Blissful Summer Evening.....

~My sweet girl in her favorite spot....my lap~
~My handsome little hunk....too cute in a tie~
~Joseph asks Nana to dance....
~Presley asks Papa to dance...the cutest
~My Princes
~Nana Terri gets a hug!~
~The Four of us~
~Presley and Joseph dance the night away....the ONLY ones on the dance floor for about 30 minutes! :)

~We love our Papa and Nana~
~Getting down on the checkered board dance floor~
~Look alike hostess cupcakes were the dessert at this wedding....YUM
~And strawberry cupcakes...the yummiest~
~classic..licking that finger, enjoying every last bite of this cupcake~
~My babies~

We had the best time at a wedding for a very good friend's daughter, Morgan Roberts. Morgan is the daughter of Bart and Molly Roberts. Bart has worked at Still Lumber with Lem for many, many years.

The wedding was held outside at the Robert's home. Their vows took place under a huge oak tree in their yard, absolutely breathtaking. After the vows, we were quickly ushered to the reception just behind us under some white tents and served Macaroni Grille entree's. Yum. The dessert was look-alike Hostess chocolate cupcakes and strawberry cupcakes. Delicious!! Especially the strawberry variety. I can still taste that sweet slice of heaven in my mouth...mmmm.

A few plates and too many too count cupcakes later, the kids hit the dance floor. It was just sitting there, empty and stark...until the kids jumped onto it. They lit it up like the fourth of July. Dancing, and more dancing for a captive audience to boot.

Eventually, the younger crowd hit the dance floor and so began a good time for all. Joseph at one point, slid onto the dance floor in the middle of the young crowd and started break dancing. The crowd hooted and hollered at our little showboat. Of course, Presley was mimicking his every move and looked like his female shadow. I quickly looked over at Lem to see his expression and it was priceless. Lem's face had the familiar look that I have seen many times.... the "that's my boy!" expression. So sweet.

Lem finally had to drag them off of the dance floor so others could dance. They both were hesitant because they were loving the limelight. They soon gave in, and hesitantly headed back to our table. They had their 5 minutes of glory and they were basking in it.

A beautiful wedding, and a perfect night. I love Summer. I love my family. I love my life.

still thinking about that strawberry cupcake,

Jill

p.s....Three Blondes and a Wand did hair and make-up for the entire bridal party! Check out our pictures at our blogspot... http://www.threeblondesandawand.blogspot.com/

A MUST read....

Talk about a book knocking you off of your feet....wow!!! I am almost finished, and I am finding myself savoring every last word. Reading and re-reading, lest I forget. My eyes are opening to a truth I have known all along, just didn't really want to acknowledge. I thought I was hiding it pretty well until reading this book. Goodness, the timing could not be more perfect. This will be one of those books that I will highlight the heck out of and refer back to many times.

Get this book. Get your best friend this book, get your Momma this book. All women need to read this.

so long insecurity you have definitely been a bad friend,

Jill

Breathing deep....

~From Presley

~From Joseph

~From Lem

~From Presley

I feel like the most blessed Mommy in the whole world. Every holiday my children and my husband spoil me with their homemade cards, and their thoughtful gifts. This Mother's Day was no exception. I awakened to breakfast in bed and a bevy of cards and gifts. I thought about reaching for my camera, then winced at the thought of how I would look in those pictures. Scary.

I have been meaning to blog this for a while, but alas life happens. Since discovering that my blog can be made into a scrap book in the literal blink of an eye, I have rediscovered my blogging passion. This is for my babies! They will love seeing all of their silly stories and events on here one day. (I hope, anyway!) :)

Trying to keep my life as simple as can be these days. I have gotten carried away in the past with things that shouldn't have my attention, and I feel God has made me "aware" of those things. I want my life to be about my faith in an awesome God, my husband who I am so in love with, and my babies who are the sunshine's of my life. I want to cherish every waking second with the people around me, the people that God has put in my life. I have had the tendency in the past to "over spread" myself so to speak. I have put myself in places that God did not call me to be. I am grateful that He is showing me and teaching me exactly where He wants me. I am listening, intently.

My life is wherever God wants me. Anywhere else is a waste of my time and my very breath. Overstimulating can be addicting, like a drug to my brain. However, God knows that is not what is best for me. He wants me to under stimulate, take a deep breath, and breathe in the moment. The moment can be slow, but it is exactly the pace I need to be now. There is peace in those slow moving moments.

