Happy 2012!!....DANNY, RONDA, COREY, CASSIE, AND CADE

A new year...a time to treasure the moments!

2012-01-01T18:04:00.010-05:00

Happy 2012, everyone!:) Can hardly wrap my mind aroung the fact that 2011 has come and gone. New changes have taken place...We are loving our new house that God helped us to build. We said goodbye in September to our first house that we had lived at for twelve years and in which we had made SO many special memories. We are loving the extra space our new house offers and plan to live here for a very long time. It has been a busy and wonderful time of getting settled in. We have already made some awesome memories here. Was just looking at old pictures and reminiscing of days gone by. Friends and family all starting to look a little older. Sniff, sniff...TIME rushes by; things change; life's circumstances aren't always easy. My heart is happy for all of the special memories that God has blessed me with. Precious times spent with the wonderful people in my life. I wanted to cry as I looked at pictures of our three blessings...it seemed like yesterday when Corey was just a baby, then Cassie, then Cade. Pictures help to capture the moment. I have many aspirations and goals for the new year, but most of all I want to treasure every moment with the ones I love. I want to make a difference in someone's life. I want to have a positive outlook. I want my life to please the One who sent HIS only Son to die for me. I don't want to take anything or anybody for granted. I want to absorb those precious times of reading a book to Cade, cooking with Cassie, or playing ping-pong with Corey. I want to enjoy those moments with my precious parents and extended family and friends. I want to hug my Mamaw Smith and memorize her smile. I don't want this to be a melancholy time, but a time to "start over" treasuring all of those "special" moments.(And yes...I AM restarting my diet.:))Hope that this will be a happy year for YOU...God be near us all as we live out this amazing, challenging journey of life.

Christmas 2011

Late summer, early fall 2011

Summertime is here...

2011-06-03T08:53:00.017-04:00

We are HAPPY that summer has finally arrived here in Indy! :) Stayin'up late and sleepin' in, flip~flops, slices of cold watermelon, fresh-squeezed lemonade, the sound of birds singing outside the window where the sun is streaming in...ahhhh! (Looking forward to church camp and vacation ahead!!!)

Life has been a bit confusing and scary for our family over the past several months. My dear Dad was diagnosed with "sarcoma" of his leg in the last part of December, 2010. Treatment has included five surguries, chemotherapy and an end result of the amputation of that leg in May. There is NO way to describe the anquish that my heart has felt during the last few months. We have put our trust on our Heavenly Father who is in control and sees the big picture of all of our lives. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those that trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7) My Dad, a wonderful man of God, is doing incredibly well... a true "HERO" in all of our lives. He is one of the bravest persons that I know...has a great attitude and an amazing determination. We are looking forward to better days ahead, and we are thanking God for His help so far! Trusting in Him to keep my dad in his perfect care! (He has a temporary prosthesis now and will be getting a permanent one in the future. I can envision him running marathons!) :) We have tried to pull together as a family, and the love that is there is such an amazing blessing. I have to add that my Mom is also a "HERO"...taking beautiful care of both my Dad and Grandma...She will always have my deepest love and respect for that. For those of you that have called or sent a card or text at just the right moment, said a prayer, given a hug...You will never know just how much it has meant! Thank you from our hearts.

Thought I would share a few pictures of some of the happier moments of the last few months... a Mother's Day tea, King's Island fun, random family pics and even some winter memories(brrrr...). Hope that YOU are having a WONDERFUL summer. Sending all of you lots of hugs and special blessings...

Mother's Day tea party...

spring 2011

Summer fun 2011

Fun winter memories...

Winter fun...

2011-02-01T14:02:00.012-05:00

February is coming in like a lion...an Indy ice-storm and more snow on the way! We are enjoying winter around here(though flip-flops and iced tea on the porch sounds pretty wonderful about right now...smiles).It's rather a cozy time...winter wonderland scenes from our windows by day and cuddles, big cozy blankets, warm pj's and cocoa from our favorite mugs(or hot tea if you are Corey) by evening. The only downside is having to drive on treacherous roads...can be kind of scary at times!
Christmas time is now a beautiful memory. January was a month to celebrate~~~some wonderful answers to prayer and the 20th anniversary of our wedding! Danny planned a wonderful weekend downtown Indy...a beautiful stay at The Canterbury hotel, delicious meals at The Oceanaire and St.Elmo's, a covered carriage ride, a relaxing pedicure and more...It was terribly romantic and I still have stars in my eyes! :)Loving family kept our kids and they had a blast, too! I feel greatly blessed to have had 20 years of wedded bliss to such an awesome man...:)
Just enjoyed these quotes from my NKJ Woman's study Bible..."As you trust God's gifts to be sufficient and His assignments to be appropriate, you can accept the way you look, the means you have been given, the family in which you are living, the struggles through which you have gone,the job you have, being content and fulfilled in all. You must trust that God has given you everything needed for this moment in time. As you depend upon the Lord, you are content as you pursue His goals for your life." "Contentment" and not taking my everyday blessings for granted are my new year's resolutions.
Trust you are feeling God's love and peace during this winter season! Thought that I would share some of our winter pics...

christmas 2010

anniversary celebration

Christmas time is here...

2010-12-20T21:12:00.008-05:00

Christmas time is here, and bringing with it lots of cheer! :) Lovin' this wonderful time of year! A time to celebrate with family and friends. A time to enjoy beautiful Christmas music...piano recitals, contatas or favorite Christmas CDs. A time to create delicious Christmas treats...candies, cookies and favorite menues. A time to burn yummy Christmas scented candles~~~cranberry, cinnamon or evergreen. A time to cuddle by the twinkling lights of the tree and read Christmas books aloud. Most of all...a time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas...the birth of our wonderful Saviour! We are truly enjoying this holiday season and hope that you are TOO! Merry Christmas and blessings for a wonderful year!

Birthday/holidays

Fall fun...

2010-11-01T21:36:00.006-04:00

Can't believe that this is the first day of November 2010! We are enjoying beautiful fall here in Indy with it's gorgeous colors and yummy scents. I always love this time of year...there is a sense of excitement in the air! Holidays just around the corner, etc. Feeling thankful for God's blessings~~~family, friends, health, home and happiness are up there on my list! Trust that you are also enjoying this season....Thought that I would share a few pictures.

2010 Fall fun

Memories...

2010-09-14T17:31:00.005-04:00

How time flies!! We are quickly moving into the beautiful fall season...gotta love the crisp, cool evenings, sweatshirts, fall candles, cocoa and cuddling time! :)We still have fond memories of our wonderful summer~~including the Indiana State Fair, and our end~of~summer bang with the "fam" at a cabin in Kentucky. We also have a "TEENAGER" in the house now~~had a great celebration! :) Fun times..thought that I would share my pics. Hope that you are all having a great year! Blessings and peace to each one of you...

Labor Day Weekend 2010

Corey's 13th Birthday

Indiana State Fair

Gotta love bein' a girl...(and pics from other summer events)

2010-07-15T21:46:00.018-04:00

church camp 2010

june 2010, Cades 6th birthday

cassie's 9th birthday

Anne's Graduation Party...

Blog changes...

2010-07-03T13:33:00.004-04:00

After thinking about maybe "quitting" blogging all together with the fun "challenges" of life(and just everyday duties...if ya know what I mean!), I have decided to continue it because it is something that I enjoy WHEN I have a chance. :) I want my blog to be a place that people can stop by for a peek into our lives, only if they want to. I have decided to remove the "comments"~~somehow that removes for me a sense of obligation(both for me and for would~be readers)! I feel that I can correspond with "friends" on my FB page. :)
With that said~~~ We are in the midst of some changes in our lives. Danny starts a new job on Tuesday(He will still be in orthopedics, but eventually will be in a hospital(currently being built) that will be 5 minutes from our house. We feel that God opened this door and give Him all the praise! We are also trying to sell our house which is an interesting time in our lives...house showings are just SO much fun! :)We plan to stay in this area~~just need a little more room. We are enjoying the beautiful days of summer, and I plan to post some current pictures soon. Trust that YOU...my blogger friends, are having a wonderful, blessed summer...Hope that you are feeling God's love and peace. He is SO good!

