Update on Lil Bean

Yesterday,I took Jelly Bean (our lil foster) back to Children's to see one of her surgeons. Her doctor was very pleased with Bean's progress. She was so surprised to see her without the NG tube. Noone ever expected her to turn around so quickly,but she has. She is an amazing little girl and a miracle in every way. She is almost 7 months and getting better all the time.

Our next goal for little Bean is for her to master eating by spoon.

But here are a few things she has accomplished & amazed us with...

~~~~~~~~

1.She came off the feeding tube sooner than expected.

2.She has learned to roll over.

3.She learned to drink a bottle.

4.She learned to swallow.

5.She has learned to pick up her toys.

6.She has learned to put her passy in & then take it out.

7.She has learned to tummy crawl.

8.She has found her voice. She was a quiet baby while the NG tube was in, but now she makes all kinds of noises...it's just precious.

9.She has gained 3 pounds!!!!!

(This is very important for babies born with her condition.)

They often have failure to thrive issues.

Lil Bean is pretty much like any other baby, just smaller sized.

We call her our mini baby:)

She has came a looooooong ways in three months she's been here.

Way to go Jelly Bean!!!!!

Uncle Brent & Aunt Sandy are sooooo proud of you!!!!

We love BowzArt!

(Click to enlarge picture)

My friend Leigh over at BowzArt made this cute diaper cover for Brookelyn Shae.

She makes all kinds of adorable things for litle girls. If you have a little girl in your life,

then you really should stop by her site.

http://www.bowzart.net/

It's Football Season!!!

We have been one VERY busy family these past few days.

On Aug 19, Jacob's team got invited to the Atlanta dome to

play a game. They played a mini game during half time at the

the Falcons vs Patriots game.

Jacob was one very excited little boy.
We all had a great time:)

~~~~~~~~~~~

On Aug 21, Jacob's team along with all

the other little league teams in our county,

met for Jamboree 2010!!!!!

Jacob played three teams

(including his team from last year).

They won 2 out of 3 of their games.

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(Click on pic to enlarge)

More Updates!!!!

Everybody here is doing great.

Hubs & me have been rotating ball practice and games...which has kept us pretty busy.

I'm not sure who gets more excited about football (Hubby or Jacob)...lol

I took Lil Bean back for an appointment and she is still doing good and is still tube free!!!! She weighs 11 pounds & 6 ounces now. She is trying to get the hang of baby food,but it's going to be a process,but one we expected. She can have up to one jar each day of baby food, but no more because her doctor wants her to take as much formula as she can. He wants her to take between 21-24 oz each day and she takes about 19 now. She's not where other babies her age are,but she is catching up fast. She's trying to crawl and she is learning to balance herself in the exercauser. She is reaching for toys and she can pull her passy out and then put it back in.

The rest of the gang have all been busy with their own things going on. Our kids stay busy just like we do...maybe even more busy.

Jon, Ashley, and Jacob are getting ready for school to start back next week. As far as that goes, we are not changing anything from our last school year. I was very pleased with our 2009-2010 year and we are pretty much just sticking with it another year.

Brookelyn is doing good too. She is trying hard to talk. She is also letting go of furniture and trying to walk. She is a busy baby and always on the move. She doesn't like being in anything (crib, high chair, walker, bouncer, etc). She likes to be free to explore down on the floor.

On Aug 17,I had a wonderful birthday thanks to my family & friends. My mom came and brought me flowers, cake, ice cream, and a gift. It was so sweet and such a surprise. Then Hubby planned a date and took me out to eat at the Atlantic buffet. It was amazing. I saw food I would NEVER eat...lol They had food there that I'd never even seen or heard of,but they also had many of my favorites. It was a really nice place. My kids & my friends blessed me with the sweetest cards & gifts. It was just a sweet day for sure. Then yesterday, my hubby decided he would go and get a turtle pecan blizzard cake. He said it was a late birthday gift...lol I'm not sure if it was really for me, or if he just used my birthday as an excuse to get himself an icecream cake...lol But that was fine with me. Those cakes are soooooo good!

Well, that's all that comes to mind right now. I'm out of time. I've got to run. My sweet little foster has a visit today, so I guess I better get her ready for that. Have a great day everyone!

Blessings,

Sandy

My New Info...

I'm still here!

