Happy Birthday, Erica Ryanne! ! !

Well, Little Lady,

You turn 8 today!

I remember the first time I saw you - no bigger than a minute - and you had black hair with white "chunks" in it. I thought that was so cool, because when you were born, that was one of the hair crazes at that time and you didn't have to pay for it! ! !

You are growing into a beautiful Little Lady, and I'm proud to have you as a grand daughter!

I love you very much!

Happy Birthday ! ! !

Love

MOM-MOM

oxoxox

My "Ah-hah!" Moment

I have been having some "issues" with my Little Ladies and other things and I have unloaded on Heidi. In "chatting" back and forth she reminded me of my own blog. Ouch! Then . . . the nerve of her :) . . . .she suggested something that I should have thought of a long time ago, all by myself. I just couldn't see the trees for the forest. She suggested a devotion with the girls and gave me the name of a couple books she sent to her niece. Now as if that wasn't enough "salt in the wound", the verse on my side bar just added to my guilt. It was Matt 19:14 - ". . . Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of Heaven."

That was yesterday.

Today I was reading a blog I am following and was rebuked again.

As I am thinking on these things - I realized I have not allowed these girls their time with God, and that was just a bitter pill for me to swallow. Nor have I allowed me my time with God. No wonder there is chaos in our worlds! ! ! So . . . I've ordered the devotionals, and promised myself to spend MY time with God as well. After all, as was stated on the blog I am following: Jesus is waiting for me, waiting to talk with me, waiting to advise me. I just need to be still long enough to hear Him. After all, it is a two way conversation! !

Friendship - As I See It

I must say - Christie's blog really spoke to me. Having things "bottle-neck" in your brain is not much fun, especially when it feels like hundreds of ideas are roaming around.

Friendship has really been weighing heavy on my mind lately. I know how I feel, but all those feelings are "bottle-necked" in my brain - just trying to get out.

One of my favorite quotes is on my side bar. Simply stated - friendship is risky business. It's not an easy task sitting quietly while your friends' hearts are breaking. You just want to get in there and take care of the problem, fix what's broken, hurt the ones who hurt them. Bad thing is. . . .you can't always "fix" the problem, and it's not our place to take matters into our own hands on their behalf. Good thing is. . . . you can pray for them, listen to them, be there for them and most importantly, love them.

I know I have "dumped" a grand load on my dear friends. They may at times have thought I had lost my mind, but they didn't say that. They probably thought at times I was a little on the loopy side, but they didn't say that, either. What they did say was: "I'll pray for you." And, you know, I knew they would, without a doubt. And knowing that, was more comforting than "fixing" me. Only God can mend our brokeness - Amen on that, because I'm not sure others would benefit from my mending skills! LOL. We just have to tie our burdens to His "stitching post".

On the cheery side, I feel like I could burst when I read "happy thoughts", hear good news, or am able to share a quiet scramping day/evening with my friends.

As I see it, friends are in your heart by choice. They stand there amongst the goop of life and cheer you on. They don't mind getting slimy on occasion, and even help you clean the slime off yourself.I praise God for those soldiers I call friends, because without them - I would be a TOTAL mess - no pun intended.

My particular core of friends range from "young" new moms, seasoned moms, moms in the thick of it all, moms that are grand-moms and sisters :) ! ! What a library of info and wisdom I have at my beck and call! How could one ask for much more?

I know I am speaking specifically of women, and I know there are men out there that make wonderful friends - but the depth of the emotion and the strength of the bond among women is like the depth of the universe and the strength of iron. Its just the way we're made :) and I like it like that! !

In the Summer Time

In the summer time

when the weather is fine

You can reach right up

and touch the sky

In the summer time

We've got swimmin',

We've got swimmin' on our minds :)

Happy Birthday, McKenna! !

You are turning one year old today! What a big step - especially for mommy and daddy!

You are such a cutie pie.

We love you, sweet thing :).

Love,

Uncle Bob, Aunt Crickett & Ben

Rease & Helena

Alicia, Sarah, Hope & Erica

xoxoxoxo