Easter memories...

2010-04-05T21:23:00.004-04:00

Spring is rushing by...Can't believe that Easter is over! It is one of my favorite times of the year....I love the bright colors, the FUN Easter egg hunts, the smiles on the kid's faces when they get to open their Easter baskets, the special Sunday church services, the traditional, yummy Easter dinner....shared with family(our sweet family from Louisiana came to visit this year); but MOST of all...I love to reflect on the real meaning of Easter~~~We serve a RISEN Saviour! Hope that you all had a blessed Easter day! Happy Spring! :)

Easter 2010

Valentine's Day Traditions...

2010-02-11T19:03:00.006-05:00

Love is in the air...Valentine decorations, chocolate candy boxes, red and pink flowers, sweet little teddy bears. It's ALWAYS fun to celebrate LOVE~~be it with your sweetheart, with your kids or with family and friends! Danny and I sometimes enjoy the fun of celebrating Valentine's Day with a special dinner date...We try to always have a "family" candlelight meal, decorated with Valentine plates, napkins and balloons. The kids enjoy picking out their Valentine cards;however, last year, Cassie and I started the tradition of "making" her cards~~~which she loves. Corey decided not to give cards out this year, which makes me a bit sad...I realize he is growing up and that the next Valentine cards that he gives will probably be to a young lady.(Sniff, sniff)Here's to a sweet Valentine's Day to you all...

Twas the Season to be Jolly... :)

2010-01-03T20:49:00.004-05:00

In fact, we have been SO busy being "jolly" and enjoying the cherished holiday moments, that I have failed horribly at blogging! :) Thought that I would share some random holiday pictures to wrap the season up...
Wishing you all a wonderful, memorable 2010...May God bless you in lots of special ways! I am making my traditional goals and resolutions for the new year...the "diet" starts tomorrow! :)

Holidays 2009

Have you played in the leaves yet? :)

2009-10-27T14:42:00.023-04:00

The scent of a coffee or apple pie spice candle, the sweet deliciousness of a cup of steaming hot chocolate~~topped with baby marshmallows, the warmth of your favorite sweatshirt or sweater on a crisp day, the excitement of football season OR maybe just the joy of playing in the colorful leaves.... the essence of fall. FALL portrays God's love of beauty and color. We are lovin' it around our house! Yesterday, we enjoyed a fieldtrip to a nearby pumpkin patch(we also went to a fun IMAX matinee)....We have three fine "punkins" awaiting faces~~~affectionately named~~~Peyton, Princess Penelope and Pumpkin Patch! :) Happy Fall, ya'll!

09 fall field trip

New family pictures...

2009-09-28T19:59:00.007-04:00

I smile when I look at these pictures...I remember the few frantic moments before we rushed in to get a few poses. It was time for new annual pics of the kids, so I thought Danny and I could get a pose or two with them. :) My first white blouse ripped down the front...the one I am wearing suddenly developed a spot on the collar after I had starched it...I had to rewash, dry and restarch. Oh, and then the whole "hair" thing. Oh well! LOL! We made memories of our lives in 2009! I DO love capturing my kids images/expressions/personalities as they grow~~~oh so fast! :( Thought that I would share a few...:)

2009 Family Pictures

Labor Day weekend(and Corey's 12th Birthday party)

2009-09-12T12:16:00.007-04:00

Can't believe that our Corey is now 12 years old...just one more year before he is a TEENAGER! He is a great son and has brought us so much happiness! He's as thoughtful as can be.(It's so him to say...."Need a neck massage, Mom?" or "Can I get you a drink, Dad?") He keeps his room very clean (He routinely organizes his closet and drawers...I'm thinking a future wife will love this! LOL!) He is diligent about having devotions and loves God very much. He is full of fun facts on a variety of subjects...he makes conversations interesting around our house! Oh, and he still loves creepy~crawlies! What would we do without him??? :) We had fun celebrating at Rascal's Fun Zone on Friday...
The rest of Labor Day weekend was spent at Becky(Danny's sister) and Dan's house in beautiful WV...We had a superb time and made great memories! They are fantastic hosts. Their property is a backyard paradise...Our kids enjoyed the 4-wheeling, etc. Becky fixed a ton of delicious food, too...I do believe we ate the entire time we were there! (I need to get some of those recipes, Becky! :)) I am also sharing pics of our time there...

labor day weekend 09

.Fun memories and the !st day of school...

2009-08-28T11:27:00.006-04:00

Thought that someone might need a laugh...I recently found this first picture(the caricature of Danny and I) in my drawer and thought that I should share it! There is one of my bro. and sis.-in-law, Dan and Becky Ellis, floating out there somewhere, too...We had them done together, before kids! Fun memories!
School is now underway and we are back to a nice routine....
I am also posting some fun "end~of~summer" memories...the Indiana State Fair(We were so glad the Papaw and Mamaw Kennedy were able to go with us!) and a weekend of camping with our good friends...David and Martha Going, and their sweet kids(I think that we have started a tradition!).
Hope that you are all having a great year...blessings to you all!

1st day of school 09/ Fair

Trip to Kalamazoo...

2009-08-17T13:38:00.009-04:00

Danny had a CME trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan this past week...The kids and I always tag along on these trips and make it into a bit of vacation time. We "chill" until Danny gets done with his daily meetings and then go "out and about" for some fun family time. We visited South Haven a few times and fell in love with beautiful Lake Michigan! The kids enjoyed the sand in their toes and also some pool time at the hotel. Good times and great memories! Thought that I would share a few pics...
Can't believe that summer is winding down. We start school on the 24th and are trying to stretch............. this last week of summer out! It's not over till it's over...RIGHT? :)

Michigan 09

Some fun in NC...

2009-08-03T09:04:00.008-04:00

We spent a few days in the mountains of NC...There is something about "getting away" from city life and breathing in the fresh mountain air, listening to the birds sing, hiking to see the beautiful mountain views and sitting around a campfire with guitar accompaniment~~~that relaxes and renews one's soul. Our sweet(and FUN) nephew, Nate, went with us(he was our awesome guitarist).~~~My parents were also able to come for part of the time. We made WONDERFUL family memories, though the days went by way too fast. Thought that I would share some of our pictures...

NC vacation 2009

Our Princess turns "8"...

2009-07-17T08:29:00.007-04:00

Cassie is a sweet, thoughtful daughter and brings so much happiness to our family! She had lots of fun celebrating her "8th" birthday! She requested an "all girl" party this year~~~We celebrated "Princess" style with a girlfriend's luncheon at our house, then celebrated a little more after the "boys" came home from their guy's day out!. It's just so much fun to be feminine...young or old! High~heels, purses, dolls, bows, flowers~~~ Here are a few pics...Thanks to everyone who made this day special for Cassie! You are all special to us!

Cassie's 8th birthday party

A peek at our summer...

2009-07-05T16:20:00.006-04:00

Can't believe this is JULY already! Our precious summer is flying by like a breath of fresh air... :) We have been enjoying QT with family and friends...thought that I would share a few pictures of some of the special events...Father's Day, Cade's 5th birthday, church camp, Mamaw Smith's birthday, etc.(I'm just a little behind....sometimes it's fun to enjoy the moment and blog when you get the chance, ya know what I mean?? LOL!!) Hope that you all are having a blessed summer...enjoyed seeing some of you at camp! :)

June 2009

Campin' fun...

2009-06-05T12:45:00.005-04:00

OK, girlfriends....I've always been a "hotel/restaurant" type of girl, but ya know what??? I have learned to really enjoy CAMPING! :)We had the opportunity to camp in Brown County, IN last weekend...it was probably one of the most relaxing times we have shared recently.(Let me add...this particular park has nice, clean BR and shower facilities...that helps! :)) The kids just love "setting up" camp...getting the tent up, etc. We took some great hikes, ate yummy camp food(Danny even fixed pancakes with fresh peaches one morning~~~delish),talked around the campfire, played football, had Sunday morning church in a cute little open cabin, and just enjoyed family time out in God's beautiful Creation! (I'm ready to go again!)Oh, but don't get me wrong...I still LOVE a nice restaurant and pretty hotel! :)

Camping

SCHOOL'S OUT....SUMMER'S HERE!!!

