Labels

Over the last few days, I put labels on all 339 blog posts.  This way, if you are looking for a particular one, such as book reviews, just click on the book review link at the left-hand side of the page and it should bring up all those posts.  I know this is something that will be helpful to me.  Hopefully you will find it useful too.

300th Post and a Common Theme

Can you believe this is my 300th post?! I am soo excited!! I started this blog almost two years ago and have loved every minute of it. Stay tuned for the next 300 posts. You'll might just learn something new. If you don't, well, don't worry about it! LOL

Our church is doing the Beth Moore bible study called "A Woman's Heart - God's Dwelling Place." This past week, we were looking at God's provisions for the Israelites while they were in the desert as described in Exodus 16. We read the verses about the manna and quail He gave them. They didn't have to worry about their food running out or their clothes wearing out. God took care of their needs and showed Himself to the His people over and over again.

On Sunday, January 24th Ernie continued his sermon series on PASSION: A Life on Fire for God. His topic this week was "Manna in the Morning: God's Diet of Spiritual Growth and Health" and referenced Exodus 16, the same chapter as in the bible study. Each day God is sufficient to provide what we need for that day. Instead of becoming Spiritually Malnourished, by gorging physically but starving spiritually, we need to follow the three principles of God's Spiritual Diet: 1) Eat God's Word daily 2) Eat what is fresh and 3) Digest what we eat by taking what we are learning and living it out. We are spiritual people and we must be fed through the spiritual Word of God.

Then, on January 27th, I was looking at the perpetual calendar we keep in the hall bathroom. The scripture for the day was this: "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than they are." Matthew 6:25-26

Do you see a theme here?! I am still working it all out and praying for God to show me EXACTLY what it is He wants me to see. But, what I've come up with so far is God wants me to read His word, mull over it, think about what He is saying then live it out. I don't need to worry about what to say to people He brings across my path. I just need to listen to His still quiet voice instead of ignoring it and step out in faith. God will provide what I need when I need it.

SNOW!!

Today we had some snow!!!  Granted, it was not the 1-4 inches the weather forecasters were predicting at the first of the week (in all actuality, it is probably about 1/4 inch) but it's snow.  School was closed today due to the road conditions in some of the rural areas.  Hannah, Nathan, Will and Andrew went out about 9 this morning and made a small snowman and had a snowball fight.  They were getting snow from wherever they could find it: on top of the trampoline deck, trampoline cover, play set, slides, patio table and the deck to name a few.  They had a blast.  The sun is out now and quite a bit of the dusting we received is gone. 

Listening to those who grew up in areas that receive a lot of snow, they are amazed that schools are cancelled and that we get excited over a little bit.  But, coming from someone who grew up here, ANY amount of snow we get is treasured.  Sure, it is silly that just about everything comes to a halt.  But, since we don't get enough snow each year to practice driving on, can you blame us?  The only opportunity we get to have snow is usually accompanied with ice, something NO ONE likes to contend with, much less drive on.  So, those of you who get way more than your fair share of the white stuff, please let us enjoy the little bit we get.  To some of us, it's like Christmas morning all over again.  Especially me!!!

I took some pictures and hope to get them downloaded off my camera today.  The last set of pictures I downloaded off my camera was just after Halloween.  I have 335 pictures to take off or delete.  About one hundred of them have already been put on the computer; I just never deleted them off my camera.  After I get them fixed up, I plan to post them here on my blog.  We'll see!!

As a side note, my friend Susan just started a blog called "That's Whack!"  Go by and check it out!

A Few Minutes

I only have a few minutes to post something while I wait for Andrew to go to sleep for his nap. Lately, he likes to get up and either play or roam. Since I want to give the kitchen floor a good sweep and mop without having to stop every few minutes to check on Andrew, I thought I would post on my blog.

Sorry the posts have been infrequent lately. At night, while I am waiting to go to sleep, I write that day's post in my head. Unfortunately, I forget what it was I was "writing" the next morning. Sad thing is, it is usually something really good!! Then, when I have a few minutes to actually write something down on this thing, I can't think of a thing to write.

Can I brag on myself a little? As mentioned in an earlier post, I have started going back to the Y. My goal for now is to complete the "America on the Move" program they are doing. So far, I have made it to the first Y and I'm on my way to the next one (strictly on paper, of course). Wednesday, I did my personal best. I went 1.5 miles on the elliptical in 48 minutes 36 seconds!!!! My time this week and last has been above 50 minutes with the closest time being 51 minutes ? seconds. Today, instead of going to the Y and working out, I am spending time cleaning my house. It has been a while since it had a GOOD cleaning due to all the rain and kids being cooped up in the house. So, the windows are open and I've been working here. Even though I can't count these efforts on my workout chart, I am still counting them in my head.

