What Are You Doing This Year?

I know I haven't posted about Christmas, but my girls have and so you can hear about it from their blogs. As I was looking to the New Year, I was thinking about my devotions and what I was going to do this year. Last year I used NavPress's Bible Reading plan to read through in a year. It was fine, I didn't get through the whole thing, but I that was not my goal. I wondered though, what are some things you have used that you liked or what are you planning to use this year? Is there anything new and intriguing out there? Also, is there anything you used that you did not care for? Hurry and answer as the New Year is almost here and I like starting right away :).

Also, what are some goals and plans you have for the New Year? I need to drop 10 pounds (I love the Fat Smash Diet) and exercise regularly and get my home in better order. I have a plan set for all of those thing. I know they are not lofty goals, but that is where I am at this year. 2007 took the wind out of our sails and we are just getting back up.

Lastly, on January 7th, Meg will be admitted to the hospital to begin a process of trying to find out what part of her brain the epilepsy effects and to figure out what else is going on in her body. Please pray that she will have many seizures while we are there so that they can see what occurs and please pray for a diagnosis of the other neurological issues that she is struggling with. She needs to stay for a while, anywhere from 3 to 14 days. They said most stay 5 days. This testing will be taxing to her body, but will help in the long run. I will keep you updated while we are there, if there is anything to report.

Well, Happy New Year! As we look back we are aware of all we have to be grateful for. All He has done and given and forgiven. I am indeed a debtor to mercy alone.

It is Almost Time!!

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I look forward to the baking, the gathering, the presents, the church mornings and special programs, the TV specials and the old classics and devotions by the fire with the only light coming from our tree. We managed to get a tree this week (most places here were sold out so we got one that looks like it needs a haircut and we love it), in the rain, late at night and without a conflict. My children claim they can always count on Fred and I having a conflict on tree shopping night and Christmas Eve!! All the shopping is done, the stockings are hung, the presents are wrapped and we baked last Saturday. All we need to do now is wait for Tyler and Mindy to get here and the festivities will begin. We omitted Christmas cards and will do New Years greetings later since we need to wait for the Coloradans for the family picture. I am excited to celebrate the birth of my precious Savior and to be grateful for His sacrifice for me. Could you imagine leaving Heaven to come here??? How could He be so kind to us? I pray that as you read the Christmas story this year it has an even greater impact on your life, it has on mine. Merry Christmas!!

The First of a Tradition

Last night Fred and I babysat Violet over at her house. Her Papa introduced her to the classic Christmas special "Rudolph." As you can see in the picture, she was captivated.

Just a quick post to let you know Meg is officially done with her schooling and she took her state boards for Dental Assisting on Friday. Doing this program at this time was a big challenge as Meg's epilepsy and then a round of Mono tried to keep her down, but she pushed through, got a 99 on her final and took her boards this past Friday. We are so proud of her hard work and cheery attitude through it all!! She will start looking for a job in a dental office after the holidays! She is excited!! Of course, we had a party to celebrate and played all sorts of dental games like help Billy and Susie find the dentist's office maze, a dental word search, a match the teeth game and then of course, Brushing your Buddy's Teeth! Then we watch a Cosby Show with Danny Kaye as their dentist! It was great time!

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a quieter holiday for the Shaws than the usual Thansgiving, but I think it was perfect. We began the morning with a yummy breakfast with our girls and their families and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, we always have the parade on, and of course we peruse the newspaper ads for good deals. In the afternoon Fred, Meg, Dru, Erin, Violet and myself headed to our friends the Bailey's and Callie and Tim joined the Payne family. Of course we all ate too much.
Then it was back to or house for a gathering of friends for some football watching, dessert eating and the final plans for our traditional Black Friday shopping spree. It is funny because on Thanksgiving night no one feels like getting up early and going shopping, but the next day we are so glad we did. So, Friday morn we were out the door at 5:30 to make the kill. Meg couldn't join us since she has Mono, so it was just Erin, Callie and we roped Lori Ann Bailey into our memory making tradition!! It was worth the sleep we gave up!!