2009-05-22T13:50:00.007-04:00

The excitement is "palpable" in our house today...SCHOOL'S OUT! :) We have had a really good homeschool year! Corey is officially a sixth grader, Cassie~~a second grader and Cade will be in K4. Corey and Cassie have been very diligent with their school work this year...both making all A's. Cade has alot of fun with preschool. We plan to CELEBRATE this weekend!
THAT means~~SUMMER'S HERE! Summer means sunshine, staying up late, sleeping in, snowcones, homemade ice~cream, picnics at the park, church camp, vacation time, VBS, and just more time to be together with family and friends. (Doesn't that sound like a more relaxed schedule??) :) Hope that EACH one of you will have a fun and BLESSED summer! God is good! (On that note...I want to praise Him with all of my heart for helping my dear Mamaw Smith through her recent hip surgery. I would appreciate your continuing prayers as her surgery was extensive and she faces a challenging recovery period!)

"Moms are just grown up little girls..."

2009-05-11T13:54:00.023-04:00

Corey...
Cassie...
Cade...
My dear Mom...
(Mamaw Smith and her girls...)

What a fun, beautiful Mother's Day! I loved the saying on the adorable little Boyds bear that Danny gave me..."Moms are just grown up little girls". That is exactly how I feel sometimes...just like a little girl playing house! And just like I loved being a pretend Mommy to my dolls...I love being a Mommy to my three blessings! From the handmade cards, to my special gifts, to the delicious Mother's Day meal...my day was perfect!

I also am blessed to have a wonderful Mother and Mother-in-law(and one remaining, dear Grandmother)...precious, godly women who have been awesome Mothers to their families! I have such an incredible heritage to pass on. Hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day...either celebrating AS a Mother, or WITH your Mother or just because YOU ARE SPECIAL! :)

The Creation Museum...

2009-05-06T19:38:00.005-04:00

What an amazing experience...A church group of about 35 of us were able to take a day trip to this awesome museum. If you haven't had the privilege of going...TRY to in the future! This is a "state~of~the~art" museum that gives glory to our Heavenly Father and His beautiful Creation! We had a great time and made wonderful memories!

Creation Museum

A Spring "collage" of GOOD TIMES...

2009-04-22T11:49:00.041-04:00

It's AMAZING just how fast the weeks have been zooming by! As another blogger friend said.."I'm just trying to catch my breath"! We have been enjoying it all...this wonderful life in the "fast lane". :) Thought that I would share some pics of just last week...

Easter...What a blessed time of the year! We had a very special Easter day at church followed by a wonderful family dinner at Mamaw Smith's house. The kids also enjoyed the annual church Easter egg hunt on the Saturday before Easter.

I.H.C.~~We enjoyed both the wonderful services and the awesome fellowship with friends and family! (The mass children's choir is always so much fun!)

Corey and Cassie's Spring Piano Recital...(They did a very good job! :))

A day of horseback riding...Danny's cousin, Anita, and her sweet daughter, Ella, own two horses and invited us for a fun day of horse~back riding and then served up a yummy lunch! The kids had a blast!

A tea party...Cassie loved every minute of this special afternoon! (Thanks for inviting us, Shelly! :))

Celebrating my sweet friend's special birthday...Mary Beth is a darling and she makes this age look great!

SPRING BREAK...

2009-04-06T20:40:00.004-04:00

A little time off to "refresh" ourselves...We ALL enjoyed "Spring Break" around our house! It was still a bit chilly, so most of our memories were made "inside". The kids enjoyed staying up late and sleeping in, watching favorite movies, etc. We also went to the IN State Museum at the first of the week...then took a fun overnight visit to Cincinnati, OH. We visited with friends and family there, ate at some of our favorite restaurants, stayed downtown(took a long walk along Sawyer Pointe and the Serpentine wall...so pretty!), and visited the Newport Aquarium. Fun, fun!
Now back to our busy Spring routine...Easter, I.H.C., end of school activities, etc.

Spring break 09

From a beautiful, snowy winter to glorious SPRING..

2009-03-23T12:45:00.011-04:00

Come...Let's wiggle our toes in the water or go searching for bugs...Whadda ya say? ~smile~ I am thanking God for the beautiful sunshine that He has sent our way lately. Our kids are so looking forward to SPRING BREAK...We have some fun adventures planned for them. May your SPRING be full of love, happiness, warm weather and butterflies! :)

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

My three blessings...all at age "4"...

2009-03-16T17:41:00.012-04:00

Thought that I would share these pictures with you. Similiar scenes, same age...just all three distinctly different children! ~smile~ These pictures are extra special to me because they include relics from my family's past...My Mamaw's baby picture, my Papaw's glasses, my Mom's doll and teddy bear, My Dad's train, Danny's football, my baby shoes, my brother's toy horse, etc., etc. We had several different poses of each child, but these three are on canvas backgrounds with matching frames. It seems like "yesterday" when we had Corey's done and now he is 11 years old and Cade can wear the same little outfit. Makes me extremely sentimental when I look at them!

A few of my favorite things...

2009-03-06T14:54:00.023-05:00

Flowers, a good book, and a cup of tea...sipped out of a china cup. (This cup belonged to Danny's dear Grandma.)

Memories....I adored holding my babies!

My teapot collection...couldn't quite fit them all into the picture, but I recently added the white lights and have really enjoyed the effect!

"Bargains" that complement my decor...bought this new little picture for only five dollars!

A new twist to my devotions...

Good smelling candles, with beautiful music in the background...

Sheets smelling of downy, good food, quality time spent with family and friends, and OF COURSE gazing into my husband's beautiful brown eyes(Sorry, girls...but it's TRUE! Gotta have a little "romance"! ~smile~). Thought that I would share a few of my favorite things!

Some recent fun...

2009-02-23T11:08:00.004-05:00

To celebrate the kid's 100th day of school, we took them to the Indianapolis Children's Museum..What a fun way to beat the winter blues! Mamaw Kennedy came with us and we all had a fabulous time! If you ever come to Indy...I would highly recommend going to the Children's Museum...It's fun for the young and old alike! :)
We also had a family Valentine party at "Bravos"...a very classy Italian restaurant. Great idea, Aunt Tricia! (The kids had a fun church Valentines party at "Chuck-E-Cheese's, too...pics posted on the Church website.)
Hope that you are having a wonderful, happy, "blessed" day today! If you are in my neck of the woods....stay warm! AND SMILE...God loves you! I just heard an awesome message on God's love and how the most important aspect of the Christian life was loving God with ALL of your heart. That is my goal!

February 09

A girl's afternoon out...

2009-02-09T19:59:00.010-05:00

One afternoon last week, Danny was able to take off early from work and let Cassie and I have some "girl" time...he and the boys went for an afternoon of fun with their cool cousin, Nate. We picked up my sis-in-law, Anita,and treated ourselves to Panera Bread(check out the hot chocolate...it was dessert in a cup~~I highly recommend it!). THEN we did a little shopping! There is nothing like some feminine fun! :)

A promise fulfilled...

2009-02-02T17:30:00.015-05:00

My son, Corey, requested that I blog about his menagerie of reptiles,fish, fine-feathered friends(the newest additions to the England family!:)),etc. It is SO hard for me to admit that he now owns...oh dear, should I say this?...a SNAKE!(though it is a very TINY garter snake.... and that is the LIMIT on snakes!)Corey is very good about taking care of all of their cages, providing food and fresh water for them, etc. I must say that I have learned many, interesting facts about so many different, creepy, crawly critters! I have opened my mind and stepped out of my box! LOL! I can't say that I have learned to love or truly appreciate the reptile family! Anyway...here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

Corey's animals

18 Years of Wedded Bliss! :)

2009-01-26T16:49:00.007-05:00

Today, Danny and I celebrate "18" years of marriage together! Can't believe how the years go flyin' past. I have nothing but love and respect for the man who stole my heart all those years ago....my best friend, my love~~he connects all of the dots for me! He is one of the kindest people I have ever met...I can honestly say there has never been ONE day of our marriage where he didn't try to uplift or compliment me~~or treat me with complete love and kindness. To me...that is the epitomy of Christ-likeness. We felt "young" again as we celebrated over the weekend. My parents were gracious to host a fun sleepover for the kids...SO, we dined at "Maggiano's", stayed out late and had a romantic evening together... :) NOW on to the NEXT 18 years...wonder where we will be or what God has in store for us?

