Catching up

I'm grateful to have a phone now that takes pictures because there are moments that I encounter that I wish I had one. This happened about a month ago when Jacob and Jenna went to soccer camp and the Carolina Railhawks showed up for part of the first night. Both of them got their shirts signed and Joshua and his friend also go pictures taken with them. I still haven't figured out to get the pictures off my camera, but that's when I'm grateful to have an IT guy in the house that can do it for me!!

Babysitting

Last Thursday the kids and I watched Bryson and the twins (Austin and Brianna) so that Michelle could go to the consignment sale. It was alot of fun and a great way for me to get my baby fix :). Brianna really loved going in to Jenna's room and playing with the big girl toys. She was content for over an hour in there. Jenna loved having her too.

Good Deals....

coat $5...two years worth
sheet...half striped, half dots

reversible comforter

the way we have it now

curtains

Patsy Aiken dress $8...but she can get 2 years with it (kids exchange)

Bonnie Jean winter cord jumper $2.49...only one year for this

Josh Air Jordan's for $5

Kids exchange treasure....Jenna just saw this in the catalog two days prior.....$40 we got it for $10

Shaq shoes $1

My kids now love going to thrift stores. Sometimes we go to Fuquay to get groceries, go to Krispy Kreme and thrift shop. This week we had plenty of opportunity. Wed we did just this and went to Fuquay. I got Jenna a shirt and me a pair of shorts. Thursday was the kids exchange. Josh needed an extra pair of shoes for the Wilds and I didn't want to pay more than $5 for ANOTHER pair of shoes.....he found some Air Jordans and they were $5. We bought Jake a pair of shoes, and Jenna some stuff. She wanted a changing table for her bitty baby and saw one in the catalog for $40....we got it for $10. Friday I went out with Veronica and we went to several thrift stores. I found a Bonnie Jean purple dress for Jenna. My big treasure was finding this comforter/bedroom set. Last November, I found this comforter set at Penney's that I wanted for Jenna. It was called "Little Miss Matched". Comforter alone was $85. I've been checking on ebay a lot trying to find one with no luck.....(still runs about $65 on ebay). Well, at the last thrift store we found the same comforter but it was a different brand. I got two pair of sheets sets, the comforter (reversible....thus little miss matched) and curtains for less than $14!! Yeah!! Saturday I woke up to go to a community sale at my friend's neighborhood. First house.....prices were a little high, however I found a pair of Shaq shoes (another thing Josh wanted) almost brand new. Since he was so high, I figured it would be at least $5. He said "make me an offer" so I said how about $1....HE TOOK IT!! Needless to say I gave him the money and ran before he could change his mind! The shoes are about a size big for him, but he is very happy.

Friendly game of football?

After family fun fest last week, Jack's best friend, Lai, came over for dinner. After dinner the kids and the two of them got into a "friendly" football game (Josh was at Gabriel's house for a sleep over). I think I have signed Jenna up for the wrong sport!! The last two pictures show two grown men trying to get the ball out of the tree! It was so funny to see them trying to shake the tree to get the football down. They had to give up and find another football to play with!

Jenna, Jenna

Look who finally go her hair cut! Bad news....no pony or pig tails for awhile.....Good news.....She loves it!

Family Fun Fest

Our church had it's annual Family Fun Fest Saturday. It was a lot of fun, but it was very hot. Jacob had fun just roaming around on his own, Joshua helped at one of the booths and also ran around with friends and then spent the night with Gabriel. Jenna got to spend time with her friend Olivia at the church and at fun fest, so I think she had the best of both worlds. Jack and I worked together at the food tent again. I don't think I want to see another hot dog for quite awhile....but at least they weren't red this year!!

Blessings

I heard this a few weeks ago on the radio and then someone sang it at church and I keep hearing it again and again on the radio.....now my kids are singing it too.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while you hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
what if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near?

What if the trials of this life
Are your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, your voice to hear
we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
we doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
as if every promise from your word is not enough

And all the while you hear each desperate plea
and long that we'd have the faith to believe

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
what if your healing comes through tears
and what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near?

And what if trials of this life
are your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
we know that pain reminds this heart
that this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

what if my greatest disappointments
or the aching of this life
is the revealing of a greater thirst
this word can't satisfy?

And what if the trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?

New Floor

before

after

after

I'm so excited!! I got a new bathroom floor. The great part is that it cost less than $20 to install it. I was able to do part of it myself, and then Jack helped cut the corners for me. It was less than a half day project too. I can't wait to do my kitchen and the kids bathroom!! I'm sure the kitchen will cost more like $100, but I still can't wait to do it. I just hope Southside has me subbing a lot so that we can do these extra household projects.

4th of July Parade

Our church had a float in the "Cleaveland Community Parade" today for the fourth of July. It was a way for us to get the word out about our Family Fun Fest on Saturday. The kids enjoyed being in a "parade" for the first time!