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Daily Verse

Sunday~
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from you commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:9-11

Why do we try to conform God to our will? Live in His word and know true joy.

Monday~
"Make me to know your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old."
Psalm 25:4-6

God reveals the truth of our time and all time to us through Scripture.

Tuesday~
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the tstimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple: the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb."
Psalm 19:7-10

All the laws in all the books in all the libraries of the world are but a footnote to the law of God.

Wednesday~
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways ackowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

To know and understand God comes not through our intellect, but through the wisdom given to us by the grace of God.

Thursday~
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 3:1-3

Don't measure success by society's standards. Use Christ as your measuring stick.

Friday~
"The the LORD answered Job our of the whirlwind and said: 'Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? Or who laid its cornerstond...?'"
Job 38:1, 4-6

When we measure God by our limited standards, we attempt to measure the elephant by weighing one strand of its hair.

Saturaday~
"Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so lon, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father?'"
John 14:8-9

Christ is God made flesh. If you want to know God, you must draw closer to Jesus.

J.E.N.E

Patch

12.14.03

8.20.04

1.20.05

4.26.05

Anniversary

Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Princess

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Sunshine

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Cupcake

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Love Bug

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Ri-Bear

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

BoBo

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

NiNi

Lilypie Third Birthday tickers

20th Anniversary Trip to Disney

Daisypath Vacation tickers
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Mama Thoughts

 Something has hit me over the past 12 hours that I wasn't ready for.  Something that has brought tears to my eyes several times in that short time!  Last night as we were having Princess and Sunshine say their verse and sing to Cupcake one last time before she is born and then we have bedtime prayers with them I couldn't keep my tears away!  All these thoughts started running through my mind, thoughts that I had not even really considered before then.  You see our children are leaving at noon today with our Pastor and family and will be with them until after Cupcake is born (hopefully sometime tomorrow if the induction goes well!)  So the next time we will all be together we will be a family of fine.  Something we are all very excited about, and I believe Princess and Sunshine are very excited too.  But no one knows how bringing Cupcake into our home will effect our 4 year olds! 

I am sure there will be a transition time where things will be less than lovely with attitudes and behaviors...but I am also sure that big brother and sister will love their baby sister VERY much!  But as a Mama you start thinking about things like 'have I used my time with JUST them well enough' 'have I loved them enough that they know I will still love them even with a baby?' and things of that sort.  They just started creeping into my head!  We have had 'extra' kids around most of their lives through the Patch and also foster care, but all of those children end up going home at some point...they do not stick around!  We are still a very spontaneous family...there are times when at the spur of the moment we decide to run out of the house to get ice cream for fun and with a baby you need to be a little more prepared than that.  So things are going to change.

Anyway, just some thoughts on the day before my induction.  The day my big kids will leave my home with people I fully trust to care for them, but the day that they will take a piece of my heart and a life that will no longer be the same with them only to return to an entirely different situation in a matter of 72ish hours.  So I cry, I cry because I am so happy that we are so blessed.  I cry because I am sad that their lives will change (though in a good way, they may not see it as good at first) and I cry because I am still pregnant and that is what pregnant ladies do! 

But I want Princess and Sunshine to know how very much their Mama and Daddy love them...we love them today, we love them tomorrow, and we love them forever....and bringing Cupcake into our home isn't going to change that! 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Valentines Weekend pt 2

 We closed out the weekend playing Hi Ho Cherry-O and Candy Land!  Our kids thought it was a beautiful way to do it, though the getting ready for bed when we were done wasn't the easiest of nights...but we had fun while it lastest!
 Concentrate!
Cannot wait to see if we are a family of FIVE or SIX for Valentines 2012!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentines Weekend

 Pottery 2 Paint ~ Princess making a pizza plate!
 Sunshine making a piggy bank!
 Hard work on everyone's part!



 She put red 'polk-E-dots' on top for pepperoni!
 Sunshine thought his piggie needed glasses, so Handsome put some on...would have been a really cute pig without them!
 Psalm 119:105 is their very first Sunday School memory verse! 



