Sweet Angie

Well,I think everyone(all three of you) who read my blog are familliar with the story of Audrey Cadoline.If not I HIGHLY recommend that you read about her from the beggining.http://www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com/WHOA!Did I just put up a link?I am impressed!Anyway, I just can't find the words to explain what that little girl's story has meant to me.That is why you really should check it out and then you will know what I am talking about.Her story has been written by her mommy Angie Smith.I got to meet Angie last Friday night at a Selah concert.Her husband is Todd that sings with the group.They are my all time favorite group.I have to admit when Nicol left the group and I heard that they had a new member I was very disappointed.I LOVE Nicol's voice.It is so unique.But after hearing the new member Amy sing.Wow!Girlfriend has got it going on!Amazing voice.I really hope that they are around for a long time to come.I'm trying to figure out how I can get to one of their Christmas concerts.The nearest one is like 4 hours away!But anyway,back to Angie the reason for this post.I started reading her blog back in February.She is such a talented writer.She pours her heart out.You can feel her emotions through her words.You grow to love her.I have sat at my computer so many times and just sobbed as she told her story.It is beautiful.I have also laughed so hard I have cried.It is good stuff.Well,I have really wanted to meet her for some time now.I found out that the whole family was going to be at this last concert that was only a couple hours away.I just knew this was my chance.Well,the concert was unbelievable.Scott even got to go onstage and sing with them.That was crazy!Well during the intermission,I needed to go to the bathroom.So,I went out to the loby but I was not seeing a restroom anywhere.So,I started to walk down a hall way.Well,the hallway was dark but I could see down the hall there was a room that had a light on.I thought maybe this was a bathroom.I really needed to go.Well it wasn't.It was a hospitality room and Angie was in there.I just immediatly started to cry.I knew I would.Well she saw me and came right out to the hall and pulled me into a hug.She didn't even know me but she knew why I was so overcome with emotions.There have been so many times after reading one of her posts that I have just wanted to hug her.To try to take some of her pain away.And here I was hugging her.It seemed so surreal.She is remarkably beautiful both inside and out.She is so stinking cute you almost don't want to like her!But you can't help it.In that moment I felt like I had met a long lost sister.I felt like I had known her my whole life.She has this way of listening to you like you are the only person in the world.It was a moment I will never forget.God is really using Angie through their situation with Audrey.There are some very exciting oppourtunities coming up in the near future for them.I can't wait to see how God continues this powerfull story!

Maggie at the harvest fair with Snow White

Princess Maggie

Not sure

Don't let that look fool you.

Every time Maggie goes to Nana and Papaw's she comes home with another pumpkin.We have PLENTY!

My baby is getting big way to fast!

Oh my!

Daddy and his girls.

This is Maggie with Granny Maggie.Her namesake.We really wish she didn't live in Louisiana.

Maggie and Emmy.I babysat her for two years.We really miss her!

