Because they melt my heart..

Not the greatest quality, they are from my phone but its been a while since I posted pictures of these 2 boys that melt my heart.. so here you go.. so you can enjoy looking at them with me!

Colton and Pierce, Momma loves you more than words can describe!!

Want to Capture a Special Moment?

I have the perfect person to help you do that!! My friend Destiny is having a contest on her blog and I wanted to share it with you.  For those that don't remember, she is my photographer!  She is a great Christian woman, that loves serving our Lord and Savior and has a passion for her job!  God has truly blessed her with amazing talents.  Go check out her blog --Destiny Tillery Photography

And while your at it, you can click on over to her website and see more of her great work! Destiny Tillery Photography

I know that she'll appreciate you taking the time to look at all of her work.  And I know she'd appreciate you considering scheduling a photo shoot with her!

The Newest Captain around

I am behind on blogging about this but I wanted to make sure that I did.  This is my scrapbook so I have to put all the stuff on here.  (I know I have been slacking)!
Back in November, Ryan was promoted to Captain at the BFD! He has worked 12 hard years to get to this point.  This was one of his goals! And he made it!! I am so proud of him! He is one that even after 12 years at the same job, he still loves getting up and going to work!! That says a lot!! He truly loves what he does! I am so proud of him for always being a great leader, a great friend to his co-workers, and for doing what he loves!! It is hard to have to leave your family for 24 hours every 3rd day to go to work, but he does it.  He is always thinking about his family and doing whatever it takes to make sure that we are taken care of!  I can't say enough about this wonderful man God has given to me as a husband!  He is truly the best! I couldn't have asked for a better husband than Ryan!!

Taking his Oath

I was honored to pin him

Very Proud

My love!

Congratulations baby on your promotion!  I know that you'll make a great Captain! You put your heard into your work and take pride in being the best that you can be!!  I can never thank you enough for everything that you do for our family!  My heart is so full of love for you and I fall more in love with you everyday!  I look forward to many more years together and what is to come!! I pray that God will continue to bless you with a passion for your job.  I pray that he protects you and guides you in everything that you do!!
The boys and I love you so much!!

Guidance

I am learning on a daily basis that parenting is one of the hardest things that I'll ever do in life.  Everyday something new happens that I've never dealt with that I must face and figure out the best way to handle it.  Everyone talks about how great it would be to have a "How To" book for parenting.  And for years I have agreed.  How great it would be to have a manual that teaches me how to deal with 2 wild, rowdy, always energetic boys.  It would be nice to have guidance in how to deal with them fighting between each other or the competition between them.  But the truth of the matter is, we do have a "How To" book for raising kids.. its called the Bible, the living word! I haven't always been the best christian, but ever since Ryan and I got back into church and are letting God guide us through life, I realize that I am not doing this alone!  Man, what a great feeling that is!  God's word is there for every circumstance in our lives.  It can be related to raising the boys, to our marriage, to our finances, to our purpose in life and where he wants to take us, it is all right there in front of me.  All I have to do is to take the time to have a close intimate relationship with my Lord and Savior and he will show me and lead me through everything that comes my way in life.  Is it always easy?  No, but God didn't promise me that I wouldn't have hard times.  In John 16.33 it says: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." But Praise God, in him I can have complete peace and know that he is always with me.  I have never been so focused on raising my boys the way that the Lord calls me to do than I am now.  And man is it a struggle.  The more I seek him and his ways, the more the enemy tries to interfere and wreck havoc! But I will stand strong in the Lord and rebuke the enemy in Jesus Name! I will claim the promise that he has given me and stand strong and be ready to fight!
One of my many struggles in parenting is my anger.  

• Would I ever hurt my boys?  Never!!  
• Do I lose my cool with them quickly?  Yes! 
• Do I over react to things that I shouldn't?  Yes!  
• Do I spend the time with them in Gods word like I should?  No! I do try to point things out to them throughout our daily lives what is right and wrong and what would Jesus thing about the situation at hand.  I ask them, if they think Jesus would be happy with that they have done, or the way that they have acted.  
• Do I always stop what I am doing to do something that they ask me to do? No! There are times when I tell them to go play and go about doing what I am doing.  Am I proud of that?  Not at all, it breaks my heart when I think about it.  They won't always be little, and want to do things with momma.  They won't always want to sit and love on me, or to watch tv or play games.  They'll be grown and gone before I know it and I know that I'll miss these times.  I try to remind myself of that all the time so that I can focus on living in the moment with my boys and soaking up all the love and time I can with them.  I want to know that I love them with all my heart and that I want to be with them.   

