natalie will be in the 6th grade and Nathan will be in the 4th grade. They are growing up so fast! We have already been at the pool some and looking forward to more lazy days at the pool. We really enjoy these times watching the kids play and visiting with good friends. The kids are doing their part to keep me busy for the summer. Natalie is going to be a "mother's helper" for a couple of ladies in our church. She is too young to babysit, but a mother's helper is just that - she will be at the house and play with the kids so the mom can get things done. She is very excited about this. Also, she is going to take sewing classes. She has to get this gene from Tim's mom, not me. Both of my kids have this craft bug - they want to sew, crochet, etc. Nathan is going to participate on the Hammerhead Swim Team this year - he loves the competition. Also, he is going to take some art lessons. He was so excited when Tim said he could do this. The week of June 8th we are going to attend VBS with their cousin and I guess I will be helping my sister with crafts - I just can't get away from it. This is pretty much it for the summer and then in August we have our family vacation to Washington, DC. I will try to post some pictures next time.

Steven Curtis Chapman

This is tragic for this family. Check out the story - http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/TUNEIN/80521174/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

Guys/Girls Weekend

Well, we are about to wrap up another school year. I can't believe next year that Natalie will be in 6th grade - just yesterday she was born! Nothing really exciting going on in our lives - just life. A couple of weekends ago, Tim and Nathan went to RazorFest at University of Arkansas. This was a guys only weekend and the first. They had so much fun and I think Nathan might have bathed once...not very important to a 9 year old boy. They spent Saturday playing games and walking around the campus. Tim took him around and they found Tim's name, Ed's name and Stephen's name on the sidewalks. Nathan also took lots of pictures - some of the same scene. They had a great time and Tim really enjoyed one on one time with Nathan.

At the same time, Natalie and I enjoyed a girls weekend. We made a quick trip to West Memphis for my 8 year old niece's birthday party. It was a swim party at a local hotel. Natalie had a lot of fun. We spent the night at the hotel and then had get back home Saturday for a soccer game. After all of that, we rented a couple of movies and enjoyed relaxing at home. And of course, no girls weekend would be complete without a little shopping. We bought Natalie some summer sandals and I got a new pair of tennis shoes for work (The Container Store). We finished the night off with dinner at Chili's.

It is so great having the kids at the ages they are at - so many fun activities to enjoy!

Sorry for the delay...

I know I haven't posted in a while - just been busy and not a whole lot going on. Natalie started playing soccer last Saturday - Upward with a local church. She has the same coach as last year and is enjoying it. She isn't much of a natural athlete, but it is good exercise for her. She is really blossoming into a young lady and I am trying to guide her in the right directions. This summer we are going to go through Girl Talk by Carolyn Mahaney. Also, next weekend we are having a girls weekend while the guys go to Fayetteville. Tim is taking Nathan to Fayetteville for RazorFest and the Red/White football game on Saturday night. They are staying both nights and Nathan is very excited to be going. We all went last year, but Natalie and I were really not into it all. So, this year I thought it best for just the guys to go. Nathan of course is keeping us on our toes as always. He isn't playing any sports right now, but really loves basketball. So he and Tim play a lot of the Playstation. He is still excelling in math and we have met with the school administration to hopefully have a game plan for next year. He will begin next year changing classes and because of this, he will a teacher who only teaches 4th grade math. I am hoping with her help and some computer software, we can continue to challenge him. Homeschooling is always in the back of my mind and wondering if we should just talke the plunge and go for it. However, because we need the little income I make, I am not sure when that will happen. My heart's desire is to begin when Natalie goes into 7th grade. The thought of her being on that campus scares me - just the influence of older students is frightening.

I am getting ready to take a part-time job at The Container Store. We are going to give this a trial run for the summer. I am not sure I can do this when school starts back up or not. But we are going to try. It really is a great store - you should go to www.containerstore.com and look at all the great stuff they have.

I'll try and write more soon and maybe include some pics.

Pageant pictures

Here are some pictures of Natalie at her first pageant.

Natalie turns 11!

On March 11, 1997 after being labor for about 15 hours, Tim and I welcomed our new baby girl into the world at 10:45 p.m. At that time it seemed like the sleepless nights would never end, that she would never talk, or be potty trained. On March 11, 2008 this little baby turned 11 years old! WOW! Now we are on to bigger issues - will she ever stay in the same mood longer than day, we always say 'who should wake her'. All in all though, she is a sweet and beautiful girl that I would give my life for. We now do things together and I really enjoy being with her. We go shopping, talk with one another and laugh together. Some of her best qualities are:

1. She is so nurturing with smaller children. She really sits down to play with them. I think she will be babysitting soon and probably will be great at it.
2. She is a good helper around the house - likes to cook, doesn't so much like to clean.
3. She is a good friend to others.
4. She has a beautiful smile and gives the best hugs.

