favorite site

I have a new favorite site. I just absolutely love it.

To me, they take creativity to a whole new level.

Below is one of my favorite episodes … enjoy!

Prayer needed NOW

6:20 pm
Please stop and pray for baby Elliot. His heart just stopped beating.

I will update more when I can.

one hour later …..They have got him breathing again and I will update more when we hear.

few hours later … he is stabilized and surgery should be on Monday.

more of our home

Someone recently asked me if I would post more photos of our new place … so, here is the rest of our house.

it's a boy!

Check out the new baby! Elliot Thomas Payne. He is scheduled to have his first heart surgery on Friday. Keep praying!

they say it's your birthday ….

Happy Birthday MOM! We enjoyed celebrating with you!

prayers are needed

Some of our close friends have tired for 4 years to have a baby. God did answer their prayers and in December they conceived. The pregnancy, however, has been very complicated and the baby has a heart defect. Her doctors recommend that they fly to Philadelphia to deliver the baby where a team of surgeons can perform heart surgery on their baby immediately after it is born. She is scheduled to have the baby by C-section this morning. Please pray for them. I hope all I have said makes sense. You can read more about them on their blog. Thanks!

drum roll please….

It’s over and I am spent! The MEGA HUGE Rummage Sale is offically done, well almost. We still have some stuff to consign and a load to Good Will … but let me get to the exciting part.

Wanna know how much? Guess, no, guess again. Higher … higher … little bit more – try $2700 !!! Can you stinkin’ believe it! When we totalled it up, tears just came to my eyes. WOW. That is $1350 for each family! My goal was $1500 total to split to $750 with Jenn. Never would I have guessed we would make so much.

I can’t even begin to express just how thankful I am to all those who came to help, prepare, sell, buy, donate, work, baby sit, pray, and even bake. This rummage sale would have never been possible without you. You have truly helped make two families dream come true and one day when I hold that sweet baby girl in my arms, I will remember all those who helped place her there. Thank you.

Maybe tomorrow, when I am not so dog tired, I can post some pics and give more details of the crazy little things that happened. Good night!

a sad good-bye

During my first official year to home school, I was blessed to have one of my best friends start the journey with me. Her oldest is the same age as #1 and her youngest is one month younger than my #3. The kids have had an incredible bond with one another and since they lived only 5 minutes away, we were able to see them several times a week.

Last Thursday we had to say good-bye to them for 3 years. They have left for Romania to be missionaries. I am so thankful for the memories that we have made with them. I feel so blessed that God allowed us to live and be so close. It is honestly hard for me to put into words just how special that family is to me. We all miss them very much.

working hard

We’ve been steadily working on stuff for the “Mega Huge Rummage Sale”. I am so thankful for all the friends and family who have donated items. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. I am also so so SO thankful for all the people who have helped keep my kids and who have come to help sort and organize all the stuff. We are one week away and we are still receiving donations. It has been an ENORMOUS blessing to have a vacant house that is family owned, where we can have the sale. I am hoping it will be a success!!

wow, my arms look crazy weird long.

our day at callaway

What a fun day. The kids and I, along with the previous owners of our house, spent an entire day at Callaway Gardens. We had to bribe the kids with ice cream to avoid a melt down when it was time to leave.

Today was a first for me – #1 showing a strong liking toward a girl. He has always gotten along with my friend’s oldest daughter but by the end of the day, it was so obvious he was completely smitten with her. She laughed at his corny jokes. He retrieved all of her lost putt putt balls. She taught him to speak pig-Latin. They built a sand “museum” together, ate lunch beside one another, they even sat at a different table from the rest of us at Dairy Queen. Of course it’s nothing we are encouraging but I have to say I was very impressed with how he handled himself. Quite the little gentleman my “baby boy” is. It will be interesting to see how this friendship plays out.