Well,I've Done It Again

Good Grief!It has been over a month since my last post.I always say,I'm going to blog more often but it never happens.I just get so caught up in reading others blogs(it seems like I discover a new one everyday!)that I forget to update mine.So lets see.What have we been up to?I guess I will start with Maggie.Oh what fun she is these days.I guess you could say she likes to chalenge me!Some days she is so good.She obeys the first time she is told to do something,she randomely comes up and gives me a big hug and say's "you know what mommmy,I love you".Melts my heart!And then there are other days where I could pull my hair out.Sometimes I wonder if she is just acting out because of the changes that have happened in her life in the past few months.We moved,changed churches,had a new baby and she has started preschool.That is a lot for anyone and she is three.Sometimes I think maybe I expect too much out of her.I think we probably all question our parenting skills from time to time.We just started a study in Sunday School called Sheperding A Childs Heart.Man is it good.The whole premise of the book is we can't just focus on the behavior of the child we have to get to the heart.And the only one who can change their heart is God.We just have to guide them.I would encourage anyone who has kids to get this book.Maggie LOVES preschool.I knew she would.If it is organized and structured Maggie is going to like it.She is learning so much too.Things I would not have thought to teach her.She has even learned the Pledge of Allegiance.It is so cute to here her say it.The other day we were sitting on the front porch where we have a flag and she picked up her favorite outside kitty and put it's paw over it's heart while she said the pledge.I was trying so hard not to laugh!Okay,lets move on to Avery.What can I say,she is perfect!I guess I am a little biased.But really she is just such a good baby.Hardley ever cries.I can't beleive she is 4 months already.That went so fast!I love the stage she is in right now.She is really discovering things around her and she smiles so big.She is Fascinated with Maggie!She got her first cold over the weekend.SO SAD!She really isn't a fan of the nose sucker!She seems to be getting over it quickly though.Not too much exciting going on with me or Scott.We just celebrated our 6th anniversary a couple of weeks ago.Next weekend we are going to a Selah concert to celebrate.I am so excited!They are my favorite group.Well,this is crazy long so I will end this now.Enjoy this beautiful time of the year.It is my favorite!

Title:WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE

Well,I really don't have much to blog about but it has ben two weeks since my last post so I thought I better write something or I'm going to get in that patern where these posts become nine months apart again.I was sick all last week.Ughhhh,it is horrible to be sick when you have two children to take care of.Really though,it wasn't too bad.Avery is such a good baby and Maggie was very understanding.I think she was happy to get to watch more tv than usual.I took full advantage of that.I'm telling you what though.My house was in quite a state by the time Saturday rolled around.I woke up and actually felt pretty good.I thought I would try to get some cleaning done.Well then my mother in law called and asked if me and the girls wanted to go to town with her.Okay,let's see.Stay home and clean or go out to eat and shop.I think you know what I did.Well I got the most amazing deal on a comforter set.It had been $200.00 and I got it for $49.00!I know!!And the best part was my mother in law bought it for me.What a blessing she is!We always have a good time together.So Saturday night,I spent most of the evening cleaning.It was actually kind of fun because I had also bought some new cleaning products while we were out.I LOVE cleaning products.Well,I think that pretty much brings you(whoever in the world reads this)up to date.Have a great Wednsday everyone.

Fresh Water

I made an intersting observation today while I was out taking care of my goat's and duck's.I had finished giving everyone food and water when I noticed the duck's swimming pool.Let me just say that it was disgusting.I don't know what they do in that water(besides swim)but it smelled as awful as it looked.So, I deceided that I would be brave and clean it out.Well,as I went to dump out the water,oneof the ducks jumped in.She was frantically flapping her wings and quacking like crazy.I went ahead and dumped the water anyway.Well when the water was on the ground I saw something that had been hidden before.It was a broken egg.Probably a lot of the reason for the horrible state of the water.So anyway,the duck started drinking the water on the ground.I know,GROSS!So you may be wondering where this is going.Well,God spoke to me through this.Not audibly but to my heart.I wonder how many times I have been like that duck and have wanted to hang on to the disgusting water in my own life when God so desperately wants to give me fresh clean water.I think back on certain things that have happened in my life.Things that I thought were so good and things I didn't want to give up.And then I look at them as if they have been spiled out on the ground like that water.And I didn't even know that what God had planned for me was so much better than I could have ever imagined.A pool that was washed out and filled with crystal clear water.Oh if we could just see the big picture in our lives sometimes.As I look back over the past few years of my life I can see how God has been working through circumstances to bring me where I am today.Some of those circumstances were painfull,but knowing what I know now I really wouldn't change a thing.I feel so blessed in so many areas of my life.And everyone of these blessings comes from my heavenly father.In case you were wondering,after I had filled the pool with clean water all of the ducks got in and started splashing around and dunking their heads under the water.Something they would not do in the dirty water.It was like they were thinking,"Wow,this is so much better than what we had before".I have had that same thought.