18th anniversary

Fun in Columbus...

2009-01-14T13:52:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we decided to turn business into pleasure. Danny and our brother-in-law, Dan Ellis, were scheduled to meet for a church~extension committee meeting, so our families decided to ALL meet and make the weekend fun!(GREAT idea, Becky! :)) We stayed at a lovely hotel...The Hyatt Regency(Hotwire came through for us!) in downtown Columbus and then went to COSI....a really interesting science museum on Saturday! It was an educational but fun field-trip for the kids and we enjoyed being with family! Here are a few pictures!

COSI 09

So many Christmas memories...

2008-12-30T13:23:00.003-05:00

We have been so very blessed to have wonderful families to share our holiday season with...We made lasting memories once again. We tried to capture the "moments" in pictures, but some memories will just stay in our hearts forever! (Thanks to all of our family members that made Christmas extra special for us...We love you ALL and are thankful that you are in our lives!) Thought that I would share some of our Christmas fun with you... my blogging friends. Hope that you all had a memorable Christmas!

christmas 08

Merry Christmas and blessings to all!

2008-12-25T13:56:00.002-05:00

Enjoying the holidays...

2008-12-15T20:52:00.016-05:00

We are SO in the Christmas spirit around our house(with the exception of the flu bug that hit us!)....WE have been up to lots of holiday fun...decorating, baking, parties, shopping, visiting with friends and family....I enjoy it all!
I always "catch" the spirit of Christmas at the annual church ladies' Christmas party, hosted at Mother's beautifully decorated house...Everything sparkles and glows there(a tree in EVERY room, mind you!)and you leave feeling festive! I enjoy helping her out by doing some holiday baking. Sis Melba Sams(our dear Conference President's wife) gave us a wonderful devotional and we ladies bonded over fun, food and fellowship!

ladies christmas party 08

Then several of our friends and family members went to a Gaither Homecoming concert where there was Christmas in the air....from the beautiful Christmas songs that were sung to the lovely snowfall that fell that evening...it was a perfect night out!
There was Corey and Cassie's Christmas piano recital...they did a great job! I love hearing their beautiful piano renditions at this time of the year!

recital 08

We also celebrated my nephew, Nathan's, 21st birthday....a special milestone for a special young man!

nate's 21st birthday

Our church celebrated Christmas on Sunday...Those pics will probably show up on the church website soon! We had a wonderful day!
We have some more fun things planned....a Christmas fieldtrip for the kids, more parties and celebrations , but thought that I would share a few pictures! Don't forget the REAL "Reason for the Season"! God is SO good!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T13:42:00.005-05:00

My "life~goal" is to be happy, thankful and content. It is not always easy in this busy, sometimes~stressful lifestyle of 2008; however, God has blessed ALL of us in different ways~~He is amazingly good! What a wonderful time to give Him thanks! Hope that all of my blogging friends will have a special Thanksgiving day....We will share the day with Indy family and eat lots of yummy, traditional Thanksgiving food. We plan to make homemade candy and may even play a game or two (Danny and I just saw the game "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"...I think that we might purchase it...that could be interesting! :)). Anyway....Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Thought that I would share a verse that is special to me...
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING,present your requests to God, and the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will gaurd your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7 NIV.

Happy 40th Birthday, Danny

2008-11-17T18:34:00.007-05:00

As a girl I dreamed of someday meeting a young man that not only would make my heart go pitter~patter but that would treat me with love, respect and thoughtfulness. God sent me that gift in Danny.(Ever heard of a big teddy-bear?) He is a #1 husband and father. He is also my best friend. He leads our family with his hand in God's...He exudes kindness to all of us. Thanks for being you, Danny! Hope that you have a special birthday...Welcome to the "40's".....You make "40" look great, Babe! Love you!

Fall fun...

2008-11-01T16:12:00.004-04:00

Football, colorful clothes, festivities with friends, and playing in the leaves...A slice of chocolate cake(or apples dipped in hot caramel), the smell of vanilla spice or cinnamon candles, toasting your hands with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee on a cool, crisp day...These are a few of our favorite "fall" things! Hope that EACH of you are having a fantastic, "cozy" fall season! May you feel God's peace each and every day...(Can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner!)

fall 2008

Go McCain/Palin!!

2008-10-18T13:34:00.007-04:00

We had the privilege of attending the Palin "Road to Victory" Rally that took place in Noblesville, IN on Friday. How FUN to be in an excited crowd of about 25,000 Republicans...all sharing the same values and dreams for America! Sarah is an inspiring, classy lady and we came away with hope in our hearts! Go McCain/Palin! Here are a few pictures!

Palin Rally

Church Camping Trip...

2008-10-06T19:57:00.005-04:00

God blessed us with PERFECT weather for the annual church camping trip this past weekend! We had a beautiful, wooded camp site in Brown County State Park...The air turned crisp under the starry sky but a roaring campfire kept us toasty warm(at least until we made our way into our tents! :)).Fun included singing and great conversation around the fire, a late~night hike through the woods, a day hike around the lake, cornhole, bocce, football, table games, etc. The food was fabulous...It always seems to taste better when eaten out in God's Creation! Everyone pitched in to bring the trimmings for hotdogs and hamburgers and a breakfast of bacon, eggs and doughnuts. Snacks included lots of yummy treats but the campfire popcorn and banana boats(a totally delicious concoction of bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chips toasted in foil over the fire...Ahhh!)were at the top of the list! All in all...we had a blast and are looking forward to next year's event!(After we get "rested up", that is! LOL!)

Camping Trip

Too busy to blog???????

2008-09-13T20:27:00.007-04:00

It seems like life has been a bit busy lately and I am just trying to "keep up" with a smile on my face~~~SO I haven't visited blogworld as much! :) Hope that I haven't missed any exciting news! We recently had picture day...so thought I'd share some of the poses. (Poor Cade wasn't feeling well when we had them taken but was such a "trooper"!)

Happy 11th Birthday...Corey!

2008-09-02T09:52:00.010-04:00

Today, Corey is 11 years old!!!! We celebrated at the Rascal's Fun Zone last Friday and had a really fun evening with family and friends. His theme was "football" since he is going to play this year. Corey is an all-around good kid...He has a bright creative mind (a walking encyclopedia of interesting facts), is extremely thoughtful and polite, keeps his room very neat...(thanks, Corey!:)), continues to have a great interest in "creepy crawly" creatures and the wonderful outdoors, but most of all~He loves God with all of his heart! Thought that I would share some party pics! Hope that you have a special day, Corey! Love ya!

First day of School...

2008-08-25T22:06:00.012-04:00

Ahhh! Fresh school supplies, fun new outfits, new teachers and a whole new school year to look forward to! We started homeschooling today (We are continuing to use the ABeka DVD program)and are looking forward to a GREAT year! It's back to structure and routine which has its benefits, I guess! Corey is in fifth grade, Cassie is in first grade and Cade is a preschooler! We have some fun fieldtrips planned and also plan to become involved with some local homeschooling groups this year(we are shopping around). The kids will continue music lessons and Corey is going to play football this year! We kept our back-to-school tradition of "going out" (on a family date) for ice cream this evening. Happy school year to all!!!

End of summer fun...

2008-08-20T14:33:00.005-04:00

Is summer REALLY over? We have truly enjoyed every week and plan to bask in summer fun right up until Monday morning!(smile) We are excited about the new school year but have made some wonderful memories throughout the summer! Thought that I would share some of our "end of summer activities"...a sleepover, a campout, the State Fair, family visitors from the Northwest...Thank you God~for the beautiful changing seasons and for precious friends and family to share them with! You are so good!

summers end

A girl's day out...

