Bows R Us!

Announcing my first Giveaway!!!

I have been wanting to do this for a long time; but (as I do so often) I have been waiting until I could sit down and figure out exactly how the best way is to do a giveaway {the professional way}.  Well, I will defer no longer.  In order to win you...

1.  Become a follower of my blog!

2.  Post my giveaway on facebook.

3. Post my giveaway on twitter.

4. Post my giveaway on your blog.

Option A:

These Lollipop Bows are Pink Polka dotted with white, pink, and blue in the center.  They are each about the size of a quarter (not including the clip). They will look SO cute on some little girls pig tails!

Option B:

Can you tell I like Polka Dots!?!  This bow is about 6" X 4".  It is a basic white bow beneath a basic green polka dot bow with a little white star button for a little accent. 

Option C:

This bow is a Hello Kitty bow in Black, White and red.  It is really three (white; then red and black polka dot; then Hello Kitty ribbon) basic bows in one with korker and lollipop style ribbon for accent.  {This one is Aaliyah's favorite because it has a kitten on it.}

Tell me (through commenting on my facebook or here) how many entries you did (minimum1 maximum 4). I will put your name in a hat based on your comment (minimum1 maximum4).  Aaliyah will pull the winner's name out of a hat on Monday and I will announce the winner on Tuesday.  (The old fashioned way - I know- but it works!) the winner will then pick her favorite bow {Option A, B, or C.} Have fun!!!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary...

Our garden area before we tilled it up.

How does your garden grow!  Every year we are excited about planting time.

My hard working husband

 This year we are trying a couple of new things - corn, stevia, and a few herbs.  My gardening tip is to plant attractive flowers in your garden to attract friendly bugs. Friendly bugs will help pollinate your plants and some can help keep pests away. Here,  here, and here are a few helpful websites about this topic.

I planted a lot of seeds in egg cartons this year.

After everything was planted this is how it looked.

My new thing is to use yarn to keep my rows straight.  These are my onin plants.  Red onion can be expensive so I planed my own this year.

This photo is about a month old.

Planting time for us is over, but I am still waiting for a few things to come up.  In the mean time my goal for my garden is to keep weeds, grass, and pests down.  Our garden is right in the middle of a bermuda grass patch.  Bermuda grass is sort of like cudzu.  It seems the more you pull, the more it grows.  I spend time almost every day pulling up weeds or grass.  It is a lot of work; but it will be worth it!

Growing.



My husband is an aspiring photographer!

Zuchini squash flower.

Growing!



More photography by Ray.



Until next time,

Sunday is Funday!

Cassidy helping Daddy during the opening exercises before Sunday School

"From now on I am going to call Sunday 'Funday'.!"  This is what one of ourHispanic kids said on the way home after church.  Occasionally I get to drive the children home after our Sunday or Thursday service and I always enjoy that because it gives me a chance to get to know the kids a little better (especially the boys) and it give my husband a chance to take care of things with the adults or spend time with the girls.  The kids don't always feel excited about church as this one particular boy did on Easter Sunday; but I enjoy it when we hear that they enjoyed Sunday.

Our family lives for Sunday.  Literally.  All week long we prepare for Sunday be it through prayer, visitation, preparing lessons, laundry, cooking, etc.  All of you who are in the ministry full time know what I mean.  Most people look forward to Friday's because it is pay day. Well, Sunday is our payday.  Sunday is the day when all of our work throughout the week comes to fruition.  I hesitate to say it that way because some Sundays it is just our family  (in Sunday school) plus one (during the main service).   I say that I hesitate in putting it that way because we cannot measure here on earth what has eternal value. It doesn't always show up on  the Sunday after.

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15


BUT Sunday is a day of celebration for our family.  We have purposed to make it that way.  Undoubtedly one or both of the girls will do something that deserves correction - I warn them in my most severe mommy voice and put off what we call "MRS. Rosey" if at all possible.  Undoubtedly my husband (who is focused on his message and the events of the day) will be a little curt with me or say something that down right hurts my feelings; but I smile and give him a sincere hug and kiss anyway.  I don't bring up heavy {or even light} topics that can wait.  ( If it's really important I try to write it down on our dry erase board on the frig. so I don't forget.)  I try to make the most of our crock pot for Sunday's lunch.  And last but not least, I cook - I use that word very loosely - a light and quick breakfast {lately its been Smoothie Sunday - I throw a some fruit, yogurt, and juice in a blender and pour!}.

We have been in Newport as Pastor and Pastor's wife and kids for nearly two years now (August is our official anniversary).  We have had some very exciting Sunday's and some that have left us a little discouraged.  People have made promises and not kept them, while others have not promised; but have been a tremendous blessing.  In our personal lives we have seen the Lord do some wonderful, and I would even say miraculous things; but the church has seemingly been in a dry spell.  No souls saved (at church and those who do pray on soul winning and visitation disappear).  No one baptised.  No one making earth shaking decisions for Christ.  No visitors. No one joining the church.


These past two week have definitely been different.  One family of four has been visiting and has talked to my husband about joining our church! One of our church members has had a very close friend visit, get saved, and ask about getting baptised possibly as early as this coming Sunday.  (We have been praying for this particular friend for about two years.) Another family of four has visited us two weeks in a row!  No one in our number invited them.  They just showed up and have been a blessing during the services - even their teenagers have been a blessing and seem to enjoy church!  Our members have been faithful and almost on-time two weeks in a row.  (If you go to a "Black" church you know that is  truly a blessing!)  Their are other things I could list, but I won't because they are private or because I don't want to steal all my husband's thunder for the next prayer letter.

As far a I know my husband and I have not changed anything.  We still go visiting two or three times a week.  We have still been praying for each of our services and Newport in general.  It seems God has decided to open up a window of blessing, now all we have to do is try and be ready to receive it.  We covet your prayers!

Until next time,  

Songbird

Aaliyah is our little songbird.  She wakes up singing.  I love that about her.  This past week she had the hymn "Love Lifted Me" in her head.  It started out as "Love lipp-ed me" and became whatever was on her mind at the time.  The tune was always the same; but the words kept changing.  Yesterday afternoon we were in the garden and Aaliyah found a big stick and started playing it like a cello.  She serenaded us for about fifteen minutes.  I taught her how to curtsy when she was done; but then she felt like she needed to sing something else so she could curtsy again.

My instrument playing is limited to piano and the trombone (which is VERY limited); but I may have to branch out and learn at least the basics of a few other instruments because Aaliyah loves and has shown an interest in a variety of other instruments.  She plays our sink as piano, short sticks become flutes, Popsicle sticks are drums or maracas - you get the point.  Sometimes when I turn the radio on or a CD she will go over and sit near the radio and just listen or sing along.  Raymond and I have talked about it and we want all our children to learn at least the basics of playing the piano; but do any of you music teachers out there have any suggestions?