All rained out!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

This weekend we went camping with Papaw, Nana, Sissy, Uncle Cliff and Colby and Monica. We tried somewhere new this season, Oak Mountain Park. I've been there many times, but never camped out. Nana and Papaw got up very early and got there first to get us the best spot, right next to the bathroom and right next to the playground. The spot really was perfect. Papaw went into work horse mode and set up all the tents and weather proofed the eating area very well! Thank you papaw, because it rained, rained and rained some more!! Thanks to papaw's handy work all of our food and camping gear stayed mostly dry! Papaw also bought us a new tent to sleep in, which also did fairly well considering the amount of rain we had! It sounded as if the world was crashing in around us. A night we want soon forget! However, Cade, Chesney, Britton and even Nana slept right through the worst of the storm. Amazing!!! Chesney on this trip you decided to be the bug collector. You walked around with a cup hunting and collecting all kinds of creepy crawly things. Britton, you played a lot of baseball, fished with all of the guys and helped us to find a couple of snakes!:) Favorite Britton quote:" Mommy watch this automatic review!" You were trying to say," instant replay". Pretty close though, and definitely had the same meaning! Oh how I love you!!
Cade, you just roamed around checking it all out! you loved the swimming hole we swam in and the playground right beside our camp.You had so much fun that we couldn't get you to take a nap and had to drive you around in the car to get you to go to sleep for the night. Once you went to sleep you slept like a baby all night long through one of the worst thunderstorms I can remember in a very long time!!
We had to pack up and leave earlier than expected on Sat. all because the rain just wouldn't stop. A little sad that it had to end early, but all in all a good time with family!! It took Mommy and Daddy 2 days to recover from all the fun. The camping experience is priceless and sooo enjoyable. However the recovery from so much fun and very little sleep really wear out your old parents! Here are some pics of all the fun.

Some Funnies in the Best house

A Cade moment to remember:

One of my all time favorite moments as Mommy is when each of you begin walking in everyone's shoes! There is something so precious and sweet about that moment. To me it says, "I want to be like you". This week we all enjoyed Cade taking his first steps in his brothers shoes. First you tried on Britton's flip flops, then you found his old Lightening McQueen house shoes. Yes, these were just right for you!! We have all laughed at you walking around in these shoes!! Too precious!

Chesney moments:
A heart warming day in the life of Chesney
You woke up delightful and full of funniness! You woke up telling me that you needed to wash those "sugar bugs" off of your teeth. You had your first dental appointment last week and you learned that you need to brush the sugar bugs off of your teeth to keep your teeth healthy. You have decided to take that job very seriously. You did amazingly well getting your teeth cleaned!
So then you got all ready for today and decided you wanted to go pick me some more flowers outside. While picking flowers you ran inside and said, " Momma, I just heard the trumpet of the Lord! Does that mean we are all going to heaven now?" (The sound you heard was a band practicing at the Trussville Mall for the Dog Daze festival). You ran outside one more time and then came in with a fresh bunch of flowers and proclaimed, "well that's such a sweet smell!" I asked you if the flowers smelled sweet and you said, "No, it's that stuff, right there, cookin in the pot, yeah, that's it,that's what I'm talking about momma, it sure is a sweet smell momma!" Later on in the morning I was sewing you a new dress and you were sitting there helping and asking a lot of questions and you said, "Momma, when I grow up to be 5, I can help you sew and then Mrs. Melinda want have to come over here and help you all of the time, because you'll have me!".
While we were preparing lunch, I said to all of you, "I have the best job in the world, being Mommy to the 3 of you!" Chesney's response was, "Well Momma I am the best flower picker for Mommies! That's my job!"
Oh my sweet love, you melted my heart time after time on this day! The Lord knew I needed it, because you and I had a rough go around a few days ago after you decided to take a pair of scissors to a pair of your new shorts.

Britton moments:

Last week we played a great game against the Rays. Ya'll one 17-8. After the game you walked out of the dugout saying, " Mom, that game was like a slice of cake!" I just smiled because you and I both know what you are trying to say, but there was no need to correct you. It was just too cute. I say the wrong words and phrase at the wrong time,looks as if you "get it honest", as Gram would always say!