I've gone private,but I don't plan to stay that way.

I will open my blog again soon,so you won't

have to keep signing in

everytime.

Twitter

I also have a new twitter account-

 http://twitter.com/my7howells

Facebook

My facebook is still the same. If you want to be

 friends on facebook please send a request to

http://www.facebook.com/mom2howells

Blessings,

Happy 3rd Birthday Bailey!

Today we celebrated the birthday of a

precious little girl.

Happy 3rd Birthday Bailey!

Uncle Brent & Aunt Sandy

Love you sooooo very much!

(You can click on pic to enlarge)
~~~~~~~~
Bailey celebrated her birthday with a Dora the Explorer
pool party, surrounded by family & friends.
She was so excited and so precious.
It was just a wonderful way to spend the day.

Our Week In Pictures

(You can click on picture to enlarge.)

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

Happy birthday Son!

It's hard to believe "my baby"

is turning nine years old today.

Where has the time gone???

Here is a little more info on my "Lil Man"

~~~~~~~

Name-Jacob

Age-9 years

Favorite color-Blue

Favorite place-Florida

Favorite Food-Pizza

Favorite sport-Football

Favorite team-Alabama "Roll Tide!"

What does he collect? Pokemon cards

He also enjoys playing on Club Penguin, riding his bike,

hanging out with his buddies,watching football

with his dad, skateboarding,

and teasing his sisters.

~~~~~~~~

I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

I love you VERY much, Mom

Happy Blog-iversary to me!

It's my BLOG anniversary and I almost forgot about it until
I noticed my ticker said "3 years!":)

 My blog is three years old now!

Wow! Time flies.

 I have met some great bloggy buddies here,

who have incouraged me,uplifted me, inspired me

and even prayed for me many times through the years.

Thanks for all your comments that you've left, all the feedback given,

but mostly thank you for your prayers.
 You've been a blessing to me.

God bless you all,

Sandy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King James Bible

This is a re-post from my friend Brandy's blog -The Godly Offer Good Counsel I'm re posting this with permission. This is a subject very dear to my heart. I firmly stand and believe in the King James version of the Bible. I truly believe it is the most accurate version. When I read her post I felt led to share it,because it's a subject I've wanted to post about for a while,but just haven't had the words. This was exactly what I wanted to say. Thanks Brandy!

THE KING JAMES BIBLE

By Pastor Dennis Dills

THE PRESERVED WORD

We have seen the moral fiber of our nation crumble before our eyes. Who would ever have believed we would see the things we see today? Surely, we are living in the closing moments of the day of Grace. The Lord Jesus Christ is about to come for His children.

We ask ourselves, “How has our moral principles been destroyed?” “Why is there so much confusion in our land on what is right and what is wrong?” “Why is there so many different bibles?” “Which one should I use and study?” Let us try to answer these questions.

The Devil is the author of confusion. He has always been out to destroy lives of individuals and destroy the biblical principles that govern the survival of people and nations. His best weapon to do so is to put question marks around the WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLE. This he has been doing since man was created in the Garden of Eden.

Look at the question mark and the change the Devil made in the Word of God in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Do you see the question mark causing Eve to doubt the Word of God? Now notice her answer and the changes that are made.Genesis 3:2-4 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Now you see where Eve and the Devil have changed what God has said. The Devil does his work by changing and altering the Word of God. His methods have not changed today either. That is the reason for so many different versions (or perversions) of the Bible. These are given to confuse men and women in order to keep them from giving their lives to the Lord.

CONFUSION

Multitudes are confused about which Bible is the correct one. Many arguments are made in defense of certain translations. Some argue that they study from a certain version simply because it is easier to understand. The real question that should be asked is not “is it easier to understand?”, but “does it come from God?”

Over the past one hundred years, the Devil has really been changing and perverting the Bible. The sad fact is that many preachers (or hirelings?) have jumped track and endorsed many different versions. Many have even gone from one version to another and then to others. The Bible has been changed and revised so many times that now people are confused about which Bible is the one that is Divinely inspired of God.

GOD THUNDERS A WARNING

God has a warning concerning the tampering of the BIBLE………

Revelation 22:18,19: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The Bible is the only rule book man has to live by that will hold his morals high and bless his soul. When it becomes perverted, man becomes perverted in his thinking. Each time the Bible is revised or rewritten, many things are changed and often times omitted.

