!!

I found my first gray hair yesterday...I'm so sad. Oh well, at least Hubby got a lot more first!!!

Friends

Just thought I would share a few pictures of Punky and her friends...

This is cousin Buddy...I had some glasses frames that we had them try on...they look so smart!

This is Cinderella Punky and her friend Cinderella...they loved playing dress up...

We are so thankful for friends!

Why?

Sometimes life is just hard. Things happen that we don't understand, want, or agree with. It scares me to think that your life can change drastically in a moment, with no warning or opportunity to change it. I am amazed that your heart and soul can hurt much more than any physical pain. While going through the struggles of life, I can't imagine how people go through them without God. Yes, family and friends help us through, but it is God that loves us so much more than any human person ever could. It is He that has the power to make all things new, to bring good out of a bad situation (even if we can't see it right now). I am not saying it is always easy to trust God, but eventually, by coming to God, things do work out. Pain subsides over time, and God renews our joy and strength.

I refuse to ask God "Why do bad things happen?"...for who am I to question Him? I know that He knows my life, and has planned everything for me. He will not leave me. He will take care of me. I ask for your prayers for a very dear friend of mine, who is going through a very difficult time. My heart breaks for her and her family, but I know she is seeking the Lord and all will work out in the end. I am reminded of another of my favorite verses, Phillipians 1:6...For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I found a wonderful song by Jaci Velasquez entitled "Lay It Down". I could not stop crying the first time I heard it. I know God brought it to me just at the right time. Click HERE if you want to listen, and I have printed the words below:

Verse:I've been lookin' till my eyes are tired of lookin
Listenin' till my ears are numb from listenin'
Prayin' till my knees are sore from kneelin' on the bedroom floor
I know that you know that my heart is achin'
I'm running out of tears and my will is breakin'
I don't think that I can carry the burden of it anymore

All of my hopes and my dreams and my best laid plans,
Are slowly slippin' through my folded hands

Chorus:So I'm gonna lay it down
I'm gonna learn to trust You now
What else can I do?
Cause everything I am depends on You
And if the sun don't come back up
I know Your love will be enough
I'm gonna let it be,
I'm gonna let it go,
I'm gonna lay it down.

Verse:I've been walkin' through this world like I'm barely livin'
Buried in the doubt of this hole I've been diggin'
But You're pullin' me outI'm finally breathin' in the open air
This room may be dark but I'm finally seein'
There's a new ray of hope, and now I'm believin'
That the past is past, and the future's beginning to look brighter now

Oh, cause all of my hopes and my dreams and my best laid plans
Are safe and secure when I place them in Your hands

Chorus:So I'm gonna lay it down
I'm gonna learn to trust You now
Oh what else can I do,
Cause everthing I am depends on You
And if the sun don't come back up
I know Your love will be enough
I'm gonna let it be,
I'm gonna let it go,
I'm gonna lay it down.

Tell me who you are!

I have noticed a lot of visits on my "site map" from towns I am not familiar with...Merna, Dewitt, Benson, Plano, etc...some from Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, even someone in Japan! Send me a comment and let me know how you found my site and what you like best about it!

Princess

Punky loves to dress up in her princess clothes...so the other night I decided I had better get a picture of her in each of the outfits before she outgrows them (and note how the socks sooo compliment the outfits)! Here is the little princess as...

Tinkerbell

Snow White
Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Cinderella

I am so thankful for my "girlie girl" little princess and hope that we will always be great friends (even though she clearly says Hubby is her BEST FRIEND!!)

Winter Weather

I am so over winter...ready for sunshine, going for walks, playing outside, and most of all...opening our windows! I feel like everything is so dreary and my body needs sun!

I hope the warm weather comes soon. However, I am thankful for winter...I am sure if I didn't have winter, I wouldn't appreciate spring and summer nearly as much.

My Valentine

I have this picture of Hubby and me...I think it is before we were married, probably while we were in college...for some reason, I just love it. Look how young we looked! Kinda scary...

I am so thankful to have a Valentine, especially one as wonderful as Hubby! I love you honey, and I hope you have a great day!

Waiting...

I am the type of person that LOVES to get emails, comments to my blog, telephone calls, or cards/letters in the mail. I am filled with anticipation as I check my email to see who has taken time to send me a message.

That being said, I heard a very interesting talk on the radio the other day. The speaker said that just like we enjoy communicating and getting messages from each other, SO DOES GOD! He also waits in eager anticipation for the moment I spend time with Him, in prayer and reading His Word. It really made me think that I am probably disappointing God quite a bit because I know I don't talk with Him nearly enough. Sure, I may send up a prayer here and there, but there are not very many moments when I actually give Him all of my attention and focus on what He wants me to know. Sometimes, I am so caught up in giving Him my message (requests) that I fail to seek what He would like to say to me, either through devotions in His Word, or even through the words of other people. I am thankful that He patiently waits for me, and that he is never angry or upset when I come crawling back to Him. I hope I can do better.

Who picked these anyway...

So, I had been thinking about having an "Oscar's" party...having people over to watch it on TV and have a little "pool" as to who was going to win each category. I had heard of people doing this before and it really sounds like fun.

However, when I went online to see what the categories were to start preparing for this, I realized I knew NOTHING of the nominees in most of the categories. Most of the actors and actresses are people I have never heard of, and if I have heard of them, I haven't seen the movie (and really don't intend to). So, now I am bummed because I would get no enjoyment out of watching the Oscars this year...I guess I will wait until next year.

Snowman 2008

Hubby decided it was a perfect day to make a snowman...something Punky has never done. So, here is the result!

Punky & Daddy

Punky & Mommy

And a hug for a new friend ~ Crusty (Punky named him all by herself ????)

So, for this reason, I was thankful for snow today, because it gave us such a fun memory!!

Busy Week

Well, this week has been incredible. Work has been crazy and pretty stressful-the snow storm didn't help. Needless to say, I have had a headache everyday this week. Hopefully this will get better. Next week at work shouldn't be as stressful (I hope I didn't just jinks that).

Punky's eye is pretty much healed, and the incision mark is almost gone...we are very thankful she did not hurt it worse when she fell.

In more fun news, we have decided to go to Florida this spring! I have always wanted to stay in a condo right on the beach and that is what we are doing. Cocoa Beach, here we come! We plan for most of the week to just lounge around the beach. One day we will do Magic Kingdom for Punky...she is already so excited about seeing Cinderella's castle and is already talking about dancing with the prince. We think she will really enjoy Disney this time.

We decided to surprise my parents by asking them to come along with us on the trip...it is a much deserved vacation for them, especially since my Dad will be graduating with his Master's in May. It should be a fun trip!