Queenies Little Kingdom

Last night we partied!  It was the second time this week we hosted a party at our house.  I feel like a real party animal!  The first was the youth on Sunday and then last night we had our LLYWD group from church over for soup & chili.  It was a great evening.  We talked about anniversaries, kids, church and other important stuff.  It helped us get to know each other even more than we could during our class time together.

Yesterday was also a half day for us at school.  It kicked off our fall break this week.  It’s so beautiful here in Indiana.  The fall weather is perfect (about 63 degrees right now) and the leaves are changing right before our eyes.  I love it!  I can’t imagine not seeing it after missing it my whole life.  I never understood what all the hoopla was growing up in sunny south Florida about the changing leaves.  Ahh, but I do now.  Glorious is the best description.

Our guests loved the Turnip Green Soup……..sounds icky….but it’s not, I promise!  The chili too.  Cooked southern style (we don’t put any pasta in chili down yonder, ya’ll!) with cornbread on the side.  I even got crazy and tried a new pumpkin dessert recipe….YUMMY!  It’s a keeper! 

I’ve learned some things over the years.  It’s more important to make people feel welcomed and special when they visit your home than how your home looks.  I’ll be honest, my house is not fancy-fied furnished!  It’s filled with stuff we’ve picked up along the way.  Usually from family or somewhere cheap.  Ministry has a way of keeping you humble🙂   It’s more fun anyway to be comfortable with who you are than in what you’ve got!  I know that the world is telling us we need stuff to be important….I’ve heard it myself.  But that’s not true!

I have always loved entertaining.  It’s in my blood and now it’s in my kids.  They love having a house full of friends every chance they can.  If I could give any advice here it would be just do it!  Don’t wait till you have the perfect sofa or dining table to have friends over.  Don’t skip inviting someone home for lunch on Sunday because you have ugly carpet where you wish you had hardwood floors.  Don’t miss out on building great friendships with other people because you feel your house doesn’t measure up to theirs.  Don’t do it!  Invite them over….cook something simple….maybe even start with a game night or a dessert fellowship.  Just do it!

Over the years, I can’t count how many people have trudged all through my house.  We’ve always held a Christmas open-house event every year in whatever church we were serving.  It’s so much fun!  People love it.  We’ve tried it all….just having people over means the world to them.  I know how neat it is to be invited to someone’s house.  So I try to think of how a guest would feel coming into my home.  Never have I had a bad experience (well…..except that one time the deacon fell down our staircase with his coffee in hand!) while entertaining.

I love the scripture in Hebrews 13.  The writer is clear about loving without limits.  Our christian love should have no limits; strangers, brothers, prisoners, those suffering.  We are to love as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone to do that.  I have been so blessed by having friends into my home and my prayer is that they knew it.  What about you?  Wanna come over for some soup?  It’s my honor if you do!  Come on over.  I hope you’re hungry!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DON!

It’s been one of those week’s.  This year has been riddled with quite a few of them.  But God has been so good and faithful!  I’m glad to see you’ve made it to another birthday.  We seem to be getting older quicker these days, huh?  It just feels like yesterday when we were young and naive kids.  Maybe it was yesterday!

I’m wishing you a great 42nd year!  I pray that you grow closer to God and more like Him everyday.  May His love fill your heart and His Spirit fill your mind.  I hope that you know Him even more on #43!  I commit to pray for you everyday.  It’s not easy being the leader in all the ways you’re expected to lead.  I understand the pressure!  I’m glad you can handle it! 🙂

I have so many wishes for you….but mostly I hope all YOUR wishes come true!

I love you!

42’s not so bad….even though I’ve only been there 10 days myself. Let’s make this our best year yet!

This is one sweet chicky! She has a fabulous ministry to girls grades 3 through 12 called Starlite. If you click over to her blog and read up a bit, I’m sure you will find something that will bless your heart.

I’m always excited to find neat ministries out there that are beating the streets and making an impact on this world. This is one of those ministries. God bless her and that passion to follow You Lord wherever you lead. I am a person that someone did a little investing in during my formative years. I will forever be grateful to the one’s who obeyed Christ for my sake.

