Away Down South

A New Teenager in the House!

2012-01-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked another astronomical event in our household...Katie Lynn turned 13! We now have 4 teenage daughters wandering around in this abode we call home. 4. Yes, you heard me correctly. We will take any and all sympathy anyone wants to send our way. ;)

Katie is such a joy to be around...there is never a dull moment with her. She is happy and I like her that way! She is a lover of the great outdoors, animals, bugs, camo, knives, candy, laughing, being a prankster....That's our Katie-did!

Happy Birthday, Katie!

A Biblical Worldview

2012-01-21T17:52:00.000-05:00

This is a very important video to watch. It speaks for itself...

Catching up....Again!

2012-01-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

It seems all I ever get accomplished on my blog anymore is "catching up" posts. Needless to say, this is another one of "those".

Let's see, since Thanksgiving...there was Christmas! We had a great Christmas this year with the addition of 2 weeks worth of guests! It was great seeing dear old friends and getting to spend Christmas day with family that we love so much. My children poured out their love to me with lavish homemade gifts that I will treasure always!

Me and my True Love celebrated 19 years of marriage on the 19th. God has been so good to us over the years...He has never let us down. I am so thankful for my godly husband, he is everything to me!

I have never been one to make "New Year's Resolutions", don't you just hate that feeling at the end of the year when you realize you didn't accomplish all that you set out to do? Although, January is a good time for reflecting on your life and what you could change. We should always be in a state of reflection..."Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalms 139:23-24. I do have a list of books I'm going to try to read this year. Some I have read already, but I want to read them again....some things don't stay in my mind for very long...they seem to float off to who knows where!

We celebrated Clara Mae's birthday on the 4th...she is now 8 years old! She has always been our sweet little "talker". As they say, "She could talk the hind leg off a mule!" And just think...she was our BABY for the longest time :) And then came Liberty....

Happy Birthday, Clara Mae!

Vision Forum Giveaway!

2011-12-02T15:46:00.001-05:00

I'm sure many of you have heard about Vision Forums AWESOME giveaways going on as we speak. Vision Forum has been such a blessing to our family. They have a variety of wholesome, Christian books for everyone on your Christmas list. We have never been disappointed with their books and materials; they are Christ-centered and focused on creating a Biblical worldview in everything they do. I recommend them highly!

Be sure to check out the giveaways on each of the links below before time runs out!

A Wise Woman Builds Her House
Life In A Shoe
The Modest Mom
Raising Olives
Smockity Frocks

God Bless!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T08:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I'm still here. It's been a looong time, I know. It has been hard trying to find time to just sit and write a post...I have thought about it though, does that count?

I can't believe Thanksgiving is here already! That only means one thing...well, maybe a few things, one: I've blacked-out over the last month because I don't know where it went, two; It's time to be thankful and eat a bunch of turkey, and three; CHRISTMAS is just a month away! I'm going to pretend I didn't say that last one, and I'm not going to think about it till tomorrow, if that's ok with you.

Anyway, it's good to be back. We have so much to be thankful for, even if we aren't receiving the blessings that we think we should be getting. At least we're not receiving what we deserve. God is so good to allow us the gift of life and breath. We have a beautiful house, great kids, food on our table, and of course, shoes on our feet! Remember to stop and give thanks for even those things we take for granted each and every day!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Have camera, will travel

2011-09-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

Most of the time my blog-posting-spree is chaotic. As much as I dislike chaos, you would think I would have a little more order to my posting, and at the very least, a somewhat chaotic-order! I seem to work better if I have a plan, and that's what I'd like to do with my blog....have a plan. I don't want it to become boring and mundane, but at the same time, I want to know what to expect....even if it is unexpected..? Am I making any sense? Maybe I'll come up with something. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a picture I took on Liberty's birthday (last month) and I think it sums up what her favorite gift was...CHOCOLATE! She had us laughing hysterically that day! She would open up a gift and bring it directly to me and move on to the next one....but when she got to the chocolate, she sat on the floor savoring every bite! It was quite comical let me tell you! She is always making us laugh!

Her latest venture is photography...Yep, you heard me correctly, she just turned 2 and she's an aspiring photographer! A while back, one of our daughters received my old digital camera and in turn gave me their (really) old one. Instead of letting it sit on my desk any longer, I decided to let Liberty play around with it (she is always asking to see her sister's pictures on their camera's). Little did we know she would actually do something with it! It is so funny to watch! She has really been paying close attention to her sisters when they are taking pictures because she mimics them to a "T"! She even has self-portraits down pat. And if that isn't enough, she has figured out the video mode, and she took a video of herself, dancing....I'm telling you, she is a character. There is never a dull moment at our house. Here are a few of her pictures...unedited so you can see her skeeels!

A few of Liberty's Self-Portraits

Mom Mom and DaDa

Notice, I have no chin...

This is a good one of Clara Mae

This is downtown on our evening walk

And this is what is most funny...she took the camera to the store and took pictures of "candy" and the "big spider". Also notice, it took her a while to remember to take her finger off the lens, but she's getting the hang of it!

And all these were taken by our 2 year old Liberty. Do you think she has what it takes to be a good photographer? I know I was impressed!

Video Fun!

2011-09-16T16:29:00.000-04:00

We were able to start school last week, so everything has started feeling "normal" again.

I know I'm behind on getting our house pictures online...but they will get here...one of these days!

The kids have been having a blast making funny videos. They are actually made to look like old silent films, from the 1920's. They are a hoot! Here is one for those of you who didn't see it on facebook. You can also go to our Away Down South You tube Channel to see more if you'd like. And remember, these are videos of kids, done by kids, so enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

2011-08-23T12:03:00.002-04:00

We have another birthday! Grace is 16 years old today. 16. My life is getting a little scary :)

Seriously though, I am so thankful for the 16 years that Grace has been in our lives, she is such a delight to be around. She always loves a good laugh and she likes to make people laugh too! God has given her such a friendly disposition, she could make friends with a tree stump if she had too! We are very proud of our children and pray that they will always glorify God in all that they do.

We love you Gracie!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Liberty

2011-08-21T18:04:00.000-04:00

Our sweet baby girl is 2 years old today! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. It seems like yesterday I was holding her as a newborn in my arms. We love her SO much, and she has brought such joy to our lives! Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of Liberty!

Home!

2011-07-28T16:38:00.003-04:00

Well, we are slowly getting settled into our new home. Don't you just love the sound of the word "home"? I do! There is such a feeling of belonging in the word. I love to hear little Liberty say the word "home"...she really draws it out like it has such special meaning. Home is such a special place to me, I tend to be a "home-body". And yes, we have moved more times than I want to count, but it is SO good to have a place to call home. I am absolutely loving our new home...it's tucked away in a little bitty southern town...I don't know if town is the right word though, we don't have a gas station but we do have a Dollar General! I don't have pictures for you yet...I want everything to be done before I post pictures!

Our old-timey house sits on 3 acres filled with pecan trees! I am so excited! I can't wait to have pecans...btw, do you say PE-cans or pe-CONS? We also have 2 fig trees. I had never in my life tasted a fresh fig...it tastes nothing like a fig newton :) I really like them! We picked a few yesterday and so I scoured the internet looking for fig recipes and I decided to try a fresh fig cake. It turned out quite delicious! I'm not exactly sure what type of figs ours are {there seem to be quite a few varieties}. Anyway, if you are knowledgeable about figs...please feel free to leave me any and all fig advice!

Fresh Fig Cake

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh figs

Topping
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups chopped fresh figs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk. Fold in vanilla and chopped figs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.

To make the topping: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups figs, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Spoon on top of cake before serving. Best served hot.

God is Good!

2011-07-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

Well, we are in the middle of our move. When you are excited, it seems like things just can't move fast enough! That's how it is with me right now. I am SO excited to be moving to our new house, I want to do it TODAY, yet there are things that have to be accomplished first, so I have to be patient...and pack....and then pack some more! Patience has never been my strong suit.

God has been so good to us in allowing us to find this beautiful old house. It has always been a dream of mine to live in an old house, and He has answered my prayer. The finances it takes to move are plumb crazy, but I know that God will supply those needs as well, He always does. I may fret and worry about where it's going to come from, but He has always seen us through. {If you haven't noticed, this is a pick-me-up post} :)

I want to thank each one of you for praying for our housing needs. God was and is with us all along, and He moves in such fantastic ways!

Soli Deo Gloria!

So much to tell!

2011-07-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

First things first...Our oldest daughter Rachel turned 17 yesterday.

Umm...wasn't I 17 just yesterday?

Talk about weird.

Anyway, we are so proud of her. She has become quite the Godly young lady. I don't think there is anything she can't do. She is truly as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. I can hardly believe she is 17 already. The years have flown by SO fast! I can still remember the day my water broke...just like it was yesterday. Life is such a vapor...

We are so thankful God brought her into our lives!

Our children are such a blessing to us!

News #2....We are moving! And I am so excited! And SO very thankful!

God answered our prayers above and beyond anything we could have ever dreamed!

I am still in awe at the way God worked it out. There is no question that it was an act of God. I am so thankful for His goodness and His kindness towards his children. As soon as possible, I will be posting pictures.

Have a Great Independence Day!

Simple Blueberry Muffins

2011-06-23T16:38:00.000-04:00

Although we've had a couple storms and the electricity was off for a whole hour,

I did get some blueberry muffins made today!

One of my dear sisters brought me a bag of freshly picked blueberries Sunday, and after eating half the bag this week, {ahem} I did save enough for a batch of homemade blueberry muffins. They are simple, yet scrumptious! So, I thought I would share the recipe. ♥ {this recipe makes 12}

1 ½ Cup Self-rising flour*
½ Cup sugar
¼ Cup vegetable oil
½ Cup milk
1 egg
1 Cup fresh {or frozen} blueberries

Mix ingredients in order, adding the blueberries last. Fill paper muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Eat fresh out of the oven!

*you can substitute all-purpose flour instead...just be sure to add 1/2 tsp. of salt and

2 tsp. baking powder

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T16:46:00.001-04:00

"Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) -Eph. 6:2

"Render therefor to all their dues.......honour to whom honour. -Romans 13:7

Tomorrow is Father's Day. I would like to say a special "Happy Father's Day" to my own dear Dad and to my husband, who is the wonderful father to our 8 kids. To my dad, - "I can't thank you enough for bringing me up in a Christian home, for giving me life and loving me through thick and thin. I am so thankful God blessed me with you as a father! I love you so much!"

To my dear husband, - "I love you with my whole heart! You are such a great father to our children...they are so blessed to have you as a dad! You are such an inspiration to me and I aspire to be as patient and loving a person as you are. I couldn't ask for a better husband. Thanks for loving me and our children....it means so much! God blessed me so much when He brought you into my life. I'll love you always!"

Happy Father's Day! Good father's are needed in this day and time. May each of you feel loved and appreciated on this special day!

We are taking orders!

