Happy Mother's Day

I'm so thankful for my Mom and all the patience, wisdom, and unconditional love she has given me and my family.

I'm also thankful for my Mother-In Law for raising such a Godly man and loving our family..

I know this day can be a hard one for those who long to be a mother, know that you are being prayed for!

My sweet family planned the best day ever: an afternoon at the farmer's market

 fresh flowers, custom hula hoops for all, fresh tamales and salsa, goat cheese straight from the farm, and homemade icecream.....

NOT happy that they were left out of the homemade icecream stop-

 we may have given them a tiny spoonful

I was also given a coupon booklet full of great treats....1 week of coooking, 1 week of  cleaning, 1 dinner date with B, 1 spa day with AC, 1 week-end getaway with T, 1 carwash by my favorite guys, 1 morning of sleeping late..I can't imagine a better gift other than getting to do my God-given job every day!

A Meaningful Lesson

Today was yardsale day!  We got rid of lots of stuff and what didn't sell will be picked up by Habitat for Humanity next week. 

But the big story is about these sweet girls!

AC and her cousin decided they would have a lemonade and cookie sale during the yard sale to benefit the people who were affected by the tornadoes last week.  Todd and I thought that was a great idea and helped gather the supplies.  When I got to our school for lunch yesterday, AC informed me she had already pre-sold 3 dozen cookies......back to the store I went!

Unfortunately, this is the best shot I got!  They woke up bright and early to set up their table and make the lemonade.

We took the girls to the Disaster Recovery Center this afternoon.

The girls presenting our county's EMA Director with the $50.50 they raised.  He took so much time and talked with the girls about how much their efforts would benefit the families affected by the tornadoes, to which AC replied, "Lots of people we know were -defected-by the tornadoes." 

The girls with our county's 211 Director.  When we were leaving the girls asked for his autograph....I think he was quite flattered!

After spending the rest of the afternoon playing in the water fountains by the river, the girls got a call from a newspaper reporter for our local paper. 

Oh my, their faces!

She wanted to interview them and hear the whole story.....I"m sure she wasn't prepared for the speeches she received.

I love and am so thankful to live in a community that is so enouraging of these girls giving hearts!

Muffins with Mom

Our school held a breakfast this morning for mothers to attend with the children.  They had made adorable presents that I love!

Later, the babies and I came back to school to stay with B's class so his teachers could enjoy a  lunch with the other faculty.

The girls loved all of the attention!

I am so happy for two friends who have struggled to become mothers and found out this week (don't you love God's perfect timing with it being Mother's Day weekend?) that their prayers have been answered!

"...For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."

Jeremiah 29:11

Kelly's topic for this week's SUYL is favorite vacation spots so I thought I would give the details on our spring break in Savannah and Tybee Island in March.

We stayed at The Ocean Plaza on Tybee Island.  It was perfect for us since it is reasonably priced, ocean-front, and  kid-friendly.  We got the suite to accomodate all of us, and that worked out great- 2 bathrooms, kitchenette, 2 queen beds and a pull out couch in the living room area. 

Some restaurants that we loved were:
AJ's Dockside Restaurant,
The Pirates House-
Cafe Loco- this is right beside Captain Mike's dolphin tours so we ate lunch here before the tour. 

Outings we enjoyed:
Juliette Gordon Low Birthpace-  you can buy the workbook for the Savannah Safari in the gift shop.  The kids look for different animals in the architecture around downtown.
Forsyth Park
Oatland Island Wildlife Center

Conversation Around Our Table

Tonight at dinner, Brian looked at Todd and said, "You and Momma must have prayed really hard for God to give you 2 eggs each time y'all wanted to have a baby....I bet mine was a golden egg."

Love this boy's heart and I agree, he is a prize!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

The girls first wagon ride......

supervised by their very protective big brother

Lyla James kicked back and enjoying the ride

Thankful

I can't even comprehend the damage from the storms that came through the South this past week.  We are fine and have no damage to speak of, but we did lose power Wednesday night and just got it back late last night.  While certainly an inconvenience, it is nothing after seeing the pictures and hearing stories of friends in Alabama.  Know that we are praying like crazy for all of you!
A tornado hit in our town early Wednesday morning just after the kids got to school.  My first reaction was to run to the school and get the kids, but after getting emails from their teachers saying they were in the basement and safe we decided they were likely safer there than at home since we don't have a basement.  That is a very unsettling feeling as a parent and a true test in faith. 
My heart is so heavy for all of the people who have lost their loved ones and homes.
If you would like to help, here are a couple of options:

Floyd County EMA- at the former home of Rome Floyd Parks and Recreation offices on West Third Street. The number is 706-291-5144. Immediate needs for donating are bottled water, tarps, construction garbage bags, work gloves, masks.  No clothing donations are allowed.

The Red Cross