Gifts from the Lord

I was just reading Karenee's response to a comment I left on her blog and felt that her answer deserved a wider audience. She had written a post about someone giving her furniture for her girls and how she appreciated the Lord meeting her need and giving her nicer furniture than she had expected. Here's the post. I commented on how I loved to give the Lord credit for all the small things he does. Just last week when I was at the thrift store I found a book I'd been wanting to read, There is Always Enough, by Rolland and Heidi Baker. As most of you know, I don't like to pay full price for books, and I wasn't sure if I could find this book at the bookstore. It was really just a passing thought that I wanted to read it. Yet there it was, for $1.48. And as the title of the book suggests, it is about how the Lord has provided over the years as they have been missionaries to the poorest of the poor. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in missions. Anyway, Karen wrote this response to my comment:

Isn't it wonderful how, in every aspect of life, God surprises us by His consideration of the little details? I feel sorry for those who prefer to attribute these things to mere chance. They lose out on the realization of a gift, making even the ordinary joy extraordinary.
Saturday, August 25, 2007 8:16:00 PM

I have found myself lately looking for the Lord in everything that happens in my day. It is truly a joy to see Him work out the smallest details. Even on my darkest days He sends me a reminder of His presence, even if it is just a cool wind on a hot day, or a smile on one of my children's faces.

I just thought Karen's response much too beautiful to lay fallow. I hope it encourages you to look for God in the small details of your life as well as the big.

Change

Please disregard my previous post about my new blog. I had to change back to blogger, so the new link is HERE. This is my Blog for reviewing and highlighting new Christian Fiction.

Thanks

Debbie

A Meme I forgot to respond to

Tina tagged me a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to post. So here it is.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My mother had several friends with my name

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?A couple of days ago watching the Discovery Health Channel

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I like my handwriting, but no one else does because they can't read it.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?Boars Head Black Forest Ham

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Four.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? No. I'm a terrible friend. I don't call, I forget to write, I'm absent-minded and I have a short attention span.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Not anymore

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Maybe if my children's lives depended on it. Otherwise no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't really like cereal, but if I have to choose I will sometimes eat Frosted Flakes

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?No

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mayfield Moose Tracks

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their hair

15. RED OR PINK? Blue

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?I'm not sure there is room here, but I'm working on myself

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?My friends from high school and college

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?If they want

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?I'm wearing a pair of my husbands blue shorts, one of his polo shirts that is striped with green, black and tan, and knee high red and black striped socks.

20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE? A Debbie Snack-the peanut butter and chocolate kind(nutty bar?).

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?The computer, the static from the baby monitor and silence

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?Cornflower Blue

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? fresh cut grass. honeysuckle, spring

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A lady from church

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?Very much and I miss reading her fiction

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? None

27. HAIR COLOR? Brown

28. EYE COLOR?Green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope

30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?Steak and potatoes

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?Happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I can't remember

3. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?Green, black, and tan horizontal striped

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?Winter

35. HUGS OR KISSES?Both

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?Angel Food Cake with Seven Minute Frosting
.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?no one

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? everyone

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?I am actually between books.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?burgandy fabric

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?Antiques Roadshow

.42. FAVORITE SOUND?My children laughing, the french horn, the wind in the trees

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Neither

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?Missouri

5. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I play the flute

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?Pensacola Florida

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?Anyone who responds.

So now you know that much more about me! I won't tag anyone.

I am now going to attempt to go to bed. If you hear screaming in the next 15 minutes, that means as soon as I fell asleep a baby started crying.

CSFF Blog Tour

Unbeknownst to most of my readers, I am a member of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour. I just haven't participated yet. So in an attempt to get my blogging in order, I am going to start a new separate blog about writing and books. This blog(the one you are reading now) will continue to chronicle my exciting and adventurous life and my beautiful children.

To follow the rabbit to my new blog click HERE. You may notice that this is not a Blogspot address. I feel a little like a backstabber, but there are some features over at wordpress I'd like to explore. So if you are only interested in my everyday life, I won't be offended if you don't stop by. I decided it is too confusing to jumble up everything on one blog.

Twins First Birthday

My Boys turn 1 today. I am much too busy to be too nostalgic, but it is definitely a sort of sad time. I'll miss my babies, but it is very fun watching the twins learn new things. Just this week Baby M starting waving bye-bye and sort of clapping--he claps when he is mad, it's really cute. Baby W starting pretending to talk on the phone. There is one particular toy that talks and is about the size of a remote that he slings over his shoulder and says "Dat." W. has taken one or two tentative steps, but he has the balance and strength to walk, he just hasn't figured out he can yet. M. is slowly catching up. He's starting to balance really well and to stand without holding on to anything. I put them in the walker while we were on vacation and M really loved being able to get around. He could run in the walker. It was really funny to watch and it gave him a lot of confidence in himself. Splitcat has a breakdown of their personalities on his Blog and some still photos of the birthday cupcake. Our first official party is Sat as we celebrate with my family. My mother's birthday is the day before the twins, so we have a lot of celebrating to do. The party w/ splitcat's family is still undetermined, but there will be a party eventually. I haven't gotten my phot retrospective organized yet, but I will post it soon. Instead, here is some video of the birthday cupcake. I took off most of the icing because I didn't feel like cleaning up the mess. This clip is from the end of the cupcake, the other video was too large to put on youtube. But notice the difference in their size and body types when the camera pans back. M is all relaxed, fat, and happy, and W is intense and all curled up. Make sure you have your sound turned up so you can hear all the smacking going on.

