YIPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I HAVE MY COMPUTER BACK!!!!

More frequent posts coming soon!

Didn't realize how much I used my computer until Toby's was stolen!!! Also, didn't realize that so little actually goes on in our lives that is really worth posting about! :) I really don't have any earth stopping posts to catching up on! Sorry! I'm just glad I am back!

Sleeping Beauty

Sometimes I forget just how little she really is, until I find her in one of these moments. She fell asleep watching a movie!

Awards Sunday X 2

For the last two Sundays, we have had the kid's awards. It was a challenge to get to every one of the classes, but somehow we managed. Of course, the camera made every single one! :)

Ricky won first place in his class.

Nicholas was so cute when he saw me walk in his class.

Nicholas' trophy is almost bigger than he is.

Kensli's 1st Sunday School trophy! She was so proud!

The kids worked hard this year and learned all memory work in their classes. Next week is promotion Sunday, so we will begin a new set of memory work! Kensli is sad that she will be leaving her teachers(1st time to be promoted), but happy she is going to the 4 year old class. As she puts it, "I am 4 years old, you know!"

What a Week !!!!!!

As the old saying goes, "Sometimes you step in it, sometimes you don't!" This week was one of those weeks where we stepped in it and tracked it everywhere.

The Burglary

Tuesday night, Toby came in around 11 pm from Shreveport very tired! He headed inside to eat and go to bed without bringing his laptop or phone with him! That night around 12 a.m. we heard a car alarm but thought it was the neighbors. The next morning we found out we had been wrong! The window had been broken out and his new laptop and blackberry were gone. Boy, did he learn a lesson the hard way!

Thankfully both items stolen were insured, so we will have help in getting new ones. Toby is now sporting a new phone, which works better with his company, and we are waiting on his computer to get here. So, we are a one computer family right now! I feel so disconnected to the world!

Law Suit Filed

We are being sued! I can't really share details until the case is closed, but for those that live around here and possibly saw our names in the paper, everything is fine! We are being sued to get to someone else that did work for us! I'll share details when possible!

Almost Rocket Science

A few weeks ago, Toby start putting together a swing set for the two little ones! It is amazing how much like rocket science putting something together like that can be. If they would just label or number the boards!!Toby is quite handy with tools, but I think he could have built it from scratch faster!

Look at all the boards!

Studying those blooming directions!

Finished Product!!!

Nicholas and Kensli have really enjoyed playing on it so far. It keeps them off the trampoline so the older two can jump!

My New Doctor and Good News

I announced a few months ago that I had Crohns and the struggles that I was going through! Well seems that I may have been misdiagnosed! Saw a new Dr. this week and he said that regardless of what went on or is going on, I do not show signs of being a Crohns patient. The tests that the other doctor took were inconclusive and not enough to say for sure what it was. The Dr. started taking me off the medicine this week. I will probably have to take somemore tests to be sure, but am thankful that I have found a new Dr. that seems to be listening. Please help us pray that the doctor is right and I am healed of whatever it was that was causing me problems.

House on Fire?

I was sitting out in the backyard in the swing yesterday, when sparks and smoke started flying from the wires that brings the electricity to the house. I called Toby, who came running, with an electrician, to see what was the matter! The city had to be called and the wiring replaced. Thankfully I was outside and saw it, because the house could have burned down.

Breaking Up

Kensli has been infatuated with a 20 something year old guy in our church for almost a year. Today he married a beautiful young lady that Kensli knows and likes, too. Kensli decided a few weeks ago that she was going to break up with him since he was getting married. When Kensli found out the wedding was today, she cried. Then, she asked me if M. and B. were going to get a house, a dog, and a fish. When I told her probably at some point, she replied that M. just couldn't be her boyfriend anymore! I do not know where she gets all of her thoughts and ideas!!! (Her older siblings are still not interested in girls or boys!) I dread when she gets older and.................!