Then we celebrated Erin's birthday over lunch on Friday. We had turkey sandwiches and gluten free cupcakes that were so good!!!Then Saturday evening we got to see Jon and Lory Payne and their sweet baby Ellie. It was so fun to be with the Paynes and have all their kids there. I am sure Erin will post pictures of Ellie and Violet meeting!! Sunday was a quiet recovering day, more football (once again the Broncos disappoint us) and to bed early as we have a full week ahead.
As the weekend closed I went to bed with gratitude that though this year has been a bit more challenging than others, we still have much to thank God for. He has dealt bountifully with us and it is good medicine to recount those dealings each night. But of all the wonderful blessings I have on this earth I am truly most thankful for the gift of salvation God has given me and the family I have to share that with. If I am given nothing else in this earth, the treasure that my children are all serving God is the most tremendous gift I could ever receive. I am aware that it is all of grace and all His doing. He has been so good to me.

Is this cute or what?? Violet is wearing the jacket her Mommy wore 24 years ago!! I saved a few things from each of my kids ad this jacket was one of them! I can't wait to see Violet running around in Erin's little dresses soon!!

From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, Nov. 3, morning:

"Prayers are instantly noticed in heaven. The moment Saul began to pray the Lord heard him. Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. Oftentimes a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears; yet that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in the lachrymatory (a bottle of tears) of heaven. “Thou puttest my tears into thy bottle,” implies that they are caught as they flow. The suppliant, whose fears prevent his words, will be well understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eye; but “prayer is the falling of a tear.” Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah's court, and are numbered with “the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high.” Think not that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be unregarded. Jacob's ladder is lofty, but our prayers shall lean upon the Angel of the covenant and so climb its starry rounds. Our God not only hears prayer but also loves to hear it. “He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.” True, He regards not high looks and lofty words; He cares not for the pomp and pageantry of kings; He listens not to the swell of martial music; He regards not the triumph and pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow, or a lip quivering with agony, or a deep groan, or a penitential sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom."

This was in my devotions today. what a comfort for us all. At my weakest moment, He hears, He sees and He cares. I love the line that says "The suppliant, whose fears prevent his words, will be well understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eye; but “prayer is the falling of a tear.” Oh, what an incredibly loving God we serve.

Virginia

The last 2 weeks have been a wonderful whirlwind and I am still trying to figure out which bed is mine!!! It started out with 7 days in Virginia Beach. A wonderful trip to celebrate the Sovereign Grace church's 20th anniversary. Since we were part of the original church plant team (I was 26 and the mother of 4 kids ages 4 and under, what WERE we thinking??) we decided to go back and see what God has done. It was truly amazing!! The faithfulness of God shone through and there were many times that I was reduced to tears as I recounted how the Lord has blessed us and cared for us. We got to see so may people that we had lost touch with and to hear about their lives. I was so aware of how many gifts the Lord has blessed us with. One of the greatest gifts He has given me is my friends. I have the best friends in the world, actually scatter all over the world, but this weekend I got to connect with some of them. It was fun to laugh and remember and make fun of one another and pray together and cry together and work together and share a burden and lift a burden and talk about life and the future and what we are looking forward to and what we are glad is over. It was a memory that I will treasure. Here are some of the pictures of our girl time......
Guess Who just woke up?

After out time in Virginia Beach, Fred and I headed to Alexandria for my niece's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and seeing all my siblings was great! We had so much fun laughing together. It is amazing how much alike my sisters and myself are when we haven't lived by each other in decades. We enjoyed Ole Town Alexandria. We shopped and ate and ate and ate. When it was all said and done, we were gone 10 days! What a great time we had. My sisters and me!

A Night Out

Last night we went to see The Lion King. It was fantastic, the costumes were amazing. If you haven't seen it yet, hop online and see when it will be in your town. It is a must see. I felt like a 6 year old watching the show, I was mesmerized by the staging, the music and the costumes.

