Queenies Little Kingdom

Today, August 12th is our final day of summer vacation. I am so sad to see it go. I spent today in Louisville with my girls shopping. We managed to hit 3 different malls and only bought a few things here and there. It’s not easy to find adorable things at affordable prices these days. We did find a store that we all three really liked, Forever 21. They are supposedly a christian company, we noticed John 3:16 on our bag as we left the store. Each of us tried several things on but only Ms. Ally bought something, skinny jeans. Can you believe those are still in? I’m not a fan, maybe because all my fat would show if I wore them. Blak!
I also made the huge mistake of trying on some swimsuits! Talk about depressing! Oh man! What was I thinking? Needless to say, I didn’t purchase anything in that department. But I did make a new pact with myself in the mirror…….TIME TO GET FOR-REAL BUSY! I’m getting back into shape or else! I have a walking partner (now that school is starting back up) in a fellow teacher at school. She teaches freshman PE. We like to hit the streets and walk and talk about our day. It’s good for us both….physically and mentally. After seeing myself today in the mirror….I’m thinking I may need to run instead of just walk. But, no need to kill myself so early in the school year. I’ll just work my way up. Maybe by the time it turns cold here, my jeans will fit again.

Here are some highlights of our summer:

June
1) Sweetboy turned 18!!
2) Ms Gates went to Crossings camp in Kentucky
3) Sweetboy went to Hoosier Boys State
4) Southern Baptist Convention in Indy
5) Girls went to Kentucky Lake for a week
6) Hubby gets full-time job
7) Our family joins FBC North Vernon in membership

July
1) Gavin, Ally & I went to Mfuge in Greenville, SC
2) Our family & friends trip to The Beach Waterpark in Cincinatti
3) Hubby started supply preaching
4) Ms Gates went to Holiday World with FBC
5) Ally flew to Florida to visit grandparents
6) Gavin & Gates spent a day on the river tubing/skiing with youth group

Time sure flies by when you’re being lazy….staying up too late and then sleeping in. I’m so spoiled! I don’t wanna get up and go to school. Pray for me, I’m the rebellious type. I’ll be tossing and turning all night tonight since tomorrow is the first day of school. Oh well, all good things must come to an end including summer. Don’t blink, it will be Christmas before we know it.

This book is amazing!  I found out about it on another blog and decided to check it out.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.  It was moving!  It was powerful!  It was a huge wake-up call!  It will touch your heart!  Learn to be usable by God…..in what ever way He deems necessary.  That’s just one thing I’ve learned from reading it.  Another is, love people!  See them like God does and don’t be afraid to step out of my comfort zone to do it.  Go get this book!  You will laugh, cry and want to be different.  I know I do.

Today, I got my new blog! I know you are thinking…..”Umm, you just had a new blog!”. Well this is the REAL one now. The one before, it had some issues. This one, it’s just right! Poor Shauna, she is someone I am really forever indebted too. She worked so hard….I’m afraid she might be changing all her email addresses/blog design site info so I cannot reach her again. I know I would! Haha. JK!
Every little thing was complicated on this crazy thing. Geez!

Sounds like me, complicated and with issues! I’m a mess! I drive me crazy sometimes. I want so badly to be more like Christ. But I’m so fleshly and pathetic! I pray that God would use me in spite of me everyday. I wreck things that should be so simple. I’m learning that God doesn’t need me to be what I think I should be. He just wants me to be what He wants me to be and to follow Him. I’m honored to do that. Again, I can mess that up sometimes. I have to start all over (thank you God for forgiveness and redemption). So can you. That’s just how it is with God. He totally knew how weak and flawed we were right from the beginning. He knew just what we would need. Is. 53:6 “We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all”. Oh yea, He knew. Thank you God for your son, Jesus!

Like Shauna, who worked and reworked on this blog design until she had it just right. I too, have that same task before me. I’m not perfect, but everyday…..I have to start again and try to do what is right according to my Lord. If I junk it up, I have to go back and begin again. Knowing that just for me, Jesus took all my sin upon him so that I could have a fresh start. WoW! It still amazes me.  I’m grateful for His love of me and His forgiveness.  Like my blog is beautiful to me, I want to be beautiful to my Heavenly Father.  I guess you could say, I’m a work in progress!  Someday, I’ll be perfect…..heaven’s not far away.

