A few fun pictures from the birthday party:)

Our friends had a triple birthday party!!!
All three of their littlle ones have back to
back birthdays so they celebrated together today!!!
We had a blast!!!



Happy 3rd birthday Libby!

Happy 2nd birthday Jaeden!

Happy 5th birthday Christian!

She was so tired

A sweet moment I captured:)

Thanks for letting us share this day with you!!!!

New Pictures

I added more pics over at my other blog,so stop by there if you'd like to take a peep:) I know I take to many pictures, but oh well, it makes me happy. You will need to keep scrolling down, because I've added several....way to many...I know :) *smile* Enjoy!!!!!

(((hugs)))Sandy

Have a great weekend!

Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful weekend. My plans are to try to catch up with my comments, tags, and emails this weekend and I hope to get to visit each of your sites and catch up.I'm sorry for my lack of responding but AT&T's email merged with yahoo and it has so messed up my incredimail(which is where my mail goes ,so I can't seem to sign in to my email except on my old pc...grrrrr So my mail is behind and very backed up. I've got to try to figure out how to fix that this weekend. Sometimes I just hate when things get updated ,because it seems to mess up everything and it's so frustrating.
I also wanted you all to know that I do have a facebook now,so if you want to add me there just send a request:) If you scroll down and look to the left of the screen, I added a box for networked blogs/facebooks. If you click on it we can be friends here and on facebook:) Just wanted to let you know.
(((hugs))))to you all!
Sandy

Another get to know you thingy...

1.What is the weather like where you are? sunny and hot
2.Who was your first best friend? Stacy
3.Who knows you best? God ,but other then Him my Hubby, kids, or my BFFs
4.Do you have a temper? If I'm pushed to my limit.
5.Have you ever flew in an airplane? twice...It was fun!!!!
6.Have you ever been on a cruise? Just a one day one
7.Have you ever rode on a train? Only at the zoo
8.Where is the fartherest you've been from home? Washington DC
9.Do you plan to move in the next 12 months? No, but I wish I could talk hubby into it.
10.What are your parents names? JoAnn & Donnie(are my parents) Kenneth is my bio dad.
11.Do you have brothers/sisters? two...one in Heaven and one on earth...both are brothers
12. Can you swim? yes
13. Name one thing you like about yourself. My eyes
14. Name one thing you DO NOT like about yourself. How I let things get to me that I shouldn't.
15.Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?Ashley
16.What time did you wake up today?4:45 but I went back to sleep until 6 AM.
17.What is your favorite animal? I guess Dog
18.Where did you go today?To pick up Bailey and then to Nanny's.
19. Do you have kids? A quiver full:) As the Bible puts it.
20. What is the worst sound to hear? nails on a chalk board
21.Who is the last person who sent you a card? Felicia...Thank you so much!
22. Who is the last person you wrote a letter to? DFCS I sent them a letter of agreement for the cost of childcare.
23.What kind of soap do you like best?dial
24.What kind of perfume/cologne do you like best?Lovespell
25.Who is the last person you called?I think Wendy
26.Are you happy or sad today?Happy :)
27.Have you ever been in an accident? Yes, several fender benders in the car,and a 4-wheeler wreck. Also, I got 2nd/3rd degree burns to my legs from a bonfire. I fell out of the back of a truck and busted my head and had to have stitches. I ran through some mud and stepped on a broken quart jar and cut my heal almost all the way off and had to have it sewed back on. I was my mom's accident prone child. Oh one more thing, I rolled in a car when I was a teen but I wasn't hurt...thank God!!!!!!!!
28.Have you ever broken a bone?yes my foot from a 4-wheeler
29. Have you ever had surgery?yes to remove a cyst growing on my back
30.Have you ever played sports?I was a cheerleader for a time, I ran track in highschool, I also played basketball for a while.
31.Did you graduate highschool?Yes but not with my class:( I graduated with an equivalency diploma from a secondary school.
32. Can you sing? Yes, but I don't that great:)
33. Can you dance?Yes I can!
34.Can you play an instrument?I use to play the flute
35.Have you ever been in the newspaper?Yes for track and for Good grades
36. Have you ever been on TV?No but I've had a chance twice to be.
37.Have you ever wrote a book?no, but maybe I should:)
38.What type(s) of music do you like?Gospel, country, but southern gospel is best.
39.What month were you born?August
40.Where do you like to shop most?Wally world (walmart) It has pretty much everything(basic needs) that I need in one place.

What's Happening in Howellville?