2011-06-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

Our 14 year old daughter Kirstie has become an outstanding artist. We have featured some of her flower drawings on Etsy and we are now taking orders for her drawings of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. They are her original drawings placed in wooden frames for $30 each or $50 for the pair. If you would like to order, just send me an EMAIL and we can discuss payment arrangements. Also, if you have a favorite historical character you would like her to draw, you can send an email with those details as well. You won't be disappointed! The size of these are 10" x 13" but we can adjust to your needs.

What a day!

2011-06-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

Friday started out just like any other Friday at our house. With the exception that Grace had woke up with a horrible headache....one she'd had since late Wednesday evening. The kids did their schooling, and at noon we all sat down to listen to my husbands radio show. Right before the show was over, it looked as if Grace had fallen asleep in the recliner, and when the kids started fixing lunch, we came over to see if Grace was going to eat. We tried to rouse her but she wouldn't wake up. It also looked as if she was crying. I tried for several minutes and she finally opened her eyes, but she was breathing heavy and was very non-responsive. I kept asking her if she could hear me but she wouldn't respond. We couldn't get her to talk or move at all. All of a sudden we had children crying their eyes out afraid of what was wrong with their dear sister.

At that point, my husband picked her up and we rushed her to the hospital. After we arrived and they put an IV in her, she calmed down but was still very groggy and she couldn't talk. They did several tests, including a CT scan, and did blood work, only to find out that everything was normal (which we were very thankful!). They said she had hyperventilated do to the pain of her headache....we are coming to the conclusion that she has had a migraine. She still is in need of your prayers....this headache wants to linger. Whether migraines run in our family...my husband has them continually, my father, sister, and sister-in-law have problems with them as well, I hope that Grace will be spared.

I am so thankful that God continues protect us and meet our needs. Thank you so much for your prayers!

2 week review...

2011-06-02T13:25:00.000-04:00

I know most of you are singing praises that your kids are out of school for the summer...while we sit here with a couple more weeks to go. But we will be singing the Hallelujah Chorus soon too!

We enjoyed a field trip to Noah's Ark a couple weeks ago...while we had a (shockingly) 3 day cool spell... {Don't get me started on the weather....it's CRAZY HOT now!} It's a great place to take the family. It's also FREE! They do accept donations though. Here are a few pictures from our trip. We didn't get any good "together" shots, but maybe next time! Oh, and did I mention it's only about 30 minutes from our house! Sweet!

My favorite man in all the world!

I've also started the 90 Bible Challenge...Who doesn't enjoy a challenge? If your up to it, just follow the schedule on the link I provided and you will have read the Bible in 90 days. Take the challenge with me!

Money Saving Mom had this link up today from P&G for $35 in coupons. She also had a great post on "How to have a successful road trip." With our large family, it is always nice to find good ways that help keep everything running smooth and chaos-free!

Are you a frugal-kind of person? Here are some great ideas for those pesky baby-wipe containers.

I hope y'all are having a great start to your summer vacation. Won't you come down and enjoy some of this Georgia heat? :)

Happy 14th, Kirstie!

2011-05-17T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today is our 3rd-born daughter's birthday, she is 14!

Kirstie is our creative one. God has blessed her with amazing, creative talents. She is always full of crafty ideas. Last night she "threw together" an afghan-size quilt for me....in just one evening! She loves to draw and she is becoming quite the artist. If you will visit our Etsy shop, you will get a small glimpse at what I mean. Her art skills have improved dramatically over the past year. I am so proud of her!

She is growing up right before our very eyes!

We love you Kirstie, and
Happy Birthday!

Maggie Joy is 11 today!

2011-05-09T22:33:00.000-04:00

Today our little Maggie Joy turned 11 years old. Wow. At one time we had 5 girls, 5 years old and under. Now those same 5 girls are 11 years old and older. I can deny it all I want to but it is happening at lightning speed. Hopefully the other 3 will stay younger longer.....yeah right.

Anyway, Maggie was a 2000 baby...due on Mother's Day. But as it happened, my midwife was going to be out of the state on Mother's Day so she decided to break my water a few day's early. God in his sovereignty was looking out for our little Maggie...there was a very strong chance that she would have been stillborn had she went to full term. She was born with hardly any breath left in her do to the umbilical cord wrapped extremely tight around her neck. She was very lethargic and had to have oxygen for several hours. It was an experience I will never forget and I hope to never go through again.

Maggie is a very shy, but very happy little girl. And once she gets to know you, there is no holding back! Her middle name fits her very well...she is full of Joy! If you have seen me refer to her as our "little" Maggie, well....it's because she is just that. I'm sure it attributes to her shyness at first, because anyone who finds out her age asks several times, "what did you say...you said she is 11?" The older she has gotten, the more people are in shock at her age. She is a little shorter than our 7 year old daughter Clara. We believe she has what is called Turner Syndrome. But it hasn't taken away her joy and enthusiasm for life. If anything, she is even more enthusiastic than most. We thank the LORD that he brought her into our lives. She will always be our "little Maggie Joy"!

Happy Birthday Maggie! We love you very much!

Blessed Beyond Measure

2011-05-07T21:17:00.000-04:00

My heart overflows with love and gratitude for all that the LORD has given to me in allowing me to be the mother of 8 beautiful children. I am truly blessed beyond measure. I do not live in a mansion {although I am Queen of this double-wide}, I don't have fancy clothes, nor do I drive a fancy car, and I only have a few dollars to my name....BUT I am rich in what matters most in life. I love these kids so very much and I am proud to be their mother. I fail miserably in my role, but thankfully we can start fresh and new every morning with God's grace. I have the best husband and children in the world...who could ask for more?

I have also been blessed with a wonderful mother as well, who has taught me so much, given me life during a time when so many children were unwanted, and loved me more than she loved herself. She is so precious to me and I am so thankful for her. She is an inspiration to me and I love her very much!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

I'm back.....I hope!

2011-05-03T17:48:00.000-04:00

Well....I don't know where to begin. I have been gone from bloggy-land for quite some time, and now as I write this post, well...I am almost at a loss of words. Almost.

It has been a busy --but not too busy-- couple of months. The month of March was filled to the brim with family visiting us from Indiana....So you see, it was a good kind of busy. It was Liberty's first visit with both of her papaws {and she was rather shy, let me tell you}. We enjoyed a great time of singing, eating, and just enjoying each others company. We also celebrated several birthdays in March....we have quite a few including my husband, 2 brother-in-laws, a sister, and a niece.....did I get them all? Anyway, as always, goodbyes are very hard to say. It was sad to see them all go, but I am so thankful for the time spent with each one of them.

April brought sadness to our family with the passing of James' grandpa on his father's side. He had suffered a stroke over 20 years ago and was paralyzed but had lived these past 20+ years for his family. He was very fond of our children and loved to just sit and watch them play when we would visit. He couldn't say much, but his love shown bright in his eyes. We will miss him dearly. Our oldest daughter Rachel, wrote a great poem in his memory entitled An Ode of Tears that you can read on her blog.

April also brought another tragic event to our great South Land, tornadoes ripped through the southern states killing close to 300 and destroying the homes of so many. The Lee family lost not only their home but their husband/father as well. It is a heart wrenching story of God's sovereignty and love. The Crawford family lost their home as well, and it is yet another story of God's faithfulness and love. They are going to need our prayers for the many weeks and months ahead. We had a tornado come very close to our home....about 4-5 miles close. 2 people were killed as a result of that tornado. My husband and I went out the day after to view the damage, and it left me standing in awe at the mighty hand of our God! If you want to read my oldest daughters response to the tornado, you can go to her blog Covenant Maiden.

Now that May is here, {with 4 more birthdays, and Mother's Day, and Memorial Day} maybe I can get back to writing for my blog and keeping up with day to day tasks. Maybe. :)

My favorite boy in all the world!

2011-04-09T19:17:00.000-04:00

9 years ago today....at this time, I was in labor with our 6th child. Our previous 5 pregnancies had all been girls, so the odds were for us having a 6th. BUT, I still had that hope in the back of my head that THIS one could be HIM. I had a few mild contractions throughout the day, but nothing to speak of, and around 7:00 that evening the contractions started in a little stronger. He was born at home at 9:50 that night. Yes, I said HE! My mother was able to attend this birth and she was the first one to yell out, "it's a BOY!" We were all in tears! Even my midwife....who had "caught" 4 of my previous babies, was boohooing along with us. It was such a memorable occasion. Since then, we have had 2 more girls....{no more boys} I have told him, since he is our only boy, that he is my favorite boy in all the world, and he would tell me that I was his favorite mom in all the world. He is my little sweetheart and I can't thank God enough for blessing him into our lives! Happy Birthday Reb!

Just enjoyin' life!

2011-03-16T23:54:00.001-04:00

If you don't see me here for a while, it's not because I've given up blogging... Nope, notta, No siree! I'm just enjoying a nice, much needed visit with my mom and dad. We were blessed to have my husbands folks last week, my folks this week, and my sister and her family in a week or so! It's been a great month so far! Hope y'all are having a blessed month as well. See y'all soon...Good Lord willin' and the crik don't rise!

Another Birthday!

2011-03-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful man in all the world! He is everything to me, and I am so thankful to be the wife of such a great man. God has been so good to us, we are indeed BLESSED!

Not much to tell....

2011-02-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

My husband was at the Georgia Capitol this week to capture on video a protest that took place among pro-union workers. They are nothing but communists in democrat's clothing. They were passing out communist garbage and spewing forth socialistic speech in its purest form. My husband keeps me up to date with all that is going on in the world, but simply put, I am amazed at the amount of socialism that is running rampant in our country. What used to be condemned and railed against is now becoming the norm. It's rather scary. Be sure to check out Part 1 of the communist rally in Atlanta, GA.

There hasn't been much of anything else happening around here, except enjoying this wonderful spring weather! The kids have been enjoying every minute they can outside, including Liberty. I think it is her favorite thing to do now....{she especially loves the dirt} When she asks in that sweet little voice, I can't tell her "no". It is so sweet. Could you say 'no' to this cute little face? I didn't think so! Those chubby little legs in big brother's boots just add to the sweetness, don't you think?

We LOVE our Liberty

2011-02-18T18:28:00.000-05:00

We have had WONDERFUL weather this week! And of course, since it's been absolutely beautiful, we have spent a lot of our time outside enjoying as much of it as we can. With 8 kids, there is bound to be something that will bring a smile. Take for instance today. We were outside and one of the first places Liberty takes off to, is the dirt. She has some kind of crazy attraction to it. She LOVES it. Anyway... today though, she decided she was going to EAT the dirt. Not just any ole' dirt, mind you.....Red Georgia dirt. She was the funniest sight. Needless to say, she had it in her mouth, up her nose, and all over those chubby cheeks of hers! I didn't get a picture of the big "event" but I did get one after she was "sorta" cleaned up. There is never a dull moment!

A tribute to a great American!