We started the evening with a dinner at our house with some of the people that went with us. It was fun to get dressed up a bit and sit and enjoy a meal together before we headed downtown. I think we will be doing more of this type of thing in the future. Hope you enjoy a the pics....

Fall is Finally Here?????

Autumn is here, my favorite season of the year. The only problem is that someone forgot to tell Dallas that it is fall, so consequently, it s still 90 degrees here. It is funny to see people decorating their doors with autumn wreaths, planting mums, hanging Indian Corn when really we are still enjoying the geraniums (well, the ones that didn't die of heat stroke). The Gap has wool coats in now, I laughed when I saw them. I might need one for 2 days here, who buys them and who buys the snow boots that Target is stocking?? This is Texas!

So, since we are about 8 weeks away from our real autumn here, I will have to wait. I decided to make a mental list yesterday of what I AM looking forward to:
1. Autumn
2. an October trip to the East (where it will really be fall)
3. camping
4. Christmas
5. Tyler and Mindy here for Christmas
6. My niece Kayla Diane coming to visit me
7. seeing Violet's new tricks
8. evenings on the back porch
9. seeing my family in October
10. Hawaii
11. scaring kids on Halloween (Just kidding)

These are in no particular order, just thoughts I had. What are you looking forward to? I want to look to the future with joy like the Proverbs 31 women. In order to do that I must think about what things are coming down the road that will bring joy. The alternative is to give into fear and worry!

Looking for a New Name

When I started this blog, 18 months ago, I was waiting for the Lord to send the buyer for our house. We were 5 months behind OUR schedule and longing to get to our new home, hence the title "Longin' for Texas." Now, we have been here in Texas for 14 months and I think I need a new title for my blog. As many of you know, I am not the most creative crafter in home school circles, so I began a Google search to get a new name. I found out my name in Japanese would be MACHIKO ASUKAI, in Pirate (yes, like on a ship) I would be DIRTY ANNE RACKHAM (don't ask me, I have no idea how that one came to be) and if I were a Viking I would be called EDNA DOGCHASER. Thank God my parents didn't use the Internet to name me!!! After much time wasted and no name found, a contest has been born. I need help in coming up with a new name for my blog. Submit your ideas and IF we choose your idea (I guess I will have a panel of judges ha ha) there will be a prize.

Yippee Yahooey!!!

Is that how you spell it???!!! We have a celebration happening here in the Shaw house!! Today Meg had her monthly appointment with the neurologist and she was given permission to begin to drive again!! It has been 8 months since she was allowed to drive. (at 20 years old this is no fun.) Meg's seizures are only at night, so she can drive during the day! This is life changing for her. She is back in school this semester and will finish up in December with her state boards!! We had her register in faith that she would be able to keep up with the work load and drive. The way her schedule is, I could drive her, but it isn't close and it would be a lot of back and forth.

Meg has come a long way since January. She is down to only 2 seizures a month, sometimes 3 and her days are great. The medication she is now on doesn't have all the side effects the previous drugs did so we feel like we have our ole Meggie Girl back. We realize we still have a serious issue in her illness, but we have come so far and each month has brought us greater hope. Many epileptics never get full control of their seizures, so that is why we are rejoicing at 2 a month. Also, any day now she will be monitored at night by a machine that pages me when Meg has a seizure or stops breathing. I will no longer have to use a baby monitor to listen for her and try to determine on my own what is happening. It will be great because we are anticipating full nights of sleep again, Meg will be kept safer and she will have some privacy again!!

Through it all we have learned so much. I have learned to better trust God for those I love, I remind myself daily that she is in His hands and nothing can snatch her out out of it. I believe with my whole heart that our days are numbered and nothing and no one can add or subtract a day to our lives. I have learned that He gives strength when strength is needed and that there is not grace for sinful worry, just repentance, but grace to trust God in all things. I have learned that no matter how much I want something to change, God knows what is best and it will change when He deems it to be the perfect time. There is so much more that I have learned in this season, but for now you get the picture.