And Lucy Makes Four

Well,we had a fun weekend.On Friday my mom came and picked me and the girls up and we spent the day at her house.My grandmother(my dad's mom) lives with my parents now.Grandpa is in a nursing home.I really was never close to these grandparents growing up so I guess I am trying to develop a relationship now that I am an adult.It's weird too because we have always lived in the same town as them yet I am a lot closer to my grandparents who lived two and a half hours away growing up and now eight hours away.But anyway I desire to get to know my grandma better.It was a lot of fun just hanging out with her.Our friends Eric and Darlene(probably the only person who will even read this:))went camping this weekend so their dog Sally came and stayed with us.I love to keep Sally for them.She is really sweet and her and my dog get along great!On Saturday evening we went to The Taste of Cass County.This is something our town started doing a few years ago.Several local restaurants have booths set up and you buy tickets to get food from where ever you want.Needless to say,we had some very good stuff.On Sunday after church we went with my parents and grandma to the nursing home to eat lunch with grandpa.They do this every week however this was our first time.It was really nice.The staff set up the private dining room for us and we even got to choose what we wanted off a menu.And the food really wasn't bad.This visit was kind of funny and kind of sad at the same time.I kept trying to get a conversation going with Grandpa.He has a birthday coming up later this month.I asked him how old he was going to be.And he just had this blank stare on his face.So I asked him again and this time he said 91.He will be 82.Well then my dad asked him if Jim had been up to see him the day before.Jim is my dad's brother.Grandpa said"I don't know,I wasn't here".He never leaves.Well then our food came and everyone was eating.All of a sudden grandpa say's"I'd like to know what Jim has to do with the taste of this coffee".WHAT?????I couldn't help it.I started laughing.Well then Grandpa started laughing.Eventualy everyone was laughing.I guess you have to find the humor in those moments but it is sad to see the way he is now.You are probably wondering what the title of this has to do with this post.Well,Maggie had asked for a kitten for her birthday.So she got one.It came the same day we brought Avery home from the hospital.Well from day one that thing has been bad about using the litter box everytime.Well after two months of this I had had it.So Harriet went outside.But now Harriet was sad because she was by herself.Well,Harriet has four brothers that live at my parents so I told them that we were going to need to get another cat to put out with Harriet.So when we were there on Friday I told Maggie to pick out another kitty to take home.Well she picked out Flannel.But my dad said that if we take Flannel then we should take Smokey Joe too because they are really good buddies.Well sure.So we took them both.Well then last night we found another cat just hanging out on the deck.She is all black and really petite.We have no idea where she came from.But we deceided to keep her too.What's one more at this point?!?!And her name is Lucy.

Let's Give This Another Try!

Well,I have deceided to give this whole blog thing another try.It has been roughly nine months since my last post so obviously a lot has happened.But for the sake of time,I will just focus on the big things.The biggest and best thing that has happened is a sweet little baby girl named Avery Grace.She was born on May 27th,2008.Maggie is a very proud big sister and has made the adjustment very well.Avery is such a good baby.She has a very pleasant personality.She is really starting to get into that fun stage where she smiles a lot and coo's.Maggie turned three back in June.She is a good little girl most of the time but she can also throw a pretty good fit when she doesn't get her way.We're "working" on that though!In other news,we moved back at the begining of May.It was a busy month to say the least! We LOVE our new house.It is right next door to the animal hospital I have worked at for the last 10 years.The house is where the vet and his family used to live.They bought a new house about 10 minutes away.I have always loved this house.Before Scott and I were married I used to house sit for the doctor when they were out of town.I never dreamed I would get to live here some day.I feel SO BLESSED!GOD is SO GOOD!!So after we moved we found that our church was really farther away than we wanted to drive so we have started attending a new church here in town and we love it.Well,I think that pretty much brings you up to speed.Obviously I have left a lot out but this is long enough the way it is.Later!