I am hoping that anyone reading this finds joy in every single day. Not the joy of over stimulation and activity, but the joy in the sounds of your children whispering and laughing. The sound your husband makes as he is walking through the door after a long day at work. (hopefully, this is a good sound! ) The sound of hearing your Mother or Father's voice on the other end of the phone. The sound of laughing with your best friend, or crying with your best friend. The sound of the pages of your bible turning as you look for a fitting scripture for yourself or a loved one. This is life. This is what we will cherish in the end.

life really IS good,

Jill

Sea World 2010....

~My beautiful Mother....who just happened to bring us here to Orlando...~

~Angie, Mom and Me at our favorite restaurant....The Rainforest Cafe~

~Amberlee, Mom and Jordan~

~Love these kids~

~Silly girls, Anna-Joy and Presley in the HUGE tub at our hotel~

~Arctic zone at Sea World...it felt so good in here~

~okay, i had to include this picture...presley is freezing and joseph has to pee. we were in the arctic zone at sea world. it was the coolest (temp wise) place in the whole park! we loved it..except for trying to find joseph a bathroom...~

~Anna-Joy on a carousel...love her little face~

~beautiful girl~

~Presley riding on her little horse~

~Presley looking tired, but still going....~

~One of the performers in the "Believe" whale show~

~Anna-Joy chatting it up with one of the female swimmers in the whale show...she was so sweet to Anna-Joy~

~Presley~

~amazing show...not quite the same since the female trainer was killed in February. very sad.~

~loved this picture...~

~watching the show, and excited~

~the background matches Joseph's shirt..haha!

~grabbing a bite to eat..and drink. it was so hot that day....100 degrees!~

~posing with a mermaid~

~the whole gang..minus Presley? where did she go?~

~can you see the sunscreen?? just a little oily...~

~cheese~

~my favorite girl..amberlee!~

~striking a pose in our hotel room~

What a trip! We had the greatest time in Orlando! Sea World was our main attraction, but we had a full week. Our hotel was packed with activities for the kids and a wonderful pool. I am so grateful to my Mom for taking all of us to this little piece of heaven. Lots of memories and much laughter make this trip unforgettable. I love being with these people, and I can't wait to go back again next year.

We stayed at the Marriot Grand Vista, and it was more than plush for our needs. A three bedroom suite was plenty for us to spread out and have our own space. The hotel could have been an attraction all on it's own. A lot to do, and very relaxing at the same time. My kind of place!

Thank you to my Mom for sweeping us away on this vacation. My heart is already missing us all being together under one roof. Next year is beckoning.....

"Sea" you soon,

Jill

Salty and Sweet...

~One of the 4 trees with a strange face carved in them on the island...spooky~

~love her little profile~

~daddy and presley having a little beach fun~

~heading out to dinner with her favorite man~

~scotty and joseph..best buds~

~riding those waves!~

~standing in a puddle to try and get their feet cooled off~

~little surfer girl~

~here we go to the beach~

~one of the many sand dollars we found on this trip~

~Lem's birthday celebration...we sliced the cake then headed out the door to St. Simon's..happy birthday, Lem! ~

Last week was our annual Summer vacation to St. Simon's...our little home away from home. Our children have been going there since they were newborns, and it always comforts me to know how they cherish the memories we have shared there for many years. I can't convey enough how intertwined my soul is to the beach...the salty air, the warm sand, the crashing of the waves. I can hardly stand to go more than a few months without going to the beach, especially "our" beach as we like to call it.

This year we took a very special little friend, Scotty. Scotty is Joseph's friend from school, and the son of a dear friend of mine, Heather. Heather has been in previous posts on my blog. She has the "C" word, and she is an absolutely amazing lady. I don't think I have ever known anyone quite like her. I love her dearly.

Anyway, Scotty was a joy to have along. He fit in with us like jelly fits with peanut butter. Smooth and easy.

We will be going again in July, and cannot wait to put our feet back in that sand.

still smelling the salty air,

Jill

One layer at a time....

It amazes me how God works. I will never understand Him, nor do I try. I just know that He is always working. It hurts when God is working on me...it is like He is peeling the layers off of an onion. Me, being the onion. One painful strip at a time. Ouch.