Yes we struggle at times - but I am so thankful to have her in my life. She is a blessing!

Making our homes a haven

I recently read a blog, Passionate Homemaking and saw a post on making your home a haven. The challenge was to make our homes a blessing to our families and guests. There were 5 steps to help you purposeful plan your day and be prepared.

1. Morning devotions - this should the first thing we do each morning to get us in the right mindset.
2. Make myself look presentable for the day - if for nothing else, to look nice for our husbands before they leave for the day, also you can be ready before your children rise.
3. Prepare Breakfast - think the night ahead and prepare (put out bowls, spoons, cereal, etc.)
4. Quick house pick up - definitely not in-depth housecleaning, just picking up, cleaning up dishes, throw in a load of laundry, etc.
5. Make dinner preparations - Lay out from the freezer what you plan to cook, get all ingredients ready, etc.

Just some words of encouragement. Please visit this blog - Passionate Homemaking - it is neat.

Never Too Young? Misleading our Girls about Beauty

I recently listened to a show on Albert Mohler's website. It was about misleading our girls about beauty - getting the younger generation to buy into the whole beauty thing. If you have any girls, please listen to this program. Go to http://almohler.com/radio_list.php and select the Never Too Young? show and listen.

Busy few weeks...

I am so grateful to be on the downswing of a busy couple of weeks. It all started when Tim got sick on Feb. 22nd and probably had the flu. It was pretty much out of it that weekend and had no energy the next week. He managed to work, but that was it. Then on Tuesday Feb. 26th, I got a call from the school that Natalie had gotten sick - so I picked her up and came home. On this day, I had only been at work for about an hour. Thankfully, she was better by the evening and went to school on Wednesday. All was good, until I receive a call from the school nurse at 12:15 saying that Nathan had fallen in the cafeteria and busted his chin and was going to need stitches. I picked him up and rushed to the pediatrician's office for him to receive 4 stitches. So, on Thursday everyone got up and went to school and work. About 12:00 I get a call from the school saying Natalie had a 103 fever. I left work again, brought her home. By Friday, she only had a low grade temp, but no fever over the weekend. She did have some fever and congestion, but nothing major I thought. On Monday morning, Natalie woke up not feeling great and didn't look well. I took her to the doctor and there we discovered her platelet count was very low - 37,000. That started the journey to being admitted to Children's Hospital. We spent one night there and thankfully her platelets were up to 49,000 on Tuesday morning. We went back this morning, March 5th, and her platelets were at 55,000. Yeah! So her neurologist wrote a prescription for a different seizure med that we will soon start. Also, this same doctor will follow her hopefuly until the end of the year. This November will be 2 years seizure free - that is our goal and then we will start weaning her off the medication. Everyone at Children's was so helpful and attentive to Natalie. What a blessing! We will go to the pediatrician's office next Monday for a recheck on her platelets and see the neurologist in 2 weeks. Please pray that her platelets continue to rise and she does well on the new medication.

Oh, Tim is feeling better as well. He went to the doctor the same day Natalie was admitted and found out he had a respiratory infection. And today, Nathan had his stitches from his chin removed.

Hospital Stay...

On Monday, March 3, I took Natalie to see our pediatrician. She had been sick over the weekend with coughing and congestion. Because she looked so pale, the doctor ordered a CBC. her platelet count was very low - 34,000. It should be 130,000 or higher. This is primarily due to her seizure med and possibly due to her being sick. So today her platelets are up to 49,000 - which is a praise. We should be discharged today and will come back tomorrow to have her platelets check again. There is a possibility that our hospital/ER costs could be covered under the study. That would be wonderful! Please pray for her complete healing. Even though we didn't want this, the Lord has been so good to provide her with wonderful care.

Pageants & Stitches

On February 23, Natalie particpated in her first pageant - Miner Miss. This is a local school pageant. She was so beautiful and did a great job - even though she didn't win. We talked about inner beauty vs. outer beauty and how she needs to strive for inner beauty. To have a quiet and gentle spirit, to be compassionate and kind, etc. I hope to have more talks like this soon. I will post some pictures soon.

On Wednesday, February 27, I received a call from the school nurse about Nathan. He had fallen in the cafeteria and hit his chin on the table. So, we dashed off to the doctor's office and he received 4 stitches. He was so brave through it all - so we got ice cream on the way home.

Tornado Relief Aid

Check out the link to KSSN to find out how you can help the victims of Tuesday's tornado in the Clinton/Atkins area. http://www.kssn.com/pages/relief08.html

Who to Vote for???