2011-02-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - Ronald Reagan 40th President of the United States

100 years ago, a great man was born. A man named Ronald Reagan. We have not since had a President like him. Nor is it likely that we will ever see one again in our lifetime. That is why it is of utmost importance that we raise our sons and our daughters up in the admonition of the Lord God. They need to have a strong, solid foundation in the Word of God. We need faithful men who are willing to give their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor for the King of kings and Lord of lords. What we have today is not freedom. May we all fall on our knees and repent and turn from our wicked ways so that our Father in Heaven will forgive us and heal our land!

Here are some quotes from Ronald Reagan that I hope will inspire you. He was a great American and may we never forget him. And may we always remember that with Christ there is hope for the future!

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."

"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

"Man is not free unless government is limited."

"We have the duty to protect the life of an unborn child."

"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face."

"I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God's help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can't expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living."

To the State Capitol .... and Beyond!

2011-02-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

We took a trip up to the State Capitol Tuesday. When I say "trip", with a family of 10, going ANYWHERE is a trip! But, we had a good time and even Miss Liberty enjoyed herself and gave us a few goofy grins! It was a good experience for the kids to be able to sit in during a session of the House {even if it did only last an hour!}. If you haven't watched the video my husband did in support of H.B. 54, be sure to check it out. Also, World Net Daily did an interview with my husband as well and you can read that article here.

Our family with Rep. Bobby Franklin

Bobby and Liberty getting acquainted :)

Patrick Parsons {Georgia Gun Owners} and my husband James

The family :)

The kids in the balcony

Liberty and Clara

Liberty and Daddy

Liberty and Mommy

And I can't leave without showing off another cute picture of Liberty that will surely put a smile on your face :)

Guns and great weather!

2011-01-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

I just HAD to post a quick note about our BEAUTIFUL Georgia day! It reached a whopping 70 degrees! It was absolutely gorgeous outside. It felt like a glorious spring day! According to the weather man, it's going to be beautiful again tomorrow. I am so ready for the gloominess of winter to be over with. Me and the kiddos enjoyed some much needed time outside while daddy was away rabbit hunting. I think Liberty would be happy if she could live outside! She just loves it!

In other news....my dear husband did a video of endorsement for H.B. 54. In a nutshell, it will allow people to carry their guns in church/worship facilities. It is against the law in the state of Georgia to carry firearms in worship facilities, although it is legal to carry elsewhere. Yet more often we hear on the news of another lunatic coming into a church and open firing on unsuspecting parishioners. The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Our rights as lawful citizens ARE being infringed upon, and we must act now. Call your local Representative and tell them to vote in favor of H.B. 54.

Review opportunity!

2011-01-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

I've recently been given the opportunity to review a product from CSN Stores online. They sell everything from toys, kitchen wares, shoes, modern decor, furniture.... You name it, they just might have it!

When I receive my item, I will be posting a review and who knows, there might be a giveaway in the near future! Until then, go and browse their website, I'm sure they would appreciate your business!

Teens and pre-teens OH MY!

2011-01-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

Well, we have 3 teens in our house so far, and over the weekend our Katie-did turned 12. She will soon step over the {teen} threshold...yeah, that one...but I'm going to enjoy her being "just 12" for now! She is such a delight to be around. She is our "happy" girl, {at least most of the time} always laughing, always teasing or being just plain funny! She's a true "Daddy's girl"...she loves what he loves... She says she is NEVER going marry.... that she is always going to stay home with us. I'm sure she'll probably change her mind about that....but I can hope, can't I?

Happy Birthday, Katie!

A time to be born

2011-01-17T20:28:00.001-05:00

Life is a blessing....which most of the time we take for granted. As you know...I love babies. This week has been an extra special blessing in our family...one of my sisters and one of my sister-in-laws had beautiful baby girls...just a few days apart. God has been good, God IS good, and God will ALWAYS be good! I am so thankful for the blessing of these precious little girls. May they grow up to bring Him glory!

Be sure to check our Etsy shop this week....we plan on adding a few new items. With warm weather still a ways off, {for some of you anyway} we have a variety of hats and scarves to meet your winter needs :)

Also if you get the chance, 3 of our daughters have blogs that I'm sure you will get a blessing from. Covenant Maiden, Graceful Maiden, and Covenant Daughter.

Sola Deo Gloria!

Christmas, and New Years, and Birthdays, OH MY!

2011-01-07T00:54:00.000-05:00

Have you gotten used to writing 2011 yet? How long does it take before it sinks in? Don't you just hate it when you write a check and put the wrong year on it :)

Well the holidays are over...it seems to put a hint of melancholy over everything yet at the same time everything seems new with a hint of freshness in the air...like spring is lurking just around the corner. That is a good feeling. It reminds me of my favorite verses in the Bible, Lamentations 3:22-23: "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." If it weren't for His mercies, we would be consumed. I am so thankful for a merciful and compassionate God, aren't you? We can rise up every morning knowing that His mercy is new every single day. That is such a blessing to me!

If your hoping to see a bunch of Christmas pictures in this post....well...there not here. sorry. I hope to have some pictures up by early next week at the latest. Since the busy-ness of the holidays, and the endless hours sitting at the sewing machine, I think my brain has went on a vacation and forgot to mention where it went or when it will return. So you will have to bear with me as I try to regroup, recoup, and re-adjust to life in the normal lane.

On top of all the holiday festivities, our little Clara Mae had her 7th birthday! She was so excited to turn 7, ... and I can't believe she is 7. Before Liberty came along a little over a year ago, Clara was our baby. THAT makes me feel my age. I told my husband the other night, having Liberty has made me feel young again...{at least at heart..} And then Clara had her 7th birthday.... which in turn got me to thinking about all the kids moving up in age this year...our oldest will turn 17.....OKAY, enough of that already!

Anyway, Clara wanted a real tea set this year and as I got to looking around at some on-line, I knew that to get her a nice one was going to be out of the question....most of them cost more than what my dishes cost. So, I went to Goodwill, and I found 4 beautiful matching rose tea cups, a green sugar and cream set, a tea pot that looks like a little rose cottage, and a cute picnic basket that closes in which all her tea set fits inside. She LOVED it! She was so water-logged at the end of the day, but she was so happy! She shared her cups and saucers with me and her daddy as we ate birthday cake. I loved the joy on her face! It may not have been the worlds best tea set, but to her it was, and I don't think she would have been as happy and ecstatic if it had been new. She has been boasting about it all week now, even saying she wants to save it and use it for when she is married......you know, when she is 40 or so :)

So, now you know a little bit of what has been going on at the Brown house. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas {the 12 days are officially over now} and a Happy New Year. May we all resolve to make 2011 a year to glorify our Lord and King Jesus Christ even more than we did last year!

18 years ago...

2010-12-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

18 years ago....today. I married the love of my life. 18 years ago, we were just kids. So in love, yet not knowing what true love really was. Our love has grown so much over the years....our family has grown too :) God's providential hand has been in our lives, guiding us through the good times and the not so good times, He has never left us or forsaken us. 18 years....seems like a lifetime ago, yet seems like yesterday. There are no words strong enough to describe the depths of my love for my husband. He is everything to me. He is my hero...my best friend...my knight in shining armor....my love.....he is mine.

Happy 18th Anniversary to my ONE and ONLY!

I'm dreaming of a WARM Christmas.

2010-12-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

The weather this week has been crazy. This is supposed to be Georgia, not Indiana! It started out unseasonably cold, like down in the teens, and ended up in the 60's. I mean... I'm not complaining about the 60 degree weather, but the teens!, you northerners can keep your cold weather, thank you very much! As for me, I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas ♪♪♫ ...just like the one we had 2 years ago...♫♪♪

We've had a busy but fun week though. After braving the extremely cold weather on Monday to go to the store, we did some Christmas cookie making on Tuesday. All the kids took part...even little Liberty. As you can see in the pictures, she is in nearly every one of them, trying to get her hands in the dough {and the dough into her mouth}. It was memories in the making!

If you'd like to make some too, here is the recipe. You can do A LOT of different variations with this recipe, so experiment and have fun! My favorite was adding lemon extract.

Butter Balls {snow balls}

1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
optional ingredients: pecans, almonds, food coloring, *flavors or extracts {I used 1 tsp. lemon extract} 2 tsp. cinnamon {the cinnamon ones turned out really good too}
powdered sugar {enough to cover cookies when cool}

Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add flour, and beat at low speed until well blended, stir in extra ingredients if you are adding them. If you add flavors or extracts, you may have to add just a little bit more flour if dough is sticky. Shape into one inch balls. Bake at 325 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Remove and put on wire rack to cool. Roll in confectioners' sugar when cool.

{Click on picture to view bigger}

My Heart Overlows...

2010-12-12T08:27:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love those mornings where you actually get up before anyone else? I know I do. My day seems to run just a little smoother as well.

2 weeks until Christmas. Actually less than. Am I finished with my Christmas gifts? I was supposed to be, BUT.... I'm not. That's not to say I haven't been busy. I feel like I'm becoming one with the sewing machine, I have been in front of it so much here lately :). I do have to say though, I think I have more done now than I did last year at this time, if that is any consolation. But that doesn't help me get done any faster....I was supposed to already BE done! I really enjoy making things, it's just the stress of "am I going to have everything done in time" that stresses me.... :)

I have been finding ornaments on the Christmas tree in "clusters". Liberty LOVES the tree and the ornaments, she's just not supposed to be touching them. So it is amusing when I find ornaments clustered in groups of 3 or more on the same twig. Her excitement puts a smile on my face. I received a gift in the mail yesterday and I put it under the tree {the first gift under the tree} and Liberty laid on the floor on her belly with her head in her hands and kept looking at it. She's only 16 months and even though she had her first Christmas last year, this one will be even more exciting!

I was reading over my girls' blogs {3 of our daughters have them} and it hit me real hard this morning how much they have grown. I see it every day, 3 of them are as tall as me {one of them slightly taller....but I'm not going to admit it} but when it hit me this morning, it was a different feeling, one with mixed emotions like melancholy, sadness, I'm getting old, ... but also joy in seeing them become Godly young ladies. They make me so proud. I am so proud of all my children. God has blessed me FAR more than I deserve. When I was my oldest daughter's age, I said I didn't want ANY kids... in those words. But God in His love and mercy changed my heart and gave me 8 beautiful children, I am so unworthy yet so thankful! I am so thankful that God doesn't see me as me, but sees His son, Jesus Christ. Where would I be today if not for His love.

Have a Blessed Lord's Day!