Go check out Ministry So Fabulous and Starlite. You’ll be glad you did. Oh and did I mention you can sign up to win a Starbucks giftcard? Uhuh! Oh yea, that’s right! Bring on the latte, baby!

Link up here for the contest!

Ally….needing a little red eye work!  So purty!

Lauren, Ally & Allison!  (Allison is Gavin’s girlfriend…..yes, I said GIRLFRIEND!)

Leah & Ally…..Look out on the roads, friends!

Laura & Ally….posing in straight hair!

 

Nobody can tell you how much you’ll love someone that you’ve given birth to.  I think it’s because there aren’t words to adequately describe it.  Your heart takes over and the love is like a raging storm.  It’s powerful!  My love for Ally is like that.  She’s so like me but then she’s so different.  I often say she is most similar to her dad in personality.  Both of them think the world hates them and feel everyone’s staring at them….cause they look dorky!  Crazy huh?

She came in the world two years and nine months after Gavin (March 17, 1993) and eighteen months before Gates and we couldn’t have been more excited.  Her dad was thrilled…..so much so, that he went out shopping for her.  He came back with pink stuff….binkies and clothes!  She had to have girl stuff.  He didn’t want any girl of his looking the slightest bit boyish.  She was a beautiful baby!  We fell in love with her…..and are so glad God picked us to be her mama & daddy.

I’m watching her grow up pretty fast these days.  She’s going and doing things that teenagers do.  Ballgames, girlfriends, shopping, church activities and giggling about boys.  Oh I remember those days.  The one’s where your parents were real goofy and weird….oh and not so smart either.  Oh yea, that’s where we are these days.  I wish I could tell her that someday she’ll look back and see things much differently.  I know I do.  She’ll see that the things that she worried about were not such big deals too.  But you can’t tell them that stuff….it just sounds so “parent-y”!

It’s tough being a teenager.  You’re stuck!  Not old enough to do your own thing and support yourself but too young to slide by without any responsibilities.  Those growing pains hurt too.  Friendships are vital!  Teenagers have the capacity to take little things way too seriously.  Like, friend drama and criticisms.  Both can be devastating to a teen.  Especially sensitive teens.  As a mom, I want to be a good listener and a trusted confidante to my kids.  I pray they know they can always come to me and hear wisdom that I’ve prayed over.  I hope to always guide them to the cross no matter what.

I don’t know why I blogged about Ally tonight.  She’s just who I was thinking of.  She moped through dinner and wouldn’t eat what I set out.  Did I mention her strong will?  She opted for brownies and chocolate icecream for her meal.  Mmm de-lish!  She is a chocoholic (another way we are alike) afterall.  I get it when you’re just out of sorts.  We girls are like that…..we just need to do our own thing.  So eating a meal of chocolate is cool.

So, to my sweet little middle child that’s growing up and turning into the sweetest young lady…..I love you!  I pray that you are growing into just who God designed you to be.  I thank Him for allowing me to be your mom!  I feel so blessed that you’re mine.  BIG KISS & BIG HUGS!

Matt. 7:7 “Keep asking and it will be given to you.  Keep searching and you will find.  Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you”.

This has been the fastest and busiest weekend I’ve had in a long time.  Friday night was filled with the football game and senior night.  Saturday morning began early with working in our yard and running errands (like picking up haybales and a thrift store find).  The afternoon was all about a special wedding an hour away.  Then it was off to shop for shoes for Sweetboy.  Oh and pick up food and items needed for tonight’s (Sunday) big deal!

We hosted the middle school youth at our house tonight for “Detour”.  Both youth groups have this event once a month.  Each time, they are guests at some brave family’s house.  The kids love this and have been blessed by many friends welcoming them into their homes.  When we were asked to take a date….we didn’t even have to think about it.  We love throwing a party!  Especially in the fall.  LOVE THIS WEATHER!