2008-08-08T15:33:00.004-04:00

My sweet husband took a day off work and offered me "a girl's day out"! How could I refuse that? :) I came back feeling refreshed and relaxed! I was able to take my dear Mom to a beautiful tea house nearby, to celebrate her belated birthday lunch. We had so much fun admiring the unique teapots, china and Victorian finery! Our menu included the following...strawberry-almond salad, creamy chicken-vegetable soup, chicken-pecan salad sandwhiches, scones(white chocolate-macadamia nut and cinnamon chip...yum!),chocolate iced cookies, chocolate covered strawberries and a variety of teas. The food was delicious and we made wonderful memories! I forgot my camera and had to buy a disposable one...hence the quality of pictures! Oh well! I then went and had a facial(an hour long, mind you...) and a hair conditioning treatment! Talk about feeling pampered! Thanks from my heart, Danny!

tea party

Our vacation in North Carolina...

2008-07-28T16:56:00.012-04:00

We spent a few days with my parents, my brother and his family at a cabin in beautiful North Carolina. We had such an amazing time! We went hiking in the mountains (saw alot of pretty deer), enjoyed a campfire every evening (the weather was PERFECT...50-60's in the evenings AND we had our own guitarist to serenade us with his beautiful guitar playing...very cool! Thanks, Nate!),cooked and ate way too much yummy food, went antique shopping one afternoon, took in a Daniel Boone outside drama entitled "The Horn in the West"(very well done), read, played Scrabble, watched old movies, talked and laughed alot, and ended our days with family devotions...usually at about 12-1 am in the morning! A "chilling out" vacation was just perfect for our family. We bonded, relaxed and enjoyed God's beautiful Creation.(Corey wanted me to add that he found a snake skeleton and some other fun creepy crawly creatures! YIKES!)

Blue Ridge Mountains

Cassie turns "7"...

2008-07-22T16:53:00.002-04:00

God sent us a wonderful, sweet blessing when "Cassie Diane" arrived in our lives seven years ago! We love having her for a daughter! She is sweet, thoughtful, creative and LOVES everything girlish! The theme of her party this year was "Fancy Nancy". We had a fun evening at our house celebrating with family and friends. I think that I am a little girl at heart...I enjoyed her "girly" gifts as much as she did! Thought that I would share a few pictures! Love ya, Cassie!

Cassie's birthday

Strawberry Festival and July 4th

2008-07-05T15:36:00.003-04:00

It was a good time had by all as most of the England Clan met at Mom and Dad England's house to make strawberry jam. The guys picked the strawberries for us and then with a "system" in place...we proceeded to make strawberry jam! The kids played outside for most of the day...it's always refreshing to be out in the country. The little ones enjoyed tractor rides, the older boys played in the woods, and the girls did hair and all the things that girls do. Fun,fun!

July 4th was spent at the Jewetts' church shelter and fellowship room. The kids had great fun riding bikes, scooters, and 4 wheelers in the church parking lot. Everyone pitched in and brought some yummy food for our cookout. We ended the evening by watching downtown Indy's fabulous fireworks!

Great summer memories!

strawberry festival, july 4th

Cade turns "4"...

2008-06-30T14:17:00.003-04:00

Happy "4th" Birthday to our sweet little man, Cade,...You make our family "complete" and bring so much laughter and happiness into our home! You are a special gift from God! Cade's birthday was during our church camp so we postponed his party until this past Thursday! We went to the "Rascal's Fun Zone" and did we ever have fun! Cade's theme was "Speed Racers" and alot of the night was spent racing around the go cart track...most of the adults enjoyed this too, I do believe! Those that braved the bumper boats got rather soaked! Cade seemed to have so much fun and we hope that he will have special memories! Love ya, Cade!

Cade's 4th birthday

Highlights of Church Camp...

2008-06-23T18:27:00.004-04:00

Another year has come and gone at Beulah Grove Church Camp! Our little family enjoyed our time there very much....a peaceful time of worshiping God out in the country! We had BEAUTIFUL weather....cool breezes and sunny skys "most" days! We not only heard "God inspired" messages and singing that drew us closer to Him, but got to "catch up" on fellowship with friends and family!(The cook did an awesome job, too!) Our kids are already looking forward to next year, I do believe! They played NONstop with their friends and cousins in between children's services in the pretty little white chapel! We are blessed to be a part of the Bible Methodist Church!(Our Cade turned "4" on Sunday at church camp...can hardly believe it! We plan to celebrate a little later this week!)

bible methodist camp 08

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-14T18:10:00.014-04:00

I'd like to say "Happy Father's Day" to some special people in my life. First, God has blessed me with an awesome Dad...He has always been a wonderful Christian example...a godly, hard-working husband and father(he is a fantastic grandpa, too!). He can grill a great steak, play a mean game of checkers, knows his Bible, sings beautifully, and keeps his yard and car perfect (and he always has a great shine on his shoes - I love it!). Thanks for being you, Daddy.

Second, God gave me Danny...he is such an awesome Dad to our kids...I knew he would be the first night he held our firstborn in the recliner all night long when I went back to work. Not only has he always helped with routines such as baths, getting everyone ready for church or doing school projects, but he "plays" with our kids, "prays" with them and "praises" them. They can't wait until he gets home from work every day. Thanks, Danny, for being an GREAT Dad to our kids!

As a bonus, God gave me an awesome father-in-law. He is a godly Christian man and I am so proud to call him my father-in-law. He taught Danny to have a good work ethic and Danny remembers his prayers even as a little boy. Thanks, Dad!

Love you all...

Our "Get-away" pictures...

2008-06-06T15:29:00.007-04:00

Thought that I would share a few vacation pictures(only about a third of them)... On the long journey to Texas, we stopped in Missouri to visit Lambert's, "The Home of the Thrown Rolls". Such delicious "southern" food...the rolls were to die for! San Antonio was such a beautiful, fun city (a bit warm ~just "97" degrees a couple of days). It almost felt like we were in another country! Our hotel was located on the lovely Riverwalk. We enjoyed taking long walks and dining at some of the great restaurants there almost every evening(we ate some FABULOUS Mexican food!). We took a riverboat tour one evening at sunset...that might have been romantic! ha! We saw "Remember the Alamo" at IMAX prior to visiting "The Alamo"...I think this made it more meaningful. We visited Market Square one day and enjoyed walking through shops that had a beautiful Mexican flair. We enjoyed a day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas ~ we were able to walk right on the rides without a wait...very cool! Cassie and I visited a beautiful doll shop and picked out all the dolls we wanted. We all played at a neat park one afternoon. Corey saw many lizards and even brought one home to add to his collection. We ended our trip by coming through Louisiana and visiting family. We had a lovely day there...the kids were able to ride 4-wheelers, fish, etc. Scott and Suzanne fixed steaks with all the trimmings for us...thanks,guys, we love you! Monday AM brought us back to reality (there's no place like home!). We thank God for family, friends, fun, summer, and "get-aways"! Hope that you are enjoying your summer!

san antonio trip

Adios...We're headin' to San Antonio!

2008-05-22T09:02:00.002-04:00

The excitement is palpable...The van is packed...Everyone is waiting on ME! We're heading to San Antonio, Texas! See ya when we get back!

SCHOOL'S OUT! - SUMMER'S HERE!

2008-05-16T15:43:00.009-04:00

There was excitement in the air at our house today...SCHOOL'S OUT! Corey and Cassie have worked hard and done well this year..our first year of homeschooling! It has been a fun and rewarding year...We now have a "first" and "fifth" grader and of course, our little preschooler, Mr. Cade! We celebrated by eating out at Don Pablo's last evening. The kids stayed up late and slept in today. The fun is just beginning!! They have been invited to spend the night at the Going's house tonight and are so excited! We hope to have a wonderful, relaxing summer...We have some fun plans...Here's to long, warm days, playing in the park, a more relaxed schedule, vacation, church camp, snow cones and the list goes on! Hope all of my blogging friends have a great summer!

Happy Mother's Day weekend....

