Surviving the Teenage Years

Remember when the terrible twos were terrible and you thought, "man if I get this kid passed two and potty trained I'll be cruising!"? Yeah, well that was nothin!

Teenagers have a unique personality and I'm convinced they are of a different species altogether. They are relentless, crafty, manipulative, clever, moody, and sometimes when you least expect it -- they are your child again -- sweet, lovable, touchy feely. Thank God, he gives us those moments.

It's no secret we've been through a difficult time with our typical teen, but God has been there each and every step of the way. For now, our teen seems to be settling down. He's adjusting to private school and making a few friends along the way. He's still a teen and instead of surviving I'm embracing my teen because all to soon he'll be grown, graduated and moving on.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness even when we lose our way. Thank you Lord for your patience when we go astray. Thank you Lord for your love and mercy when we find our way back.

House for Sale

Yep, we did it. We finally decided and as of yesterday we are officially on the market.

We've been toying with the idea for months now. We built our dream house almost 7 years ago and because we built it ourselves we have a great deal of equity, so it makes good financial sense to sell, build another dream house and be debt free of a mortgage. Like I said, it makes good financial sense. I'm still getting used to the idea. However, like everything else in our lives, we've turned it over to God. If it is his will he'll send a buyer, if not we'll stay put.

I like leaving it up to God!

God's Timing

I'd like to shout it from the rooftops -- MY GOD IS AMAZING!!!


Sometimes we as Christians think we are so immune to the bad stuff. That having God on your side means you only get the good stuff. Sometimes our prayers are God please let me have this, please make this better. Sometimes we treat God like a magic genie lamp. I believe that God allows stuff to happen in our lives in order to refine us. To make us more like him, Christlike. Do we like the refining? NO. Is the refining easy? NO. Do we always get it and understand it? Maybe not on this side of eternity. I spend alot of time trying to figure out the WHYS of refinement instead of looking for the blessings. Yes, there are blessings in refinement. Praise the Lord for friends who step up and pray alongside of us, praise Jesus for the moments of peace in a world full of chaos.

Tomorrow my sweet, sweet child begins his first day at a new school. Homeschooling is still always an option, but God opened doors last week like you've never seen. God's timing, his infinite wisdom, his plan, not our plan.

My God is not a magic genie. He is however my loving father and he knows what is best for me. The best comes out of refinement. The best is not always my answer and it's not always comfortable, but if it brings me one step closer to my father it is worth it.

New Leaf, New Life

That's what we've been saying to Jacob recently. Take the opportunities placed before you and begin again. Isn't it wonderful that God allows us every day to take the opportunities placed before us and begin again? 2007 brought lots of turmoil to our home and we crazily thought 2008 would be our year. Dare we to believe that 2009 will be better? You know, it doesn't matter what it brings or what the other years brought, because through it all God walked every step of the way with us. I'm sure he even carried us (me for sure) most of the way.

Thank you Jesus for being so powerful that you care about every little detail of our lives.

So whatever happens this year -- I know that my God is big enough to handle it. So instead of bumming about 2008 here's a sneak peak at some of my favorite days . . .

13th Birthdays!

Baby Calves

New Life

Beautiful Brides

Nervous Grooms

Big Bucks

40th Birthday Surprises

and at the center of it all -- family

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!