The Lake...

While we were back home back in July we were able to go with Nolan's grandparents and that side of the family to the lake for the day.

It's always so much fun spending time with them.  They laugh, play games, tell stories... it's a blessing, and we are so thankful for each of them.

While at the lake we were able to swim (at least the kids did, because it was cold and rainy), ride jet skis, and ride behind the boat on tubes.  Here's our day in photos...

The Kane-man was a little bent out of shape that I made him wear a life jacket for swimming... sorry dude...

I think she gets cuter every day...

Ruthie...

She's so pretty- inside and out.

Grandpa Doyle and the Henry-man are big buddies...

Cousin Landry is tons of fun!  She loves our babies and I miss her loads.

These two on a jet ski together is scary I'm not going to lie.  They like to live on the edge... I do not.

She thought she was so big getting to ride a tube.
I thought she was to little to be riding a tube.

Obviously I was outvoted.

 

*insert eye roll...

My one request about riding the jet ski was to ride but not get wet.  We got too far out when a storm came up on us.  I was pretty sure we were going to get killed by lightening out on the water.  My life flashed before my eyes.

Ellie might as well be a professional cake decorator.  I mean who doesn't love all their sprinkles in one, giant, pile right in the middle of their cake?

We love us some family and had a blast hanging out.

We are blessed with so much family.  They all love us and bless us each in their own ways.  I wish we were able to see them more often, but now that we live away it's just not possible, but the time we do get to spend with them is all the more sweet and special.  God is good and he went above and beyond when he blessed us with family!

Our summer was busy, but oh so good!

We are almost done with our first week of school!  I can't even believe it!  Pictures of that to come!

Blessings,

Year In Review...

Our 2014...A recap.

Where to start?

A lot happened in 2014 I feel like.

Early 2014 my hubby started to feel the call into ministry after being a high school teacher/coach for the last 8 years.  We visited three different seminaries pretty sure that God was calling him to school first in preparation for full-time ministry.  Even though we were fairly certain that seminary was God's will Nolan still seemed to have a nagging feeling that maybe we were wrong (when you have a wife and three kiddos to think about, quitting your job, becoming a full-time student, and hoping you find a part time job that pays you enough for you and your family to survive on can be a little scary).  However, after visiting Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky we felt certain that is where God was calling us...

We were wrong...

The day after we arrived home from Louisville sure that we were headed there a friend of ours who is a pastor at a church in Alabama called us and told us his church had an opening for an Associate Pastor/Youth Ministers position and he felt like God had laid my husband on his heart.

God is so funny sometimes isn't he?!.

So once again we started praying for direction, for peace, and for His good and perfect will to be accomplished through us.

Would we ever make a decision?  I was starting to wonder.

In the end we truly felt God calling us to Alabama.  The hubby felt at peace knowing that he would be providing for his family while getting experience serving and working in a church all while doing his seminary work online.  It really was amazing how God worked out all the little details and showed us (me mostly) that sometimes we must earnestly seek and pray for His guidance and will to be revealed, and He doesn't always make it easy or quick.  We must learn to be patient as we learn to listen and understand what He's saying to us.  While the uneasiness of being in limbo and just not knowing what we were doing and where we were going was enough to make me completely frazzled at times I wouldn't change that time in our journey for anything. Learning to earnestly pray and seek God during that time grew my faith in ways I didn't even realize possible. We learned to trust God's provision and to know that He would make his plan clear to us in His time.  I learned to trust my husband as he lead our family.  It was such a blessing to experience His hand at work in our lives and has become such a huge part of our story- how God has truly shown himself good and faithful to us.

So in 2014 Nolan changed professions and we moved to Alabama!  Pretty Huge Right?!!

We bought a house that was built in 1912.

In the short amount of time we've been here we've made some amazing friends.

We love our church, and immediately felt right at home.  We work with the youth at our church.  We have them over often.  The highlight was our tacky Christmas sweater party.  I wore a Christmas jumper with matching turtle-neck.  It was pretty legendary I'm not going to lie.

In November we took the students out door to door to pray for those in our community and to offer meals to those in need for Thanksgiving.  It was eye opening to see the huge need in our own community, and a blessing to take our students into the community to serve.  We delivered around 40 meals to those in need on Thanksgiving.  It was awesome to be a part of!  Since we didn't go home for Thanksgiving we had our own Thanksgiving here in Alabama and invited a few friends over to celebrate with us.  I cooked my own Turkey!  It was so scary and gross- I totally didn't pull out the bag that was inside it...oops.

The kids and I volunteer once a week at a local thrift store that raises money to buy food for the needy.  It's pretty awesome to serve right along side my kiddos, and to see them learning to love and serve those in need.