By now you probably are asking, “Which Bible is the correct one? The AUTHORIZED KING JAMES BIBLE, is the correct one. As a matter of a fact, if you don’t have an Authorized King James Bible, you need to throw it away and get one. Most all revised versions have been rewritten from the King James Bible.

When the Revised Version came out, many thought it was good. They began to study from it. Preachers endorsed it and began preaching and teaching from it. Later, it too was not sufficient, so another version came out and then another and then another etc.

Many made such spill over the “Good News For Modern Man” book. It carried the lime light for a while and faded away. The paraphrased “Living Bible” made the scene with its vulgarity, and many went wild over it. Now multitudes have jumped over the “New International Version (NIV). It too, has changed the meanings of many verses and also omitted several others. Books that are called Bibles are being produced every day. This will continue until JESUS COMES.

WARNINGWoe unto the preacher or teacher who will endorse these perversions and feed young converts these changes of the Word of God. The NIV has become more popular than any other perversion of our day. It could very well be the “One World Bible”.

Many will say, “But the King James bible is hard to understand”. Others will say, “The new versions are easier to understand”. Just remember that the Bible has come from God and not man. If we want to know more about the Bible, we must know the author of the Bible. Nobody knows more about the Bible than the author of the Bible. The Author of the Bible is God.

The Bible was written by over forty writers but they were led by the same Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:20,21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.Therefore, to know the Bible, we must know the God of the Bible. In order to know the God of the Bible, we must have a personal relationship with the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ, we must first be introduced to Him by the Holy Spirit. This is accomplished through the preaching of the Word of God. The preaching of the Word of God brings conviction to the sinner. The sinner then has the choice of accepting or rejecting the plan of salvation as introduced to him through the Bible. So you see, it is important that the Bible be not altered to change its meaning. Look at what God says:

Isaiah 55:8,9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Man will never be able to understand the Bible unless he obtains his understanding from God through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It takes the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our study of the Bible to teach us the truths we need to know.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

THE BIBLE IS NOT UNDERSTOOD BY NATURAL MAN

The Bible cannot be understood by the man or woman who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The Bible calls the lost man a natural man.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The first thing that must be done in order to start understanding the Bible is to make sure you have given your heart to the Lord. The next thing you should do is not to forsake the study of it daily. As you study, you will find many, many verses you will not understand. Don’t fret or worry about that, just keep on studying. Remember, a new born baby does not eat steak the day after its birth. It has to grow until it has teeth and able to chew. You will have to do the same. Don’t let the Devil ruin your Christian life by trying to substitute the Bible (The King James) with another version (perversion). The Devil’s goal has always been to destroy the Bible and then he can destroy our lives, our homes, and our country.

To alter or change the Word of God is to change the plan of God for man. God has chosen His Word to convict, convince, and convert man from the penalty of sin. Man may try to change the fact of the New Birth, Heaven, or Hell in his so-called better translations, but this will not change the mind of God. It may soothe the minds of men but it will not change the facts. God’s Word is forever settled.

Romans 10:13-15,17: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Why should man even try to change the old King James Bible? It has brought more to Jesus and done more for mankind than all of the other so-called bibles put together.

SATAN ATTACKS

If the Devil cannot make people change versions of the Bible, he will attack them in another avenue. Usually, he tries to get people to doubt the Inspiration of the Bible. He places clouds of doubt upon the Bible by saying that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions. The Authorized King James Bible is without error and contradictions. Any so-called contradictions will be found between the ears and not between the covers of the Bible.

Remember, the Bible is the most hated, despised, and fought against Book that has ever been on the face of the earth. The reason the Devil hates this book is because it exposes him for who he is, a master deceiver. He has always fought the Word of God. The Bible is the most protected and preserved book available to man. God promised that He would preserve the Bible.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