2008-05-08T23:00:00.009-04:00

Thought that I would share a couple of neat quotes from "God's Little Devotional Book For Moms"..."Mothers are like fine collectibles~as the years go by they increase in value."..."Mother means selfless devotion,limitless sacrifice, and love that passes understanding." I thank God for giving me a wonderful, loving, Christian "Mother"...I am so blessed to have her in my life! She is a true "lady"! She is a woman of "prayer". She is also a woman of many talents...sewing, cooking, beautiful victorian decorating, flower arranging, organizing, etc. What is most beautiful about her is that she always thinks of everyone else before herself! She is also an AWESOME Grandmother! (She babysat tonight so that Danny and I could go on a date....the kids always have a blast at her house!) She inspires me to be the best "Mom" that I can be! I love you, Mother, and hope that you have a special Mother's day!!!(P.S. I love my dear Mother-in-law,too! She is precious and gave me the best gift ever when she gave me "Danny"! Thanks for being YOU, Mom!) Hope all of the "Moms" or special people reading this have a nice day...You deserve it!

"He restores my soul..." Psalm 23:3

2008-04-25T11:26:00.004-04:00

How is your day going today? I hope that it is beautiful, calm(or exciting...whichever you prefer!) and HAPPY!I couldn't sleep last night...My heart was heavy for different people (all very special) in my life. I know so many people that are going through their own personal heartaches, tests, or even times of making decisions...all amidst the joys of life. I picked up my Bible and in the front cover, there was a list that Pastor Mike had printed out for us after we had "brainstormed" together. The topic was "Oh Lord, I thank you that you are...". Thought I would share my favorites..."Oh Lord, I thank you that you are... Loving, Kind, my Comforter, Patient, Trustworthy, Faithful, my Healer, my Provider, my Friend, a Peacemaker, my Savior, IN CONTROL!" I gave all of those on my mind to this awesome God last night...He gave me peace! Have a blessed day and a FUN weekend!

I, too, have been "tagged"-by a very nice "Mrs. Lisa"!

2008-04-21T23:31:00.017-04:00

[What I was doing 10 years ago...] I was happily married to "my man", Dan, and enjoying our firstborn...Corey! He was a dream come true for us!
[Jobs that I have had...] Office cleaner, babysitter, RN(Med/Surg.-2 1/2 yrs./Cardiac-1 yr./OB-16 yrs.),wife-17 1/2 yrs. and Mommy-10 1/2 yrs.(the last two being my favorites and the most important!)
[What I have planned for today...] Homeschooling, tidying up the house(the "I.H.C." laundry is all done, though! ha!),taking the kids to piano lessons, giving all of my four "blessings" lots of hugs and kisses, and helping some "little ones" come into the world(tonight is my work night).
[Snacks that I love...] Mexican dips/salsas with chips, honey mustard pretzels, celery filled with crunchy peanut butter...warm, iced, "homemade" cinnamon rolls really "do" it for me(My dear Mother-in-law makes the BEST)...oh, and how about creamy, chocolate fudge filled with nuts? I could go on...
[States that I have lived in...] West Monroe, Louisiana(I was born there); Indianapolis,Indiana(moved here when I was 10); New Castle, Indiana(my family moved there for a couple of years, then back to Indy); Cincinnati,Ohio(my college days); Griffin, Georgia(an adventure!); Kettering, Ohio(my husband's college days)and FISHERS,INDIANA(where I hope to stay!)...
[Bad habits that I have...] Worrying over things out of my control(I am praying for God to help me in that area!), sporadic exercise(I am admonishing myself daily about this area!), and forgetting to take my one-a-day vitamin(Yes, I AM in the medical field and know better! Thank you very much!)
[If I were a billionaire...] I would become "debt-free"(My husband and I would go to a Christian financial advisor to help us decide for the future, of course);I would assist family and friends to become debt-free; I would give generously to Christian ministries/missions/orphanages; I would help my husband plan a lovely Victorian house to build on a nice piece of land(maybe it would have a beautiful creek running through it...OK, now I am really dreaming!); and I would love to take a LONG, impulsive, relaxing, family vacation with no deadlines to meet(maybe a MONTH long OR even longer! Oh, and any friend/family member with a nice, relaxing personality could go along!ha!))!!!!!! OK...so there ya have it! I am tagging anyone that cares to be tagged(Catrena?- Kelly?- Bette?- Charlotte?- Shelly? -Nett?- Jessica?- Becky,my sis-in-law?(Are you blogging yet?)-Anyone that has not been tagged????????)I just know that you would LOVE to play along...AND I would really like to hear about YOU!

Just lovin life...

2008-04-08T00:33:00.005-04:00

I have been recently contemplating about how "fast" the days go by....what gets accomplished, etc. My "Cade" was giving me lots of hugs and kisses tonight(He is my "funny" child...the other night in church Pastor Mike said "Can I get an AMEN?"... Cade said rather loudly..."Hallelujah, Praise the Lord"...then he whispered to me, "I was just helping God out!" I had to laugh!). Anyway, as I touched his baby soft cheeks and lips and felt his little arms around my neck...I wanted time to stand still! But it doesn't, so I must cherish these moments. Hugs from my precious Grandmother, chats on the phone with my dear Mom, sharing dreams (and yes, kisses) with my sweet husband, sharing everyday moments with my three children(even when there is housework to be done)...the list could go on but you know what I mean, right? It is so easy to look ahead and not live in the moment! God, help me to focus on the everyday blessings and sweet moments that you give me and not take any "one" of them for granted! (OK, bloggers...I am feeling serious! ha! No, I am just loving life!)

Special guests...

2008-03-31T19:20:00.013-04:00

Our special friends--David, Annette, Austin and Emily Marcum came for a weekend visit! We so treasured every moment! God has blessed us with "forever" friendships that originated many years ago! Nett and I talked, talked and talked(while the guys were extremely goofy! ha!).The kids played nonstop( I think they are making forever friendships, too!). Friday evening, my parents and my brother's family stopped by for coffee and dessert....Nate serenaded us with his beautiful guitar playing! (They have all loved Nett since I first brought her home from G.B.S.!) After a leisurely brunch on Saturday, we went to the IMAX and saw "Hurricane on the Bayou". It was a rather moving experience! We also shopped for Colt's gear since Austin is a big Colt's fan! We were "treated" to dinner at "On the Border"!(Thanks guys..it was delicious!) We so enjoyed our time together! We love ya'll! Thanks for coming!

Easter memories...

2008-03-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

Easter is such a beautiful time to reflect on all that Jesus has done for us...It is a time of worship and praise to God for sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. It is also a time of glorious hope for... He is risen! A time to celebrate...to worship as a church family through beautiful songs and the glorious message of the risen Christ AND a time to enjoy family. After church we gathered as a family to eat at Mamaw Smith's house...lunch was delicious! Thought I would share my pictures! Hope all of my blogging friends had a great Easter!

Easter

Family fun...

2008-03-19T11:40:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we had family guests from WV[Dan and Becky(Danny's sister),and their three children...Joey, Jenna and Jacob]. We had such great QT! Danny has four siblings and we always enjoy family reunions, but it is so fun to have "one-on-one" time with each family. Dan, Becky, Danny and I were able to "catch up" on great conversation and alot of good laughs. Fun for the kids included an Easter egg hunt at the Gaither's studio(there was a really cool Christian magician/balloon artist there, too), pizza at Ben and Arie's(a game restaurant)and just being together. We also tried out some new recipes... AND got off our diets a bit!(smile) Thanks for coming, guys! We love you! God has blessed us with wonderful family!

Field Trip and Piano Recital...