The smallest, silliest, and simple things can please a parent. Earlier this morning, I noticed Andrew had a funny look on his face and he was holding his bottom. Since previous potty training efforts haven't worked very well, I thought I would take another chance and see if I could catch Andrew before he could dirty his diaper. We rushed to the bathroom and our efforts were rewarded!!! It wasn't anything big, but even a little effort is worth praising. We told "it" goodbye as we flushed it away then went to get some candy. But, alas, the praise didn't stick in Andrew's head. After lunch, he did his "job" before I could catch him. Oh, well! Maybe one day I can get this boy out of diapers. Once I do, it's PARTY TIME!!! I've been changing diapers for almost NINE YEARS straight with NO break in between kids!!!! We could use use the money (who couldn't) and I would love going out with all the kids and no extra bags. So, when that day comes (and it will), I want to have a celebration for Andrew and me. So, get your party clothes ready and get ready to have some fun!!

Congratulations Are In Order

Yesterday, our local paper had a story about a lady I know from MOPS. About six years ago, Courtney went to her OB/GYN to see about a pea-sized lump in her breast. The doctor basically said not to worry about it and didn't run any tests. Later that year, Courtney got pregnant. During her pregnancy, the lump got much larger and became very painful. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer. She was 25 years old and had no family history of Breast Cancer. Her baby was born and Courtney was treated. Thankfully, after many, many treatments, she was cancer-free. Sometime in the last few months, her doctors found spots on her liver and spine. She started treatment again. The spots on her liver has not grown any and, if I remember correctly, the spots on her spine are gone. She is also dealing with enlarged lymph nodes but the doctor says they are not cancerous.

Because of the lack of testing, Courtney and her husband sued the doctor. The judgement came back Thursday in favor of Courtney. She is to receive a very large settlement, the largest of it's kind in the state of Tennessee, where the doctor was licensed. Courtney did this in hopes that no other woman will have to go through what she went and is going through. Congratulations Courtney!! Our prayers are with you and your family for a complete and thorough healing!!!

If you are interested in following Courtney's journey, she has a site on Caring Bridge. It is www.caringbridge.org/visit/courtneyhill.

Check Out Mich's New Blog

My sister-in-law, also Michelle Jinnette, just started keeping a blog. It is called "The Happenings with the Jinnette's" and is found at www.thehappeningswiththejinnettes.blogspot.com. Check it out!!!

Love it!!!

200th Post, Sick Children and Mother's Day, part 2 and 3

Can you believe it?! This is my 200th post!!!! All I can say about it right now is WOW!!! I hope there will be many, many more posts to come.

Something strange has been happening to my boys this week. Monday, Will woke up with a 100 degree fever and no other symptoms other than a weak cough. I kept him home that day, had him take it easy and gave him some Tylenol. He seemed fine but a little mopey. By the time I picked the kids up from school, Will was feeling much better. He even went outside and played. When I checked his temperature again, he was still running a low-grade fever. Tuesday morning, Will still had a low-grade fever (99-100) but was acting normal so I sent him on to school. Sometime during the day, his fever broke and he's been fine. Then, Thursday morning, Andrew seemed a little quieter than usual. He wasn't as talkative in the car while we were waiting for school to start. Once the doors opened, he walked a little slower to class (not his normal self). Kim and Valerie, his teachers, said to leave him. They would call me if he got worse. The call came about 30 minutes after I dropped him off. He was laying on the carpet with his blanket. Andrew didn't want to play with the toys (even the balls!) or color. He did get up and eat a few Cheez-Its but not all of them (he usually eats them all and asks for more) then laid down again. He perked up a little when Mrs. Valerie got the bubbles out. I took him home, gave him some Tylenol (his fever was about 99 degrees), and laid down with him to watch some t.v. This morning, Andrew was still running a fever of about 100 but was acting fine. We went to MOPS today then went to the vet to get some of Gracy's medicine. He took a short nap in the car and again when we got home but didn't get to sleep it out because we had to pick up kids from school. He was acting lethargic this evening with spurts of energy every now and then. I hope he is feeling better tomorrow.

After I posted yesterday about the Mother's Day gifts I received, another package came in for me. It was some flowers from Mike. They are called the 'Sunny Days" and have yellow roses, yellow alstroemeria, and purple butterfly asters. They are beautiful!!! THEN TODAY, a package arrives addressed to Mike. It turns out to be my Mother's Day/Anniversary gift. He wanted me to open it to make sure it worked. It was a TomTom Portable GPS Navigator!! Am I blessed (and spoiled) or what?! We have played with the TomTom a little bit. I can't wait to take it out on the road and see what it does. It will come in handy when we go to Nashville at the end of the month.