Onions must be in season, because I am definitely without a doubt being peeled. Some things are happening that seem way out of my "realm" of comfortableness. At times, I just want to relax and drift through life. Easy breezy, nice and easy. What's wrong with that?? However, God has other plans. He knows I need a lot of work, so He must get a big kick out of my wincing after each peeling. He knows it is for my own good. But, good grief, it's painful!


He opens my eyes to things that sometimes I wish He wouldn't. Why, why?? Because He loves me. He loves me more than I could ever fathom. That's why. He wants what is best for me, and He will keep pursuing me as long as I am breathing on this Earth. It is so funny to me how God works. There are times when I am begging to be used by Him and just barking at the chance to climb a tree for Him. As soon as the opportunity arises, I back down and think..."Hmmmm...not so sure about this. I am pretty comfortable right now." Ha! God must really think I'm a nut case. Can't blame Him.

How about you? What is God doing in your life? Are you feeling out of your "realm" of comfortableness? Or are you just jumping for the chance to be used for His glory? I would love to hear your story. Encouragement and affirmation make my little heart dance!

re-defining my comfort zone,

Jill

Big shoes to fill....

~Lem doing the dishes and cleaning up after lunch...i LOVE this man!~ ~my beautiful Mother as we presented her gift...it was filled with pottery that our children had especially decorated and designed for her...~

~Angela, Amberlee and Jordan love on their sweet Momma~

~Momma and her girls~

~Momma and Me (a/k/a her sidekick)~

Wow, where to start with how much I love my Momma...I guess I will just list a few things that I will always cherish in my heart about this lady that God has blessed my life with.

~she is the funniest person you will ever meet. not just "haha" funny, but belly laughing, stomach hurting, mascara running kind of funny.

~my friends have always called her their 2nd momma.

~she is my biggest cheerleader...even if i was terrible at something, she made me feel like i could accomplish anything.

~she believes in me. more than she should.

~she loves my children like they are her very own. i have to tell you, this makes my heart melt more than anything else. when someone loves your children bone-deep...you KNOW they are special.

~the way that she smells...whatever perfume du`jour she is wearing, she always smells so good!

~her discernment. it is scary, but it's a powerful gift from God. i appreciate it much more now that i am older...growing up, it wasn't much fun though.

~her spaghetti. every year for my birthday she makes my own special spaghetti, salad with ranch, and green cake. i need nothing else, just those things. :)

~her giving spirit. my goodness, she would give her very last breath to someone in need. she doesn't know the word selfish. perhaps this is her greatest quality, because it just comes so completely natural to her.

~her protectiveness. yes, she is sweet...but she is also feisty. don't mess with her babies...enough said.

~her peaceful spirit. many a days, i will call to just hear her voice. it is so soothing to me. she always knows what to say and what i need to hear.

~she is the centerpiece of our family. she is always planning trips for us all to be together. her world revolves around her family.

~she thinks that i am her sunshine. Lord knows that SHE is the sunshine, I am just a little weed trying to catch a ray of her.

~she loves my Lem like her very own. i love when she brags on him and tells me how wonderful he is. it makes my heart so happy.

~she loves me just the way i am.

~she is the best cook in the world. she can throw together anything, and it is the best meal you have ever laid your mouth on. seriously.

~she can throw a party...and a good one. nothing momma does is "half-way". if she is going to do something, by golly watch out! it is going to be big and lots of fun!

~i love her hands, they are always warm. i love to hold them at church, or in the car.

~i love how my children think that she hung the moon. presley always says that she wishes maw maw was her mommy. then she quickly says...well, i wish she was my "other" mommy. it doesn't offend me one bit, i wouldn't have it any other way.

~did i say that she believes in me? perhaps not one other person has the faith in me that she does. she knows my strengths, and she encourages me to utilize them.

My list could go on and on and on....I love my Momma. She has made me who I am as a Momma, as a Wife, and as a friend. Thank you. You will never know how your doting words have whispered in my ears. Your prayers and your songs are in my heart that you washed over me when I was a little girl.

"Happy Mother's Day" seems so little to say. How about "Best Mother Everyday". You are some mighty big shoes to fill.

wanting to be like you,

Jilly