2008-03-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Danny came home at lunch and we headed out for an afternoon fieldtrip to downtown Indy...We visited the State Museum and had a great time! Corey has been studying about state history and so this was very beneficial to him, but Cassie and Cade really enjoyed it also! We browsed through the museum, watched a couple of movies, had a midafternoon snack of buttery popcorn and pop from the snack stand(SO bad for my diet! ha!), and bought souveniers at the gift shop. We really had a fun family day! Then, last Saturday was Corey and Cassie's Spring Piano Recital... Corey played "Firefly Fandango" and Cass played "Something's Under My Bed".(Dressy attire was required MUCH to Corey's dismay...a suit on Sat.? Cassie on the other hand loves to get dressed up...any day of the week! Typical male and female perspectives...I guess!) Thought that I would share my pictures...

ism,recital

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a

2008-02-28T00:17:00.000-05:00

As I recently noted on a girlfriend's blog site...I ALWAYS have a "list". Lists help me stay organized! I am sure that for most of us (Moms or women in particular) that like to keep our ships running smoothly....there is always an "agenda"! A house to be cleaned, a new recipe to try, a project to be done(helping with a book report or even ABC's, sorting SOMETHING, reorganizing SOMETHING...ha!), cartrips(to the dentist, the doctor, the grocery, music lessons, and/or the library),oh! and WHAT about the new exercise program????????(We want to stay healthy and fit, right?)I recently browsed through a book that I want to purchase...."Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. I feel the need to just "be still" and focus on God! Can anyone relate?(Please don't take this wrong! I LOVE my role in life...it is a privilege and a blessing! I just want God to be the center of my life and to keep a healthy balance in the midst of my daily responsibilities!)

I'm dreaming...

2008-02-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

The smell of beautiful spring flowers, the sounds of birds chattering to one another, the taste of homebaked cookies and tall glasses of fresh-brewed iced tea(shared with a friend)... while sitting on the front porch , watching my kids playing on the playground or riding their bikes(no one sick, of course), feeling the warm breeze while taking a walk in the park(with my sweetheart)...Oh! Guess it's still beautiful "winter" in snowy Indiana! Must have been dreaming! (smile) Is anyone else ready for Spring?????????

"For I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances". (Phil. 4:11, NIV)

February...The month of love!

2008-02-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

I always think of February as the month of "love"! Romantic love shines around this time. Heart-shaped boxes of candy, flowers, fancy restaurant dates, the colors of pink and red...all the above accentuate Valentine's Day. (I love sharing "romance" with my wonderful husband!) My three children enjoy this month from a childlike view...they take great care in picking out their Valentine cards! We have made a tradition of having a family Valentine's party complete with decorations and candlelight. This particular month...Corey was required to memorize "1 Corinthians 13" for school...As I was reading this chapter in the NIV, verses 4-5 stood out to me..."(4)Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5)It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs." Wow! If we could all just portray "God's" love...wouldn't the world be a better place? Happy Valentine's Day to all my blogging friends!

From tea parties to leopard geckos....

2008-01-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

I think my close friends know that I am very "feminine" at heart, but when God blessed me with my firstborn son..."Corey"...He opened my heart up to a whole new world! Corey has loved creepy, crawly things since he was about two, I believe! He is a walking encyclopedia of information regarding insects, reptiles, and even birds. Let's see...He has had fire-belly frogs, hermit crabs, lizards, various insects and the list goes on! He is currently the proud owner of "Leia", the leopard gecko(who eats live insects for dinner!). He so wanted me to share this with my blogging friends! He would love to own a snake, but I have to draw the line somewhere! ha! I DO love tea parties, but I wouldn't trade my boys and all they enjoy for anything...I still scream when I see a spider, though!(smile)I also added some pictures of our beautiful golden..."Buckeye". Hope that all you girls enjoy this post(as you sip from your china teacups)...

pets

Dedication of Alyson Dawn...

2008-01-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

I can't think of anything more breathtaking than a baby dressed all in white..pure,sweet and vulnerable...a blessing from the Lord! Thanks, Shelly and Greg, for inviting us to share in this beautiful day with you! "Aly" looked like an angel in her gorgeous white dress...I think we all shed tears as Anita sang "You are a Masterpiece"! God is truly so good! After the dedication...family and friends shared a delicious,beautiful meal together. We love you, Aly! Thought that I would share my pictures...

Alyson's dedication

Girls and Tea Parties...

2008-01-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Guess I am still a little girl at heart...I love tea parties! I enjoy collecting teapots...I have one that was my Mamaw Kennedy's that I will always treasure! I recently was given a teacup and saucer set that was Danny's Grandmothers. My 6 year old "Cassie" has inherited my love of tea parties...It is not uncommon for us to have a tea party in the middle of the afternoon on any given day. She loves planning the menu and usually Cade is invited to come, too! She and I have special memories of the day we had the priviledge of taking tea at the American Girl's Tea House in Chicago...The food was beautiful and each American doll even had a place to sit at the table! On her fourth birthday, we had a "girl's day out" to a tea house with her good friend(and mine,too). On her fifth birthday, we had a real tea party for all of her girlfriends. Everyone came dressed in tea party finery...They looked adorable! The menu included butterfly and flower shaped sandwhiches, fruit kabobs, fancy crackers with cheese, soft party mints, cookies, and "pink" tea! We had so much fun! Our ladies from church have gone to different tea houses. We once had a very fancy, catered tea party by candlelight...all the ladies wore hats! I would love to go to a "high tea" in London! Would anyone like to go with me? (ISN'T IT FUN TO BE A GIRL?)

Teaparties

Happy New Year...2008

2008-01-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all my fellow bloggers...Trust you all had a wonderful Christmas and that your 2008 will be blessed! Thought that I would share a few of our Christmas and New Year festivities with you...We so enjoyed being with family and friends! Just can't believe that it is over and we are on to a brand new year! I am trusting God for a wonderful year...I want to "slow down" and enjoy each precious day! Playing in the snow with my kids, snuggling with my husband, reading a good book in front of the fireplace, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows...(and yes...I would love to lose a few pounds!--smile)

Christmas 07..New Years 08

Christmas fun...

2007-12-12T05:06:00.000-05:00

The holidays are here and I am enjoying the lights, decorations and delicious food that comes with it! You have to be in the "Christmas mood" after visiting my dear Mother's house...It is beautiful and festive with a pretty tree in every room! She hosted the church ladies Christmas party(Her 10th year to do this, I think!) and we had a wonderful evening! Sis.Bryan was the guest speaker and did a fabulous job as always! Our hearts were touched by what she had to say! We ate Christmas goodies(I always enjoy helping Mother with the food...)and stole each others ornaments...ha! I thank God for the special ladies that shared in our fun that night! Thought that I would share some pictures...

church ladies Christmas party

Our "Thanksgiving" in WV...

2007-12-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures of our fun week in WV...Dan and Becky were the perfect hosts and we all had a "blast"! We ate tons of delicious home-fixed food(some great new recipes), laughed alot, played games, rode 4-wheelers and dirt-bikes, and yes..some of us rose at 3:00 am to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving! We also were able to visit with our good friends..Dave and Annette Marcum---The guys watched the kids and let Nett and I have a girl's afternoon out.(Annette and I have been the best of friends since our days as roomies at G.B.S.) We made more wonderful memories with family and friends!

Happy Birthday, Danny!

2007-11-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

Danny's birthday

Happy Birthday, Danny! Hope that you feel celebrated! Thanks for being in our lives...You make every day special! Thanks for all you do to make our lives what they are. I have never met a more unselfish person...Thanks for working hard every day to provide for us, too! You are still my best friend after all of these years! AND you are a great "Daddy" to our kids! Have a fab year! Love you! Go Buckeyes!

Thanksgiving....

2007-11-15T11:41:00.001-05:00

It's almost Thanksgiving...What a wonderful time of the year to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings that God has bestowed upon us!I thank God first for sending His Son to die on the cross for my salvation...I am so unworthy! I thank Him for my wonderful family...God has blessed both Danny and I with godly parents and grandparents...we love and appreciate them very much! We greatly miss those who have gone on before us! We also love our extended family very much...our siblings(and their spouses), uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.I thank God for my precious husband. He is truly the kindest, most thoughtful husband a girl could have...God sent me a wonderful gift in Danny. He is my best friend and is so good to me! We both thank God every day for our three wonderful children-We love seeing life through their eyes...they make our house fun and exciting! We thank Him for all the friends He has brought into our lives...We love you all! We want to cherish the life God has given us! We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving-We hope that you can spend time with friends and family. May you feel God's love and peace! We will be with the England clan in West Virginia(We are meeting at Becky and Dan's house...brave people!)We plan to have a great time! We also get to stop and see our long-time, wonderful friends..David and Annette Marcum and their kids Austin and Emily. Can't wait!

