She's 6!

My precious little girl is growing up. Growing up is a beautiful thing. Each year brings maturity and new experiences. Although its hard to watch my children grow older, it also brings me great joy to witness God molding them and shaping them. This year Chesney matured by leaps and bounds!

She is feisty and passionate, yet so very tender hearted!




She loves recycling anything old into something new. Even garbage found on the side of the road is her treasure.
She also loves to create, invent, and explore. Her hands are always busy with a craft, a collection, or a dirt!



One of her best traits is that she is a giver! She loves to spend her allowance on others! She frequently empties her piggy bank and takes it all to the ballpark. She loves going to the "handstand". I loved that she called it the handstand. I just couldn't correct it. She eventually figured out this ball season that its the concession stand. She always would buy one piece of candy for herself and then spend the rest on her friends and brothers until all of her money was gone. You could see the joy in her eyes as she would give the special treat to a friend! Beautiful, beautiful!!!

I have seen tremendous growth in her shyness this season. She has learned how to make new friends easier.
Here's a pic of a new friend made during a baseball game:


This year we explored soccer for the first time. She LOVED it. She ran her little heart out on the field and never stopped.



There were so many wonderful moments this past year, but I have to say that my favorite memory was of the day we went to the nursing home to pass out valentine's to the patients. Her heart was so overwhelmed with love for the patients. She touched each hand so tenderly and looked into their eyes with such compassion and love. It was truly a beautiful sight to see God's love poured through a child to the elderly. Another proud moment was her compassion poured out to an autistic child
we recently met at the lake. Chesney generally is slow to warm up to any new playmate, however this child she sensed something was a little different and she embraced him with mercy as she played with him. It was so natural for her and all of her fears melted away as she reached out to him for friendship.

Last, I must post my favorite conversation with Chesney. This wraps up her personality perfectly! "Momma, do you remember that space museum that we went to, where we saw rockets and missiles and stuff?" To which I replied, "Yes, sweetheart I do, why?" Then she say's, " Do they have museums like that for art? You know where you walk around and just look at art?" I smiled a big smile and answered, " why, yes sweetheart they do. Your Gram used to take me to the Birmingham ARt museum every year when I was a child!!" Chesney's eyes grew twice and big and she squealed, "Oh Mommy, can you please take me there!"


I see so many precious gifts from the Lord shining through you sweet girl! I look forward to watching how the Lord uses you for His glory!!!! I am so proud of you!!


Here's a few pics/video of her birthday celebrations!!

Birthday Morning:




Mani-Pedi with Mommy :)







Partying with our friends!

Music to my ears!!!

I have been praying and longing for music to fill my home and today it did!!! Britton and Chesney have started their first piano lessons this week. As I was fixing dinner tonight, Britton was at the piano playing. A tear of joy slipped down my cheek as I listened. Hope filled my soul and I heard the Lord whisper to my heart, " Im listening to you daughter of mine. Your desires are my desires!" Just another moment of God's grace and reassurance!!!

"I Want YOU! "