Thank you to all of you that continually pray for us and ask about Meg in your emails and calls. We feel the care of God through you and am so grateful that we have so many who are sojourning with us on this road. Thank you for the love and care you extend to our daughter. Words fail me. I am in tears as I write this, for I am truly undeserving of the gift of friends and family that God has graciously poured out on me. I will never understand His kindness toward me, a great sinner, but I am so grateful.

Please continue to pray for complete healing for Meg and strength and wisdom as we continue down this road.

Grandma Frances

This week Erin, Violet and I made a whirlwind trip to Minneapolis so that my Grandma Frances could meet Violet. My grandma is 98 years old and still lives on her own!! We went so we could get get a picture of my Grandma, my Mom, myself, Erin and Violet. Five generations still living! We had a professional picture taken, which we will get back in 2 weeks. It was fun to see Grandma holding Violet and finding such delight in her. I also enjoyed being home with my parents and spending time with them as they got to know Violet. We had dinner at my sister Barb's house on Tuesday night and had fun with her cute kids. I was once again aware of God's kindness in giving me such a great family. I missed my other siblings and wished we could have all been together. (We will be in 6 weeks!!)

Minnesota was lush and green and beautiful. Wednesday morning we walked around a pond and enjoy the 70 degree day. I miss the cool mornings we used to have when we lived in northern climates. I didn't get many photos, but Erin will have more I am sure.

Wedding Memories!!!

They are here...the wedding pictures. Mindy sent me a text today saying she got the pictures. There are a ton to go through and it is so wonderful to look at them and reflect on how kind the Lord has been to give my son such a wonderful wife! The pictures bring back all the feelings of that blessed day!! I will post more after I get through them all!!

A Favorite Psalm

This morning one of my readings was Psalm 16. This is one of my favorite Psalms. I know it by heart, but love reading it aloud anyway. As I read, an unusual portion of the Psalm hit me. Verse 4 reads "The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply." "Hmm...I think that is true" I said in my head. (I know you are saying "of course it is true, it is scripture.") That became my meditation of the morning. What gods do I RUN after, not look at, not dabble in, RUN after. Sadly, the answer is the same as it has been for a long time. Two idols I often cling to are the idols of food and other people. I seek comfort from these two things regularly and I can testify that the Word is true, my sorrows increase, (so does my backside, he he) because this things cannot truly satisfy. Though both are good gifts from God, neither was meant to become the place I go to when something is out of line. I have a Strong Tower that I am to run to. He never fails and my sorrows will decrease as I gaze upon Him and am reminded that with God as "my chosen portion" (v. 5) there is nothing more I could desire.

Godspeed Dear Friends

This morning we stood in the darkness waving goodbye to some friends. We met them just a year ago, and yet, they nuzzled their way into our hearts and made us love them in that short time!! Rob and Michelle are on their way to the Sovereign Grace Pastor's College. They will return to Frisco next June. They lead our care group this year and we so enjoyed them. We drove together to care group each week which entails 8 of us piling in our Honda Pilot (and I mean piling) and driving anywhere from 45minutes to an hour and 45 minutes to where our group met. Though care group was always so good, the drives were a blast. We laugh and talked and became friends. It is amazing how friendship blooms in the mundane. Had we just been it their group, it would have been great, but in adding the driving together, care group night became an event!! They spent their last 2 days at our house just hanging, eating ice cream and cookies, having Chinese with cheap wine, watching the movie "Signs" and laying on the patio looking for meteorites. The mundane and yet treasured memories. We will miss them and their 2 little Bubbas, but we look forward to seeing all the Lord has for them this year, I am convinced it will be life changing. Godspeed Rob and Michelle, we will see you in October for lunch!! :)

So much to catch up on, July was a blur. The highlight of my summer was Tyler and Mindy's wedding. I was hoping I would have a picture or two from the wedding to show you, but I lent my camera to a friend that day so pictures will be forthcoming when we get then from the photographer.