Ally aboard the Titanic?

Cousin Susan, Nana, Uncle Bill & Uncle Dean….oh and Ally!

Susan and Ally…catching some rays! Luckeeeeeeee!

It looks like she had fun! I know it was a whirlwind of activities for her over the last 2 weeks. Fun with grandparents in the summer…….ahhh memories! Thanks to Nana & Poppy for having Ally as their guest this summer. It was her turn! She was always busy or not old enough to go by herself or something else. This was just a perfect time for her to go.
We missed being there for some good family time this summer. Life just doesn’t go the way you plan it sometimes (ok, never)…..”For I know the plans for you…..”! God knows what we need when we need it. This year has been one of the hardest we’ve experienced. But, God has never left us nor forsaken us….even when we were at our lowest. Thank you, Lord! Maybe next summer we will be back in beach visiting business. I sure hope so. Right now, I’m just going to give you my thank you list for today.
THANK YOU ~~ GOD

-Don’s new job (after over 3 months of nothing….we are rejoicing!)
-My kids (they really weathered being teens well, considering we were BROKE all those months)
-Our good health (even feeling as depressed as we did….and we did….no one had any major illness)
-Family (thankful for parents who could help…even in little ways…but especially big ways! LOVE EM)
-Friends (we have the greatest friends…thanks to those who really reached out and ministered)
-A new church/family (we had a lot of grieving to do….and this pastor has been a healing balm)
-My job! (I love my job! Now I know why I’m there….well one more reason why)
-Our home & cars (these are not things I take for granted…..they are a total blessing!)
-Prayer (I love it! I love it! I love it! It sustains me! I holds me together! Thank you for listening to me God)

We have a whole new year ahead…..a new beginning so to say.

These guys are going to start their senior year in high school in less than a week. Both have just had their 18th birthday’s and have grown into amazing young men. They have made their parents so proud! Last night, I rode the 45 miles to Salem with Gavin (in his HOT BMW! Oh it’s, not just hot looking….it’s hot because his air is BROKEN!) so that he could go to Brad’s birthday party. He did not want to miss this party! He was so excited to see his buddy and many other sweet friends that he loved while living there. He had a great time! We didn’t get home until almost 1am….yes, I was a pumpkin! It was worth it though. Sweetboy had a wonderful trip down memory lane and rekindled some friendships again.

Life is like that, you know? We ever so often stumble upon (well, God knows what we need…) these amazing people…..our bosom buddy’s! That person who loves us and accepts us as we are (flawed and imperfect). I am so thankful for God giving me such sweet friends along life’s way. I am smiling right now just thinking of them. God is so good! For Gavin…..I’m so glad that he and Brad are still buddy’s after all these years. Next year, we’ll let them go. We laughed about it last night as we predicted our future next summer…but it’s not that far off. Before we know it, we’ll be driving to see one of them marry off to the girl God has chosen just for them. I know whenever that day comes that Gavin and Brad will still be buddy’s. 

Proverbs 27:17  “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”.

Gavin and Brad 2008

Don’t ya just love it? My blog designer, Shauna is quite an artist! I gave her three different patterns of ideas and told her to pick and surprise me. That she did! When I got on last night to plunder around…..BAM! up it popped so pink/green and stripe-etty. I squealed and jumped around a bit with sheer excitement! It was definitely a yeehaw moment for this….dreamin’ of bloggin’ girl!

It sorta says me, when I look at it. Which was what I was going for…but Shauna doesn’t even know me! Or does she? That girl is SMART! And talented! And sweet! And making bloggy people happy all over this here internet. Just go see for yourself! Check out her work, you will fall in love and even be able to afford it. Thanks again, Shauna! You put me in bloggy business with some sweet classy style. You rock! Just click on her button to the right here. Be ready to oooh and aaaaah.