The King James Bible is the most fought against Bible today. This alone should cause the skeptics, the mockers, and the scoffers to stand up and take notice. Man would have to be blind and willingly ignorant not to be able to see this.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Devil has introduced so many different bibles until there is so much confusion in the land. Our children and grand-children are the ones who will really suffer. This nation is in real trouble because it has forsaken the Word of God. Who would ever have believed that it would one day be wrong to read the Bible and pray in our public schools. But long before prayer and Bible reading was taken out of our schools, it was taken out of our homes. We the parents have allowed the Devil to rob us of a real heritage from the Lord.
ATTACKS FROM WITHIN

Some publishers have been taking liberties with the text of the King James Bible. These changes are being made to the King James Bible without changing the name of it. Many do not even know this is being done. This shows how deceitful and wicked the Devil really is. We will give you the changes that are being made that we know about. Please check your Bible to see if yours has been changed. Remember, we are talking about Bibles that are marked King James.

They have taken the liberty to not capitalize the word “spirit” in many places. To capitalize the “s” in “spirit” is proper when referring to the Holy Spirit. Check the following verses in your King James Bible to see if they have been tampered with. These should have the word “Spirit” capitalized.
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 Genesis 1:2 Genesis 41:38  Judges 3:10  Judges 6:34  Judges 11:29 Judges 13:25  Judges 14:6 Judges 14:1  Judges 15:14 I Samuel 10:6 I Samuel 10:10 I Samuel 11:6  I Samuel 16:1  I Samuel 16:14 I Samuel 19:2  I Samuel 19:2 II Samuel 23:2 I Kings 2:16 II Chronicles 15:1 II Chronicles 18:23 II Chronicles 20:14 II Chronicles 24:20 Job 33:4 Isaiah 40:13  Isaiah 48:16 Isaiah 59:19  Isaiah 61:1 Isaiah 63:10  Isaiah 63:11  Isaiah 63:14  Ezekiel 11:5  Ezekiel 11:24  Matthew 4:1

By making these changes the Devil has set out to deny the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches a Trinity, One God, manifested in three Persons. The Holy Spirit is not a force, He is a Person. He is honored with a capital “S”.

Now, we will give you some word changes that have been made.

OLD TESTAMENT CHANGES

1. The word rereward changed to rearward in Numbers 10:25, Joshua 6:9, Joshua 6:13, I Samuel 29:2, Isaiah 52:12, and Isaiah 58:8.

2. The word his changed to this in Deuteronomy 17:20

3. The word or changed to and in Joshua 19:2.

4. The word travail changed to travel in Numbers 20:14.
5. The word emerods changed to hemorrhoids in I Samuel 6:4,5,11,17.
6. The word sin changed to sins in II Chronicles 33:19

7. The word flieth changed to fleeth in Nahum 3:16.

8. The word ye changed to he in Jeremiah 34:16.

9. The word lender changed to leader in Proverbs 22:7.

NEW TESTAMENT CHANGES

1. The word further changed to farther in Matthew 26:39.

2. The word winefat changed to winevat in Mark 12:1

3. The word ensample changed to example in I Corinthians 10:11, Philippians 3:17, I Thessalonians 1:7, II Thessalonians 3:9, I Peter 5:3, and II Peter 2:6.

4. The word hoised changed to hoisted in Acts 27:40.

5. The word we changed to who in I Thessalonians 5:14.

6. The word throughly changed to thoroughly in II Timothy 3:17.

7. The word inhabiters changed to inhabitants in Revelation 12:12.

If your King James Bible has been tampered with, check some of your older Bibles that you have and you will see the difference. This shows how subtil the Devil is.

All of these changes may have not occurred in your Bible, but if any have yours has been corrupted. Different publishers are changing different places. Who gives them the liberty?

There should be no question about which Bible to read and study. There is only one Bible that is Divinely Inspired, Inerrant, and Infallible, THE KING JAMES BIBLE. God has promised us good success in life if we will honor His Word. Don’t let the Devil steal your blessings and blind your eyes by placing question marks in your mind concerning the Bible.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalms 119:9-11: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Let the arguments cease. Look in the front of your Bible to see if it is a copy of the AUTHORIZED KING JAMES BIBLE. If it does not read this, throw it away and obtain a copy. Then, read it, study it, and meditate upon it. Direct your life with it. Guide your home with it. We need to live by the Word of God. If we live right by the Word of God, then we can die right by the Word of God.

By now many have probably gotten many arguments with the contents of this booklet., but there is coming a day when the arguments will stop.

Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Philippians 2:9-11: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Many will say that the version you carry and use is not important. This is another tactic the Devil presents. It is time that God’s people realized that it is important what they carry for a Bible. Many people carry these perversions simply because they do not know any better. They have not stopped to analyze the seriousness of the matter. But now, YOU ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE, YOU HAVE READ THE TRUTH.