Everything Christmas....a book review

2010-12-06T20:49:00.000-05:00

Everything Christmas by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters is a compilation of exactly what the title says, Everything Christmas! If you want to know the origin of a certain Christmas song, food, tradition, story, etc., it's in there. It's packed full of delightful recipes, traditional Christmas songs, little Christmas tidbit facts.... it even has Christmas jokes! I especially like reading the history of many of our favorite Christmas songs, although several of them have an unknown author. The book is set up to be able to read something everyday in December. Overall I am pleased with this book. It is something I will use for many Christmas's to come. It would also make a great Christmas gift. I recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas as much as I do!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"Secret" Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge

2010-12-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite Peanut Butter Fudge recipes. I try to make at least one batch every Christmas. It's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination....but is fudge supposed to be? Anyway, it is exceptionally creamy and VERY good! The only thing is, it has a "secret" ingredient. What I mean by secret is, it is not commonly found in fudge recipes, and most people are shocked to find out that it is in there. See if you can spot it!

2 sticks margarine (see...I told you it wasn't healthy)
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
1 C. Jif Peanut Butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 lb. powdered sugar

Melt margarine and cheese in sauce pan over low heat until creamed together. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the cheese and margarine mixture, then press into pan. Cool in fridge and enjoy! Name brands work best.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-04T14:05:00.001-05:00

Three Wise Men Religious Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Send out the Christmas cheer!

2010-12-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

One of the exciting things to me during the Christmas season is giving and receiving Christmas cards. It brings back something nostalgic from when I was a child. I always waited in anticipation for the mail to arrive to see if we had any Christmas cards. It was exciting to see the shelves in our home fill up with Christmas cards during the month of December. To this day, I still wait in anticipation for Christmas cards from family and friends. And yes, I do enjoy sending them out as well. I only wish I could do more.

One place to find great cards is Shutterfly. They have a vast array of cards and styles and the best part is that you can add your own photos and make them uniquely your own. I have used Shutterfly before to order prints, and they were exceptional! I am excited to try their Christmas photo cards this year. I have been looking through their cards and have found several I really like. Christ Wishes is one of my favorites. One of the most important things to me when I send out Christmas cards is “does it honor Christ?” He is our peace and hope and everything we do should bring glory and honor to His name.

Shutterfly also has an array of other fun cards. If you are having a Christmas party, then the Christmas invitations are just what you need. They also have cards for all the holidays, birth announcements, birthdays, etc. Give them a try. I’m sure you’ll be pleased.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” - Luke 2:14

Biscuit Bread

2010-11-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

This recipe came about as a "mistake" and soon became one of our favorites! It's great when you want a quick bread to go with a meal. We also like to have it with sausage gravy!

2 C self-rising flour
1 1/4 C milk
1/4 C oil
1 egg
2 T sugar

Heat oven to 425*. Spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Recipe can be doubled and put into 9x13 pan.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

2010-11-30T18:44:00.000-05:00

This recipe is definitely one of our family favorites. It also makes 2 {9x13} pans.

1 C. oil
1 3/4 C. sugar
4 eggs
2/3 C. water
2 C. pumpkin puree
3 1/2 C. Self-rising flour
2 tsp cinnamon
Chocolate chips {enough to sprinkle on top}
1 C chopped nuts {optional}

Mix oil and sugar. Add eggs, water, and pumpkin and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients. Pour into two 9x13 pans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

O Christmas Tree

2010-11-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. God truly is good, even amidst our failures and shortcomings. Even when we seem to overlook the many things He blesses us with each and every day. Why are we so prone to take our MANY blessings for granted? We don't deserve His mercy and grace. But that is one of the many things that makes our God an AWESOME God! "His mercy endureth forever."

With Thanksgiving past, the wonderful, joyous season of Christmas is here! I LOVE Christmas! We were able to put a real tree up this year, a Leyland Cypress! Thanks to our good friends {who have good connections}. It is beautiful! We make a big to do about putting the ornaments on the tree, so it takes quite a while to get it all done. Everyone gets involved. I also like to make a new ornament every year for each of us and this year we used the age-old shrinky dinks! We had a lot of fun making them, especially watching them shrink! I got a little carried away and made a few more, but they turned out great!

Liberty also had fun playing around with garland and ornaments. She thought she was a little angel.

After all was said and done, we turned off the lights, had devotions, and sat there for a while, just looking at the tree. Isn't Christmas wonderful?

Just around the corner!

2010-11-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here? I cannot. It seems it sneaks up on me every single year... a little faster each time, and every single year I say the same thing..."Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here?" And in another week I'll be saying, "Can you believe it's only 1 month till Christmas?" So it goes.

Anyway, now that Thanksgiving is almost here, we are preparing 2 Thanksgiving dinners; one on Sunday and the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner on Thursday. I am looking so forward to it! And then there will be so much anticipation for Christmas. We all love Christmas time around our house. Not one Scrooge among us. I think we are getting a real tree this year too, I love having a real tree! It makes it that much more special to me. The kids have already been 'secretly' listening to Christmas music in their rooms. They know I don't like to have it going all through the house until AFTER Thanksgiving, {I know, I'm peculiar that way} but they are anxious to listen to it at the beginning of November.

We are officially off of school now for a whole week! We like to take a week long break for Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas. So everyone is all excited today! Clara said she would like to take off for 4 years.... ahem, I don't think that is going to happen. But she can dream. Poor girl...still has at least 10 years of school left.

We also started up an Etsy shop {Away Down South} this week, and it's going great! We've already made 2 online sales and 2 offline sales. All of our items are on sale from now until Thanksgiving, so head on over and see if there is anything you might like. If you'd like a custom order, just send me an email and we'll see what we can do. You'll never know till you ask!

I hope and pray y'all have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving. May all of our hearts be turned to the One who has given us so much to be thankful for. HE is our life and our salvation, our God!

Faith, Family, and Friends

2010-11-06T18:09:00.001-04:00

Wow. It's been a while.

We've had a lot going on over the past couple of weeks.... and yes, I know, it's been more like 3 weeks since I last posted. But never fear, I'm back again!

We had a wonderful visit with family - my mom, sister and her family two weeks ago. But of course, it seemed like it was over before it began. We enjoyed each others company, went shopping, and topped it off with some good ole' Tim Hawkins! A visit isn't complete without Tim Hawkins. He is funny with a capital "F".

Our church also celebrated our 1 year anniversary and Reformation Day. It was a grand occasion. It was a blast dressing up and "trying" to play games and such just like they did back then! We are looking forward to next year already! You can view more Reformation Celebration pictures on our Church website.

My husband also spoke at a Pre-Election Prayer Rally. He did a wonderful job, {be sure to watch}. Before we will ever see any results of God's blessing on our land, we must first humble ourselves and pray and repent. God is still full of mercy, and His arm is not too short that it cannot save.

Lastly, we had a great time of fellowship with some dear friends last night, where we also got to meet a whole host of new friends! It was such a blessing! After the food and fun, we were able to enjoy an evening of singing and music. God has truly blessed our dear hostess with the gift of hospitality. She is such a delight to be around. Her son is starring in a new film to be released in December called Jimmy Valiant: Scions of Danger. It was nice meeting him and the crew that are dedicated to making films that bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. We were blessed by meeting several new families and bits of families :) God is Good!

I have a little secret....

2010-10-15T09:15:00.001-04:00

Boy, that sure got you here quick! Everyone loves a little secret, don't they? But I won't count you, YOU just follow my blog on a regular basis and so you just naturally came over to see what I posted....right? Well, whatever the reason, I guess I'll let you in on MY little secret.....Okay, here it is....Hello, my name is Sonya and I have O.R.D.*

Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my back! I feel better already! Now I can get on with my post.

Oh.... you don't know what ORD is? I thought everyone knew? Well, it's just this little thing commonly known as Obsessive Re-arranging Disorder. {don't you LOVE the name I gave my disorder? I had to give it some kind of name....there's a disorder for everything these days!} Yep! That's me! I LOVE to re-arrange my furniture! Sometimes I go through spells where I re-arrange it once a week... and then I might have a lull where I don't do it for a WHOLE month! {that's when I REALLY start thinking there's something wrong with me!} Most of the family has accepted my problem. You might hear things like, "Yea, Mom's ORD has kicked in...again" or "But Mom, I wanted to go outside and play.... do we HAVE to re-arrange, again?". Nothing like child-labor! {for those who don't know me very well, I am kidding, just a little bit...}

Okay, enough about my problem. Do you want to hear the really good news? Well, since I have this silly disorder, I just happened to re-arrange this week and I got a new SEWING ROOM! I am LOVING it! It's actually the whole fam's sewing room {us girls at least} and it doubles as my office. It is just GREAT! See, I was a woman without a room. My poor office and sewing stuff just couldn't find the right place to fit in. It was sad. But not anymore! I even have a window that looks out back where I can watch the kids playing outside. Yeah, those kids can now run and play without any worries about Mom dragging them back inside to re-arrange, again {for now, anyway}. I will post a picture of my new room, eventually, so you can be excited with me. For now though, I am going to sit here and enjoy my coffee in my new room. Y'all come back, ya hear.

*there is no support group for this disorder. If you need help, well, your just out of luck!

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

2010-10-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

The weather way down here in the good 'ole South has been MAGNIFICENT! In our few years of living down here I don't think I've seen it go from nearly 100 degrees to 72 degrees in such a short amount of time. It was like squelching summer one day and the next it was the most beautiful fall weather imaginable! We are loving every minute of it. I am hoping that this bit of early fall {at least for us southerners} doesn't mean we are going to have a long, cold winter. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Well, my Christmas projects are coming along... sorta. Not as quick as I'd like, but I am making some progress. I hope to have a majority of it finished within a month. {hopefully}

We also watched Tim Hawkin's new DVD Insanitized last weekend with friends and family... It was HILARIOUS! He makes me laugh until I cry. If you haven't seen it yet, it will definitely be worth your while.

It has been so much fun watching Liberty as she gains her confidence in walking. She has even tried out a couple of "dance" moves! Yesterday was her first time to walk around outside, {actually I think it was the first time she has really worn shoes!} and she had such a fun time of it, and of course she didn't want to come in! I love watching her wonder and amazement at even the smallest of things. We could learn a lot from the wee ones!

Liberty's walking & Fall is here!!

2010-09-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

Liberty has been teasing us with walking for a couple weeks now. I really thought she would have been walking already, but she has decided to take her ol' sweet time {she just turned a year at the end of August}. I say it is official, because every time I would put her down today, she would take off. There was one time she walked nearly the full length of the living room and my bedroom....she couldn't be stopped! Another time I put her down in the living room, walked into the kitchen and looked behind me and there she was following me! She is such a little stinker! She is so happy and excited about walking, it makes me happy! Watch out world, here she comes!!

I am also so giddy about the weather!! We had a boat load of rain over the weekend, and today was glorious! The whole family stepped out this evening for a delightful walk. There was definitely a hint of fall in the air. It was just wonderful. This is my favorite time of the year!

Blog changes coming your way!