Little man played football for the first time ever, and started piano lessons.  He rocked Jingle Bells out like an All-Star pro at his Christmas Recital.  He's now in basketball season, and he's getting better and better. He continues to be an amazing reader, but his most exciting news of all is that he excepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in January of 2014!

Ruthie continues to be sassy, but at the same time sweet and loving.  She loves her big brother and and thinks he hung the moon.  We are hoping she might play soccer in the spring but in all reality she just wants to dance, twirl, dress-up, and use her imagination to take her to places that I'm sure are full of unicorns and colorful dresses and high-heels.

Baby girl is a mess!  She is by far the friendliest child we've had.  She waves at and tells everyone she sees "Hi!".  She's a climber, but by far the craziest thing she does is take her diaper off every chance she gets!  I seriously can't hardly keep the thing on her- and it's all fun and games until she's poopy!  I'm sensing potty-training in her near future- Ugh!

Nolan is doing awesome and I love him more and more each day.  He's serving in our church.  Working on his Masters degree through New Orleans Theological Seminary.  Playing basketball when he can, and starting Monday I'm making him do a 10-Day Detox with me...He's very excited about it.  I feel so blessed to share this journey with him by my side!

There you have it...2014.

It was pretty great!

And crazy...

And Silly...

And Wild...

And sweet...

And I loved every bit of it...

I hope your 2015 is Amazing!  Happy New Year!

Spiritual Gifts...

Not long ago, at the urging of my sweet mother-in-law, my husband and I decided to take a Spiritual Gifts test.  My husband is disciplined, eloquent, educable, rational, and logical.  He loves to study- to gain knowledge- to search and find the answer, and then to share these truths with whomever he can.  Did I mention he's patient?  So it was no surprise to see that my husband's highest scores were in Teaching, Administration, and Evangelism.  Mine being Giving, Serving, and Encouragement.


This is where I would like to be totally honest with you: 

Sometimes I feel like my own gifts are small and less important than other gifts.  I find myself thinking that maybe if I were smarter, more organized, more goal-focused, disciplined, or logical God would have been able to use me- in what I see in my small mind- as a more useful- mightier way for his kingdom.

The truth is- sometimes I see God using my husband to speak God's truths to his co-workers or using him to share the gospel with family and I think to myself- "All I'm capable of or been gifted with is the ability to bake muffins for people.  How will that ever bring God the glory and attention that he desires and fully deserves." 

I don't know if some of you have felt this way at times, maybe I'm alone, but I'm here to tell you that it's out right lies straight from the enemy himself.  It has taken prayer, reading God's word, and even speaking with my husband for me to see this.   God's word is clear that we are all united and brought together to become one in Christ:

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; he one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."  -Romans 12:3-8

We are each given different gifts that we should concentrate on and give our energies to. This scripture shows me that each gift is important, each gift is worth mentioning, each gift has merit, and each gift has its place, and that without each gift the body (the church) is incomplete and not whole. While some of the gifts may be more public and some more behind the scenes- they all work together- complimenting each other for one purpose and one goal- To Glorify God.

I'm so thankful that God is opening my eyes and my heart and allowing me to see that I too belong in his body.  That I too can be used to point others, through my gifts, to His glory.  He doesn't need me for this, but he allows me to- because he loves me.

So- if like me you find yourself sometimes feeling sorry for yourself or inadequate in your gifts hold on to God's word and remember to "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts..." (1 Corinthians 14:1)- they are given for the good of the church "to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace...in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."   (1 Peter 4:10-11).  And remember that sometimes even muffins are exactly what's needed to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ! 

Valentine's Day 2013

 

 

February 14th.

 

The Day of  

 

 Love.

 

In honor of the Big day I did a little crafting...

 

A little embroidery on felt with a sweet felt flower.  I chose to hang it from a knob on a dresser in my bedroom. 

It would also look super cute in a little girls room too- which is probably where it will go once Valentines is over because while it screams Valentines I think it's also super appropriate to hang out in Little Miss' room all year long.

She'll be excited.

Anything pink and frilly she's all about!

 

 

Of course my Valentine is the hubster.

 

 

I'd love to tell you that we have these Grand Valentine's Day plans but we just decided that what we really wanted to do was hang out at home with the kids and have a movie night.  We might do popcorn, but I might talk him into pizza!  Better yet...movie, pizza, aaaannd popcorn- My Valentine's day just got even better!!!

 

I made a card for him. 

 

Nothing too fancy.

 

Just a declaration of my love for him because he's only the best ever!

 

The one and only for me.

 

The one that God made for me.

 

We were destined to be together.

 

He's smart.

 

Funny.

 

Handsome.

 

Sexy.

 

A fabulous father.

 

And he makes me happy.

 

I can't imagine my life without him.

 

I'm thankful for each moment with him.

 

This is for you Babe:

 

 

 

 

And this is just because I thought it was hilarious!

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!