TAX FREE in GA

It's hard to believe that school is starting back Monday. Wasn't it just yesterday I spent the last week of school with Makayla. Helping with parties, AR carnival, and then watching her walk across the stage for her awards. Not to mention Michael graduating from High School. Time is slipping by way too fast. We need to savor every moment of it. Makayla and I went to open house yesterday to meet her teacher. She wanted to hold my hand walking down the hall, and I asked her, do you think that's okay? Your going to the 4Th grade now. But then we saw her BFF in front of us and he was holding his Mom's hand. There we were the four of us looking at the lists to find what class they were in. Strange you find your child's name, then you look at the rest of the list to see what names you recognize from previous years. You want them to know at least one person in their class. But yet not one they will get in trouble with. In her class is several of the girls from the two previous years that she's been at this school. But her bff is not in there. I thought he was going to cry. Makayla took it in stride, didn't bother her at the time. It might later on, but I looked over at him and his Mom was consoling him and he actually looked like he was going to cry.
We met her teacher and she seems to be very nice, quite like me, so we didn't have a lot to talk about. Then we visited previous teachers. Her second grade teacher is the one that was expecting twin boys and has lost one of them. She has six weeks until her due date, so please keep her (Yvette) in your prayers. Also found out her health teacher (Bethany) from that year is pregnant having a girl in October. She was just glowing yesterday. I told her we had no idea.
So today we're off shopping. Why do we wait until the last minute to school shop? Well this year it seems to have just slipped up on us. But not sure what other states does it. But this is TAX-FREE WEEKEND in GA. So most stores are having awesome sales. We will soon find out.

Going Home

My Mother-In-Law is going home from the hospital today. The Doctors originally told her it could be up to two weeks in the hospital, but after 6 days shes going home. The second day she was there one of the Doctors just knew it was cancer, and mentioned chemo. But the next day all tests confirmed NO CANCER. It was diverticulitis, no special diets, surgery again in six months and then all will be back to normal. God still answers prayers. I told her that was a heck of a way to get a vacation, and possibly lose a few pounds. I know I would rather be lying on a beach somewhere than in a hospital room.

Kitchen

This is the ugly color my kitchen was before I painted it. I thought I had taken a picture of the cabinets before I painted them. But they were a dingy yellowish white. The walls were a dark cream.

And now my cabinets are a glossy white, with the walls a butter yellow. I was aiming for a little lighter yellow. But I love them. It looks so country in there now. The knobs had been brass colored and my wonderful husband spray painted them silver for me. And WOW!! the change a little spray paint did to them.

Now if I can just get him to finish hanging the doors back up and take the tacky nasty fan down. Who puts a fan in a kitchen? It does nothing but gets greasy then dusty. GROSS!!!

Next I think seriously of continuing the color yellow into the dining room since the two connects. Probably lighter but it has really brightened up this small kitchen.

Has this ever happened to you?

About a week or so ago Makayla asked if a friend of hers could spend the night tonight. I told her we were going to be pretty busy this weekend maybe we could make it later in the week. Well she tried to call the girl the last couple of days and haven't actually talked to her. Her Mom always made an excuse that she was outside, or busy elsewhere. Well today I'm in the kitchen cooking and Makayla opens the door and says her friend is here. No phone call letting us know they were on their way, nothing. The girl's Mom sat in the car and sent her to the porch with her older sister. Knowing she was using me as a free sitter, and didn't have the audacity to face me. Well me being the nice person I am, let her stay. It wasn't the girls fault that the Mom is selfishly using me for a free sitter. But I explained to the girls sister that I would have her home early in the morning because we were headed out of town for the day.
I would never drop my child off without confirming with a parent that it was okay.
How would you have handled this?

An answer to "WHY"

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog "Why does bad things happen to good people?" Well this morning while reading I came across this and wanted to share it. Hopefully it will help others that may at one time or another have asked why also.
When bad things happen its an attack of the enemy. The enemy attacks because you are a good person. He always attacks anyone who loves God and lives His way. The only way you can get him to not do this is to become like him. But as long as we have a heart for the things of God, we are his target. The greater your commitment to the Lord becomes, the more the devil will try to harass you. That's why if we are moving into a deeper level of commitment to God, or entering into new ministry or work God is opening up for you, you can depend on the enemy trying to stop it. He will do all he can do to wear you down with discouragement, sickness, confusion, guilt, strife, fear, depression, or defeat. The devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus has come to five you life abundantly.
God has given us many weapons to use against the devil.
Here are five:
1. A powerful weapon against the devil is God's word. Jesus himself used it against the devil when He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and Satan came to temp him. Matthew 4:1

2. Another powerful weapon is praise. The devil hates it every time we worship God. That's because he can't tolerate people worshiping anyone but him. When we praise and worship God , His presence dwells powerfully in our midst and the devil has to leave.