This morning was a particularly hard morning for me.  I was letting the enemy attack and not standing my ground with my armor on and my sword drawn ready to fight with God's word!  Instead I was letting him win and it threw a monkey wrench in my morning and so far it has carried on into my afternoon.  I was getting angry quick, and over reacting and not dealing well with 2 boys that didn't want to mind and do what they know is right.  All during the morning a verse kept coming to mind that really strikes home with me and that I would really like to focus on.  It is James 1:19-20 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." WOW!! That hits home with me!!  I am not an anger person but I do struggle with getting anger fast and not having patience.  God was reminding me this morning that I am to be slow to anger! I am to show the boys unconditional love at all times, just like our heavenly father does for all of his children!  I don't want to display the anger of this world!  I want to shine in his righteousness and live my life pleasing to him! Heavenly Father,
I come to you, humbling myself before you.  I am not perfect.  I thank you for being showing me unconditional love even when I have done something unpleasing to you.  You still wrap your arms around me and remind me that I am the daughter of the living God!  Thank you Father for that!  Lord, I thank you for trusting me with 2 precious boys.  They are your sons! You have given them to me to love unconditionally just like you love me unconditionally, and I am to show them your love through my actions and the way that I live my daily life.  Father, I have not done a great job at that, but I know with your help and your guidance I can! You have the power to do anything and I believe that! Your are the healer of all things!  I give you honor! Father, I ask that you show me the ways that you would have me to pray for each of my boys.  Father, I want to speak heavens blessings over their lives, I want to pray for their daily lives now and in the future.  I want them to know that I am praying for them, and speaking your love in their lives and around them.  Father, break me so that I am truly know how to be the godly mother that you would have me to be!  They are my life and I can't imagine my life without them.  You have planted a love for them in my heart that is so big and so great, yet I have a hard time controlling the times when I get angry.  I pray Father, that you would do great works in my life and in the lives of my children.  I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen.

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
         Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

God's Will

I was reading an email yesterday that someone forwarded to me, when this statement stood out to me:

"The Will of God will never take you where the 

Grace of God will not Protect you"

At that moment I just sat there reading it over and over.  It is so true! I am reminded of that time and time again. He is really showing me that through the journey that my family and I are on.  As most of you know that I am taking classes to get ready to go to nursing school.  This is what God has called me to do, and so I am putting my faith and trust in him and doing it.  There have been many times throughout this journey where Ryan and I have really stressed and wondered how we are going to manage all of this.  I am working full-time, going to school full-time, being a wife and a mother all at the same time.  Yes, I have done it before, but this time is different.  This time, I believe, because I am fully following the Will of God for my life, the enemy is attacking stronger and stronger.  I have been told several times that the closer your walk with God is, the more the enemy is going to attack and try to drag you down, beat you down and put anything he can in the way of the goal.  However, I am also learning, that the more I put my trust and faith in him, the more he really provides.  Ryan and I struggle with the financial issue of the whole nursing school, because I will have to quit work and go to school full time.  How are we going to be able to manage all of our responsibilities and take care of the boys?? Well the answer is that we can't worry about that.  We have to FULLY rely on God to take care of us and provide for us. Thank you Jesus for always providing and taking care of us! God is taking us through a transitional period in our lives in order to prepare us for what he is calling me to do!  It reminds me of a verse in Proverbs:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and

he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5

Everyday, I am learning to trust in the lord and not think about my own ways and understanding of things.  He has a Great plan and I know that he will make a way for everything that I need in advance.  I have to claim his promise to me and stand on that promise.  He will not promise me something and then take it away!  God is always on my side and is always there to take care of his own children!! So this is my reminder that every time I get discouraged or I start to worry about things, to ALWAYS trust in him and not myself.  His timing is perfect.  He is merciful and he knows all!!

Having Quiet Time

The boys got bibles for Christmas, which they were very excited about! They have been wanting them, so I made sure they got them! During my vacation, the boys needed some down time from each other, so they went to their rooms.  When I went to check in on them, this is what I found Pierce doing:

Reading His Bible!!!!! 

Having quiet time, which is precious!!

Melts his momma's heart!! I pray everyday that I am raising them the way that God would have me to raise them, and that he guides my every step through this journey called Parenthood.   These boys aren't mine and Ryans, God has just entrusted us with them to raise them to be Great Men of God that love God with all their mind, body and soul!! 

Thank you God for allowing me to be Colton and Pierce's momma!! They have my heart!!!

Away they go!

Its late but hey better than never. Here are a few pictures of the boys enjoying 2 of their presents from Santa.  And of course, Daddy had to join in too!  The boys can't have all the fun can they?  Momma and Daddy like to have fun too!

Family Pictures 2010

I'm a little late getting this up.  But then again, I am late on getting Christmas pictures up too.  But they are coming.. My dear friend and photographer, Destiny Tillery took our pictures.  She does a great job and is been very blessed with a great talent.  We love her!

Here are just a few of the pictures she took for us back in November.

Thank you Destiny for doing a Wonderful job.  We always enjoy getting our pictures taken by you! And they always turn out great! We love you and your family!