First Day of School

Well, I managed to oversleep the first day of school. We missed the bus. I told P. the wrong bus number. And I almost couldn't find my keys. I emailed P's teacher with the correct bus number, hopefully she'll read it. I think he'll recognize his bus driver, though. So now I get to try not to worry all day that he'll miss the bus. I'm glad he's a smart kid. Otherwise I'd worry a lot more.

Splitcat also started school today. I wasn't ready for this.

Update: P's teacher emailed me back and I breathed a sigh of relief

Thursday and meet-n-greet

Okay, so here's last Thursday of our vacation. We went to the pool in the morning. Then we met my Uncle Ronnie and his family for lunch at Joe Patti's. We were a little late in getting there. When we went to go down the elevator, It wasn't there. We were on the 7th floor. A nice man tried to go downstairs and bring the elevator up, but it opened on every floor but ours. So Me, my mom and dad, P. and E., the twins, and a stroller, all walked down 7 flights of stairs. Fortunately the repair guy was in the next building over and the problem was resolved when we returned. Then, when we are on our way across town to the restaurant my uncle calls to tell us that a water main had broken and therre was no water at the restaurant. He ordered ice tea for all becaus that's all that was left. they stopped taking customers right after we got there because they were out of tea. It was a very tasty meal.


After lunch we went over to the fish market and looked at the boats.(that's my mom)



We went to Seville Sqaure next, hoping the kids would run off some energy. Instead P had a major meltdown. He and I sat in the car.

I did manage to get this pic of the stained glass windows in the Historic Church(Christ Church?) It's very old.


Next we drove through my old neighborhood to pick up our leftovers from my uncle and to show the kids the house I lived in when I was little. My room was the one all the way to the left. The yard was much different when I lived there. It was full of pine trees. Everything was so much smaller than I remembered even from the last time I was there.



Later that evening there was a massive storm.



In other news. The boy got to meet his new teacher today. She seems very perky and nice. Just what first-graders need. His class is very small. His teacher said they average 12-13 kids per class. Two of his girl friends are in his class, but not his one male friend.

Vacation Days 2-4

This is the longest vacation I've ever been on.

On Monday morning we went back to the beach. Baby W really took to the sand. He was like a little turtle crawling around. Baby M still wasn't feeling so hot, but he liked the water.



Seeing my dad and my daughter together reminded me so much of my childhood. He would often hold me like this so I could practice floating. He also tried to teach me to swim in the Gulf. For someone who doesn't like to get their face wet, this was slightly traumatic, but he meant well. He tried the same tactics with P., pushing you just beyond your comfort level. But P. is much stronger willed than me, and never made it further than the shore.



On Monday afternoon we visited my Grandmother and Uncle Jimmy. She is ill, so it was a little sad, but it was nice to be able to introduce her to the twins.

Tuesday morning was spent at the pool. My mom and dad found these floats for the boys, and they really took to the water. Baby M became totally relaxed every time we put him in. Baby W kept trying to dump himself into the water. He's a splasher.



Tuesday afternoon we went to the Naval Aviation Museum. P. had been before, but he was very little. So now he really enjoyed it. He kept asking when we could come back. The lovely thing about the museum, besides the air-conditioning, is that it is free. I've always enjoyed it, too. The girl got bored after about the 5th plane.





Wednesday we were back at the beach. The Gulf had been really nice. The waves were small and we only saw one jellyfish. We went to the National Seashore portion of the beach this day. It was free when I was little, now you have to get a park pass. This beach is known as Johnson's beach. When my parents were kids this was the "black" beach. My dad said you didn't go to Johnson's beach unless you were looking for a fight. However, they would go further down the beach towards the old Fort. By the time I was little, it was just a local beach. Perdido Key has very beautiful beaches.



Baby M was so relaxed he fell asleep.



a few minutes later his brother was asleep.



Splitcat had to leave that afternoon. We missed him.

We're back from the beach!!! I'm tired, but I know you have all missed me so much so I will blog.

Here is our first day. We traveled from our home to Perdido Key(Pensacola) Florida. It is an approximately 6 hr drive if you don't count stops.

Here's the crew. Baby M was not feeling well. He had been having some diarrhea and allergies.


Alabama is really boring, but the sky was really pretty. The view, or lack thereof, is pretty much what you get through Alabama. Lots of Pine trees. We saw a lot of people with flat tires right outside of Montgomery.



Perdido Key at last!!!!!! We check in around 3 pm. We were on the 7th floor. Here is the view from our front door.



This is the view when you look to the right. (I used the zoom in this one)



The condos are about 1 yr old. And very nice. No peach beach decor here. Granite countertops in the kitchen, a gigantic master bath with a garden tub and huge shower. Even the 2nd bath was big. There were three bedrooms. I'll post more condo pics later.





The back porch was screened in. It was reallly nice to sit out there in the mornings and evenings. There was a ceiling fan to keep a breeze blowing. In the view to the left of this picture you could see the boats passing down the intercoastal waterway.



After unloading we went up to the public beach. It was the girl and the twins first time at the beach.


Splitcat has more photos of our first day at the beach on his blog.

Tomorrow I'll post some more.