On our way home from the game, you declared that we were playing the blue reflector game. You said this right as we were turning into our neighborhood. You said it then so you could be the first one to yell out "blue reflector" to the only reflector in our neighborhood. So Mommy and Daddy got sneaky and went to our house a back way, so you wouldn't know where the reflectors were. You were beside yourself at how Mommy and Daddy pulled a fast one over on you. You laughed that we were cheating, then you saw it, another blue reflector in our neighborhood. You still won despite Mommy and Daddy's new route.You are such a great kid. Two different families told us this week what a good boy you were and how well behaved you are. You really are such a good boy. You bring us such joy, my son.

Blessed

Proverbs 31:28 (New International Version)

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

This scripture really describes my Mother's day! The past 4 Mother's Day celebrations around here have been different. No birth Mom's for Daddy and I to celebrate. That has been very sad. We've had to adjust Mother's Day to focus on special women in our lives that Mother us, and now more focus has been added to ME! Or maybe Daddy always focused on Me, I just didn't because I was thinking about our Mom's. Anyway, all that to say that Im loving being adored and pampered on Mother's day! You all love on me pretty well throughout the year, but you really step it up a notch on Mother's Day. This week, I awoke to the sound of breakfast being made by Daddy and Britton. I lied awake in bed listening to Daddy teaching Britton how to make coffee for Mommy. "Fill the pot up to the #6 on the pot with water. Then pour the water into the coffeemaker." Here Daddy? " Yes, there Britton. Now scoop one big spoonful of coffee into the filter and put the filter here Britton, not like that, but like this." OK, Daddy". " Now press the start button." "Now would you like to help make your Mommy some eggs?" "Sure Daddy." "Ok Britton, stir the eggs until they are all yellow." "Like this Daddy?" "Yes, like that Britton."
Soon after the whole family marched into the room with a huge balloon, some beautiful flowers, breakfast in bed, and a precious recordable card. The card had everyone saying, "Happy Mother's Day" and then it sang you are my sunshine. I was also given money to go have my hair cut and colored. Mommy is so excited about that. I haven't done that in years!!! I buy my own cheap hair color and spend pennies on a haircut. This was a very thoughtful gift for Mommy. After church we went to Whole Foods for lunch. All in all it was a wonderful day! I am so blessed. You all made me feel so special this Mothers Day.Thank you sweet family for taking such good care of Mommy!! I have the best job in the whole world, your Mommy!!

Finally smocked!!

Dearest kids, or should I say Chesney? (Somehow I think my boys will one day look over this blog entry). Im writing you this in hopes it will inspire you to one day attempt things you think you can't do. This is my first attempt to smock a dress. Mrs. Mel convinced me to attempt to make Chesney a smocked dress for Easter. This is something I have always desired to do, but just wasn't sure I could accomplish such a task. Thankfully my dear friend decided to plow the way for me. The first of the process went very well. The smocking part was very enjoyable. I could take it with me anywhere. I really enjoyed the actual smocking way more than I thought that I would. Everything was going perfect until ... we put the dress together. I did everything Mel told me to do, and thought I had a beautiful finished dress. When I held it up to admire my new creation I was not excited about what I saw! The neck could fit around Chesney's shoulders!!! This of course was discovered three days before Easter. Mrs. Mel dropped everything and came to the rescue. She really was on the right path. She came up with her own way for us to fix this problem. The neck actually fit, however it was all bumpy and wavy. (I wish I would have taken pictures of all of my mistakes) I was about ready to throw the dress away and declare it as a lost cause. I went to Sew Biz, the local sewing shop and asked for help. They helped without making me feel like an idiot. There was a way to save this dress with one simple word : IRON!!! Could it really be that easy? Iron out all of those wrinkles in the pleats??? Why didn't I think of that??? It worked!! The iron was like a miracle worker! The neck was binded, the dress hemmed, all that was left were the buttonholes and buttons. Then my sewing machine broke. Uggh!!! So Mrs. Mel to the rescue again to let me borrow her machine to finish this dress. I was really getting tired of this dress at that point. However, I pressed on with Mel's new fancy machine. Which made sewing buttonholes like a dream. So quick, so easy, and best of all done!!! The dress was finally worn two weeks after Easter. The Lord was so gracious with me. He reminded me of a dress I bought Chesney two years prior at a Kids market. It was a 4T, she was only 2, but I couldn't resist it. Its been hanging in the closet for two years awaiting the day it was needed!!! As the Lord reminded me that I had this beautiful dress in the closet peace flooded my soul. Thank you Lord that you care about the little things. In the grand scheme of life I know it's not the end of the world if you don't have an Easter dress. But my Father cared that I wanted one. He provided for my silly wants. I am so unworthy of such love!!
So, the handmade dress was finally done, 2 weeks after Easter. But I wouldn't trade this learning experience for anything!! Mel and I learned a lot from this project. Plus, I have new confidence to tackle any of my sewing dreams. Thanks Mel for inspiring me to be courageous!! Thanks for pushing me on when I was ready to give up! Off to learn to quilt!! Im sure this project will be long, tiring, with many bumps and bruises along the way, but Im ready! Here are the pics of the finally smocked dress!!!