The Houmas House and a Storybook Wedding

Saturday evening we attended the wedding of Toby's niece, Tabitha. The wedding was held at the Houmas House Plantation outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Words cannot describe how beautiful the gardens that surround the plantation house really are! In fact, on the way home Ricky said, "Dad, that place was so beautiful! It makes me wonder what Heaven must really be like!"

I had my camera ready for any and every photo op that came our way!!!!!! The kids really got tired of my camera after a little while! I tried to explain to them that I do not get the opportunity to take pictures of them in such beautiful surroundings often so HUMOR me! Worked for about 2 seconds!!!!!

When we arrived at the plantation, Toby was whisked away by the wedding coordinator who was looking for the preacher. We, the other 5 of us, were aloud to wander around the gardens looking for photo ops and of course beautiful flowers, water falls, fish ponds, secret gardens, and old, old oak trees that have branches that touch the ground. Even found a large, ceramic rooster in the gift shop, like I have been hunting for forever, that I am going back to get!!!!!

Now for a glimpse at the wedding from my camera's point of view............

This pagoda overlooks the gardens and is where Toby served the bride and groom communion.

This is one photo op that I didn't have to ask twice about!

They would have done anything to get up on that bridge!!!!

Since I don't post many pictures of my handsome, oldest son, I thought that I would share this one! He was the one who was the most into taking pictures!!!!!

This arch and gate reminded us so much of Greece and all the lovely gardens we saw there!

One of "those" moments with Kensli!!!! :)

A very large blooming Mimosa Tree

I haven't seen one of these trees this big since I was a kid!!!!

Exploring the plantation house.

Toby and Chris, the groom, were waiting in the house, shooting pool!

Here Comes the BRIDE!!!

To announce the start of the wedding an attendant rang a huge bell! Then, when the bride started her march the bell tolled again! You can see the bell and the attendant in the background on the left! Absolutely beautiful!!!!!

The wedding was on the front steps of the Houmas House!

A cute wedding attendee!


The wedding program.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom walked around to the back of the house to the tune of A Louisiana Saturday Night. It was so funny and appropriate, because is was definitely a warm, humid Louisiana Saturday Night.

Eventually the front door opened and there stood Tabitha and Chris welcoming us in for the reception. During pictures, the guests were treated to gumbo, bacon wrapped shrimp, tuna, and crab cakes. YUM! The kids dug right in!!!!

The Gumbo was a little spicy and Kensli decided to stick with just rice.

Finally, the pictures were over and the reception began. The bride and groom entered to the LSU Tiger's fight song! (The Tiger's won last night!)

There was all sorts of good food from duck to fried catfish. Kaitlyn was a little disappointed that there were no finger sandwiches, but she managed to find something she liked!

The kids loved watching the dancing. We didn't get to stay long, because of church this morning, but I did get a picture of the first dance!

Congratulations Tabitha and Chris!

As we left the wedding, you could here faint music from somewhere and a chorus of frogs sending us off into the night. The moon was full and shining on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River and it was a beautiful night to be alive!!!!!!

Check Mate

Kensli loves to play Chess!!! She will beg you to play with her, but beware she is a very sore loser! Her pieces make some very wild moves at times.

I love the way she is concentrating so hard and really seems to be contemplating her every move in these shots.

Could she be a future Chess star?

Probably so, because she wins every time she plays, even if she has to take your king and hide it when you are not looking!

Sporting a New Look

How do you like the new look?

I thought it was time to change! I have been going through a little bit of a frump with my blog and thought a change would inspire me!

If you are interested in having someone design your blog, I recommend Becky at Busy Mama Blog Designs. She does an awesome job and all of her proceeds go to funding their adoption of a little girl from China.

Just a Little Proud

I must admit there are times that I wonder if my children actually have brains at all. Then there are times that I stand in simple amazement at who they are becoming. This past weekend and this week were two of those times.

Kaitlyn's Spring Recital was on Sunday. She practiced very hard and did beautifully.