Not sure who to vote for?? Well, it is hard for us as well. We had been supporting Fred Thompson, but he dropped out a few weeks ago. So, I had been impressed with some things Mitt Romney had said during debates. I know he is Mormon, but what other choices are there. Here is an email from a friend of ours regarding an article on Romney. You can click on Patriot Post to read the article...Romney vs. McCain, The Foundation. Above all else, get out today and exercise your right to vote.

"By now, we are accustomed to receiving one-sided "pro" or "con" assessments of a particular candidate (I've even written this one myself). I am now sending what I consider to be a balanced candidate profile of Mitt Romney published last week by the Patriot Post, a conservative journal advocating individual liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and the promotion of free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. It's good stuff. Mitt Romney may not be the "ideal" candidate for many conservatives (and he wasn't my first choice). However, this look at his record and experience combined with a view of the remaining field shows that he is the best (and last?) hope for conservatives this presidential cycle. In sum, this article well describes why I am now supporting Mitt, and does so better than I could. Please take a minute to read, especially if you don't know much about Mitt Romney. -" David

Update on the Cain Family

The past few weeks have been filled with normal family stuff. Tim continues to enjoy and love his new job with Cameron. It has it challenges, but he is always up for it. He recently started a new study at church, Respectable Sins: Confronting Sins we Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. I am going through the book of Colossians with the ladies and really enjoying it. It is good reminder of what our relationship with Christ should look like and how we have to be careful not to be tempted by this world. It is so easy to get caught up in what is going on here that we lose sight of what is truly important - keeping Christ central in our life everyday.

Natalie is doing great! She just got her report card - All A's with only one B (89 in math), she is doing so well. Also, she signed up for a school pageant and is so excited. She gets to wear a pretty dress! Her brother doesn't quite get why she wants to do this.

Nathan has started Upward basketball and is doing great. He had all A's on his last report card! We can really tell how he has matured from last year and is doing so much better. Of course, he is still excited about 6th grade math. And he is still as creative as ever.

We covet your prayers as we raise Natalie & Nathan - that we keep pointing them to the Gospel and importance of it in our daily lives.

Ellis Ray Heair

Today, January 13, 2008 has been one year since my grandfather went home to be with the Lord. In October, 2006 he underwent surgery for mouth cancer. He stayed for a while in the VA in Memphis and was later transferred to a nursing facility in Starkville, MS. Early Saturday morning, January 13, 2007, I got a call to say he had passed away. I did get to see for Christmas 2006 and knew his days were become fewer. He never was able to really speak again and was still being fed through a feeding tube. I am grateful that before after his surgery I was able to spend a day with him in the hospital.

At his funeral on January 15, 2007, I shared a tribute I wrote about him. Only the Lord gave me the courage and the words to say. I wanted to offer a memorial to him. My childhood was greatly enriched having him as a "Grandpa". I am thankful he is now in heaven, free from pain, but miss his voice and face.

New to the blogging world...

Okay, I am going to give this a try and start blogging. Today is Sunday afternoon and we have decided to stay in WLR versus driving back in to church tonight. My hubby is busy on a computer checking emails, etc. and my 2 children are having a Webkinz Board Meeting with Princess and Nick.

We celebrated the holidays this year with both sets of family. On Christmas Eve we travelled to Maumelle to have Christmas with the Cain family. We enjoyed a nice lunch and then of course opened presents. The kids received a PS2 from Pepaw and Mawmaw - that was the highlight. Tim got a docking station for his ipod and I received Ann Taylor gift certificates.

That afternoon, we travelled to Marion to have the Harrell Christmas. We stayed the night at my parents' home - which we haven't done in a while. On Christmas morning, we looked in our stockings and opened our gifts to one another. We started a few years ago only getting the kids 3 gifts and this year a friend of mine gave me an even better idea. They get one spiritual gift, one needed gift and one wanted gift. This is very easy for us and cuts down on all the stuff. Nathan received 2 PS2 games - High School Musical Sing it & Meet the Robinsons and Natalie received some American Girl clothing and clothes.

Tim and I returned home on Wednesday, leaving the kids there for a few days. I then went back on Saturday and we drove to Mississippi for the Heair Family Christmas. We stayed at my grandmother's house - a little crowded, but okay. This is the first Christmas without my grandfather and I really missed him. He would always be sitting in his recliner and greeted us as soon as we came in the door. I know he is heaven, but I miss seeing his sweet face. On Sunday, we went to my aunt's house and had lunch and then shared gifts with one another.

The holidays were busy as usual, but enjoyable for the most part.