Mike and I are celebrating 10 years of marriage this May 29th. So, to celebrate, we are taking a weekend trip to Nashville just the two of us!!! Dad and Joan are keeping Hannah and Will; Melanie is taking Andrew; and Latisha will watch the dogs and the house for us. The last time Mike and I got away by ourselves was for our fifth anniversary. Will was not even a year old at the time. We went to the French Quarter Inn in Midtown Memphis and stayed the night. The next day we walked around Downtown, went to one of the Wonders Exhibits that was here at the time, ate lunch then came home (I was worried about leaving Will even though he was in Mom's very capable hands. Hannah was with Dad and Joan). This time I am much more relaxed about leaving the kids. Go figure!!

Celebrating One Year of Blogging!!

Can you believe it has been a year since I first started blogging?! So much has happened. I love to look back through the posts to see the pictures of the kids and all the different things that have gone on in our lives. I hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures in life and will continue on with us.

Today, Hannah has her "Valentines for Veterans" program at school. The Kindergartners are having "Grandparents Day" also. Mom is picking the kids up after they are finished and is taking them out to lunch. I'll post more about it when I get a chance. It's time to get ready to go!!!

And The Winner Is....

Julia, Tera and my Mom. Since the three of you were the only ones to respond, I thought it wouldn't be fair to just single one of you out. SO, if you will e-mail me your address at mjinnette@bellsouth.net I will send you your gift. Congratulations to the winners!!!!

Sorry there haven't been any posts lately. We have been busy around here with soccer practice, games, and school and doing the same old things. Since there has been nothing interesting to post, I thought I would be merciful and not bore you with the same things over and over and over again.

Mike and I were able to go on a date this past Saturday. Some wonderful and precious friends of ours kept the kids for us Saturday afternoon and evening so we could spend some time together. We spent some time walking around the Collierville mall, looking around some of the stores and enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Carrabba's outside on the patio. It was nice not having the kids interrupt as we carried on a conversation. But, I do have to say since it had been a while we were at a loss for things to do. The local bowling alley had computer problems so we weren't able to go bowling (something we like to do as a couple and as a family). The weather was perfect so walking around the outdoor mall and eating dinner outside was a real treat. Even the bugs seemed to be on their best behavior.

The kids had a great time at Thad and Donna's. Their two youngest kids are Hannah and Will's ages. The girls played together while the boys did their thing. Andrew had a ball playing ball with Jordan, their older son. The kids went outside and played for a while then came in for pizza, fruit, and Cheetos popcorn. Donna said the kids all got along great and were very good. Mike and I hope to keep Thad and Donna's kids soon so they can have a date night too.

Contest Extension

I have decided to extend the contest for a few more days. The new deadline is Tuesday, September 16th at 10 p.m. If you would like to enter the contest, either e-mail me or make a comment on the blog.

101st Post

Can you believe it?! I've made 101 posts in seven months!! I was going to do this on my 100th post but the posting of Dick's birthday yesterday threw me off. (In case you weren't aware, February 14th is the day I started the blog.)

Okay, following the lead of some of my other blogger friends, I am going to have a contest in honor of this momentous occasion. It is Friday, September 12th. You have until 10 p.m. Sunday, September 14th to either comment here on my blog or send me an e-mail. In the comment you have to mention how we met (please be careful what you post - my parents read this site. HEHE). I will put all the commenter's name in a hat and draw out a winner. The gift has yet to be decided but I'm sure it will be something you will like. If not, just send it back. HEHE.

Thank you for following us along on this journey. It has been fun. I can't wait for more!!!

I AM SOOO EXCITED!!!

I am sooo excited I could just scream!!! I found the blogs for both Beth Moore and Jean Stockdale. YEAH!! Yes, Beth Moore as in the phenomenal bible study leader who has written a ton of awesome bible studies that bring you to the feet of God!! I saw in a LifeWay Christian Bookstore e-mail that Beth has a new bible study on the life of Esther that should be coming out soon. I can't wait!!!

Jean Stockdale has written a couple of bible studies and attends Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. (Their pastor, Dr. Steve Gaines, is my step-mom's cousin.) I am doing one of Jean's bible studies on Proverbs through our Mom2Mom group at church. Even though we are only on Week Two, it has been a real eye-opener. If you ever get a chance to do a bible study by one of these awesome women, I would highly recommend it.

The links to both of their blogs are listed here on my blog along with other blogs and websites I like to frequent when I have a chance. Feel free to browse.