Every Valentines weekend for the last 3 or maybe even 4 years we have had a 'family weekend.'  We usually take the Friday before V-day off and get a hotel for two nights so we can swim and just have a fun family day!  This year with me being SO pregnant I didn't want to sleep in a bed other than my own and really didn't feel like swimming so we just spent Saturday together as a family.  We went to the local pottery store and the kids each picked a project...Daddy broke the rules by helping Sunshine way MORE than he was supposed to, but the kids had fun any way!  We were given OliveGarden giftcards for Christmas so we used them for our lunch date and then we did a little shopping!  It was a fun LONG day (we actually closed down the mall!) 

While we are not huge on traditions, our kids are starting to remember certain things and that is fun to me!  Valentines family weekend, I believe, will be sticking around for years to come! 

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

February 2011

Happy February! 

*This month is the first of 3 that our daughter COULD be born (since we do not really know our due date!)
*This month Handsome and I will celebrate 8 1/2 years of married life!
*This month holds VALENTINES DAY (a big thing in my book!)
*This month will start off very cold, but we could also see some nice temps too!
*This month holds no negative memories for me! 
*This month will be a good one!

Friday, November 06, 2009

The Minnie Mouse Party





The wonderful Heather made the fun and YUMMY cake!Happy Birthday to you...♫

She blew all the candles out!

Lots of fun gifts from family & friends!

Ethan even opened some!
The great doll house from Grandpa & Grandma!And a kitchen from Mommy & Daddy!

Eric eve got in on the fun!

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

A wonderful blessing...an Aunt!

*Please other Aunts & Uncles do not feel left out, each of you have special moments and things in my heart that some day, too, will probably come out on this blog...but today....today is for Aunt C!


Today is one of my Dad's sisters birthday, AuntCarolyn was brought into this world today and she has been a blessing to me many MANY times over. There are times I didn't always realize what kind of impact she has actually had on my life...but it has been great. There are things I probably do not even realize...but I know alot started when her and UncleDave would allow my brother and I to stay with them and go to VBS at their church. It was their church where I realized I didn't want to live my life without Jesus and in my small little mind knelt beside my bed and asked Him to come into my heart and take me to heaven when I die. Now, as a 26 year old, it seems that is way to easy and there should be more to it...but that is why we are to have child-like faith!

Anyway, I know they prayed for me, and they have always encouraged me. And when it was time to go to college they really encouraged Bible College, and I am thankful for that. But I have a wonderful letter that she shared with me just before I was going to have a pretty major surgery for a scared High School girl. You see when I look back at many of my 'big' things in life...somehow Aunt Carolyn and/or Uncle Dave were there...surgeries, plays, graduation, wedding, preparing for both graduation & wedding. It is amazing. The really cool thing is that my children have already had the blessing of spending some fun & quality time with them when they stayed with us overnight in July of this year!

Something that used to bother me (mostly because I didn't see it, but so many other did) was when people would tell me that I resemble Aunt Carolyn. And I do, I laugh like her and I do carry traits of that side of the family. But as I realized yesterday that today was her day I realized that now when people say that it is a huge compliment...one that I need to strive more at really following, because she is a very godly lady. If I could only watch and learn from her in any and every interaction I have with her there are many things in which I could take and use in my own life to have a better relationship with God. So thank you Aunt Carolyn, thank you for stepping in to make mints for our wedding because I didn't have Grandma to help, thank you for allowing us to stay with you, thank you for sitting in the hospital while I was in surgery...it was still good timing on my part, but most importantly thank you for your prayers and your godly example!

And with that I want to share the letter that I have kept for going on 12 years...the letter that pops up at just the right times here and there when I need a reminder that God is good! I hope it is okay, Aunt Carolyn, that I share:

"Dear Ashley, I want you to know that I have been thinking of you lately regarding your impending surgery. While I have never been in your position, I can easily imagine that you are apprehensive about the surgery and subsequent recovery. We all have fear of the unknown, especially when it involves medical procedures. I am remembering back several years to something you told me when you stayed with us during Bible School. On the way to the program practice you told me that you had put your trust in Jesus. That trust is the only way to have real peace bout your surgery. God will watch over the surgeon and guide him as he corrects your problems. We don't know the end form the beginning like God does, but we can trust him to work things out in the way that is bet for us. Wednesday night I intend to mention your upcoming surgery to the people who are at prayer meeting. We will all be praying for you that night, and I will be praying for you every day. Dave's dad has both of his knees operated on some time on Monday, but I plan to see you in the hospital on Monday as well. Love, Aunt Carolyn"