2010-09-24T16:27:00.000-04:00

There are a few minor changes taking place with my blog. The big one is the title. I have decided to change the name to Away Down South. Don't you just love the sound of it? I do! There are several reasons for the change, the first one being that Covenant Blessings {dot} com was taken, and I have been wanting an actual domain name for a while now. The other reason{s} is that I wanted something to do with the South, whether it was an olde southern saying, or just something grand about the South. Since our move to Georgia over 3 1/2 years ago, we have fallen in love with southern life and all that it entails. We have always loved it's grand history, {Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson being among our hero's} and it was always a dream of ours to live "Away down south in Dixie". Anyway, I am so excited about the changes and I hope you like them too! Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.

"In Dixieland I'll take my stand, away down south in Dixie.... Away, away, away down south, in Dixie!"

Groovy Goodwill Gal

2010-09-22T00:41:00.001-04:00

I am slowly working on Christmas gifts... s.l.o.w.l.y, mind you. I have so many ideas running through my head, I guess that means that right now it would be nice to have a man's brain so that I could fit everything into it's own little box! But I must be content with this spaghetti factory {commonly known as the female brain} that seems to be working too much overtime, and concentrate on one thing at time. Okay. That's settled.

Anyway, Monday afternoon I found some pretty good deals to help aid me in my attempt at making homemade gifts. All the Wal-marts around here quit selling fabric a couple years ago, but Monday they had a table full of 5 yard bolts for only $5.00! That was enough to make my day! I also found a bag of lace at the Goodwill, and an unopened roll of rose wallpaper. I can find all kinds of uses for the paper... scrapbook ideas, old-fashioned card making, art prints, notebook covers, the ideas are endless! {there I go again...}

Liberty had a good time shopping too. She thought she found the perfect pair of sunglasses {which lasted all of 30 seconds}. But you have to admit, it was an awful CUTE 30 seconds!! She's one GROOVY GIRL!

Quiet on the homefront...

2010-09-14T21:19:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's been kind of quiet on the home front. Not a lot to blog about. We did start school last week and Liberty is taking a few steps now. It seems like it happened over night, and she is kicking into gear! If you stand her up she takes off like a rocket, except she usually ends up on her face after 3 or 4 steps. She could very well be walking by the time she turns 13 months next week.

Another reason I haven't had much time to blog lately is because I am trying to get a head start on making Christmas gifts this year. I started way too late last year and it made for some stressful days, to say the least. So, hopefully I've started in plenty of time to get things done in a timely fashion! My mind is also running over with ideas that I hope I can make some sense of without getting too overwhelmed! I'm sure I'll post pictures eventually.

If you haven't noticed, I've also taken most of the links off the front page of my blog. If you'll look at the top of the page, I have a button with "links" on it that will take you to a separate page with links to all the blogs that I like to frequent. If there is one you think I should add, feel free to comment or drop me a line.

So, if you've wondered what's been going on in our neck of the woods, wonder no more! I'll try not to be so scarce from now on....

I LOVE a bargain!

2010-09-01T18:36:00.000-04:00

It's September 1st, and a beautiful, magnificent day it is! Me and the kids went out this morning to enjoy the great outdoors, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! Yes, it did get a little hot as the day wore on, but it wasn't overbearing, and yes, this is Georgia.... so it is still going to be pretty warm for quite a while yet. We start school next week............ yeah, I'm not quite ready, but that's the way the cookie crumbles :)

I have to tell you about my wonderful thrift store find! I went to several thrift stores and the Goodwill the other day {when I got groceries...not a very bright idea, btw, it made for a very long day}. Anyway, at my last thrift store stop, which happened to be the Salvation Army, I found and fell in love with a beautiful picture hanging on the wall. It's called "Sunday Morning in Sleepy Hollow". I instantly called my husband and told him about it and he looked it up on the internet {don't ya just love the world wide web??} and found out it was a fairly expensive print -without the frame- and even more so with a frame, and of course "mine" was framed. And to top it off, it was for sale at a GREAT price! So I nabbed it up before it caught the eye of someone else! I was thrilled to say the least! I love it when I find a great bargain. Rachel had a good day as well, she found quite a bit of fabric, which of course, made her day too! I'd like to hear about some of y'alls bargain deals. You know, the kind that make you feel like a kid at Christmas!

I'll leave you with a few of the pictures I took outside today.

She has a rough life, doesn't she?

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

2010-08-24T00:10:00.001-04:00

Today was Grace's 15th birthday. We had a marvelous day of walking around Wal-mart and Goodwill (a long day I might add :) but it was a good day! We looked at EVERYTHING, ate ice cream, and walked our legs off! Liberty didn't enjoy the day as much, but give her time, I'm sure she will enjoy shopping soon enough! Katie also modeled sunglasses and hats for us too. My girls are growing up before my very eyes. 3 of them are teenagers now. I'm realizing more and more, the older I get, that life is here and gone before we know it. I'm thankful for the day we spent together, I love you, Grace! Happy Birthday!

Liberty's 1st Birthday!

2010-08-22T09:57:00.000-04:00

Our baby girl is 1 year old!! First birthdays are so special. We decided to celebrate on Friday night (her birthday was Saturday) and it was a good thing we did. She woke up on Saturday morning with a slight fever and wanted me to hold her all day. I'm assuming it was her teeth. But she had a great time Friday night eating a whole piece of cake by herself! At first she didn't know what to do with it, she kept touching the top of the icing with her fingers. Finally after she tasted it, there was no holding back. She ate the whole piece! And why is it, when a babies hands are dirty, they pick that precise moment to say "hair" and then proceed to put their hands IN their hair? That's exactly what she did, and of course all the kids were laughing which made her do it again, thinking there was something funny about her hair. She is our little sweetheart, she brings such joy to our lives! Happy Birthday, Liberty!

In a few more days...

2010-08-18T01:34:00.000-04:00

Liberty will be 1 year old in just a few more days. It is so hard to believe. How fast one year flies! How fast a lifetime goes by. Grace will be 15 just 2 days after Liberty's birthday, so I guess you could say she got a really good birthday gift last year....a new baby sister! I don't think I can top that one this year! All of our children are growing up so fast, it can be wonderful and depressing at the same time. I guess that's where our thankfulness to God comes in.....being content with what time He graciously gives to us.

Anyway, here are a few pictures for you to see what Miss Liberty has been up to lately....She is a character!

Riding her new "bike" from my sister

3 sweet sisters

Modeling the hat Rachel knitted

Ummm, get out of the fridge, young lady!

New members!

2010-08-10T00:53:00.001-04:00

We were blessed with the addition of a new family to our church this past Sunday! God is Good! Starting a church is definitely a long, VERY long, process, but the benefits far out-weigh the waiting. It is so good to be able to grow together in God's Word and grow closer together as families in Christ. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" -Psalm 133:1 As Clara's favorite song says, "Thank you, LORD, for your blessings on me."

On another note, one of my sisters is learning to crochet, {and doing a great job, I might add} so I decided to give it a try. I can already do a little knitting, but I've never been able to catch on to crocheting. So, no better time than the present. Plus, I can't have her showing me up, now can I? ☺

I did a little digging and I found a few videos that are a big help. It's amazing what you can learn from the internet and youtube! If you'd like to learn too, this link will take you to the beginning crochet stitches and this link will give you some various crochet stitches to learn. Also on the side bar you will find all kinds of other crochet videos that may be of help. Have fun!

For all you Jane Austen fans out there, I finally watched Pride and Prejudice.....yes, the LONG one. I think it's about 5 1/2 hours at least. I will admit, it was pretty good. I'm not sure what my favorite Jane Austen movie is though, I did like the new Emma done by BBC. But I really like Sense and Sensibility too. Oh well, that is a matter for another time. I know my girls have their favorites, and can carry on very lengthy conversations about them all. So, I'll just let you talk to them about it.

My Dearest Mother

2010-08-05T12:52:00.001-04:00

I am so blessed to have a wonderful mother. Words cannot describe my love for her or my thankfulness to God for her. She is a rare and precious jewel. Everyone who knows her, knows she has a sweet, friendly spirit. She loves all of her children and grandchildren with an unselfish love. She is tender, kind, and soft spoken. She rarely gets angry and is so full of mercy. She is always encouraging me in ways that even she don't know, whether in her words or her actions. She has stood by my father's side for 38 years, being the help-meet that God has called her to be. She is devoted to her calling and she wouldn't give it up for the world. She is everything I hope to be. She is blessed among women. I love you, Mom, so very much. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me!

A little more love and a little less self.

2010-08-04T00:38:00.000-04:00

Well it's August {again}, and that means that school is just around the corner, Liberty and Grace have a birthday this month, and it's so very HOT outside!! Last year at this time I was HUGE, I could barely see my feet, and I was eagerly anticipating having a baby! Don't you wish you could make the hands on the clock move just a little bit slower?

I came across this quote by Charles Spurgeon today, it is a beautiful quote about love.

"That love which would lead its beloved into sin is lust; it deserves not the name of love; but true love will ever seek the highest health and wholeness (which is holiness) of its object. Pure affection will grieve to see a fault, mourn over a folly, and seek to remove a blot. Perfect love seeks the perfection of the thing it loves."

It kind of cuts to the heart, doesn't it? Most people today are so absorbed in "self". We don't know the first thing about the love we are to have for each other. It's more about, "what's in it for me?" We would do well to go back and read 1Corinthians 13. Even better yet, memorize it and live it!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. {even if it is a little hot}

I'm back.... well, sorta.

2010-07-30T12:55:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I KNOW! My blog posts have been very few and far between of late. I'll just blame it on the heat, because you know, it IS hot! And it drains me of any form of motivation. But even as I am writing to you now, I am already feeling blog blood flowing through my veins! Hopefully I will get back on track within the next couple of weeks and come out of this SLUMP.

Anyway, I came across this satirical blog post that I thought was comical. You can find the original post on the I Help You Blog blog. Did I just write Blog blog?

Anyway.... here is the letter...

Dear Blogger,
I have some things I’d like to share with you and get off my mind. I hope you’ll take the following pointers to heart so that we can both have a healthy relationship going forward:

There are a lot of things I have to do today. I subscribed to your blog because it is interesting, it is helpful, it is inspiring, or all of the above. Please don’t waste my time with uninteresting, unhelpful and uninspiring posts. If you really don’t have anything to post about, it’s probably better to not post anything.
Your posts are most interesting, inspiring and helpful when you don’t wander off the beaten path and ramble on about things that didn’t make me subscribe to your blog in the first place.
You only get so many chances to overpromise and underdeliver. If you promise something is going to change my life or be some “sure-fire” thing, please don’t disappoint me because, like I mentioned before, I have a lot of things to do today and I don’t have a lot of time to spend doing things I like, like reading great blogs.
I can spot a novice blogger from a mile away. They are always the ones with lots of badging on their site, an under- or un-developed About page, and Google ads pasted everywhere.
You may fool everyone else with your affiliate links but you don’t fool me. If you don’t label your links as affiliate links and I find out about it, you can be sure I will read your posts with caution and this may be the last time I visit your blog.
If I visited your site because some other blogger has called you out on something bad you did (like steal a design), it’s best to be forthcoming and remorseful. Because, like everywhere else in the world, nobody likes a bad person.
Don’t make me jump hoops in order to leave a helpful comment. It just makes me not want to comment.
Please don’t talk in the abstract. Please do give examples whenever possible. They help me to understand better and makes me believe you know what you are talking about.
Please don’t talk down to me. Use words like “you should” very carefully. How do you know I don’t know better?
It’s uncool to make a scene with your writing. When you accuse someone of something, there is a nice way to go about it and a not-so-nice way. I call the not-so-nice way verbal diarrhea and it reflects badly on you as much as the person you are accusing.
You shouldn’t pretend to know something when you really don’t. It is totally obvious.
If I can’t find your RSS feed or email subscription form at first glance on your blog, I’m going to assume you don’t really care about those things and I won’t look any further for them.