The wedding was delightful. Tyler and Mindy's personalities shown through and we all had a blast. The Lawler's backyard was transformed into a romantic park with huge white tents and lights. It was so peaceful and elegant. It was so comforting to me, a mom 800 miles from her favorite boy, to see him united to a loving woman who will keep him company and take care of him. God surely has blessed that boy. Their apartment is so wonderful, fresh and new, just like this season they have entered. I loved seeing where they live and now I can picture them when I talk with them.

We also enjoyed seeing some of our family and having all our kids together. Violet made her Denver debut and the great grandparents got to meet her for the first time. So precious. We also enjoyed seeing old friends that still live in Denver and a few that made a long trip to join in our day with Tyler. The Lord has made our lives very rich by giving us such a wonderful family and such dear friends.

Right after we got back Janis came to visit for 24 hours. We chatted and then, of course, shopped at the Outlet Mall. No bargains were to be had, except for a cute outfit for Violet.

Then we were off to our Sovereign Grace Regional Conference, Fusion '07. It was a great conference in so many ways. It was weird to be at a conference where you hardly even know the people from your own church, let alone the people from the other churches. But, it was great! It really helped to dorm with others from our care group and get to know them better as we sat in the hall eating junk food (the guys were in a room discussing theology!) I love our church so much.

Summers always go so fast, but as least this has been a good one! So much to be grateful for and so many memories made with old friends and new. Ciao for now..

Steadfast Love Wondrously Shown

Last night seemed like any other night for us. Meg was tired from a busy weekend and went to bed around 9:30. We were having a lightning storm that brightened the sky. Around 10:15 Fred heard Meg breathing heavily and being restless so he went in to check her. The flashing of the lightning was affecting her. A little later I heard her having a seizure. As I sat there on her bed the words from Psalm 31 ran through my head, "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'you are my God.' My times are in your hands." I coached Meg through, we have a routine now, I try to calm her and assure her that it is OK, when it is over I say the same thing "Are you OK Baby girl? it's OK Baby Girl, you are alright." Rarely can she respond or remember, but just in case she can, we talk to her. I sat with her for a while and watched her sleep peacefully. The lightning storms, both outside and in her brain had subsided. I felt the presence of the Lord with me, calming me, assuring me and reminding me that He is able to keep us from all harm. Our times are in His hands and nothing and no one can change that. We can rest in Him and trust in His divine sovereignty that all is well. The care we show to Meg pales in light of the care He shows to us.

This morn as I did my devotions the same Psalm was in my reading. A different verse in the Psalm read "oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have STORED UP for those who fear you." My heart takes comfort that His goodness is so full and abundant that it needs to be stored up. He is good, even in the storms and His love is steadfast even in our afflictions and the distresses of our souls (vs 7).

Coalie AKA Woof Biscuit

Today is a sad day around here. Coalie the Woofie Dog is ill and will be going to sleep this afternoon. It has been on our minds lately, but she really didn't seem to be suffering that much so we were struggling with whether we should do it or not. Last night she became ill and it is now very clear that we need to help her. It is sad to see her go. She was a good companion for the whole family especially in her earlier doggy years. We will miss her...

The 4th of July

Holidays!! I love them. Birthdays, Christmas, 4th of July! I love them all and look forward to each celebration. I specifically remember one 4th of July in Virginia Beach. We had taken the kids to Mount Trashmore, as we always did. As we were walking back to the car we were singing Patriotic songs and having fun. Tyler then asked me what the big deal was that we became independent. As I began the history lesson I was moved by the greatest freedom we have living in the United States of America...our right to worship God. I shared with him the wonderful gift we have to worship the true and living God and not be persecuted for it. We can proclaim God's truths and hear the preached Word and not fear that we will be tortured or have our children taken away. As we continued to walk I began to weep. Why, in the sovereign will of God, did I get to live here? I was overwhelmed by the kindness of God in my life. I am sure that my little boy heard much more than he cared to on that day, but hopefully he will remember that we need to set aside a time each year to remember the freedoms we have. We are warned in scripture not to forget all that He has done for us. So, on this 4th of July eat watermelon and flag colored jello. wear red, white and blue clothes, gather with family and friends and see the fireworks, but most of all let's all remember to ponder the very freedoms we are celebrating and give thanks to the One who made them possible. Happy 4th!

