Over the Hill Birthdays

In the midst of uncertainty at our house comes a birthday. Not just any birthday, but an over the hill, older than dirt birthday! My sweet, sweet hubby is turning 40 today! I stayed up til midnight last night so I could tell him first thing just how thankful to God I am for him. He is a rock in our relationship and wonderful husband and father. I am so blessed.

I am also so conniving. We needed some fun and humor these days, so I quickly planned a surprise party. He has no idea that tonight at 6 p.m. all of his family and most of his friends are going to converge on our home.

I can't wait for the look on his face. A happy smile is all I need!

Thank you Jesus for this man. Thank you for his strength when I'm ready to throw in the towel. Thank you for his reasoning when I'm irrational. Thank you for his love when I'm trembling with uncertainty.

Lay Down Your Burdens With Me

"I know the plans I have for you . . ." I wish I knew them too.

For anyone who reads this blog, I ask that you pray for me and my family. Pray for my 13 year old son that he will find his way. Pray that each of us will have strength, wisdom and patience.

Today, we pulled our son out of the public school system. He's not happy to say the least and neither am I, but it had to be done. I have my homeschool license and I'm not sure what direction we will go in after the holidays.

Raising teenagers is never easy for anyone, but right now I'm drowning. I don't know what is best for my child and I'm clueless where to start.

Jesus, sweet Jesus, help me. Show me the path, move my feet, close my mouth, open my eyes and search my heart.

Deer Hunter's Dream

It was a late night last night. Jacob went with the youth and some others from church to see Casting Crowns in concert. It was midnight when hubby went to pick him up. I figured he might sleep in this morning, but instead he said he was going hunting this morning.

You see I'm married to the biggest deer hunter in the world and I also gave birth to the next one in line. They get up early before daylight and trudge off to the woods to sit in the darkness and freezing cold while I'm nestled in warm blankets snoozing away.

At 7:41 a.m. I am woken by the phone screaming next to me. Usually, on a Saturday morning I roll over and ignore it, but this morning I yank it up to my ear. I hear my hubby yelling at me, "You gotta get up, he's hit the mother load this morning, get up, get dressed quickly, I'll come get you." I jump up, brush my teeth, and pull some jeans on. Down in the garage I'm trying to get my boots on when Jacob pulls up to the door and is yelling at me to hurry up. We literally zoom off into the woods on the 4 wheeler (yeah I gotta have a talk with his daddy about how fast he drives that thing). Jacob is talking and over the roar of the 4 wheerler I can hear, "he's a big one, my first buck, he's huge, his rack is bigger than anything daddy's ever gotten." Soon, I can see hubby's orange hat in a gulley, we pull up and sure enough my sweet baby has gotten his fourth deer, but it's his first buck.

9 pointer - 18 3/4" spread

Thank you Jesus for days that turn into really great days!

Family Getaway

Don't you just love a great family weekend getaway? We do!! We loaded up Thursday (hubby, me and Jacob, Zach and Candi, my mom and dad, my sister and her husband -- yep all of us) and took off. We rented a 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo and we all piled in. It was bitterly cold, but we braved the wind and even some snow to watch a Christmas parade on Friday night and shop, shop, shop til we dropped the rest of the time. We had a great time ordering in and eating in front of the fireplace. Laughing at each other and old times, making new memories as well. What a wonderful way to lighten my mood lately and RELAX!

Thank you Jesus for traveling mercies, for time together as a family, for the spirit of Christmas that lives within us. Thank you most of all for YOU!