It's snowing...3 inches and counting !!!

It started snowing today around 2:30 and hasn't stopped either...It's 7:15pm! The kids are outside as I speak...in the dark...playing in the snow! That does include our 3 year old whom cried saying "I want to play with my sisters...I wish I could play in the snow." So, after melting my heart I bundled her up...for the second time today and sent her out...that was 2 hours ago and she refuses to come in!

Our weather man just announced more snow on Monday! Not something many Georgians are looking forward too. We have had alot of rain this year,so having it snow twice in 1 week...this is unusual for Georgia...doesn't surprise me. But here in our house my family takes in every waking moment they can just to enjoy this most beautiful winter wonderland.

Tea kettle has been warming all day with cocoa mugs everywhere!
So, as I try and keep up with the many piles of wet laundry and dry up the soaked floors...we will await to see what Monday brings.

Now to go and rescue the 10 frozen toes on our little snowman girl!

SHMILY...repost

photo credit

I am reposting this sweet story. I posted it a year ago for a great Valentines day love story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

SHMILY
Written by Laura Jeanne Allen
My Grandfather and Grandmother were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily"in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more.
They dragged "shmily" with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows overlooking the patio where they always had warm, homemade pudding with blue food coloring.
"Shmily" was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. At one point, my Grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave"shmily" on the very last sheet.
There was no end to the places "shmily" would pop up. Little notes with "shmily" scribbled hurriedly were found on dashboards and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left under pillows.
"Shmily" was written in the dust upon the mantel and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of their house as the furniture.
It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents' game. Skepticism had kept some of them from believing in true love-one that is pure and enduring. However, I never doubted my grandparents' relationship. They had love down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky to experience.
Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other's sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble.
My Grandmother whispered to one of her friends about how cute my Grandfather was, how handsome and old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew "how to pick 'em." Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessings:a wonderful family, good fortune, and each other.
But there was a dark cloud in the couples' life: my Grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, my Grandfather was with her every step of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside.
Now the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and my Grandfather's steady hand, they went to church every morning. But my Grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally,she could not leave the house anymore. For a while, my Grandfather would go to church alone, praying to God to watch over my Grandmother.
Then one day, what everyone dreaded finally happened. My Grandmother was gone.
"Shmily." It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my Grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came forward and gathered around Grandma one last time.
My Grandfather stepped up to my Grandmother's casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her.
Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.
Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. I knew that, although I couldn't begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.


S-h-m-i-l-y:See How Much I Love You.

Here we are a year later....my what a difference a year makes! This past year has seen many changes. Building our lake house,our daughter graduating from high school, seeing another daughter become engaged, our son graduating from UGA...moving away only to move back home and gallbladder surgery....whew what a year and I haven't shared everything!

Because of my husbands job, many weeks out of the year I am left alone to manage our house and kids. It's only by the grace of God that I am even sane. Living in a household with 11 people ...can I just say NO privacy! Finding ways to connect with my husband can be a difficult task but a necessary one. One day our children will be grown and on their own...well maybe! I would shudder to think waking up one day and not even know the old guy next to me.

I have always loved watching old couples hold hands. When we lived in Florida I was in hand holding heaven.There is just something so childlike but yet passionate at the same time with this connection of love. So there is one thing I made my husband promise me...That he would always hold my hand!

When I came across this story about this old couple and the message of SHMILY written on little places throughout their house...I thought of that promise my husband made to me. It's the little ways we find to connect that matter!

Seasons come and seasons go but my love for my husband will always remain strong as long as we are always holding hands!

I love you Kelley and Yes....I will be your valentine!

Cousin fun on a cold wet day...

Half price day at a local children's hands on museum http://www.inkfun.org/
What a great day to spend with your cousins!

My sister and I took advantage of homeschool day at INK today. While the kids had fun...we had a few laughs at how the staff tried to cleanup and organize some of the play stations as the kids tried to play. One lady took a toy from my nephew to put in a place where she wanted it. I thought this was a interactive play museum! All the kids enjoyed pretending to grocery shop,run a pizza shop,beauty shop,working an atm and many other interactive life stations. It was really fun watching our children pretending to do various grown up jobs!

