Just one question…

A girl went to her friends house and she ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone..

She wasn't afraid because it was a small COMMUNITY and she lived
only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the bike trail Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which was a shortcut to her house, she decided to take it.

However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.

She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection.

Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.

The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there.

Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.

She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.

The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him..

She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.

When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The  officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was
anything they could do for her.

She asked if they would ask the man one question.

Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.

When the policeman asked him, he answered, 'Because she wasn't
alone.

She had two tall men walking on either side of her.

Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you're not alone.

Forwarded Email

I feel like it has been FOREEEVVVVEEERRRRR since I have connected with the Internet.  I have missed you.  I have still been reading your posts via Google Reader on my phone even though I haven’t been faithfully leaving comments. My bad :-).  Please forgive me.

Today I received a forwarded email from a friend and thought that I would share it with you.

This explains why I,(We) forward jokes.

A man and his dog were walking along a road.  The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.  He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.  It looked like fine marble.  At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight..

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.  He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow!  Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir.  Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry; sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.  There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man.  'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in..'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, and then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said.  'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates?  Nope.  That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Soooo...

Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without writing a word.
Maybe this will explain.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do?  You forward jokes.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes.

Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?

A forwarded joke.

So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime!

Book Giveaway #2

I probably shouldn’t have started the book giveaways with my favorite romance author.  It’s hard to describe another author and then have to say that the author isn’t as good as the first.  I just feel mean. :-)

Well thankfully, in this case, I won’t have to say that.  While John & Staci Eldredge don’t write romance novels, their work will draw you in as if they did.  It has been quite awhile since I read this book, but it has left a lasting impression on me.  Most women that I talk to had quite a few “ah-HA” moments during this read.  I would also recommend this book to any man that has a daughter, wife, and/or mother.  I guess what I am trying to say is I think that EVERYONE should read this book.  I hope that you will enjoy it.

There are five ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment telling me what your plans are for Father’s Day.  (This could be gifts for the fathers in your life or just how you plan to celebrate… if you will not be celebrating the holiday yourself then just leave a suggestion or an idea of ways to celebrate a father).
2. Become a follower (and leave a second comment stating that you did so OR leave a second comment letting me know that you already are following this blog).
3. Twitter about the giveaway (leave additional comment letting me know that you did so).
4. Leave a Facebook link to this post (leave comment on this blog).
5. And of course post about the contest on your Blog (and of course please leave a comment here with a link to your blog).

This contest will end on Monday, June 1st at 9:00 pm.

Batter Up

I always knew that watching Evan’s first T-Ball practice would be an adventure, as usual.  But I had not prepared myself for the full hilarity of the event.  Fortunately, Evan gets to play T-Ball with his cousin Braxton (Brax is 6 weeks older than Evan). 

Unfortunately, I ONLY have pictures to share with you.  I really wish that I had video because in this case ONLY video can do the moment justice.

To give you an idea of the dynamics, I’ll begin by telling you this.  Braxton lives, loves, and breathes baseball.  He takes his baseball serious.  He watches baseball on television intently studying the players and copying their moves.  When he walks up to the T to bat, he picks up dirt in his hands rubs it together, circles the bat in the air, and winds up to hit. 

Then there’s Evan who has the energy of a horse right before the race.  He is stuck in the gate ready to be let loose.  He runs at the T with excitement and nearly pulls a “Happy Gilmore” at the ball that is placed up on the T.  He was the same way in the field.  I had to literally hold him back until the other players hit the ball then I would release him & let him tackle the ball & throw it to first base.  Instead of the horse hearing the sound of the gun to start the race, it was the sound of the bat hitting the leather ball that sent Evan running. 

It was pure torture for him when they had to take turns.  He would see & hear the ball being hit & his legs would run in place (again I had to hold him back).  He was READY.  He would then turn & look at me with a very serious face that I have seen his father make so often and say in a whispered voice, “Uh MOM, I can’t get the ball if you keep holding me like that”. 

  

I would then have to explain, “You have to take turns”.  His three year old mind processed this and then he replied, “No.  They can just be faster”.  I so bad wanted to laugh, because I know if MY DAD heard this statement then he would be so proud.  If the characteristic of competitiveness is hereditary then Evan has no chance.  Both Corey & I are competitive and have competitive relatives for many generations.   Instead, I had to say again, take your turn.  I then started whispering in his ear what each child was doing and pointing out what movements were good and related that to him and how he could improve each time.  This helped tremendously.  He would stay close long enough to wait until it was his turn again.