Our children are being raised and spiritually raped in a cold lax environment concerning spiritual things. If preachers and church leaders do not hold to something our children will fall for everything. It is high time that we get seriously concerned about the Word of God. People have turned a deaf ear to the truth.

Jeremiah 6:15,16: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
If God’s people desire to know the truth they must have an open mind. If your mind is closed, then you will be offended at the truth. An open mind and an open heart will bring the truth to the soul every time. We will all stand and give an account of how we have handled God’s Word. It is wrong to tamper with His Book.

Please earnestly pray for God to show you the truth. Don’t allow the Devil to convince you that this issue is of little or no importance. The only WEAPON we have against the Devil is the Word of God. When we are confused about the Bible then we will have trouble fighting him.

Remember, the Devil hates the Bible because it is and it declares the truth. The Devil hates the truth. He is not of the truth.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Devil also hates the Bible because it tells him where he is going:

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

I have been blessed!

Please Be Patient As The Video Loads.

 It may take a minute.

I Have Been Blessed

Verse 1

When He walks among us, all that He does

All of His mercy and all of His love

The pen of the writer could write everything

Even his words could never contain

How I have been blessed

Warmth in the winter, flowers in spring

The laughter of summer or the changing of leaves

Food on my table and a good place to sleep

Clothes on my back and shoes on my feet

 I have been blessed

Arms that will raise and a voice that can talk

Hands that can touch and legs that can walk

Ears that can listen and eyes they can see

Oh I've got to praise Him as long as I breathe

Oh I have been blessed

Chorus:
I have been blessed, God is so good to me
Precious are His thoughts of you and me
No way could I count them there is not enough time
So I'll just thank Him for being so kind
God has been good, so good
I have been blessed


A Father and Mother who nurtured and raised
My Brothers and sisters and the memories made
My pastor to lead us, this alter to pray
The stripes that can heal and blood that can save
Oh I have been blessed

We live in a country, the greatest on earth

The flag stands for freedom and what it is worth.

She stands in the harbor, Miss Liberty calls

All have gave some but some have gave all

For me to be blessed

He's my shoulder to lean on when I am so down
The Rock where He leads me,when I'm so overwhelmed
The place where He hides me ,under his wing
He's not just a song but He's the reason I sing
Oh I have been blessed!

Unfamiliar Grounds

Today,I woke up early and had my sweet foster baby on my mind. I thought about her at 4 AM and just couldn't seem to think on anything else...not even going back to sleep, as much as I had planned to sleep in until 6AM. I couldn't help but reflect on where God has brought us so far with her. I thought of how scared I was of her in the beginning,but of how God helped me through my fears, so that I could be the foster mom this special little girl needed me to be.
I remembered when we first met her that no one could tell us for sure that she would ever be able to be like other babies or "normal" as they put it. I remember standing in the NICU with two of her many therapists and them telling me how hard they had worked with her ,but that nothing had really made a difference that they had done. I remember after meeting her,that I came home and went through some sleepless nights. I was scared of the unfamiliar world of the NICU and special needs. I told my hubby that I was scared and that I wasn't so sure that I was capable of taking care of a "medically fragile" baby, as she was also labeled. My mind said,"This may be to much for you to take on" and "What if something goes wrong?",but my heart said,"Don't walk away from something you've been asked to do".  I remember standing in tears and asking our church family to pray for us, as we stepped out on unfamiliar grounds.
I believe the feelings I felt that day were probably very similar to the feelings Peter felt when Jesus asked him to step out of the boat on water. Peter must have thought, Lord. you are asking me to do something I don't know how to do. Peter's heart must have been racing and his knees probably shaking as he slowly stepped out of that boat that day.
Then I thought of little David and how he stood and faced a giant. He must have felt so small and inadequate,but God looked at him as useful and able. David must have thought and questioned God. I can imagine him asking,"Lord are you sure I can do this?". After all, David was only a boy.
You will find many examples in the Bible of how God took ordinary people through unfamiliar places to do unfamiliar things, and through their obedience, He done some great things. However, He didn't stop there, back in those Bible days (as my little boy calls it),he still does that today. He is still just as real as He was then and He is still seeking those who are willing to step out on unfamiliar grounds to do his work (what He asks of us). Sometimes, the unfamiliar and uncomfortable are not pleasant places to find yourself in. Too often we get caught up in our own comfort and happiness and this hinders God's work in our lives. In order for God to be able to use us, mold us, grow us, and to mature us, we must  first be willing to step out of the boat. We must be willing to put "self" aside...after all it's not about us.
