Counting My Blessings

There's a Johnny Cash song called the "Thanksgiving Prayer".  Here's the chorus and the beginning  part to the song.

We've come to the time in the season
When family and friends gather near
To offer a prayer of Thanksgiving
For blessings we've known through the year
To join hands and thank the Creator
And now when Thanksgiving is due
This year when I count my blessings
I'm thanking the Lord He made you
This year when I count my blessings
I'm thanking the Lord He made you

 

 

I have so many things to be thankful for everyday. It's been a difficult passed 5 months for us.  At the top of my list this year is that my husband is still with me and he's healthy.  If you have ever experienced a time when you realize that you almost lost your spouse, you wake up and realize more and more that life is short, it's unexpected, and a normal day can turn into your worst nightmare in the blink of an eye.  Thanks be to God only for healing Kevin and thanks to God for His continued healing and blessings on our family.

This was the verse that spoke to me our first hospital trip: "So do not fear, for I  am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10

This was the verse that spoke to me our second hospital trip: "I life up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." -Psalm 121:1-2

 

 



  

Fall Family Pics

Here's some pictures from our fall family session. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite :0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby it's Cold outside....

I hope that this cold weather is here to stay! I love the cold weather at this time of year. We may not get snow that often in South Carolina, but it's not suppose to be 74 degrees in November. I don't like the warm weather at this time of the year.  It doesn't seem like the holidays when you are wearing short sleeve shirts. So I hope the cold weather is here to stay for the next couple of months. And bring on the snow!

Growing up, we always had fires in the winter time. I am not taking about gas logs, nope the real deal wood burning fires. My dad worked for BellSouth and he was out in the elements all day and one of the ways he could get warm in the evenings was by fire. Kevin shares my love of a fire so we had our first fire last night. I love snuggling up to a fire. Last winter we only had one fire and probably the same for the previous winter. We haven't had a cold winter in 2 years, so I am ready for one.

My Little Turkey

This week Madalyn came home from preschool with a turkey hat, so I had her model for me.

 

Here's some more pictures of my little turkey.

 

 

Now let's have some fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Pics: Sneak Peek

FINALLY! We have family pictures made and I am so happy. :0) Since, June, I had been wanting to take family pictures. It just never seemed to work out. Summer was busy was cleaning out chicken houses, and then Kevin was sick and it's been busy since then.

Here's a picture from our last family photo session.

Now you see why I was like, finally. Madalyn was 6 months old in this picture. Sure Madalyn's had her picture made, but as a family, this was the last time we had professional pics made. And as you can see our "theme" for these family pics was "Our House Divided", noting my Clemson and Kevin and Madalyn's Carolina shirts. So it was time for some new pictures.

 

So, when our youth minister's wife, Sarah D'Attoma, announced that she was having fall mini-sessions and she was doing them in my in-laws backyard, I jumped at the chance and grabbed the last spot. Here's a sneak peek from our session....to come later. :0)

Operation Christmas Child

Once again it's that time of year for Operation Christmas Child.  I really can't remember not  participating in this.  My mom and I have pack a shoebox or two ever since I was in high school and I have continued since Kevin and I got married.  So, I went to the store with my list, and gathered the items and Madalyn and I packed our shoebox. However, when she first saw the items, she thought they were for her. Which of course why would she think differently, she's two and she's an only child. So, in the simplest way possible, I tried to explain to her that these things were for a little girl somewhere in the world who unless we send her this shoebox, she wouldn't get anything for Christmas. After a few times of explaining, she realized they weren't for her, but understanding why...well maybe next year.

 

 

Our shoebox items

 

Packing our shoebox

 

It's all done!

 

Madalyn's preschool is part of our church and they are collecting the shoeboxes, so Madalyn carried it to school.

 

Madalyn and Aunt Tori aka "Toe" with her shoebox.

Madalyn's Aunt Toe is the director of our CDC program, The Creation Station.



Madalyn and Mary Grace

 Madalyn loves her Mary Grace and Mary Grace loves her Madalyn.  It's so funny to watch these two together.  Other than Meme and Pop, this is Madalyn's favorite "person" that lives inside Meme's house. (outside we have kittens, a Mama cat, and of course six horses and sheep that Madalyn loves too. )

Madalyn and her little shadow

 

 

Picking cotton

 

 

 

Madalyn

I have posted in awhile about what Madalyn is up to these days....

-She loves to watch Doc McStuffins, Minnie Mouse, Sofia..and all the Disney Junior shows.

-Her favorite animal is a Horse.

-She is talking all the time and its so funny some of the things she says or her reactions to things.

-She loves to dance. Every time a song comes on she asks you to dance with her.

-She loves to brush her teeth (strange I know)

-She is learning how to do so many new things, she's growing up so fast.

-She knows all the words to the song, "God is so good" and she will not only sing with you, but when she's playing she will just start singing it on her own. It makes my heart melt and brings tears to my eyes...so precious.

-She wakes up so happy in the morning and is ready to take on the day.

We love our little girl and are so blessed to have her.