Now I know this can sometimes be misunderstood...so don't get me wrong here, but when I received this letter in the mail from her back in May of 1998, for my surgery that was on June 1st, if I remember right, it was almost as if God was wispering in my ear that everything was going to be fine. I am greatful for this letter, there were many times laying in waiting between when I received it and when the actual surgery happend less than a week later that I reread it...knowing it was all going to be okay! God did take care of me, and the doctors we amazed at how fast I recovered from such a big sugery. I was actually able to try out for the summer muscial and do some of the dancing in scenes that I was told before hand wouldn't happen! So Aunt Carolyn, I pray you have a wonderful and blessed birthday....thank you for being such a godly example in my life.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Upper Case Living

A couple months ago I was invited to an Upper.Case.Living party that our pastors' wife was having. I had seen some U.C.L before, but not much of it. I looked at the website several times before going to the party and had picked some things that I thought would be nice to have in our house....but, when at the party the U.C.L. lady had some photo books of work that clients had special ordered and I saw one that someone had done like this only it was "The Johnson Family Establish 1994" or something like that (do not remember the exact name and year.) And decided that would be perfect to put up around our family picture.

Well, I was able to put up the 'Established 2002' part by myself the day after it came, but was able to finally wrangle my husbands help a week ago to get the bigger part up. I am very happy with how it turned out! I also ordered some stuff to make Christmas gifts for two family members...but since they are blog readers I cannot show or share anything about it until then!

***Countdown to my Birthday: 5 days!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Topless through the Canyon

The car, that is....was topless! The last day of May we were able to use a friend's Mustang.Convertible to take a drive up the canyon. With all the moisture that we have been receiving, it sure was green! You really notice things you would not have in a car with a top! It was a great afternoon! Thanks Mark!My Bridal Veil Falls!You cannot see Boo, but he is in there!So what does one do while in a topless car? Take pictures of the beautiful clouds!Look straight above the 'tc' in Patch and notice the wind whipped clouds flowing over the thunderhead!The sky was an amazing blue, and the thunderheads looked like they were glowing!I mean really, it was glowing!Then the thunderheads crashed together to form this storm that we tried to outrun!But, we failed and got a little shower!
Even though my Handsome really still doesn't love convertibles, he did enjoy driving one for the day!Looking back over Deadwood...SO.GREEN!Again...
Oh how much fun we had that day. We got to Sturgis and stopped by DQ and headed home for the church's softball game!