Now to find another kid friendly activity to do with our kids as we wait out this cold and wet winter...which may be another 6 weeks according to our favorite ground hog up north!

I'm invisible...

I have often heard the job of a mom being described as one of the most thankless jobs a woman could have. I disagree...It is one of the most rewarding blessed jobs anyone with the right focus could have. Have I ever had that same opinion? Sure I have...almost daily! But that's when I have to stop and refocus my priorities...they do get out of sink every now and then.Being a mom is tough,messy,exhausting,blood boiling and at times makes you want to crawl in a deep hole and disappear. But the rewards far out weigh the sacrifice, when my eyes are on the one who blessed me with the opportunity to guide, shape and mold the nine souls He has so lovingly entrusted my husband and I with.

I have been a mom since the age of 19...A stay at home mom for 24 1/2 years. I have never had an opportunity to go to college or land a high paying prestigious job...well what others would call prestigious! I am blessed to be married to a wonderfully talented man who does have a good job that affords me to stay home with our children. As far as the pay... kisses,hugs,smiles and achievements. Being a stay at home mom is a major sacrifice in the world's eyes...but in God's eyes I am right where He's called me to be and He will be faithfull to equip me to walk this road.

Have you ever ran a race or marathon? Maybe you have watched from the side lines cheering the runners on.Those cheers do make a difference! They give the runner that extra breath to continue the race. Maybe you've seen a mom at the store or in public struggling with her kids or just sitting with a zombie look on her face. You would be amazed at the difference a word of encouragement...a big cheer...a smile...saying what your doing matters and your doing a great job! Nothing means more than those words coming from a fellow mom. We have a connection...a comradery!

I will never see the end result of the many years of parenting 9 kids brings. But I pray that it continues on in generations to come.

A few years ago I received this in an email from a fellow mom. She may never know how this simple sharing of a moment gave me that extra breath to continue the race!

>I'm invisible.
>
>It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one
of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken
to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously
not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or
even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm
invisible.
>
>Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you
tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a
human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to
answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around
5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and
the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but
now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going, she's going, she's gone!
>
>One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend
from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was
going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking
around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and
feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only
thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana
clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling
pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package,
and said, "I brought you this."
>
>It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why
she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with
admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
>
>In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover
what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern
my work. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of
their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never
see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of
their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
>
>A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on
the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so
much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one
will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
>
>I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as
if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you
make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've
done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for Me to
notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see
right now what it will become."
>
>At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the
right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who
show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that
their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that
no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few
people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
>
>When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning
and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and
presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a
monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is
anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
>
>As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing
it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only
at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the
sacrifices of invisible women.
>
>Great Job, MOM
>

Spinning wheels going no where...

UPDATE....







Clifford ( Our big red van) has been rescued from the mud pit that I so foolishly got him into. I think a warm bath and some TLC is in order for me our dear old friend. After many hours, blood, sweat and tears I drove him to the safety of the PAVED driveway. Our lower unpaved driveway now looks like a war zone...but hey, I am a one step closer to planting my garden! Now I'm off to make my self look like a woman again and to see what else I can tear up fix!










Yesterday...all I can say is "I am so glad it's over!" However each day is a gift from the Lord and I should rejoice in it's entirety.

Our 3 year old daughter seems to find her way in our bed most nights. By now our older kids would not have been doing this, except on an occasion...after a bad dream or not feeling well. She is not the most pleasant person to sleep with. No matter how much I move away from her she seems to find me with her feet or head. I am a light sleeper and any movement or noise usually wakes me.I guess waking up with back ache is not the way to start a day.

Monday started out with that back ache and a wet bed. Oh the joy of a leaky pull up!
I am trying so very hard to cherish these moments with our last child...even the not so fun moments.

Our next adventure began with our trip down to the basement and getting the girls started on school. Our oldest moved back home this past weekend and everything from the playroom is now in the school room. So, in my desire to have an inch to move in our school room, I decide to load up the van with the things I need to get rid of.