My Shirt!!

I forgot all about posting a picture of my favorite shirt, it was a gift. If you don't know what I am talking about, go back to my post in April and you will see. What do you think? Cool huh? (For those who don't know, I often refer to my great hubby as "my boyfriend" even though it has gotten me some odd looks over the years.)

Kept for Jesus

This morning I was reading in Jude. It starts out with "To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ." I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I am kept for Jesus." I pondered that thought for a while..what was I kept for Jesus for?

The answer came in V.24. I was kept for Jesus so that he can present me blameless before the throne of God. Oh, what a glorious thought.

"Now to him who is ABLE TO KEEP YOU from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy..." Jude v. 24

He will present me in glory, not as one who never has been faulty, but as one whose faults will not be taken into account!! And, it brings HIM great joy? Oh, it brings me great joy!!!! I am kept for Jesus so that He can present me before the throne, clothed in His righteous alone, all my sins blotted out and Jesus will be there with great joy. Mind boggling, absolutely mind boggling.

As I meditated on these verses Romans 8:1 took on a whole new meaning, "There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." None, our sins will not be taken into account, only Christ's righteousness will be counted. What a glorious comfort.

P.S. The picture of Violet has nothing to do with this post. I just thought you were probably ready to see her again!! he he

Home Again

Well, we are home from our wonderful trip to San Antonio. It is a beautiful city, hilly, trees, old and full of character. There is so much to do that we are already thinking about when we can go back there and explore some more. The first day we arrived after taking our time to get there. We stopped at 2 different Outlet shopping centers (one was amazing and definitely a girl's weekend dream trip) and we enjoyed a few shops. Then we stopped at a Czech bakery for some yummy nourishment. When we finally arrived at La Cantera we found the place to be gorgeous and the views wonderful, though it is no Colorado. We spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the grounds and learning about the place. After dinner we enjoyed the sunsetting as we sat in the hot tub and then had a smores from the fire pit. It was so relaxing and breath taking. I felt the cares of the world fading away!!!

On Sunday morning we took a long walk and discovered more little special things on the resort grounds and then had a wonderful breakfast brunch. Then off to Target for sunglasses (I broke mine) and cheaters (I tore my close up vision contact :)) and a disposable camera (of all the things to forget.) Then, we hung out at the adult pool for the rest of the day until the late afternoon.

The afternoon found us in downtown San Antonio. An old city, amazing architecture and character.The famous Riverwalk was more than I could have imagined. We took a boat tour through it all, this is the 2nd most popular tourist activity in Texas. Truly amazing and pretty. I felt like I had been swept away to another country.

We ate dinner at Rio Rio and had one of my favorite meals, fajitas! Yum. Then home for a quiet evening in our room while a horrible storm blew through the city!

The next day we went exploring in New Braunfels, an old German town and home to Schliterbahn, the world's biggest and best waterpark. The rivers in the town were full, swift and breathtaking. You can canoe, raft, kayak and tube on these rivers. Unfortunately, due to the storm the night before you couldn't get near the raging river. We ended our time there with a tour of Gruene, another German town. Again, I was treated to more than I had imagined. We ate at a restaurant that was an old cotton gin and on the river. The restaurant was built into the hill of the banks of the river, so the decks of the restaurants were in the trees overlooking the water. Then we roamed this little town. Quaint, quiet and so relaxing.