***Count down to my Birthday: 9 days!


Friday, June 12, 2009

Memorial Day Fun

One of the big hits while at my parents was the 4-wheeler! At first they didn't want anything to do with it, but since we are such wonderful parents and didn't want them to miss out...we put them on against their wishes and they had a ball!
Daddy was brave and took them both at the same time! Then Mommy decided she wanted to take a drive by herself and the kiddos were not very patiently waiting for their turn!Princess was VERY excited when Mommy came around to get her!Boo stayed back and hung with Grandma Pancake and DaddyThen it was his turnPrincess telling a story (I am sure) and trying to be cute and convincing her Daddy!We made s'mores in a very redneck way (for me to know and not to share) and here Boo is waiting for his second!They really thought they were pretty good treats!But like always, all good things must come to an end. After lunch we had to head West again. It didn't take Boo long to snuggle up to his blanket and sneak his thumb and fall asleep!Around an hour and a half from my parents we ran into some rain, it was raining SO hard that it was difficult to see at times! We did enjoy our time with my parents over Memorial Weekend, and it was very nice of Aunt Lisa & Uncle Jody with Seth, Jess, & Kaylee to come and spend some time at the farm too! Always good to surround yourself with family!
***********************
Another quick little story:
On Sunday afternoon Handsome and I went for a 4-wheeler ride by ourselves. Princess had just gone down for a nap and Boo was hanging out with Grandma and Aunt Lisa so they were in good hands. We didn't take our cell phones and had no intention of being gone very long...but since Handsome & I both grew up around there we decided to drive down memory lane again. This time was all about his childhood.
The first 'stop' on the tour was the acreage that his parents owned when he was small, someone still lives there and the trees were all grown up so we couldn't really see anything. But he did share a few stories.
The next stop was another place that his parents looked at, and he ever remembered some facts about it from when they were looking at it!
The last stop was a rental just alongside Highway 14 that I have driven past so many times...and even while he was living there and I didn't have a clue who he was...nor was I old enough to think about my future husband! It had recently been condemned because it is in such disrepair, but the out buildings were all open so we did a little snooping. There were no 'No Trespassing' signs around. The first thing we noticed as we drove into the yard were boards nailed onto the old barn roof. It is one of those old barns with a hay loft that has 2-3 different slopes on the way up to the point of the roof...Handsome told me those boards were ones that he and his brother had nailed on so they could get to the top and sled off. He got off, was able to force the barn door open, and take a peak inside. You could tell that it was slightly emotional for him, he walked out and pointed to a certain non-painted area of the door frame and told me that was where his sister had taken the mirror off of the old car backing it out. He reported to me that the old roof was caving in, but that barn and hay loft held many memories for him. Driving back a little farther we get to where Handsome and his brother had their 'shop.' The old story (and if you know us you have heard this one) of Hubby and his brother needing lights for their shop so they cut down the pole for the yard light. The first time they didn't plan it right and the pole fell on the light only to break the globe part, so they went to the other yard light and got it right that time...well those lights were still there! They put the broken one up outside the shop and the whole one inside. They wired the lights themselves! Handsomes very first folding ruler was still sitting on the shelf just as plain as day, it is now in our closet on top of his dresser! He showed me where the wood stove sat and how they found anything and everything they could to 'insulate' to keep the heat in! There was an old washing machine motor on the wall that he said they had rigged up so they didn't have to pump the water from the well by hand, and another one where they tried to make a fan! Nothing had been touched in 20 years folks...a real time capsule!
Then we went a little farther back and found 3 small sheds...one was Handsomes house, one was is brothers', and the last was his sisters. We only went in his, but he literally said that other than something a raccoon tipped over it stood exactly as it did when he left it! He had it set up at a house, the front door still had our last name painted across it and inside there were make shift tables, chairs, and other household items set up. A child's dream world if you take 20 years of weather and wild animals away! The wood burner that he had rigged up to drip diesel fuel onto the log so it would burn up and he wouldn't have to haul wood all the time was still there. The little stools him and his brother had made and carved their initials into were there, slightly rotted...but there! I managed to pocket a sword that Handsome had made when he was a little boy...this was incredible to me, but hurtful for him. He thought his parents had saved at least some of this stuff. After seeing what great detail he went to inside, I had to step outside and see the care he took in making his little house a home. He put brick pavers down in front of the door, build a little porch roof and shingled it, and planted iris' outside his home! It is kind of nice to see that he has always been particular...not just with my cleaning (or lack of!) I turned around and saw a pole with chains hanging from it...it made me wonder and I had to ask...he confirmed it was indeed the pole that him and his brother chained his poor sister to for 'not paying rent' and hit her with a bamboo stick! All of these stories I have heard for 7 years were coming to life! He also pointed out that one of the two silos was the one they (his siblings and him) filled with garbage and then started it on fire only to have fireballs shooting out the top!
He showed me where they had one of their two gardens, where the well was, and then we drove up to the main house. It was locked, but we walked around the outside. He showed the the roof that was a little sunk in because one time when he was shoveling snow off of the higher roof he shoveled too much onto the lower part and it sunk in a little. He also showed the the place between 3 lilac bushes that he choose to place with his farm tractors because he always loved lilacs. (He has planted a lilac bush at every place we have lived if they didn't already have one!) A few different make shift repairs he had done himself to the outside of the house. The last stop was peaking in the garage, where the free standing shelves his dad once used to hold his electrical supplies still stood! And he shared with me a story of how he worked in that garage as a little boy one particular time to clean it, working so hard to make his dad proud of him and his dads only comment was that he couldn't find anything.
While this was all very nice for me because I have seen very few pictures from his childhood, it was very painful for him. It brought memories that were not as sweet as one would hope from their growing up years...and brought more unanswered questions than we already had. Questions that I am sure God is protecting us from the answers because we might not be able to handle them. The few details we have regarding the questions are hard enough to swallow...let alone the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!
***Countdown to my Birthday: 12 days!