Evan was so excited in this picture you can see him running up to the T & swinging even before he got into position.

I think that his coach was a little surprised that the wild swing actually connected.

After that I worked with him, helped him find his grip and step up to the plate…

He loved the distance he got, but then we wanted to hit left handed… again surprising his coach.  

 

He hit the ball just as well from both directions.  This is another quality that seems to be hereditary.  My brother can also switch hit.  I write with both my right & left hands and noticed that Evan will do the same from time to time while coloring. 

Technorati Tags: T-Ball,Sports

To wrap up the practice, the coach had the kids run the bases and once again Evan’s excitement got the best of him.  He went from home base to second to first then to third base.  However, the second time around he ran with his teammates and did a WONDERFUL job. 

He just turned three and wants to be SO big, but I really wish that I could slow down time just a bit because it is happening too fast for me.

I Heart Faces – Laughter

 

I haven’t been able to participate in many of the I Heart Faces Weekly contests, but I have enjoyed viewing the amazing pictures that others have submitted.  This week, the theme at I Heart Faces is “Laughter”

If you are a follower of this blog then you will have recently seen this photo already.  If you are from I Heart Faces then I hope that you enjoy the photo as much as we enjoyed taking it.

KIDS CATEGORY ENTRY:

This picture will always make me smile because I can still hear her laughter bouncing off the walls at the airport.

ADULT CATEGORY ENTRY:

 

Now this picture is more for fun than anything.  This photo was taken with my camera phone but as you can tell it was a very fun time.

Technorati Tags: I Heart Faces,Laughter

All photos are straight out of the camera (or phone).

God is GOOD! (an update & kudos)

An Update:

I just wanted to share with everyone that helped pray for health that the prayer was answered!!

The doctor gave us a healthy report and now I am happy to give God the glory. I am so thankful that I can honestly say that I am speechless and sitting here with a perma-grin spanning from ear to ear.

Bloggy Kudos

My marriage to my husband has brought me two beautiful children, two goofy puppies, and a lifetime with an amazing man. He has also introduced me to some great friends. This blogger is someone that he grew up with and I believe they even went to prom together. She is a wonderful mom and a beautiful lady. Her posts and her Lessons From God have definitely been encouraging during the last few weeks.

Apple Slices: So simple and Soooo True.

Everybody Poops: What can I say... I married Corey.  All conversations with him lead to this topic at some point. It's not just me... all conversations with almost everyone. :-) He makes me laugh.

Big Brother: I love the reminder of innocence. if we could only bottle this up and encourage our children to drink it again when they are sixteen... or whenever that rebellious age may be.

These are just a few of her recent posts. I hope that you take the time to enjoy her blog.

Technorati Tags: God,Faith,Family,Bloggy Kudos

Praying hands are out again!

For those of you Internet friends that have been reading this blog for awhile then you will know what I'm referring to. For all others, I will apologize about being vague, but either way prayer is prayer and God will know exactly where it is needed.

I have a relative undergoing tests today and I am asking for prayer for HEALTH! So please join me in prayer.

I also wanted to ask for prayer for someone that commented last week. I had to delete a post & her comment requesting prayer was deleted with it. However, I wanted to tell Karenlizzy from LA that my kids & I have been praying for you & your family everyday. We pray that your husband will find the job that he has been looking for and that you will know that it is from God. By the way, I have to tell you that your name made me smile... I have two sisters that share your name; my sister, Lizzy and then my sister-in-law Karyn. Karenlizzy, I do pray that everything begins to fall into place for your family again.

Spoiled Rotten

As far as the title goes, it could possibly be referring to me, Lauren, or Lucy (the puppy). Corey absolutely loves to surprise people and he has swept me off my feet on many occasions by his amazing surprises. I posted about finding Lucy online a month ago, but buying her wasn't an option. Corey tried to tell me that he wasn't a dog person and that he already let me have one and that was enough. (Little did I know that this is what he really had up his sleeve. He's so sneaky). When he told me, I was so excited that I found myself jumping up & down and screamed or rather squealed like a school girl (then I had to remind myself that I just got the kids to sleep so I had to quietly celebrate).

We had an extensive name discussion and even breaking out name books, Corey finally chose Lucy. I like it... Luke (our other boxer) & Lucy.

I was so excited that I wanted to tell everyone at that moment, but I also wanted to wait so that I could share these pictures with you.