The day before we had a lot of rain and that means a soggy lawn. This is where the fatigue kicked in and my brain left the building! I got the bright idea to drive our 15 passenger van...not a small or light vehicle...around to the basement door. No one should ever drive a large vehicle on their lawn after an all day rain the day before! You guessed it ...I managed to get stuck! These things always happen when my hubby is out of town. Here I am home alone with three of our kids and I get stuck in the mud! For HOURS I try everything I can to just get it to move.To no avail I just dig a deeper hole under the tires. Our son returns home to find me spinning tires and covered in mud. At that point I'm tired, angry and in tears! Bless his heart he didn't say a word and tried to help. After a while he managed to get the van out and about 50 feet only to get stuck again. Did I say I'm tired of the rain and our soggy lawn? Georgia has been in a drought for a few years and this past year we have made up for the loss and then some.

Well today is a new day and our van is still stuck! God is still God and He is still on the throne! So many times we face trials living our daily lives. Some big and some small. It's during these times when I finally focus on the Lord and listen...that I realise that He was there with me all along and I never was alone. I get so caught up in the moment that I fail to stop and really focus on what God is trying to say to me. Maybe the reason I just spin my tires going no where is that God is trying to get me to just be still and listen. Do you ever feel like you're just spinning your tires and making no progress? Maybe it's time to stop and listen. Get still and quiet before the Lord and allow Him to work a good work in you! Maybe the reason we never hear Him is because we are always talking...and spinning our wheels!

Not just an ordinary pillow case....

I have been noticing these pillow case dresses everywhere for the past several months. My love for sewing can be a curse! Every time I run across a new project idea I will not rest until I've attempted to duplicate it...sometimes several times!

Thus begins this latest... not just an ordinary pillow case project!

My sister and I were at a local book store one night and she picked up this really cute project book. We stood and looked through it...drooling over all the neat things you could do with a pillow case. Neither of us bought the book that night...and once again I do not rest! So,what do I do? You guessed it! I went back a week later and frantically looked for that book. What a relief when I finally found it...so I bought two! Now the wheels are set in motion and my creative bug has kicked in.


My sister and I made plans to meet on Wednesday and sew dresses for the girls...we do not lack for girls in our family! Kathy brought moms machine and I had mine, so we set out to create 5 matching dresses. I really enjoyed the day hanging with my sister and all the kiddos. For the last 10 years she and her husband have lived out of state...so sister time has been few and far between. They are preparing to move to Honduras soon and these sister times will soon come to an end. Hopefully having matching dresses will help to make a memory for the girls as they get reacquainted only to say goodbye for few years.

Keep checking back...you never know what project I may attempt next!

I will try and post pictures of the girls in their dresses later...now that I'm finished with all mine.

"Don't be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good"

This evening I had a conversation with someone and this cliche came up. I have heard it many times and it always makes me think...As Christians aren't we suppose to be heavenly minded?

If we are completely heavenly minded than God is free to use us to fulfill His good plans here on earth. The problem is when we throw a spanner in the works by not being completely heavenly minded. The reason we are not producing "good" here on earth is not because we are too heavenly minded, but rather when we are too fleshly minded. When we focus our thoughts, desires, and time on heavenly things it has to produce the good fruits of God in our lives which will in turn bring God's goodness here on earth.


Google is a great tool so I sent this cliche' out to never never land.

There is an old expression that states, “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good.” Clever and catchy cliche, isn’t it? The only problem is that these words are unbiblical. The Bible says, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col 3:2). Contrary to popular opinion, being heavenly minded always inspires us to be more earthly good. Thus, our goal as Christians must be to set our minds on things above and faithfully serve the Lord.

http://bible.org/seriespage/heavenly-minded-and-earthly-good-1-corinthians-318-45


So many times I have used old cliches without a lot of thought. My mom always said..."Think before you speak." There's a lot of wisdom from that statement! I'm afraid to think how many other cliches I have used just because they sound catchy or sometimes even justify my actions.

I hope I can change this one around to say..."Don't be so Earthly minded that you are of no Heavenly good."

Karen