A Day to Make a Difference

This year our church decided to serve our community for Easter. The Saturday before Easter we all went downtown and did various community service projects along with other churches throughout the city. The Best family went to the downtown Garden and built new planter boxes. You all had such a great time playing in the dirt with your hands and using shovels that were way to big for you!! We made a few new friends while working and the farmers were so gracious to let us pick and eat their freshly grown organic strawberries. Then on Easter Sunday we had a huge Easter party to celebrate that Jesus is risen! We had a huge Easter egg hunt, played fun games, dunked the villagers, jumped on jumpies, ate popcorn and ice cones and worshiped Jesus with many new friends. It was a different way to celebrate Easter and it was very enjoyable!! Here are a few pics from the two different events! A Day to Make A Difference!!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Easter family pictures

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

These are just a few pics of the night before Easter and our morning celebration with Granmaw and papaw. This year we made some resurrection cookies the night before Easter for our bible time. This was one of the neatest bible times we've ever had. Each of you got to beat some pecans with a wooden spoon to represent what Jesus endured while he was beaten for us. You tasted vinegar the drink Jesus was given on the cross. You placed the cookies in the tomb (oven) and sealed it shut. You all loved every minute of this bible activity. However when we arose Easter Sunday to see if our cookies were hollow as they were supposed to be, they didn't quite turn out. They were flat :( a little disappointing, but still worth the fun we had together making them and learning about Jesus' death. We had a great day worshiping together. Wanted to capture some of those moments here for us to always remember. I love you my beautiful children!

What a Glorious Day TODAY

What a glorious day! what a glorious day today! GLORIOUS!!! My heart is filled with song because the Lord has done great things. He has done great things for US!
Dearest Children, Today we celebrated the Resurrection of our King Jesus! What an awesome day of worship we had. Because Jesus died for you, us, we have life! Jesus defeated death so that we would not have to! He died for our salvation! This Easter held more significance to Mommy and Daddy than past ones. Why? Because by His stripes we are healed!!! The Lord has healed Daddy from the darkness of depression. He has heard our cries and healed our broken hearts. As the song says, The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with Joy! Although you may not understand now, you will one day. God has worked in our lives in such a magnificent way over the past 2 months. The Lord showed Mommy and Daddy that Daddies heart was broken and needed to be repaired by Him alone. We cried out to our closest support, prayed, sought Jesus for healing and He has done just that. Jesus has been so close to us, walking with us and restoring us! Mommy prayed for complete healing by Easter and today he showed me that he has heard our cries. This morning we awoke early to go to church with Papaw and Granmaw. Then we headed downtown at noon to throw a huge inner city Easter celebration for the residents of Park Place with our church. It was an awesome day. Today Daddy awoke saying it would be a great day to preach. This in itself is healing. Daddy had struggled with his calling as a minister. Yet in the past 2 weeks the Lord has made it very clear to him that He did call your Daddy to be just that, a Minister of the gospel of Jesus. This afternoon at the park, Daddy was asked last minute to preach. This was not planned or prepared, but just as the Lord wanted it to be. Daddy preached today!!! Downtown the middle of the city to the lost! And it was right! It was awesome! it was healing! Daddy has been restored by His stripes just as the bible teaches us. My dear children, it has been a hard difficult walk through depression, but well worth everything the Lord has shown us! My prayer is that God will use this time in our life for His glory! I pray that you too would one day be able to look back at this blog and understand these words fully. We serve a mighty God, I pray that you too will be able to fathom how high and wide and long and deep is the love of Christ!! We love you Jesus!!!! Thank you for death and life, for depression and restoration, for healing and salvation.