Lauren & I decided while we were waiting at the airport for Lucy to arrive that this was definitely better than Christmas. Lauren is a HUGE dog lover... the girl puts me to shame, and I thought that I had a bad case of puppy love. We can barely contain ourselves.


She has arrived. After two flights and a long morning in airports, Lucy was happy to be in Oklahoma.

Waiting for Lucy to get checked in was asking a lot of Lauren but she was amazingly patient.


Lauren sighed a deep breath of relief and gave her a "forehead kiss"before she was even completely out of the crate. We were all giggling and awwing her love for this little one.


But no, she didn't stop at forehead kisses. There were lots of nose kisses, mouth kisses, cheek kisses and puppy kisses (No Lauren didn't lick the puppy, or at least I hope not... I can't make any promises).


Of course I was ecstatic! I was not only happy that Lucy had arrived, but I was also very excited that Corey was able to surprise me & the kids at the airport on a Monday afternoon so that he could also be there when she arrived. I was glad that he was able to share the moment with us.
Evan was so excited to hold her too. He was smiling from ear to ear. I honestly don't know if he remembers Luke being this small.


Once we got outside and the kids were buckled in the car (he had a hard time seperating both me & Lauren from Lucy), Corey was able to hold her. However, because I was so excited I didn't change the ISO and the White Balance on my camera so all I have are these blinding shots of Corey holding Lucy. If anyone has any recommendations of software to fix these photos, I am all ears. I love the smile on Corey's face... this picture is all the proof I need that Corey really is a dog lover. I love his sweet & tender heart and I love how Lucy is able to bring that out. She has a way of making most people melt. She is such a little sweetheart.Like I said the above picture is all the proof that I need, but then I have this picture and no these kisses were not intended for me. They were for Lucy. :-)



And then I have THIS picture. He let her lick him. I NEVER thought that I would ever see this willingly happen. She has no idea what she has done.


At this point I don't know who is melting my heart faster... this tender-hearted man or this sweet little snuggly puppy.

Thank you baby! I am sure that you have an idea just how much we appreciate this wonderful surprise, but just in case you don't.... Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Or as Lauren would say, "That is a million Good Daddy Awards".

My apologies

If you are coming to this site via a link that is not working then I apologize. I had to take down a few posts that were referring to a family health situation. Although we are still requesting prayer.

I had tried to be vague while requesting prayer to respect everyone's privacy but someone's privacy wasn't respected and the last thing that I want to do is to make a difficult situation more difficult.

Revised post:

Just a month ago, I was sitting back after a family gathering thinking to myself that I was one lucky individual. I absolutely love my family!! I even wrote about it on Facebook. (Yes, I am a dork like that. When I am happy I love to shout it from the rooftops or Facebook). I felt so lucky to have recovered from my cancer scare and just felt well... lucky.

Within the last few weeks, my husband was injured and had to have surgery on his knee, and then another family member found out that they had liver cancer.

Needless to say, our world has been rocked. I have been praying and pleading for strength for both my self and my other family members 100s of times throughout the day.

Regarding the liver cancer:
In the beginning I felt strong and confident, and I was able to easily calm others and talk them through the process of what was happening to our relative. However, I can honestly admit that I need more information about "the process and the procedures" myself. Not understanding what is happening to their bodies and not knowing what to expect is creating a fear that I can't seem to fight off. I am amazed by the strength of our relative and am proud at the way they are fighting the cancer.

If anyone out there knows anything about liver cancer I would LOVE some information and advice. I would also love advice regarding diet... what foods are easiest to hold down.

I am so thankful to God for taking care of Corey throughout his surgery and he has been healing really well. He is even going back to work tomorrow, just five days after his surgery. I am thankful that he feels good enough to do that. (Unless we are on vacation, he has a difficult time staying away from his office, and sometimes he has a tough time even during vacation not calling 10 times,. His business is his baby). So I know that even taking off a few days for his surgery was hard for him to do. He enjoys his job.

While I haven't been posting as much because my mind has obviously been on these matters, I have been reading yours and have been pulling from your strength as you walk through and overcome different trials and have thoroughly enjoyed laughing at your posts because I can honestly say that I have NEEDED your humor more than you know.

These situations were the catalyst for the Bloggy Kudos post. I honestly don't think I could be walking through these sitautions without the strength, humor and reminders that God's hand is in this! So again, thank you!