Well, I figured it was about time to stop in and update you on the wild bunch:)
Well, where do I start?
I guess I'll start with last Friday. On Friday, Anna, Corey, and me met up with Samantha and ate dinner at her place.
On Saturday, things went a little different this year. I'm use to having the whole gang home on the 4th and we always spend the whole day together and then we go to one of the nearby park, but this year things were different. On Saturday morning, the boys (Brent, Jacob, and Jon) spent most of their day at a mud bog with some friends.
The girls (Katie & Ashley) went to the lake with some friends.
That left just Anna, Corey, and me. So we left and went out to eat for lunch and then that evening we met up with Brent, the boys ,and Bailey's family at Helton Highland for the fireworks show. We had a really good time. Well everyone ,but Bailey. She did not like the fireworks at all. She hid her face the whole time. After the show, she came home with us to spend the night:)
On Sunday, we went to church and then we pretty much set around and played with Bailey until it was time to take her home.
These last couple of days have been nothing ,but mostly focusing on school for me...grrr I haven't had that many kids this week,so I've been doubling up as much as I can on my school work. I just want to be done with it. I have been getting a lot of practice in thanks to my friends who have allowed me to photograph their kids.
I've also been trying to get caught up on here with everyone... I'm soooooo behind,as you can tell. My time on the computer has mostly been on and right back off this week.
~~~
Kristy, I still haven't gotten to read through your book ,but I hope to get to that this week:)
~~~
As for the bloggy awards that I've been sent ...thank you so much everyone. I really appreciate them, but as you can tell I haven't gotten them added. As I said, I'm sooooooooooooo behind.
Life has been keeping me extra busy.
~~~ I Also, would like to take this time to welcome all of the Bog Hoppers that have hopped by to say hello this week. I hope that what you find here will be a reflection of what God has given me. I hope that you will hop away feeling glad that you chose to visit my blog. ~~~
I appreciate all the comments & emails that I have received over the last few days. I'm sorry that I haven't been able (yet) to reply to each one, but just know I appreciate all the feedback you've given me. I'll be by to visit your blogs very soon! Please stop by again anytime.
(((hugs))) Sandy

Today's Devotion

Verse-1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Thoughts-
When we pray we say; use me Lord; I will go anywhere. Truth is sometimes we really mean use me Lord as long as it is in my community, in my comfortable circle of friends. We find excuses why we cannot visit those that are hospitalized, or in a nursing facility, or prison. Fact is many times we obey when we want to. We forget who is the Master and who is the servant. We get the attitude that God needs us. Well, He doesn't. If we refuse to do what He calls us to do heaven will not be shaken and His work will not fail. God gives us a choice. Whichever way we choose carries its own reward; blessing or curse it is up to us. Deuteronomy 11:26-28. Choosing to obey may be uncomfortable, we may not like it, it may mean going where we really don't want to go, loving those who are difficult and reject our love, forgiving the unforgivable. But we will reap the rewards of blessings.

New Pictures

If you haven't stopped by my picture blog lately, stop by sometime. I've added several new pics over the last few days. I'm still practicing like crazy. Let me know what you think:) I'm not that great yet, but I hope everyday that I'll get better. (((hugs))) Sandy

Where are you???

Hey my bloggy buddies!!! I have a question:) I was wondering where all of you are from (Where do you live?????) I am just being curious:) You don't have to be specific...you can just share your state.

I thought it was pretty interesting the other day when someone else asked this same question on her blog and come to find out some of her readers were also her neighbors and she didn't even know it... It must be a small world after all!

Also,
Happy 4th of July everyone!
I hope you all have a safe and fun day!
This is a family day for us,so I'll be spending it with the wild bunch.Holiday + Camera + Family= FUN!!!!!!

Start Over!

Well, here we are in a new month "JULY"and today is a brand new day!!!! It's your chance.
Start Over!
If you failed at something that you had planned before this month/day, then here is your chance.
Start Over!
Yesterday's mistakes belong to yesterday. They can't be changed. So dust off your mistakes. Forget about them. They won't do anything ,but weigh you down. So go ahead now and just dust them off. You know you want to.
Start Over!
Did you have a goal that you didn't reach? Did you miss a call that you should have made? Did you go to church as you should? Did you read/study your Bible daily? Did you keep promises? Did you cancel dates? Did you stick with your diet? Was you reliable? Did you let your friends & family down? Did you fail to say something you should have said? Did you fail to learn what you should have learned? Did you help the one who had asked? Did you forget to say sorry when you should have? Did you give it your best? If not, don't waste today worrying about yesterday.
Start Over!
What ever it is no matter how big or small and I'm sure you're thinking about it right now, let it go...let it go...let it go my friend.... and just....Start Over because you can!!!! ~~~~~This is the day which the LORD hath made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Blog Hop

Hi! We are the Howell Family from Georgia USA! We are a Christian, homeschooling, fostering, active, and very blessed family. God has been good to us and He is the very best thing that ever happened to us. To learn more about our family and the things we hold dear to heart, click on the link above that says "Meet My Family" And thanks for stopping by!

More Pictures!!!

I added even more pictures over at my picture blog! So stop by soon!These are pictures from our Family Fun Day @ New Seasons Church
~~~Picture above is some of the fireworks there:)

New Pictures

I just added some new pictures over at my picture blog!
Stop by and visit it soon!