God needs people who are willing to make a difference. He needs people who are willing to get up off the pews. He needs people who are willing to share what they have ,even though it may seem so little and inadequate (Remember how Jesus fed the multitude?). He needs people who are more concerned with God's work than their own comfort & happiness (Remember Jonah?). He needs people who are willing to give up their own time and to do as asked (Remember Noah?). He needs people who are willing to go the extra mile ,even when they're weak and worn (Remember Job?). He needs people who will step out of their comfort zone into to the unknown of unfamiliar grounds.
Are you willing? The world is full of spectators ,but not nearly enough of "God's will" participators. Are  you willing to step out of the boat today? Is God trying to use you ,but you are letting "self" get in the way? If God can use someone like me, then He can use anyone. He can use you too!

Mandarin Orange Cake

Ingredients

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, undrained

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon orange extract

TOPPING:

2 cups cold milk

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions
Drain oranges, reserving juice. Set oranges aside. In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, oil, eggs, orange extract and reserved juice on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For topping, in a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in pineapple and reserved oranges, then fold in whipped topping. Frost the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 12-16 servings.



Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Howellville News

Well,I figured it was a good time for our weekly update. I thought today would be a good day to post about this week,because Saturday & Sunday always seem to keep me so tied up:) So here I go...let me think...hmmm So what do I have to share? Well, here is my randomness for this week.
This week has been a good week! For the most part it has been really calm. On the 3rd, our sweet Lil Jelly Bean (our foster baby) turned 6 months old!!! Can you believe she is 6 months already? Time just passes way to fast. She is still so very small. When people see us out and about in public they always stop us and ask us."How old is your baby?" When I tell them, the next thing I always hear is,"She is so tiny" and then "Was she a preemie?" I guess people don't expect a 6 month old to weigh 11 pounds. Brookelyn Shae weighed that at 2 months. She is a little bitty girl with a great big wonderful personality. She is a quiet little baby and pretty much content all the time. The only thing she doesn't like is riding in a carseat...other than that she's all smiles. Her little voice matches her size. When she cries it's hard to hear her ,because she cries so tiny too. She is the only 11 pound baby I've ever met that has enough hair to pull it up in piggy tails. Hubby said half her weight is her hair...lol She's got tons. Overall Jelly Bean is just like every other 6 month old. She loves to play peek-a-boo and she loves to be tickled. Everyone seems to always want to hold her and treat her like a tiny newborn. However, she likes to try to stand up and to practice setting up. She enjoys rolling around in the floor and she would rather you hold her upright so she can see things. She loves the walker, however even at the lowest setting she cannot reach the floor. She needs to grow a few more inches. At last check (last week) she was 22 inches long. She's a real live baby doll ,as my mom calls her. She has come a long ways and been through alot. She is for sure a miracle from God.
This week we celebrated TWO birthdays,as you saw in my past post. However, we are really celebrating their special day on Saturday. We have a fun filled busy day planned for them tomorrow:)
My son-in-law Corey as I mentioned in my last family update, has still been having problems with his foot. He went to see an orthopedic surgeon this week and they done a sonogram and found that his foot was indeed broken...so wonder he was in so much pain. They are going to do a MRI this coming week and if it is broken how they think it may be, then he is going to have to have surgery and have a plate put in his foot, but we are praying that it won't be and that he won't need surgery.Please keep him in your prayers.
This week we started on our home improvements. For a while now, I've wanted to change the look of the inside of my house. It's not that I don't like it. It's that my house goes through alot of traffic daily and it is really starting to show...plus I'm really bored with it. It's looked the same for years.
 We started on the girls rooms first. Both girls are getting newly painted walls, bedding, curtains, mattresses,etc I'm really excited about this. Even Jelly Bean is getting a new bed(crib) and new bedding. She has been sleeping in the bassinet part of my pac-n-play and it's plenty big enough for her, but soon she too will be crawling and pulling up, so we've decided to go ahead and have her little corner ready.
