Bathroom makeover!

All we have left is the baseboards....

But we are content to wait on that for a time.

I did NOT have a light above the sink before

and only had one plug there as well.

I also got a call last week from a friend saying hurry go outside..

Hope you had a good weekend!

Parenting....

6 test today, 3 for Each child... I'm praying you my beautiful young ladies...

- a quote from Stormie
"Being a mother is the greatest of all privileges. And it is also the biggest of all responsibilities. It is the best of all jobs, while at the same time it is the most difficult of all jobs. Being a mother can bring you the highest joy. It can also cause the deepest pain. It can make you feel like a huge success when everything is going well. And cause you to feel like a failure when something goes wrong. I know this because in my nearly thirty years of being a mother, I have experienced all those things many times over. When I brought my first child home from the hospital a few days after he was born, I was painfully aware that I didn't know what I was doing. So I turned desperately to God for help. Every day. Sometimes on an hourly basis!Through that time of depending on God to show me the way, I discovered that God doesn't want us to raise our children without His help. Of course He wants us to do our part and "train up a child in the way he should go", but He also wants us to look to Him to give us the wisdom, strength, and ability we need to do the job well. One of the most important parts of our job as a parent is to keep our children covered in prayer.I believe that being a parent is becoming more and more difficult each year because of what our children are exposed to and bombarded with everywhere they turn. But we don't have to be worried sick, dreading what is around the corner, or fearing the worst. We don't have to be tossed to and fro by every new stage and age and trend and fad. We have the power to make a big difference in our children's lives through prayer. That doesn't mean we abdicate our responsibilities as parents. It means we partner with God to raise our children as we pray for every aspect of their lives. When we don't pray for them, we leave our children's lives up to chance.Praying for our children doesn't mean that nothing will ever go wrong in their lives. But when it does, we don't have to beat ourselves up for not being perfect parents. Besides, it's not being a perfect parent that makes the difference in a child's life, for there are no perfect parents. It's being a praying parent that makes a big difference. And that's something we can all be."

So long Avacodo Green!

Almost done!

Greg laid the floor Sunday after church
Now we just need a cabinet in for the sink... It is still in our kitchen right now... but in time. We are close, we are still cleaning Sheetrock dust from EVERYWHERE!

Floor before

and my hard working husband, please pray for him. He is doing some crazy hours at work. But he thinks today is only a 10 hr day which means he will get to go to revival tonight. Lord willing....

It has been a long few weeks for him...

I hope I never hear the words, Killed a part, killed the part again and

Hot job for a long time!

~~

Weekend in Review!

We are truly blessed!

I know we are blessed for many reasons! Many! but the one I am Praising God for today is friendship! Having a friend that all in the course of 2 days.

ahm, let's see helped paint a bathroom, went out of her way to go to your house to pick up Tennis racquet's with no one at home and run them to you, oh and washed your dishes, and let you vents and helped clean your kitchen... oh and brought your child AR books, cooked a absolutely wonderful meal and treated us to a night of fun...

Yes, I am blessed!

After weeks of madness we enjoyed a most relaxing Saturday night at the Rowes...

We had Little Rosie's on the Hondarowesa ~Krowe style and it was

wonderful.... (I still want the recipe)

Then we played!

and played
Look at these two, I sure do love them together, they play so well to be boy/girl and different ages.... Thank you Lord!

And this is a hoot~! Ethan can give it gas, and he knows he is doing it and loves the ride and Attention!!! Priceless!

And where else can you have your own nature show watching the frogs eat the bugs off of windows... Yes, I know the Narrells are easily entertained.. And we LOVE it!

And where else can your babies go, and still feel at home!

Praising God for the wonderful gift of friendship.

Not Me Monday!

Our life has NOT been crazy and we've not gotten a little stressed lately...

Therefore we have NOT forgotten some important things lately!!

I did NOT forget to tell my child to change yesterday and show up at a tumbling party still in a skirt... NOPE NOT ME! I'm way to great of a Mom for that!

My husband and I were not in Lowe's for 3 hrs in which at one point on Saturday in our tired stupor we did NOT do innie minnie minee mo in the middle of Lowe's for a light... NOPE NOT US! We also did NOT decide we didn't like any of them and leave without one. NOPE NOT US!

I did NOT get out of my car after dark one night and scream like a baby and jump onto a chair as I watched a snake slither right by the hoe. I did not leave said hoe untouched and let the snake go because I'm to afraid of killing one. NOPE NOT ME!

I did NOT also have to coax my child out of the car because she was not moving. Nope not me!

We are brave Narrellettes! NOT!

Hope you are having a fabulous Monday!

Update!

What a week! Wednesday night after church we primed....

And last night around 9:30 I started painting the walls.

It was a crazy afternoon, with test to study for, Kacey went to a youth event at Lake Guntersville again. She is loving it. A snake sighting and Greg having to go back into work, and he attended cottage prayer.. yeah, it was hectic.
And while I was waiting to pick Kacey up I went through pictures... for Mom and Dad's 50th wedding video they are working on. Not finished but some accomplished.

And this morning it looked like this.

One more coat and it should be good. I'll not mention that I've not been in bed before midnight since oh, sometime last week.

Oh well, who needs sleep anyway.

Happy Friday!

Stuff!

Ceiling done... 3 and 1/2 hours later.

We like it....

maybe!

Our girls this morning sporting their Girly Girl Tee's

I love the saying.
"I'm a Bible Totin
Devil stomping
Faith Walking Kind of Girl!"

Kacey's

She is ready for basketball season....

I pray her knees are.

Happy Wednesday.

Something Beautiful

The top two songs on the my player have touched me today, the first is about how life can get tough right before God reveals something Beautiful.