" I want you" is my favorite phrase out of my youngest babes mouth. It makes me melt into a million pieces. This is what Cade says when he just wants ME. He wants me to hold him. He wants me to snuggle and love him. He wants to just be with me. It makes me feel so incredibly loved. I know this phrase will fade away for him like all other cute phrases that come and go in a toddlers vocabulary, however I will always cherish this one!
As I began pondering this phrase, I really started thinking about a want that I have. A want that has really taken me by surprise. A want that really compares to Cade's request for his Mommy. This want was for the sweet little girl that we thought might possibly be our next daughter.Her name was Carmen. I never laid eyes on her, yet I wanted her with every bit of my heart and soul. This took me by surprise because I didn't know I could feel such want for a child that was not mine. You see, we have been praying for many years about adopting. This year, we felt the Lord nudge our hearts that this was the year. We began digging through books, seeking adoption information, asking for prayer support and readying our hearts for a new child. I have been very hesitant in the adoption idea from the moment Keith presented it to me. I always worried that I would not love a child that was not birthed by me. Keith was patient. He just presented to me what he felt like the Lord had impressed upon his heart and he began praying, that was 5 years ago. In the five years, I felt the Lord gently whispering in my ear that I could do this. The gentle whisper grew to a steady voice. Now it rings through my whole body. The Lord has been so bold in wooing my heart to his calling for our family. The last call was LOUD and CLEAR. In April we received a call from a friend that there was a child in foster care that needed a home. You see, I always felt like we would just get a call one day out of the blue that there was a child that needed a family. I believe in the beginning that feeling was just because it would be an easy way to adopt. No figuring out who, how, where..... When the call never came, we believed the Lord wanted us to take the next step and seek a child. Thats where we were in this process. In fact we were going to the adoption agency that very week for an appointment to begin that process. So, when the call came that there was a child, you can only imagine how I felt! Words can't describe it. The only comparison I can give is that it felt the same way when I found out I had conceived my firstborn, after being infertile for nearly two years. For the next four weeks after the phone call I prayed minute by minute for this sweet child. I longed for her. envisioned her in my home as my daughter, Britton, Chesney and Cade's sister. I WANTED HER. The transformation in my heart was from the Lord. He has called us to adopt. He has called us to open our heart and home for a child that doesn't have a home. He opened my eyes to see that I can and will LOVE this child the same as my others. Why I ever questioned that I could love a child is beyond me, because I get it now! I was once blind, but now I see..
As for precious Carmen, we have just found out that she will not be our child. The foster family that has her now is pursing adopting her. It was really hard to hear that news, yet a wave of peace washed over me as well. For my God has called me to open my mind and heart to love a child as my own. He knows who, when, where and how. I know now that I am ready. So all that to say baby girl, whoever you are, I want you. I long for you. I can't wait to have you in our home in my arms hearing you call me Mommy. I am praying for you tonight!!

Out of the Dirt

It has truly been a season of winter in my soul. I have struggled to write anything here in such a long time. This was my first truly blue, dark winter that I can ever remember having. Sure the winter that Mom died I was in a funk. More like time just stood still and nothing around me mattered. That was grief! This is different. A dark, sad, lonely season. A season of much change. A season of why. A season like I've never experienced before now. I am a "see the glass half full" kind of gal. Im a gal of much faith and optimism. A gal full of joy in all things, even the tough stuff of life. Yet, this winter, I had none of that. It was a true depression that just knocked the wind out of my sails. As Ps. 23 says, " Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; our rod and your staff, they comfort me." My shepherd walked with me every step of the way through the valley. He nourished my soul and held me up every step of the way. He gave me an incredibly understanding husband to walk with me each day. He renewed an old friendship that He knew I needed for a time such as this. He surrounded me with people that new the kind of prayer I needed! He brought rest into our home. A true rest that we haven't known if all of our years of ministry. He placed me in a beautiful homeschooling community that encouraged me weekly as a Mom and teacher. He has placed us in a church where the teaching is sound, biblical and nourishing. As the season changed from winter to spring, so did my heart and mind! As flowers are blooming and the grass began to be beautiful and vibrant again, so my soul and heart began to bloom joy and hope again! It is so good to FEEL again. My song for this new season has been David Crowders, Wholly Yours:

I am full of earth
You are heaven’s worth
I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity
You are everything that is bright and clean
The antonym of me
You are divinity
But a certain sign of grace is this
From a broken earth flowers come up
Pushing through the dirt

You are holy, holy, holy
All heaven cries “Holy, holy God”
You are holy, holy, holy
I wanna be holy like You are.



Thank you precious Lord Jesus for seeing me through such a hard season. Thank you that flowers can come up from broken earth and dirt!! I don't know what I ever did to deserve such grace, but Lord I am so very thankful! I love you my savior!! Sweet friends that are reading this blog and have know the depths of my misery this winter, thank you for putting up with me!!! For praying with me and for me! For listening and crying with me!! You all were instruments of our Father's hands!! I love you all so much!

Something Wonderful!