Thanksgiving party

"Alyson Dawn" has arrived!

2007-11-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share some pictures of my new little cousin(though I get to be called "Aunt Ronda", I do believe!) Greg and Shelly Penn were blessed with a beautiful, little girl---"Alyson Dawn"--- on October 30, 2007...I praise God for sending such a precious, healthy baby to them...She is so adorable! We are all very happy for them....Congratulations, Greg and Shelly! God has sent you a beautiful gift! We can't wait to spoil her! Corey, Cassie and Cade are all very excited to have a new cousin...

A fun day for the kids...

2007-11-02T13:21:00.000-04:00

My kids always look forward to "dressing up" and having fun with their friends on "Jack-o-Lantern" day....They start talking about what they want to "be" the previous year ,I think! Corey is getting a little "mature"-shall we say- and it is harder for him to decide what to be....This year he chose to be a "soldier"...Cassie was an "Ice princess" and Cade was "Woody"(The sheriff from Toy Story). We went trick-or-treating with the Going children....a tradition for as long as we have both had little ones...then on to church which was followed by a fun party including great snacks ,several spills and lots of laughs! I believe that we made lasting memories!

Trick or Treat

Homeschooling Fieldtrips

2007-10-26T19:06:00.000-04:00

We are enjoying homeschooling very much....We seem to have a routine that works for us and have enjoyed a couple of fieldtrips. In September, we went to"Holiday Park"(Mamaw Kennedy went with us!)here in Indianapolis---had a great time! There was a really neat nature center, a fun playground and beautiful hiking trails to explore...Corey was thrilled to find a snake on one of the trails. Danny surprised the kids and met us for a picnic lunch. This month we met with some other homeschoolers for a pitch-in lunch, followed by a live presentation by a police officer---He explained to the kids what his job entails and then showed off his police car. It really was alot of fun!

Field trips

Family time

2007-10-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

We recently enjoyed some days spent with my Dad's sister and brother-in-law...Norma and Jack Patterson. They reside in Portland, Oregon and flew here to spend some time in Indiana. Danny and I had not had the priviledge of seeing them for almost ten years. They are such wonderful,interesting people...Aunt Norma was a missionary to both Africa and New Mexico. She also was a Nurse Anesthetist for many years. She and Uncle Jack met later on in life and have spent many wonderful years together.We had fun reminiscing...so many good memories! We spent one day at the Gaither Resource Center...ate a delicious lunch and toured their studio. We visited in our different homes and ended our time together with a backyard picnic around the firepit at Daddy and Mother's house. I thank God for my family and for my wonderful Christian Heritage!

Jack & Norma's visit

Belated Church Camping Pictures

2007-10-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

Thought that I would share the pictures that I took on our Church camping trip..a little past the fact, but fun memories! The weather was perfect(not too hot.. not too cold)!The food tasted wonderful..It always does around a campfire! We enjoyed hotdogs, hamburgers,smores and even apple cobbler fixed over the coals...then bacon and eggs for breakfast! We sat around the campfire late into the night...singing, talking and yes, bonding!(smile)We went to sleep by the lullaby of a train whistle that seemed to sound every 15-20 minutes!ha! We have a three bedroom tent so Corey and his buddies slept on one side, Cade,Danny and I slept in the middle, and Cassie and her girlfriends slept on the other side..The kids had a blast! We went wading in the beautiful White River on Sat....It was so peaceful..a highlight of the trip! We drove home, a little tired but very happy! We are definitely looking forward to the NEXT camping trip!

Shelly's baby shower

2007-10-13T14:25:00.000-04:00

My dear cousin, Shelly (Jewett) Penn,is expecting her first baby...We are certainly looking forward to meeting "Miss Alyson Dawn"! Cassie and I were invited to share in Shelly's church baby shower a little while ago..It was both beautiful and fun! We got to ooh and aah over all the little girl clothes and accessories! Cassie is just going to LOVE being the big girl cousin.She is at that stage where she just loves babies...She will feel like "Alyson" is extra-special! We are praying for an easy, safe delivery!

Shelly's baby shower

I have been tagged!

2007-09-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

I am now entering the "tag game" and am supposed to state seven facts about myself: 1. My first boyfriend's name was "Richie"...I met him in the first grade...he came up to my shoulder...I'm sure we made a striking couple.
2. I met my sweetheart (and husband of 16 years) when I was 15. We started dating after I graduated from nursing school.
3. I love "victorian" decorating, but also enjoy other styles.
4. I love to shop!!
5. My favorite season is autumn...the beautiful leaves and cool, crisp air are so refreshing.
6. My favorite holiday is Christmas: memories made with friends and family, wonderful food, and beautiful decorations.
7. The happiest place for me to be is with my husband and 3 precious children...my gifts from God.

I am going to tag:

Kristin
Martha
Catrena
Bette
Shelly
Julie
Rachel

New Pictures

2007-09-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

The annual picture time has come and gone...The flurry of getting everyone ready and rushing to take pictures is something every Mom can appreciate, I think!(smile)Trying to get there with clothes, shoes and hair intact is quite the feat! THEN...trying to get "natural smile" and all that...I always love the end result but feel that I have put in a full "Mommy's" day of work! Ha!

new pictures

Corey turns "10"....

2007-09-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

Wow! We cannot fathom that our first-born is now in the double-digits! Happy Birthday, Corey! He is truly a blessing to us...We couldn't have "requested" a sweeter, more thoughtful boy. He has brought such joy to our lives. We pray that God will use him in a wonderful way...Danny and I often talk about what a responsibility God has given us in sending us three "little ones". Corey had a fun birthday...We celebrated at home on a beautiful, sunny evening...After dinner, cake and ice-cream(oh, and all the fun gifts!), We ended out on the front porch serenaded by our very own talented guitarist, Nathan,(my brother's 19 year old boy who ,by the way, is an awesome guy!) ....There's nothing like relaxing with friends and family! God is good! ( I'm hoping that the next ten years won't fly by as quick as the last 10 have!)

sept07coreybday

First day of Home School

2007-08-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

We got off to a great start...Tuesday was our very first day of homeschooling. The kids have been excited and so have I! Cassie is temporarily in the kitchen until the desk we have ordered for her room arrives. We have plans to join the YMCA, which has various extracurricular classes for home schoolers (art, computers, Spanish, etc.) , as well as facilities for physical fitness. Some great field trips are being enthusiastically planned. We want to visit the Creation Museum in KY soon. We are reassured that this endeavor is God's will for our family!

2007-08-14T18:08:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share some vacation pictures...we went to Hilton Head Island at the beginning of summer and were able to share some relaxing days as a family. We took long walks on the beach...ate some delicious seafood and went to sleep by the sound of the ocean.

2007-08-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

I have decided to enter the fascinating world of blogging...It seems to be a new "era" in our world and is such a fun way of sharing little pieces of our lives with others. I have so enjoyed hearing from people in other states and even in other countries!( I made Heather's fast homemade rolls the other day....a recipe she shared on her blog! They were very tasty!) I think this is such a neat avenue of "keeping in touch"! I have been inspired and humored...so I thought I would contribute! I am a full-time "mommy" and "wife"...I work one night a week and one night every third weekend in OB(It is so rewarding to get to share the miracle of birth...I could write a book!)...I am soon to be a homeschooling assistant- After much prayer and research, we decided this was God's plan for our children...I am both excited and nervous! We will be using A Beka's dvd program.(Thus, I will be assisting the " teachers" on dvd...) Corey will be in 4th grade and Cassie will start K5.Church is a very big part of our lives too..We are involved in the Calvary Bible Methodist Church in Greenfield. As most people already know...We are welcoming Pastor Mike Mater and his lovely new wife, Michelle, to our church. We are so excited! We just attended their beautiful wedding ... It was very elegant! The music was just heavenly!What a special day to share in their lives! We live close to my side of the family and get together often with them. We try to see Danny's side of the family as much as possible. We love and appreciate our godly parents with all of our hearts! Life is busy but God is so good! We thank Him for our Christian heritage and for all of His blessings on our lives. We just want Him to lead us not only as parents but as siblings, children and friends!