Jacob has started practing ball every evening. He loves football!!! He changed teams this year and decided to go within our own district and he is so excited about the move....we are too. It is so much closer, and we actually know some of the kids & their parents. I think the move will be good for him. He is really looking forward to his first game. He actually gets to play his first game at the Atlanta dome. He will be playing after the Falcons ,during half time.
Public school started back in our county today,and I'm excited because I got back my past two babysitting kids!!!They've been out for the summer. I'm so ready for scheduled & organized days again. However, Jacob doesn't start back to school until Sept 1st. Between now and then we are just going to enjoy the last few days of Summer.
Hubby has been working so hard. Betwen work and football practice he has been busy. He has been blessed with work. So many here are struggling to find work, so having a job is for sure a blessing and one he doesn't take for granted. If you remember a while back the state of GA had some major flooding and the worst area hit was where my hubby works. If you remember,he missed a good bit of work and we were very worried that he would loose his job. Little did we know that God was going to use that storm to bless our family. Hubby's company has allowed him and some others to clean up and recycle much of the damaged equipment. This has kept my hubby very busy & working loooong hours,however,this has been wonderful extra income for us. I praise God forthis blessing. It's amazing how God can use storms to bless lives the way He does.
We are still shopping for two vehicles. We are wanting a small car for Katie and a family ride. We've been tossing around what we think will be the best choice for us. I've prayed that God will lead us to the ones that will match our budget and also last us many years & miles. Brent too will soon need something,but for now we are focusing on a family ride and on Katie. Hubby's truck has over 300 thousand miles and my mini has over 200 thousand miles,so we've been very blessed that they've carried us this long,but we know that the ticker is ticking and their time is about up. We hope our next vehicles will be just as good. Some of the ones we are comsidering is either a mercury mountaineer, ford explorer xlt with the third row, an expedition, or possibly a ford windstar...yes we are looking for a ford. My hubby is a ford man. It runs in his blood...lol We need atleast 7 seats ,because we always have kids with us and anything with four doors would be very nice too for getting carseats in and out. As for Katie, we just want a small dependable car at a good price.
As for today, we are going to continue working/painting the girl's rooms and we are going out for Girl's night out with friends tonight!
Tomorrow, I plan to rise early and help the church with our community food pantry. We just started this program and last week our church had to opportunity to supply three families with food/groceries. I'm really excited that our church is doing this. We have a caring church family and a church that wants to make a difference by helping others.
After that, I plan to head out with the kids for a fun filled day. We will be celebrating Jon & Ashley's birthday ,but also Jacob's since his is coming up very soon.
Next weekend, we will celebrate Bailey's third birthday. She will be having a Dora pool party this year and this will be the first time we bring together all of our family with all of her bio family to have one big celebration for her. Before we always had our own party and then they had their own party for her, but this year at Bailey's request we are all getting together to celebrate her special day. She's such a blessing to so many people.
And as for sunday, we will be attending church & resting all day.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
God Bless,

There are two requirements

for our proper enjoyment of

earthly blessings which

God bestows on us- a thankful

reflection on the goodness of the

Giver and a deep sense of the

unworthiness of the receiver.

The first should make us grateful,

the second should humble us.

~Hannah More

Real Moms...Real Jesus

**Book Review**

Real Moms...Real Jesus

Meet The Friend Who Understands

By Jill Savage

About The Book

Tired of feeling like no one understands?

Have you ever wondered how Jesus could know what it's like to be a mom?

Well guess what? He knows exactly how you feel.

 Jill Savage the founder of Hearts at Home introduces the "real" Jesus to real moms through this book. The chapters of this book share with you just how much your everyday life has in common with Jesus' life. From over-crowded schedules, the people who take up your time ,things that try your patience, to the laundry that never ends,along with the rest of the stuff being a mom brings. Jill breaks it down and helps you to see that Jesus went through pretty much what us moms go through every day. He understands where you are, why you're there, why you are the way you are ,etc But above all He loves you and He wants to be your friend.

This is a great book!!! I really enjoyed reading it and I saw things in my life that I needed to work on and things I needed to let go of. I give this book 5 stars. It really is worth it's money and the time it takes to read it.