We enjoyed all the scenery, but more importantly, we enjoyed one another. One question we pondered was "When you look at our lives, what is different than you would have expected." We had many different things, but more than anything, we both said, our lives were far richer than we ever could have imagined and God had been kinder to us than we could ever have thought.

It is so good to stop life and ponder. It is so good to hop off the merry go round and look at what you are doing and where you are going. It is good to look back and see where you have been, where you could be and how incredibly amazing God has been. That is what this little getaway was for me, a time to reflect on the incredible journey i have enjoyed with my favorite person in the whole world.

Off We Go!!!!

Tomorrow my boyfriend and I will leave Frisco for a romantic get away. We are going to LaCantera in San Antonio. It is a resort owned by the Westin group. It has been a long time since the two of us slipped away, so we thought since it was our 25th anniversary this past week, we would continue the celebration and head to romantic San Antonio. (The place all good Texans go.) We will be there for 3 days enjoying the beautiful Texas hill country and one another. We have been recalling the years we have been together and all the things we have experienced that have shaped us and made us who we are, but more importantly, those experiences that have shown us who God is. What a faithful God we have. He has helped us through many difficult seasons and blessed us with many wonderful ones! We are humbled that the Lord has given us breath each day that we may serve him and enjoy him and have one another. For all you young marrieds that read this, the journey is worth it. The giving in and letting go, the swallowing of your pride again and again, the dying to your so called rights, the forbearing and overlooking, it is all worth it for the reward is so much greater than the cost. The reward is waking up each new day to someone who has worked hard to provide for you, out of love, someone who has seen your body grow and stretch and bear the reminders of that and still somehow thinks you are beautiful. Spending each day with someone that adds to your wrinkles because he make smile so much. The reward of sharing the joys of parenting and grandparenting and recounting all the stories that no one else will ever thing are special. Having a warm body to press your cold feet against. Having someone to lighten the load when it seems overbearing and to cheer you on when there is no way for him to help make it better. The reward is having a constant companion in the journey of discovering over and over what the cross really means and how it has saved me and someone to remind me of the Gospel when I fail to remind myself. The reward of knowing that if we honor God in our marriage we will reflect Christ and his love relationship with the church. I could write all night on the rewards of sticking it out, but you get the idea.

We will let you know what we discover in San Antonio, I know it is the birthplace of someone special!!

"The boundary lies have fallen for me in pleasant places." Psalm 16:6 This is a verse that I have gone back to over and over the for the past 2 years. It has comforted me many times when life didn't seem so pleasant. This week I see the pleasant place the Lord has brought me to, sometimes I remind myself of that verse in faith only. This past weekend Tyler and Mindy came to visit. This was the first time for them to see Violet and their first visit since they became engaged. It was a wonderful time. Tyler was smitten by the baby and it was so precious to see him with her. I so enjoyed sitting back and watching all my kids and their spouses and fiance interact, laughing, teasing, remembering. We went through all our family photos and a few choice videos. What a riot!! Things that seemed boring and uneventful way back when are now hysterical and interesting to us. Our videos of Meg provided tons of laughter and delight. She was so cute and funny without meaning to be. I often just watched the kids enjoying one another's company and I was overwhelmed many times at how kind God has been to me. Not only do I have four children, but they are all serving God. I am aware that it is His work in their lives that has brought such delight to me. He has shown favor to me when I least deserve it and He has chosen to give good gifts when I deserve punishment. Amazing. My heart is filled to the brim with emotions from my Savior. He not only saved me, but then chose to bless me. How can it be?

Life has had it's bumps and bruises and many delights and in the good moments it is easy to state that the lines are drawn in pleasant places for me, but the Word is truth and even in the greatest difficulty and trial I still must declare that I am in a good place. He never changes and whatever comes my way has passed His throne first, so all that occurs is ordained by my Savior to be the very best thing for me. Oh, I can rest there knowing He is good and when I struggle to believe it, I can recall to mind blessings like the one this weekend was to me, to help me believe.

I am a Mimi!!