A Christmas Miracle : Top 10

This year my sweet friend Leigh, introduced me to the saying, " It's a Christmas Miracle!" She says that she uses that phrase often over the holidays. I have found that it has stuck with me and my family! Here are a few Christmas miracles for us this year:

#10 Britton proclaimed this to be our first christmas miracle:



This ornament has such special meaning to me. I danced in the 1992 Macy's day parade. My precious Momma bought me this incredible ornament that year.The floats actually march around in a circle. The ornament stopped working a couple of years ago. It made me so very sad. It is truly my absolute favorite ornament on the tree. Which says a lot, because i love ornaments! However, miraculously it works this year! As we plugged it into the tree Britton said, " Well, look Momma it's a Christmas miracle!" I just laughed. Thanks Leigh for bringing miracles into our home :)

#9 The Christmas Trees.




I'm proclaiming this one as a Christmas miracle. Keith and I take our kids to the tree farm to pick out Christmas trees. I'm quite picky when comes to the picking of the tree, and Keith's quite picky when it comes to the picking of the time we go. This year I waited a week later than normal so that Keith would be ready. It really made a difference, going when Keith was ready that is! If he's happy and the timing is right, then the picking out, taking home, getting the trees in their holders and trimmed all go more smoothly. Keith wasn't grumpy in one bit of the process! Not one $@#!&% was said this year by my hubs! That's a miracle ;)

#8 Christmas Cooking and Sculpting:

This kitchen looks just like I remember my Momma's looking! Sugar everywhere!



Chesney and I made my Mommas famous ginger tea cakes. They were my absolute favorite cookie growing up. She made them for me every year. I have not had them since she died. It was bittersweet making them. They tasted just as I remembered and Chesney LOVED them! We also attempted Mom's divinity. It was a miraculous attempt!Yes, it would have been more miraculous if it would have turned out! However, Im calling it a miracle because I was so terrified of even attempting it, and I got past that fear. Now I must conquer it! Lastly, my precious hubs put together the gingerbread christmas village kit that Holly sent us!! (Thanks Holster for this great gift!) This was no easy feat with 6 little hands trying to help out :D

#7 Homemade Presents are done!


Every year my nieces and nephews draw names and make home made gifts for one another. This gift my kids made for their cousins is truly a miracle. because I was totally blank on ideas and didn't have a clue what we were going to make. My sweet friend Bobbie helped me come up with an idea, took me shopping, and then came and taught us all how to make it! I'm so pleased with the way these gifts turned out. Great friends are miracles and blessings straight from God :)


#6 No stomach bug


We walked away from the Nutcracker not consuming the stomach virus that the little boy 3 feet away from us had :) Poor little guy! Thankful our clan didn't catch it. Now that's a Christmas miracle!

#5 Britton kept the Santa family secret!


This summer Keith read the The Real Saint Nicholas book to Britton and let him in on the family secret about Santa. Britton was thrilled that we told him what was really going on with Santa, because he was having some serious doubts and the game was no longer fun. So, our big boy got to help Santa set up shop in our home this year. He was so proud and did a great job eating the cookies!

#4 We get to put up with the Calfee's a little longer :D

This is truly a Christmas miracle! I'm still not sure how long will get to keep our best friends around,because they are too stinking talented and some lucky church will snatch them up! However, they are here for now and I am so thankful!


#3 A Romantic get away





We did it! A romantic get away. While our kids were all nestled in with wonderful grandparents, aunt's and uncles, Keith and I escaped to the mountains for some much needed R & R! It was so wonderful to just be alone, surrounded by Gods beauty in this precious little cabin! Thank you family for taking care of our kids so we could escape reality for a couple of days.

#2 A White Christmas!!!



Yes a white Christmas in Alabama! A first for Birmingham, Alabama!!! A first for me, anywhere, ever. It truly made this special day, a day we will never forget!

And the #1 miracle this Christmas is................................................
Our SAVIOR has come!!!!! There is no greater miracle! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Cade turns 3!

Wow, time flies by when you are having fun! My little baby is turning into a big boy. It brings me such joy to watch each new stage, as well, as sadness to know the time is going by so quickly. Cade was all about his birthday this year! He really got it. It was time to celebrate him, eat cake, blow out candles and recieve presents. He ate up every minute of his celebration. He grinned ear to ear as we sang happy birthday. He opened each gift and gave a big, "wow" and "thank you".
Oh sweet little man how I love you. You make us smile and laugh each day! You are the heart and soul of our family. I am so very thankful that the Lord created you and blessed us with you!!