I really like Jill. She is open & honest. She and I have very similar personalities and I guess that's why I clicked with her. As I read this book, I found many times that I said, "Wow! I never realized that ,but that is so me".

If you are a mom and you want to meet someone who knows how you feel...then look no further.

A few topics that are covered in this book...

You are not alone

How can God understand?

Discovering God's truth

Everyone wants a piece of me

Can I go to the bathroom alone?

I'm in high demand

Is there such a thing as uninterrupted sleep?

I'm dealing with disobedience

I'm so tired

I feel like I'm on display

Being confident

Feeling betrayed

Being disappointed

Never having enough money

I need a break

Now, can you relate to any of those above??????

I know I sure did. If you can relate then this is the book for you.

Happy Birthday To My Twins!!

I will never forget the day that I went in for my sonogram

and the lady said, "I see two!"

"You are having twins!"

That was the one and only sonogram that my Hubby ever missed. I remember coming out and telling him that we were having twins. He didn't believe me...lol He thought I was joking. He had made a comment a few days before that I looked bigger than I did with the other two and he said "You like you are having twins"... He ate those words...lol

And the adventure began....

I was ALL baby...all 40 pounds of baby.

40 doesn't sound like that much until you realize I was barely

100 pounds when I got pregnant. So 40 was huge for me.

The doctors said I'd never carry them to term or even be able to have them naturally. Plus, Jon was laying wrong and because of that neither baby would be able to come naturally. So they scheduled a C-section for August 4th. But, on Aug 3rd, I went into labor. As soon as I got to the hospital things kicked in gear and I was prepared for a C-section. They done a sonogram to check babies positions and to their surprise Baby- B "Jon" had flipped over night. They couldn't believe it,because he had so little room,but he did it.

So I chose to go naturally.

Ashley arrived first after 20+ hours of active labor and two failed epidurals. Jon changed his mind and decided he wanted to stay inside. Finally after 26 minutes and a bag of pitocin they suctioned pulled him out. That was probably the longest most scary minutes of my life. To our surprise, the twins turned out to be the biggest baby I had carried (Ashley- 6 lbs & 10ozs) and the smallest (Jon-5 lbs &12 ozs). I had managed to carry my twins for 39 weeks & 3 days and their weight combined was over 12 pounds...so wonder it was so hard to walk & breathe:)

But, it was sooooooo worth it!!!!!!

They were welcomed home by their big sisters

Anna-age 3 and Katie-age 1.

Yes, I had my hands full but I LOVED it!!!!!!

Everyday was something new.

Below is a picture from their very 1st birthday,

and below is one from their second birthday.

Being the mom of twins has been a blessing.

I have loved being their mom.

I can't thank God enough for my kids.

That was then and this is now...

It's so hard to believe they are really 17 years old. Their baby days have been long gone and replaced now with teen things. If I could go back and re-live their early days I would. I enjoyed them so much, but I still do. I love the people they have turned out to be. At some point along the way our relationship changed a bit from just being mom and child to also being friends. I love you Jon & Ashley with all my heart. You both are so VERY precious to me.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday and many many more.

Love, Mom

A Curtsy & A Bow

Carrie over at A Curtsy & A Bow

 www.acurtsyandabow.com

Made this adorable little outfit for Brookelyn Shae.

She done a wonderful job and we are so pleased with it.

If you have a little princess in your life,

then you might want to stop by her site

to check out all of her adorable items.

She has some really cute things.

Brookelyn and her MeMe give Carrie

at A Curtsy and A Bow

four thumbs up!

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Dessert

Yesterday, The girls and me made this awesome dessert. It was so good. However, I left off the peanut butter and I didn't layer it like the recipe called for, but it was still amazing. I used the Hershey's hot fudge topping, instead of the syrup.

Next time, I might go by the recipe...lol But then again it was so good that I might not. One more thing...If you will fix it a day early and put it in the freezer, it is even better on day two.

I give this dessert 5 *****stars!!!!

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts
Directions
1.Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes on high. Do not allow to boil. Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
2.Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwiches. Spread half the whipped topping over the sandwiches. Spoon half the chocolate mixture over that. Top with half the peanuts. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.

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Try to make at least one person happy everyday, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand 6 hundred and fifty persons happy or brightened a small town by your contribution.