Family Website?

Do any of you have a family website? I have a family site that I started in 2004 for free with geocities , but I was told geocities is closing down next month and will no longer offer free web hosting. So now, I need to find a new host for my family website and I thought I would ask all of you. I really don't mind building a new site,because my other is so outdated, but I hate to see my old one go. Do any of you know a good reasonably priced host????
You can visit my family site if you would like to see it before it is removed. I haven't really updated it since last year, except to notify everyone that it would be closing soon.
http://www.geocities.com/sevenhowells/Welcome.html

What's going on in Howellville?

Well, I figured I'd take a moment and wrap up this week with you before the weekend arrives. Our week in Howellville....
I babysat 3 kids for DFCS this week (ages 6, 2,and 2 months)...which added to mine was a handful ,but tons of fun! I think fostering has taken on a new meaning for me...more on that later.We survived 2 days without a telephone or Internet...I missed you all:) We had one broken bone (JC a friend of Jacob's). Jon is in Tennessee on a youth retreat. Jacob had one appointment that he made on Thursday. Hubby has been working extra long days this week,so I really haven't seen him much. Our baby bunnies opened their eyes and are starting to eat food. Samantha got a new car. Corey & Anna came and spent the day and are coming tonight. Mom, Nanny, and Brent's grandmother are all doing better. I got asked by Holly over at the Blog Frog to be one of the team leaders for the Blog Frog(which was an honor considering they have over 10,000 bloggers they could have chosen).You all really need to join the Blog Frog if you have a blog. It connects you to each other and has cool little widgets:)I'm also working on a list of ideas to make Blog Frog even better and I plan to present that to Holly & Rustin very soon. I passed three more of my tests this week in school. My grade point average so far is 96... I'm really pleased with that. I'm sorry I haven't been adding more of my pics that I've been taking...I've just been so super busy. It's been a little tough trying to juggle school and home, but I know others do it all the time and once summer is over it will get easier. My teens are schooling year round this year. Jacob has taken the summer off because he really needed it.
I received 3 new awards this week and as always I'm sooooooo behind at adding them. I don't think I really deserve them but I really do appreciate them so much. I'll try to get those added over the weekend. I've been studying on the Proverbs 31 woman these last few days. She is what being a beautiful woman in God's eyes is all about. For some time, I've been studying and reading about her, but this week I've put a lot more time into getting to know her and how she lived. She is amazing. She is someone I'd like to be more like. Trinton came and stayed the night with Jacob Wednesday. I've probably changed at least 60 or more diapers and I am not kidding... I'm being serious. I've probably played on DVD about that many cartoons too and lets not forget the bottles of formula I've made and all those baby burps... I've been busy. It's for sure been a kid week around here.
Well, I think that is about it for this week. As for the weekend...
Tonight I am going out to eat with Corey & Anna plus a few extras. Saturday, I am thinking about going to Yogi Bears Jellystone park, but not sure of that yet and Sunday will be church for me. Now it's your turn...tell us about your week:)

I am A Mom

I Am A Mom
I am often asked, "What kind of work do you do?"
I am a mom, a very important job though not impressive to you.
The ladder I climb is not the corporate kind
But one with children following behind.
Smiles, hugs and kisses are my pay
I wouldn't have it any other way.
I cook, I clean, I fold and dry
I drive here and there with no more than a sigh.
I wash faces and hands that are a sight
I'm always ready to referee a fight.
I dry tears and kiss away hurt
Hugging them close and brushing off dirt.
I listen and laugh as my little one learns to talk
I hold out my arms to catch the one learning to walk.
I practice ABC's and counting to ten
Draw pictures and color them.
I trip over toys left on the floor
Clean crayon pictures off the door.
I read favorite stories at bedtime
And tuck bodies in as the clock begins to chime.
All that I do is done with love
Caring for these gifts I was given from above.
To you the job I do may seem small
But to me, "mom" is the most important job of all.

By Cheryl Coursen

More Pics from this week:)

Some of the VBS decorations

Trinton & Amberly

The lighthouse

The pledge to the American flag (Hubby & Bay)

Ashley & Devon

Hubby & Devon

Amberly doing crafts

Babies love bubbles

Hubby was the bubble man

Devon

Kera

Drake

Jake