Our church is broken.... beautifully broken because sometimes you have to get close to the bottom to finally get broken enough to cry out to God... It would be so much easier if we could always work as one body, the body of Christ and regardless what your flesh feels I think we all want to the Glory of God and his blessings on our church. God can change things, God knows best and his timing remains perfect. Until then I will pray... pray with all my heart.

I'm on my knees Lord and I'm waiting for something Beautiful....

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

Thank you Lord for this day and our church family restore what is yours...

Weekend in Review!

Friday night... and we are starting to think it is never going to end...

We were tired. We went to bed after midnight Friday and Saturday night...

When I went to get ready for bed I found this...

Sweet Grace left us a note..

Saturday was a busy day full of car maintenance, laundry, and carrying a load to the dump... talk about the Beverly hill billies we looked the part let me tell you! Then Grace and I went to Terri's to take her Grand babies they were going to spend the night with her and we visited for a little while her house is so nice and welcoming. It is very beautiful and I'm so thankful that she is enjoying a wonderful season in her life. I love you Terri and Happy Birthday! Yesterday was her birthday the last before her big 5-0!

We ended Saturday with mowing the yard and more Sheetrock mudding till the wee hours!

~~

Yesterday after church we went to Mom and Dad's for Terri's birthday cake and ice cream.

And the kids got to swim.

and eat!

Can you believe my sister has all these sweet grand babies...

Terri and her boys.

And with Mom and Dad.

Happy Birthday I pray you were able to enjoy your day!

And last night Greg did this.... ahhh will it ever end..

Please pray the rest of the week goes smooth and we can paint and have it all done by Saturday afternoon. We are really in need of it all being back to "our normal" before next week. We have revival next week and want all obstacles out of the way so we can have a week of worship and renewal.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Just Another Day in Paradise

no other place I'd rather be!

Guess who has a new Brother in law?

Congrats Judy and Jeff!

Not gonna steal my joy!

When you have victories to celebrate especially spiritual ones the devil wants to steal your joy.

I know you've all experienced it. Something happens and you are on top of the world and then life gets crazy. I'm praying today that God will help me find and keep joy during the journey because sometimes lets just be honest. The journey is hard.

Last weekend I had some things that went on that I was struggling with to the point I'm ashamed to say I just shut down from it. The WHATEVER syndrome as we call it. But my sweet husband keeps reminding me you can't change people but you can change your reaction. So Sunday morning, I was tired and it was hectic. I again am ashamed to say that I went to church but it was in body only.

~~

The invitation lasted a little longer than usual. As the music was ending out of the corner of my eye I watched my Daddy walk up the isle. The music ended and I could feel the panic in my chest to please play, that he wouldn't be left standing without music with all eyes on him and again, I heard my sweet husband in the pew beside me praying out loud... Please Lord, let them play let them play. My Dad rededicated his life to the Lord and with tears I embraced my Daddy with new eyes. As he hugged me he said it's been a long time coming. I only have 5 or 6 readers to my blog since it's locked so I can be honest. I remember praying for years for my parents to come to church. My parents always encouraged even sometimes made me go to church even when they didn't and for that I'm grateful. My parents had stopped going to church regularly what will be 41 years ago in October. When one day and one tragic event changed my family tree. My Dad held so much anger and guilt... My once Sunday School Teacher Mom and VBS volunteer parents slowly drifted away from God. But God is a healer and restores what has been lost to only make it better. For months my Dad has been reading his bible and the changes I see in him are of peace. So Devil you can not steal my joy. Life maybe a little hectic and crazy but Jesus you are my Joy and that the devil can not take...

~~

Please continue to pray for our family.... He still has branches to restore! And fruit to bare.

Momma Time Blues

I remember taking her to Kindergarten... Where has the time gone. Now she is an 8th grader.

For me, it happened all at once, she went from being this 8lb baby I was overprotective with to this beautiful young lady. Oh how I wish it was still that easy to protect her, keep her feed, she slept, changed her and loved on her. Now... now I'm supposed to start letting go... not letting go but in some ways letting go, so she can grow into who God wants her to be. To become who she will be. I've not figured out how to slow time yet so I am trying to enjoy each minute and cherish it because tomorrow it changes...

And I find myself thinking deeply more. It's not just diaper changes and time-outs now. It's wanting to explain the world to her. To teach her kindness. To tell her why things happen in a way that makes her want to be good and loving. To show her by example that confidence is power.... And Me, I second guess myself way to much. Probably shouldn't have given that to her. Maybe we should have let her have it. Did you see how sad she was? Did you hear what she said? Maybe I should have been harder on her. Maybe I was too hard. And you just have to trust that you are doing your best and that for every mistake you make, there are a thousand more victories. And you grow in the fact that, in setting an example, in laying the foundation for her, you become better. You have to live what you want to teach them because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and I want my apples to be good and kind, giving and understanding. I want my apples to be strong and independent and yet sensitive and tender-hearted.
But I'm having trouble letting my apples fall from the tree... I sure want to hang on, with all my might and heart... letting go is hard.
Grace is in 4th... She changes classes this year.
I am trying to enjoy today and not look ahead to much...
It is too overwhelming... I'll worry about high school next year..

This year we are off to conquer Spanish, advanced Math and a Science teacher we hear is a "beast"!

We are praying for an excellent school year for both our babies, but Father time, could you please slow down....

(Grace's by herself pictures didn't save on my card :-( what's up with that)

Camping with the Rowes!

We are so blessed to have shared our trip with the Rowes!

Grace and Lawson have so much fun together.
Sweet E-wii

I love this face... it is so typical Lawson Rowe

Thank you for the company! We had a blast.

And with our crew, you can be sure there will never be a dull moment!

And we wouldn't have it any other way!