3. Obedience. If we are living in sin or walking in disobedience in any way, this leaves the door open in our lives for the devil to gain a point of entry and ultimately a foothold. Bad things happen to us that might be the enemy's work, but it could also be because our own sin has given him a place to erect a stronghold in our life. Confession and repentance will shut the door in his face.

4. Faith. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world I Peter 5:8-9 Walking in faith is a powerful tool to avoid the enemy's trap.

5. Prayer and fasting. Prayer is a strong weapon against the enemy. But even more so when you combine it with fasting. Often the hold of the enemy upon our lives can only be broken by prayer and fasting.

We miss you, Billy

Today would have been my youngest brother's 46Th birthday. But instead he went home to be with Jesus on December 29 2007. When it happened he was thousands of miles away from all of his family. And it bothered me for quite a while to think he was alone when he passed away. But he wasn't alone. I'm sure Jesus was right there with him. He had been gone for four years since any of the family had seen him. He was always sorta of a loner, traveler. Not a bum just liked to do things his on way. He as well as my other brothers and sister was brought up in church, and knows that we have to except Christ in our hearts to live with him eternally. So I also wondered if he had time to make things right with the Lord. I remember the first thing I asked the Doctor when he called me, was if he was conscious and co-he rent when he was brought in and he said that he was. In which he had to be because he told the Doctor to call his boss. But as the days went by I felt a peace and knew that all the prayers my Mom had prayed for so many years, they couldn't have been prayed in vain. Then the pastor(my Mom's Pastor) preached his funeral and said it so well. That he had been brought up by two wonderful christian parents that had always taken us to church and instilled in us the right way to live. Maybe he had drifted from that, but Jesus is merciful and gave him one last chance. I've often wondered if my brother had prayed for forgiveness then asked to go ahead and die so he wouldn't have to go back out in this sin-cursed world. Knowing that he had failed God before and didn't want to walk that road again.
I've been painting around the house the last couple of days and I guess that's another reason I'm thinking about him so much today. He painted houses and different businesses for many years. It's strange the things your mind thinks about. I can remember him reading books about painting and I wonder if it was the different colors that attracted him to painting. If it was, just think of his wonderment now as he is in heaven the sights he is seeing. I'm sure it leaves him speechless at times, and those that knew him, knows that most of the time he wasn't at a loss for words.
We miss you, Billy so many good memories you left us.

My free can of paint

I received my free quart of paint yesterday from Glidden. I ordered lilac bouquet. Makayla's bedroom is painted what's called angel eyes, a smoky blue, so we painted one wall with the quart of lilac bouquet. One thing marked off of my to-do-list. Now on to the kitchen. I'm tired of wanting to do things to the house while waiting on my husband to finish sanding the hall bathroom. You know the one we gutted months ago. The sheet rock has been replaced but hasn't been sanded. So while I'm waiting to paint it I'm moving on to other things in the house that needs painting that I can do.

Not the best pics but you get the idea maybe. Now back to painting my kitchen cabinets. Pics soon, I hope.

I did it again

As most of you know I'm always looking for ways to show off Emily, and yes you too Megan. I think Megan is very talented at taking pictures, and writing blogs. That's why I submitted her on a blog that features baby nurseries.http://www.spearmintbaby.com/2009/07/featured-nursery-emily.html


So go check out spearmint baby, she features a lot of awesome nurseries, not to mention her great giveaways.

Here's Megan's link to her blog http://meganbhulsey.wordpress.com/ so go see for yourself why I think she is great at taking pics of our wonderful Emily. Not to mention her funny way of writing to tell about all their great adventures as a family.

Handbag giveaway

Another great giveaway. Take a look at her handbags. Even if you don't win one there very affordable. As women we know we never have too many handbags. If I win it's going to be very hard for me to narrow it down to just one. They are all so lovely.

http://wrongweek.blogspot.com/