Sincerely,
Your Reader

His Love

2010-07-19T12:33:00.001-04:00

We have been blessed with the company of family and friends over the past 3 weeks. We had a wonderful time of memory making. The Bible tells us that if we have friends we must show ourselves friendly. I am thankful for the love of friends and family. The Bible also tells us that there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Beyond the deep bond of love we share with our family and friends, Christ's love is above and beyond anything we could ever imagine. It is Perfect. Eternal. Beyond our imagination. What LOVE! Oh Love that will NOT let me go. Love is here.

Happy late Birthday, Rachel

2010-07-09T21:35:00.000-04:00

Our oldest daughter Rachel turned 16 this month. And before you ask, NO, I did not forget. We celebrated her birthday ON her birthday but I am just now getting around to putting it on my blog. We have had company for 2 weeks and during the midst of it all, she turned 16. I can still remember when I turned 16....it was actually quite dreadful....I had the chicken pox! I still can hardly believe that I have a daughter who is 16 years old. I was only 19 years old when I had her, still just a kid myself, but it seems like yesterday. Life happens fast. Before I know it she will be married and having children of her own.....BUT, I am not going there YET! I am so thankful that God blessed us with her. Happy *late* Birthday, Rachel.
I love you ♥

All good things must come to an end...

2010-07-05T01:21:00.001-04:00

We had a great time with my sister-in-law and her son last week! It was sad to see the visit come to an end. Good-byes are never fun. But we made a lot of good memories that the kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

Our week started with a trip to Noah's Ark. It's a great place to take the family.....kind of like a miniature zoo. We didn't get to spend a lot of time there (they open at 12 and close at 3) but it was fun. They have all kinds of animals....Monkeys, tigers, a lion, bears, deer, llamas, snakes, emus, ostriches, plus many more.

Our kids with their cousin Ezra

That evening a few of us went to a Braves game and had a great time! We had awesome seats....field level, right behind Chipper Jones!

My sis-in-law also took us all to see Toy Story 3. It was such a good movie! I have to admit that I cried. Reb has out-grown his desire to play with Buzz and Woody, so the movie had even more meaning to me. Liberty even sat through most of it. We hadn't been to a theater in so long. Thanks, Sis, for the great week! We will treasure it always!! ♥

That's where it OUGHT to be!

2010-07-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

I long for the day when the precepts of the Christian religion shall be the rule among all classes of men, in all transactions. I often hear it said, “Do not bring religion into politics.” This is precisely where it ought to be brought, and set there in the face of all men as on a candlestick. I would have the Cabinet and the members of Parliament do the work of the nation as before the Lord, and I would have the nation, either in making war or peace, consider the matter by the light of righteousness. We are to deal with other nations about this or that upon the principles of the New Testament. ~ Charles Spurgeon

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD..." Psalm 33:12

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Random news...

2010-06-26T22:57:00.000-04:00

You ever get the bloggy blahs? It has been one of those weeks for me, as you can tell. It has been a WEEK since I posted!

Summer is here and that means FAMILY visits! We are looking forward to several of our family members visiting us this summer. My sister-in-law is first on the list and we are looking forward to a great week with her.
Also this week, our oldest daughter will be turning 16. 16. Am I getting old or what?? Life is passing by in a BLUR.

My husband and brother-in-law went to a mini conference at American Vision last weekend and they had an great time. They also made contact with some new people! That is a PLUS!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. Ours has been good, and of course, extremely HOT!

Another milestone...

2010-06-19T00:41:00.000-04:00

Liberty is nearly 10 months now, and this morning she pulled herself up in her crib for the first time! Last year at this time I was waddling around with elephant ankles! It was so hot and I was rather miserable. I didn't think I would ever have "normal" ankles ever again! (and just in case you are wondering....they are normal!!) But anyway, time has a way of flying by whether we like it or not, and in Liberty's case, she is growing by leaps and bounds! She is learning so many new things and it is such a joy to watch. She has been *dancing* to music now for a few weeks, (she rocks back and forth), Daddy taught her to throw a ball a couple weeks ago as well, and just this week she has started clapping and saying "yea". She has also been waving bye-bye for some time now. It is hard to believe that in 2 months she will be 1 year old!

Is it hot yet?

2010-06-15T15:07:00.000-04:00

Do we live in Georgia?? Then it is definitely HOT outside! This is what we get to look forward to for the next several months! Nothing beats a good ole' Georgia Summer!

More Friday Photos...

2010-06-10T23:52:00.000-04:00

Liberty - - - My chunky little sweetie pie!
She's wearing her Georgia Bulldogs shirt, showing off that cute *little* belly.

Ya think she looks like a little red-neck??

Father and son....and yes, son needs a hair cut!

Another year older...

2010-06-10T01:32:00.000-04:00

Well, it is officially my birthday! 35 years... yet it seems like yesterday I was riding my bike down the driveway as a 10 year old little girl without a care in the world.... Life is such a vapor.... But I have so much to be thankful for.

The Lord has allowed me to live 35 years and it is a great blessing indeed! But the good news....He didn't stop there! I have been blessed with such a wonderful husband, who puts my needs and desires before his own, who loves me with a love that is unfathomable, who is my hero and best friend! I've also been blessed with the greatest kids that a mother could ask for! How they put up with me, I'll never know. I am so thankful for the past 35 years, and I pray that the Lord will continue to bless me with many more.

What happened on this day in history.....

June 10, 1752 - Benjamin Franklin flies kite during thunderstorm
June 10, 1775 - John Adams proposes a Continental Army
June 10, 1864 - Battle of Brice's Crossroads
June 10, 1922 - Judy Garland was born
June 10, 1983 - Johnny Bench announced his plans to retire (He is my husbands all-time favorite catcher)
June 10, 1987 - An earthquake hit 15 states from Iowa to South Carolina

Surprise!

2010-06-08T14:08:00.001-04:00

We woke up Sunday morning to a surprise under our porch steps....Kittens! We weren't even sure our cat was pregnant, so.... nothing like a good ole' surprise! She had 4, 2 black and 2 orange. The kids sure are delighted! Babies of all kinds always bring excitement, almost always... :)

On to other news, another birthday is approaching, only this time, it's mine. It's hard to get too excited about turning another year older. Wouldn't it be nice to stay 29?? It was hard for me when I turned 30, and THAT was 5 years ago....I still don't think I've gotten over it! ☺

On to the best news....we are done with school for the summer!!! YAY! We don't have any major plans for the summer, but it is nice to take a break for a while. And we are looking forward to having family visit as well. What is y'alls plans for the summer?

Liberty's new face...

2010-06-03T18:10:00.006-04:00

Liberty is 9 ½ months old....where does the time go??? Anyone have a clue? Out the window, I guess. Anyway, here she is making her *new* face. Isn't she so cute? Her cheeks are SO squeezable! Be careful...don't squeeze too hard!

Linked with Sweet Shot Tuesday

Everybodies Goin' Surfin'... not really.

2010-06-02T01:50:00.001-04:00

While doing a little "surfing" this week, I have come across a few web sites that look to be interesting. One is brand new, just starting out. It is called Raising Homemakers. They are having a couple of giveaways as well to kick-off the start of their new blog, so be sure to hop on over!

If your into coupons, then Shop At Home is the site for you. They have coupons for every store imaginable.

Here is a great site if you like to shop from home. It's called Ebates. When you become a member (it's free) you will receive cash back when you order from many different retailers online. You can't lose with this one!

And then of course there's Paper Back Swap. This is my girls' favorite. They have benefited from it the most so far. If you love books, and especially FREE books, be sure to sign up!

This next one I absolutely love! You will only understand if you are a true ~~computer geek~~, ~~design nerd~~, OKAY, if you like to design for your blog..... then you will like this one too! It's called Pattern Cooler. And let me tell you, it is Cool! You can design your own backgrounds and choose from many different designs and colors. Give it a try! Admit it, you want to.... you're a true computer geek at heart ♥

Here is another "design your own background" site. It's called BG Patterns.

Okay, so here is one more for the graphically-challenged individuals... Background Labs.

Home-school is coming to a close for us in about 4 days, *stops to sing the Hallelujah Chorus* but here is a site I don't know much about, but it said FREE Worksheets, so that grabbed my attention. It's called School Express. I don't know about you, but I look so forward to a summer break from schooling, I can't imagine doing it year round. I'm not against any of you that do it, but it's not for me. I also have a brood of kids that probably wouldn't like me very much if I incorporated year-long school. (And yes, I know that technically we teach our kids every day...just not "technically") ... you know what I mean....

Well, that's it for now... I know there were others but they have slipped my mind at the moment. So, until next time..... tootle loo!

A Tribute to MY Hero

2010-05-29T00:57:00.004-04:00

My Husband, James Brown Jr.

"Somepeople spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made adifference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem."

Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

Ode to a Marine
By Jeannie Salinski

In a crowd you're bound to spot him, he's standing so very tall
Not too much impresses him; he's seen and done it all.
His hair is short, his eyes are sharp, but his smile's a little blue.
It's the only indication of the hell that he's gone through.
He belongs to a sacred brotherhood, always Faithful 'til the end.
He has walked right into battle and walked back out again.
Many people think him foolish for having no regrets
About having lived through many times others would forget.

He's the first to go and last to know, but never questions why,
On whether it is right or wrong, but only do or die.
He walks a path most won't take and has lost much along the way,
But he thinks a lot of freedom, it's a small price to pay.
Yes, he has chosen to live a life off the beaten track,
Knowing well each time he's called, he might not make it back.

So, next time you see a Devil Dog standing proud and true,
Be grateful for all he's given; he's given it for you.
Don't go up and ask him what's it's like to be in war;
Just thank God that it's your country he's always fighting for.
And thank him too for all the hell he's seen in that shade of green,
Thank him for having the guts to be a United States Marine

Monday is Memorial Day--Our soldiers and veterans deserve our thanks.

Semper Fidelis

Always Faithful

A Few Friday Photos

2010-05-28T01:25:00.000-04:00

Liberty ~ 9 months old

The Dreaded Scorpion!