The church that it was hosted in was beautiful.

Kaitlyn is on the front row in white.

On Wednesday night Ricky spoke for the first time in front of peers in children's church. He did an awesome job writing what he wanted to say and then presenting it.

Here are his notes that he wrote. Someone asked how much I helped him and I was so proud to be able to reply, "I just typed it on the computer." I didn't even edit it for punctuation, because I wanted to be as he had written it down on paper.

Tonight, Bro Allen has asked me to talk to you and share some ways to overcome conflicts in our lives.

What is conflict? The dictionary that I used says that Conflict is a fight or struggle.

Does that mean wrestling or fighting with swords? Does it mean screaming and hollering?
You might want to scream and holler, but it means to me that conflict is the problems in our lives that we deal with daily and that makes us distressed. Most of the time it is in a struggle inside of us!
I would like to share with you an experience I had where I overcame conflict.

I love baseball! I have played ever year since I was 4 yrs. old. My favorite position is 1st base. I try to be the best 1st baseman I can.

One year during ball season I had a major conflict with my coach. There were 12 players on the team and 9 positions to fill. He promised us equal playing time. He had also promised me starting 1st base position.

As the season started, he did not keep his promise to the team. He put me on the bench in the dugout most of the time or in out field. If a player really messed up they he would holler and scream at them. He would even take them out of their position for the rest of the game. The more we played the worse things got! He was hollering and screaming at every game. I felt that he was out of control and that he had lied to me and the team.

It was so bad, I almost quit the team half way through the season. I could not play for him like this anymore!

I started praying about what to do and decided to talk to my parents. My parents told me to talk to the coach privately and see how I felt about it.

I really prayed then! I WAS SO SCARED!!!! I was scared he would kick me off the team and about what he might say.

The next game the coach and I talked and we got it straightened out. He told me to play this game and see how I felt and decide. After that game, I decided that I would give him another chance, because he really tried to do better that game. The rest of the season he stopped hollering and screaming at me and treated me fairly.

I am so glad I didn't quit and gave the coach a chance to change. I no longer play for this coach, but he is much nicer to me now when I see him.

I resolved this conflict by:
1. I Prayed-I asked God what to do. When you pray to Him, He will always come through.

2. I Talked to my parents and trusted their advice--Your parents can have some really good ideas. Some of you may not think what your parents tell you to do is always right, but in the end they usually are.

3. I Prayed about what to say and my attitude.--When you have conflict with someone you have to watch your attitude, especially if it is an adult. You have to be respectful.

4. I Faced my conflict--I stood up for myself and respectfully talked to my coach. That is hard sometimes if you have to apologize or something like that. But in the end I felt better about myself and it pays off.

5. And last, I didn't quit!---Never give up!

Sometimes conflict doesn't turn out exactly how you want it, but if you listen to God and your parents it will always turn out right.

If you are facing conflict right now in your life, I hope you can use these things to overcome it.

I am so proud of them and what God is doing in their lives.

Wonderful Wednesday

Celebrating # 9

May 5, 2000

The Day We Became a Family

Happy Gotcha Day # 9, Kaitlyn!

Life Comes At You FAST.......

I think this has to be one of the funniest photos I have ever posted!!!! Toby called Nic over and it was a "HEY, Y'ALL WATCH THIS" moment, which are famous last words in the South!

Meet Buggy

Kensli learned a new trick from her sister the other day! She was so proud that I couldn't resist catching it with the camera!

THIS

IS

BUGGY.

BUGGY SAYS, "HI!"

BUGGY CAN DO FLIPS AND TRICKS!

Hope Ricky doesn't hate me for posting this picture one day! He looks buggy! :)

YEAH, FOR BUGGY!! CLAP! CLAP!

OOPS! BUGGY DIED!!!!!

YEAH, KENSLI!!!

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!!!!!

She was so proud of her BUGGY performance!

4 yrs. old is such a fun age!!!!!