This morning I don't care anymore about the jiggles that hang from my upper arms, the extra "fullness" around my tummy or the gray hair that shows well against my dark hair. I don't care that when I get out of bed my ankles and knees take a minute to work right. I don't mind that I can't remember where I left my grocery list. I am a grandma now and those silly signs of aging now have fallen into proper perspective! It is so wonderful to see the handiwork of God. I think I am more amazed with Violet than I was with my own babies! She is absolutely beautiful and my heart is FILLED with love for her! I love watching Violet as she gazes on he mama when Erin feeds her and I loved seeing Fred hold her and talk to her. Our lives will never be the same!!

Counting Down!

We are (or shall I say say Erin is) in the last days of Erin's pregnancy!! By the time many of you get to this post, Violet will be here!!! On Thursday morning Erin will be induced!! Of course if Violet wants to show her sweet little face before that, well that would be great, but we are counting on Thursday. We all head to the hospital about 6 in the morning and then Dr. Bailey will get Erin all hooked up. Please pray for a safe delivery. We are going to try to keep everyone posted on the days events via Erin's blog, www.thebloginmylife.blogspot.com. So on Thursday, just go to that link and you will get the latest updates. That is, of course, unless we get carried away with all the snacks, DVDs and games we are bringing with us! (he he) I figure if we come prepared for the long haul, then we won't need the stuff, but if we don't bring anything we will! I am so excited I can't wait! I never did think of a name for the baby to call me. I actually found one when my sister, Kathy, was here visiting, but I can't remember it!! Well, enjoy the pics....

My New Duds

This past week I received one of my all time favorite clothing items!! Hosanna found the perfect shirt for me. You know how it is when suddenly you put something on and you know, without even looking in the mirror, that this shirt was made for just for you? Well, that is this one. She found it at a store I would not normally even look in!! I think it will be my most worn shirt this summer. Tomorrow or the next day, when I get all dolled up, I will take a picture with me in my new shirt and show all of you. Stay tuned......

Mercy Reigns!!!!

We recently went on a short trip to Siesta Key, Florida with some of Fred's family. It is a vacation spot that holds dear memories for us. The main purpose for this trip was for me to meet my nephew for the first time, and he is 2 1/2!! Owen Shaw!! It was pure delight! Owen reminded me so much of my own son, Tyler, when he was a toddler, very similar in personality. It brought me back to a place of long ago (do I sound like I am suffering from Alzheimer's!) I remembered being on that same beach with my own small children and hearing their peals of laughter and glee as we played in the waves and looked for shells (which Grandma bought at the store and planted on the beach!!!!) I remembered how much I enjoyed those early years of motherhood and how much joy my children gave me, somehow the drudgery of always having 2 in diapers is fading.:)

When we got on the plane to come home, I was overwhelmed by God's kindness that I was able to go on that trip and get to know Owen. It was such a gift for me. Then, I put on my Ipod and listened to Chris Tomlin's rendition of "Amazing Grace" and when it came to the words "and like a flood, His mercy reigns, unending love, amazing grace" tears poured down my face as I once again was overwhelmed at the mercy of God as I thought about my little granddaughter who will soon make her first appearance! Talk about mercy reigning! I cannot imagine how much I will enjoy this little treasure, how much joy will I derive as I get to watch her run around the backyard and discover the beautiful gardens her Papa has planted. I look forward to teaching her songs and rhymes that I taught her Mom and digging out her Mom's baby dolls and toys for her to play with. I can't wait to just hold her in my arms and tell her over and over how many times I have prayed for her, how many times I asked the Lord to bless her mom and dad with a baby. I can't wait to watch my first daughter with her first daughter. I know Erin will be a great mom!! She fully devotes herself to everything God calls her to. Our God is full of mercy and grace and it gives Him great delight to shower us with it. Knowing how much I desire to pour into little Violet's life and bless her gives me a glimpse of how much the Father desires to pour into us. His grace is amazing and His mercy does reign!