2010-05-25T00:18:00.003-04:00

I HATE spiders! Always have. But for the past year, we've had to deal with something that I have come to dread just as much or even more so, and that is scorpions. I despise them! I guess their not poisonous though, we have a daughter that lives to tell the tale of a scorpion sting, (it happened while she was sleeping) but it still doesn't mean I have to like them though. Tell me, how would YOU feel if you knew something like this was lurking in YOUR house? That's what I thought ☺

Photo credit: Rachel Brown

Bargain Savvy?

2010-05-22T14:35:00.001-04:00

I LOVE a good bargain!! But unless it hits me head on, I don't usually go out of my way to find them. For instance, I'm not very savvy when it comes to coupons and such, even though I would love to be on the coupon bandwagon....it just seems to take so much of my time. So, like I said, unless it hits me on the head or I stumble across it in the store, (which I do occasionally) then it will just have to pass me by. Today just happens to be one of those days that a GREAT deal hit me upside the head!! And of all things.....it's toilet paper. But, a good deal is a good deal, and beggars can't be choosers, so here is the deal....Get 120 rolls of T.P. for only $16.00! Hurry over to Staples and follow the instructions in this POST and you will have T.P. delivered right to your door....and you won't have to buy any for a looong time! But hurry, the deal is for today only!!

Another Birthday....AND a Wedding!

2010-05-18T20:10:00.002-04:00

We had another birthday over the weekend! Kirstie turned 13, and we now have 3 teenagers lurking in our house! Actually, if you've ever watched Jeff Allen then you would know that we have 3 geniuses in our house! Anyway, she has finally reached her teen years.

Just to recap our weekend, James performed a wedding in our previous town of Sylvania. It was a beautifully traditional wedding and it was a beautiful day for it. (even if it was a bit hot) It was a blessing to witness their covenant of marriage.

No words necessary...

2010-05-12T21:03:00.002-04:00

A Birthday AND a WINNER!

2010-05-10T15:40:00.001-04:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. All of the kids gave me special cards, handmade jewelry, candy, and a beautiful poem by my oldest daughter, Rachel. It was also our *little* Maggie's 10th birthday....it is HARD to believe she is 10 years old now!!

This is also the day to announce our 100 post giveaway winner!! We drew names the old-fashioned way...

(I think Clara was thinking her name was in the basket...lol)

And the winner is ...

Thanks so much to all who entered my giveaway! It was fun! I will be having another giveaway on my other blog in a week or so, so be sure to check back.

( Latisa, just email me your address and I will send your gift out pronto! )

We're having a giveaway!!

2010-05-04T21:00:00.003-04:00

We finally made it to 100 posts! Actually 102, but who's counting? Anyway to celebrate our achievement ☺ we are having a giveaway! I love blog giveaways, even if I have never won a single one yet!! As you can see in the picture, I am giving away 3 books, (Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George, Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson, and Training Children in Godliness by Jacob Abbott) and 3 handmade washrags knitted by my very own daughter, Rachel Brown. I will keep this giveaway open until Sunday evening (Mother's Day) and proclaim the winner on Monday, the 10th.

You may enter up to 3 times:

1st entry: just leave your first name and last initial (and any comments that you so desire....just be nice :)
2nd entry: follow my blog ...the link is at the bottom of the page. (and if you already are, just leave another comment telling me so)
3rd entry: blog about my giveaway on your blog or post a link on Facebook and make sure to come back and leave a comment :)

Thanks so much for participating!! I almost feel giddy!

A Beautiful Poem...

2010-05-04T20:14:00.000-04:00

Their Love Grows Stronger With Each Passing Day

Written by Rachel Brown (our oldest daughter)

Upon the alter they both kneel,
their wedding vows they soon will seal.

Their troth and love are tightly bound,
with a small and tiny whispering sound.

Upon the Bride's cheeks the tears now glisten;
close together, side-by-side, their hearts to each other listen.

They covenant together for a life that will ne'er end;
their true love to others they will never lend.

Hands clasped together tightly,
they do not take their devotion lightly.

Praying, the minister bows his head,
for God to bless this couple in the years ahead.

Trials will come upon the way,
but love must rule heartily without delay.

Their dependence and trust God holds in His hand;
both hearts are knit together in an iron-clad band.

Now the years have flown away;
their love grows stronger with each passing day.

Children romp in the home built of love;
it was established by God in the heavens above.

Man and Wife they both still be;
God's light they've shown for all to see.

Together they'll grow old and gray;
both hearts the love price they still will pay.

When wrinkles come, and bones begin to ache,
they'll love each other more for each one's dear sake.

Finally, when the old years have entered,
on love they both will still be centered.

Fresh and young they both once were;
together they are united in God's love sure.

But as the young years die away,
their love still grows stronger will each passing day.

Did someone say, Free?

2010-04-29T14:59:00.002-04:00

Today I joined a book club. Yeah, I know, I have joined clubs in the past and they are such a waste of time and money. But this one looks to be promising. It's called Paperback Swap. The nice thing about it, IT'S FREE! THAT, I can handle! Seriously though, it is free to join, the only thing you pay for is shipping on books that others want from your list. But when you order a book, the shipping is free. So it's, "I'll pay for your shipping if you pay for mine" kind of thing. I've already ordered 2 books (2 of Jane Austin's books for my girls) and I've posted 10 books that I'm willing to get rid of. And the nice thing is, when you receive a book, it's yours to keep if you want, or you can add it back to the list after you have finished it. It sounds like a great way to get books that you have always wanted but didn't want to spend all that money on! I know my girls are excited to be adding to their library! Here is a link to the website, and if you say covenantblessings referred you I can get an extra book credit ! Thanks and have fun reading!

Ordinary thankfulness...

2010-04-28T21:04:00.001-04:00

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day! Plenty of sunshine, NO humidity, and just the perfect temperature! I took the kids outside for some of their school today, and we sat and read for over an hour, (it went by surprisingly fast!) then we had a picnic lunch out under a shade tree. I am SO thankful I can have my kids home with me each and every day! Even on days that aren't so "good", I am still thankful for this blessing. After lunch they ran off some pent-up energy, while some of us mowed the grass. I won't mention the fact that I was wearing my capris and should have been wearing pants, and therefore something was thrown from the push mower while I was mowing and it hit me below my knee...needless to say, it hurt...and bled too. ☺ But, I'm fine, and I continued to mow.I am thankful for the blessings of ordinary days... more thankful than I can say.

What He Must Be, Giveaway!

2010-04-26T17:13:00.001-04:00

Today is the last chance to enter Joyfully At Home's giveaway for the DVD: What He Must Be. We have the book and would love to have the DVD. It is a great resource for families with daughters. In the DVD, Dr. Baucham preaches 4 sermons:

The Bible and the Father's Role
The Ministry of Marriage
He Must Be a Follower of Christ
The 4 P's: Priest, Prophet, Provider, and Protector

Go on over there right now, the giveaway ends tonight!

Slow Fade

2010-04-22T21:42:00.001-04:00

Slow Fade is one of my favorite songs from Casting Crowns. (even though it is hard to pick a single favorite from them... they are all my favorites) Their songs have so much meaning and truth to them. ♬ ♬ Be careful if you think you stand, you just might be sinking! ♬ ♬

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."~ Proverbs 16:18

Stone Mountain Adventure!

2010-04-16T23:41:00.005-04:00

Today we took a trip up to Stone Mountain! (thanks for the invite, dear sister!!) We have wanted to go there for some time now, but just hadn't committed ourselves to it. It was definitely an experience I will never forget.... at least I hope I don't. For one reason, we had a blast! The mountain is beautiful and once you are on top, the view is spectacular! And for #2, there are 2 ways of reaching the top... you can go by sky tram or you can walk. Adventurous amateurs that we are...(and I do speak for my self, thank you ☺ ) we chose the latter. It was definitely a hike, to say the least! My legs decided they didn't want any part of it about half way up... I have never experienced anything like it before. To put it bluntly, I am sorely out of shape!! But to spare you the details, we had a great time! Now I know why I you can buy coin boxes in the gift shop... so that you can save up your money to ride the sky tram next time you visit! ☺ If you would like to see a few pictures of our visit (and I do mean "few"...I didn't take as many as I would have liked) you can view them on my facebook album.

What will become of the next generation?

2010-04-15T02:22:00.005-04:00

"If we are traitors to the truth of God today, what will become of the nextgeneration, and the next, and the next?" ~ Charles Spurgeon

We live in an ever changing world. Some of it for good, and some for evil. I am thankful that at this present time, we are able to educate our children at home, and I pray that it will always be so. It is easy to get depressed and bogged down when reading or listening to the news. Our government does not have our best interests in mind and their agenda is not one of truth and righteousness. BUT we serve a God who is victorious! A God who is ready and willing to stretch forth His hand and win the day! Do we want Truth to prevail, or are we content to wallow around in the mire of decay and allow our children to become the victims of a traitorous government that wants nothing to do with the God of the universe? I was telling my children the other day that they must learn all they can about our Christian heritage and History, because there will come a day (if it's not already here) when children don't know our true history. The children today are being programmed with socialistic propaganda, an agenda that forgets our Creator and focuses all attention on the creature... humanism. It's not too late, for with Christ there is victory! But it's not going to be handed to us on a silver platter. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Lazy days...

2010-04-14T13:06:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of Liberty today that I posted on Facebook a few days ago. At just 7 1/2 months, she is such a ham, in more ways than one :)I love the way she is just sitting back in her chair like she has no care in the world! And I just love her cute little expression in this other one, it is priceless! She is such a joy!

My favorite boy in all the world!

2010-04-09T12:24:00.003-04:00

Our only son Reb is 8 years old today! He is growing up so fast. Seems like yesterday he was born and what a glorious occasion it was! Our first boy after having 5 girls. We've since had 2 more girls, so he hasn't been blessed with a brother, but I can still call him my favorite boy in all the world! Does he have it rough, being the only boy in a house full of girls?? You'll get a resounding "NO" if you ask anyone around here. But it's not a bad thing, all of his sisters love him and are quite thankful to have a brother like him! He keeps us laughing with his funny little antics, he likes to make the girls laugh. I love my little boy and I'm so thankful God has blessed us with him in our lives! Happy Birthday, Reb!

Up from the grave He Arose!

2010-04-08T13:29:00.004-04:00

We are being blessed today with a much needed rain..... not because we actually Need the rain mind you, but because we have an abundance of pollen! It is everywhere, coating anything and everything with its yellowy self! So, needless to say, I am thankful for the rain today.

I hope everyone enjoyed a fine Easter. We had a beautiful day with a great service and a fine meal with family. I don't know anything about the pine tree cross story, but it is told that the tassels on top of a pine tree resemble crosses when Easter is approaching. But one aspect is true, they do look like crosses! I took this picture of the pine trees in our back yard on Easter, and just the ones on top of the trees look like crosses. It was neat seeing them up close when I zoomed in with my camera. The trees are so tall it is hard to see the crosses without zooming in on them. I am so thankful for Christ's atoning sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary and that He rose again, He defeated death and the grave! Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

It's as American as apple pie and...