Our yard was covered with the fallen leaves….so hubby got down to business by blowing them down the hill.  We have a great place in our woods with a fire pit.  We know how much we love fire….so we thought that would be a great way to party tonight.  We surrounded the pit with haybales and plenty of hotdogs and smores….and we had a blast!  The kids did too!  Heehee.

We also had a fire pit on our back porch.  Some ventured up and cooked goodies there.  It was cool out (about 54 degrees) so it was even more fun being outside.  Once the kids had all eaten and poked enough fire….they came in for a game.  Their youth leader (Mark) had them play a charades game…..I think he called it, Sit Charades or Butt Charades???!  Not quite sure….but it was a scream (well, from where I was upstairs…cause they kept screaming!)  haha.

At 9:00pm they peel out and head back to church where anxious parents are waiting the arrival of their little darlin!  I’m glad they came and I pray they had a great time and want to come again.  It’s always fun to have people over (besides….your house gets extra cleaned then).  So much so, I’m having another party on Wednesday night!  This time it’s adults.  We are having a soup/chili dinner with our LLYWD group.  Can’t wait!  This group has been a blessing….and we want to show them some southern hospitality!  So there’ll be no spagetti noodles in our chili!  Haha!  Sorry Hoosiers!

It’s been so busy this weekend that I haven’t even gotten a  N A P !!  I really love my naps!  Oh well, I’ll have to catch up on them this week.  We only have 2 1/2 days of school, since it’s our fall break.  I can relax the rest of the week away.  Mostly, I can enjoy my family.  We’ll be hanging out and eating too much more than likely.  Ahh the sweet life!

I hope you had a great weekend and that God blessed you too.  His love is amazing and His blessings abound.  Just look around you and see.  All that is good…..comes from our Lord.  Thank you Jesus!

Youth kids getting serious about the game!

Psalm 116:12 “How can I repay the Lord all the good He has done for me?”

He said I would cry and get all mommed up emotional! Ughhhh No, I didn’t! Maybe that’s how I’ll be after the Christmas month comes and goes. Last night I felt great! Very proud and excited for him. He’s been a great kid and has put his whole heart into every activity he’s taken on. WAY TO GO GAV-MAN! You make me proud!

I’ve watched year after year from the stands parents and their senior teens walk across that field arm in arm. I had no idea that I would blink my eyes and be out there myself so soon. Time flies when you’re raising a family, working and trying to make it in this world. I have a great respect for the parents who’ve gone before me and let their kids go. I’ve been told it’s not easy. I’m learning a little more everyday.

It’s been so cool having Gavin around at school. When we moved here, he was in 6th grade and I was teaching 10th grade English and a Creative Writing class. I couldn’t see that far ahead….to the day he would be walking those same halls with me. Everytime I’ve run into him….my heart feels a spark. No one can describe to you how your heart will feel when you have a baby. Mine has been madly in love with my kids! They fill me up! Thank you God for sharing them with me.

Since Gavin is a lifter for cheerleading and in the band…..he was honored twice. We walked across before the game for cheerleading and at half-time with the band gang. Both were oddly awkward. From our view, you can’t tell if people are watching and celebrating with you or just going on about their business of finding seats and ordering food from concessions. Either way, we claimed our moment in JCHS history and celebrated our senior and his accomplishments in both activities. With SMILES on! 🙂

We’ll get to do this one more time during basketball season. I know it will be a little different then. The end of the school year will be fast upon us by that time. My tears may show up that night. I want to embrace every moment with him and cherish it. I’ve invested all of me into him (and his sisters). How could I not be a little boohoo-ey!? Letting go and trusting God with his life is something I’ve practiced everyday since God gave him to me. I’m growing up too, ya see?

So Sweetboy…..Happy “Seen Your” Night to you! I’ve seen your worse (not too much of that), I’ve seen your best (a whole heaping bunch of that) and I couldn’t be more proud of you! Thank you for honoring God with your life!  I LOVE YOU!!!  Mama!

Walking with our Sweetboy

Proud to stand beside him!

Being nosey….haha! Naaah, we’re happy for our neighbors!

Deut. 30:19b “Today I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20) love the LORD your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life”.