2010-04-07T01:25:00.000-04:00

Baseball!!! It's that time of year again! I love baseball season, but even more so, I love the Atlanta Braves! This looks like it could be a really good year for the Braves as well... we are hoping! So be prepared to see several posts throughout the season... won't you join me in the tomahawk chop?
GO BRAVES!

O the joys of spring!

2010-04-01T01:19:00.003-04:00

I am so thankful for spring, and for beautiful sunny days to enjoy with family. We have been spending a lot of time outside and it has been quite fun! Before we know it, the weather will turn so hot that it's almost unbearable, so right now I am going to enjoy it as much as possible! Liberty gets so excited when we go outside, it is such a joy to see her little face light up when we walk out the door! And of course she enjoys the life of being pushed around in her stroller by some willing participant! They are all growing up so fast, right before my very eyes! I wish my mind was capable of holding onto every sweet memory of each of my children!

Just the other day Clara came in the kitchen while I was cooking supper and said, "Mmmm, I smell the smell of the smell!" I guess Reb has said it as well... where they come up with some of this stuff is beyond me! One of the things I want to do, (to help my poor aging memory) is to post their funny little quirks and sayings so that I will always have them available. Then maybe one day I will have my blog printed in book form. So as a reminder to myself, enjoy each and every day... they flee away so fast!

A thankful prose...

2010-03-25T19:42:00.001-04:00

It is often true that we don't realize how much we rely on certain things until we have to do without them. That has been our situation this week. Nothing major, just a little water problem.... that's all. We have a well, and well, :) the tank has been leaking and it has gotten to the place where it isn't just leaking anymore, it is spewing! But not to worry, it is supposed to be fixed Saturday. Till then, we are just turning it on when we have too, like in the morning and right before bed. So needless to say, I am quite looking forward to Saturday! The simple things like turning on a faucet for water have become major things. To say the least, I am extremely thankful for modern technology. I do not want to go back into the "olden" days as my girls like to say. I am content with having running water at my fingertips, thank you. But it does make for a nice little blog post, doesn't it?

Picture movie

2010-03-23T22:32:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture video I made with some recent pictures... just trying it out!

A little bit of fun!

2010-03-19T19:45:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed some wonderful weather today! We spent most of the afternoon soaking it up outdoors. So of course I can't post only 1 photo, ...today it is Friday's funny photo(s)!

This one is of Katie....what she was doing I do not know.... but it was funny watching her running towards me acting goofy :)

And this one isn't "funny" per say, but it was funny to me that Liberty was enjoying her "ride" ♥

This next one is the funny little frog princess... one of the girls put this frog blanket thingy on Liberty's head and she kept showing off. She liked it on her head.

And this last one was just too cute to pass up! Liberty was sitting in her stroller just enjoying the sunshine!

Okay, okay....so they weren't real funny..... you just had to be there!

Thankful rambling...

2010-03-19T01:20:00.000-04:00

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
~ Galatians 2:20

I am so thankful to be a child of the King! Yet it was because of MY sins that He was crucified! That is such a humbling and sober thought. My wicked depravity put Him on that cruel cross! Yet I could do nothing to prevent it! He was slain before the very foundation of the world! And still more sobering... He loves me! ♥ Who am I? But it's not me, it's Him! It's all about Him! I am so glad it's all about HIM!
I came across this quote on Facebook tonight from Charles Spurgeon,

"I believe that nothing happens apart from divine determination and decree. We shall never be able to escape from the doctrine of divine predestination - the doctrine that God has foreordained certain people unto eternal life."

The weather is starting to look a lot like Spring! I went outside the other day with the kids and we just enjoyed some much needed time outdoors. And who but my favorite boy in all the world brought me flowers! Isn't he just the cutest thing? Just look at that sweet little boy smile!

And I want you to check out those eyelashes!! Wouldn't you love to have some like that?

I am glad he brings me flowers. I am thankful he is my son. ♥

I know this post seems a little unorganized, but hey, it is nearly 1:30 in the morning!

Whop Donuts!

2010-03-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

I don't normally fix breakfast around here. For the most part, that is the girls' department. But I have been known on occasion to "surprise" everyone and do something extra special. Give me a cup of coffee and I'm good to go! I like to eat breakfast food better at supper. Anyway, this morning was one of those "surprise" mornings. I made some "home-made WHOP donuts". Do I have your curiosity piqued? Well, there's not much to it, but they are good and your kids will think your just plain awesome for making them!

Whop* biscuits (store-bought biscuits in the refrigerator section)
oil
powdered sugar
cinnamon and sugar

Pour oil into pan (fill at least 3/4 inch deep). Let oil get HOT and then turn it down to about 3 (low-medium) and don't add the biscuits until it has had time to adjust to temperature or they will burn on the outside and be gooey on the inside.... You can always test one out first. I only cook a couple at a time so that I can keep up with them. Cook on both sides until nice and brown, then roll in powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. Apple butter is really good on them too. Serve while hot!

*whop - it's always been a joke in our family, meaning their not home-made - it's the sound refrigerator biscuits make when being opened!!!

Liberty wanted to add her own tasty tip..... "Everyone else gets donuts, and I'm stuck with this?"

this post linked with tasty tuesday and tempt my tummy tuesday

It's the simple things in life...

2010-03-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love the simple things in life? Warm laundry straight from the dryer, the smell of a fresh clean house, the sound of crickets on a peaceful night, the inviting aroma of butter popcorn, coffee on a cool morning, (or any morning for that matter) grass as it turns from its dingy shade of brown to a lovely spring shade of green, walking in that *spring shade of green grass* in flip-flops! I like what a friend of mine put as their Facebook status the other day, "flip-flops, how I have missed you!" I'm a flip-flops kind of gal myself, and I found this awesome tutorial on Make it and Love it's blog, and I can't wait to make some! They are the cutest things since.....the last thing I said was cute! ( a little bit of Tim Hawkins jargon for ya ;) Anyway, hop right over there and check out these adorable flip-flops, I'm sure you'll want to make some yourself!

Yep, I'm one of Them...at least I think I am...

2010-03-11T01:10:00.000-05:00

Do you know that when you really set your mind to thinking....even if you have a mind like mine that wanders, and wanders... and still wanders some more; you know, it seems that the older I've gotten, (and I'm not like old, OLD...yet) that I can't seem to keep my mind focused on any one thing for more than a few minutes at a time (sometimes seconds) and it is just about to drive me bonkers! I'm THAT woman.... you know, the one with ADD. :) Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah, when you really concentrate on what your thinking about, then you will realize there is so much to be thankful for... yeah, even my fuzzy, wandering mind. I guess I should still be thankful that I have a mind! I could start typing right now, and still be typing next week about every seemingly insignificant thing that I have to be thankful for! I live in America, in the great state of Georgia! My belly is full, I just won't tell you that I have been sneaking into my chocolate stash... I am warm, I have children snoozing in their beds, I even have a husband who is so sweet that he brought me flowers today! My point being in all this rambling drizzle is that we tend to over look so many things that we take for granted on a daily basis. The fact that God sustains us with food, clothing, a roof over our heads, and the daily necessities of life that if we didn't have them, then where would we be? I am also blessed with a mother and father who love me and brothers and sisters that are close to my heart. I have seen the hand of God this week in lives and it amazes me still how much grace and mercy God gives to His children. How much He cares for and uplifts those who rely on Him. Only a true child of God can experience loss and yet see God's providential care and blessing on their lives! I am so thankful for this life that God has allowed me to live at this place and this time in His-story. His love is amazing, steady and unchanging; His love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet...

Happy Birthday!

2010-03-09T21:16:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm a day late, and a dollar short.....as usual, but I just wanted to share with y'all that yesterday was my husbands 41st birthday! I am so thankful for such a great husband! He is so good to me! He still makes me smile :) And as you can see in this picture, Once a Marine... Always a Marine!

I love him dearly!

my husband (left) and my brother-in-law (right)

A Great Gang of Kids!

2010-03-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

I am blessed. Why? I do not know. But God is so good to me, even in the midst of all my failures, complaints, and ingratitude. There is Nothing I deserve ...except Hell. But GOD.... who is Rich in Mercy! I am SO glad He is rich in Mercy! But it doesn't stop right there.... He blesses me in so many ways! And one of my most precious blessings are my children! He has blessed me and my husband with 7 beautiful girls and 1 sweetheart of a son! (he's mama's favorite boy in all the world, btw) I couldn't be more thankful! We are by no means, rich in money or material wealth. And if you knew the half of it, you would probably wonder how in the world we get by.... But God has richly blessed us with our children. No, we're not "skipping through the clouds eating bon-bons with smiles on our faces with nothing but kind things to say to each other" every day. As a matter of fact, I don't ever recall doing that!! We are normal people with sin natures, and we do have our battles. But I am so thankful for my bunch of kiddos! I love them very much!

(Liberty isn't in this picture)

So here she is!

(click to see large)

Away Down South

A New Teenager in the House!

A Biblical Worldview

Catching up....Again!

Vision Forum Giveaway!

Giving Thanks

Have camera, will travel

Video Fun!

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

Happy Birthday, Liberty

Home!

God is Good!

So much to tell!

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Happy Father's Day!

We are taking orders!

What a day!

2 week review...

Happy 14th, Kirstie!

Maggie Joy is 11 today!

Blessed Beyond Measure

I'm back.....I hope!

My favorite boy in all the world!

Just enjoyin' life!

Another Birthday!

Not much to tell....

We LOVE our Liberty

A tribute to a great American!

To the State Capitol .... and Beyond!

Guns and great weather!

Review opportunity!

Teens and pre-teens OH MY!

A time to be born

Christmas, and New Years, and Birthdays, OH MY!

18 years ago...

I'm dreaming of a WARM Christmas.

My Heart Overlows...

Everything Christmas....a book review

"Secret" Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge

Christmas 2010

Send out the Christmas cheer!

Biscuit Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

O Christmas Tree

Just around the corner!

Faith, Family, and Friends

I have a little secret....

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Liberty's walking & Fall is here!!

Blog changes coming your way!

Groovy Goodwill Gal

Quiet on the homefront...

I LOVE a bargain!

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

Liberty's 1st Birthday!

In a few more days...

New members!

My Dearest Mother

A little more love and a little less self.

I'm back.... well, sorta.

His Love

Happy *late* Birthday, Rachel

All good things must come to an end...

That's where it OUGHT to be!

Random news...

Another milestone...

Is it hot yet?

More Friday Photos...

Another year older...

Surprise!

Liberty's new face...

Everybodies Goin' Surfin'... not really.

A Tribute to MY Hero

Ode to a Marine By Jeannie Salinski

A Few Friday Photos

The Dreaded Scorpion!

Bargain Savvy?

Another Birthday....AND a Wedding!

No words necessary...

A Birthday AND a WINNER!

Happy late Birthday, Rachel

Ode to a Marine
By Jeannie Salinski