Faith, Family and Friends

Family & Fun ~

This young man,

and this younger man came to our home Tuesday morning.

The blocks were 'tumped' out (yes, it's a word)

and the cars were lined up. And then this came on the television,

and caught his attention,

and his. And the cars sat silent~Until

She came back from a doctor visit,and this one couldn't wait to get in her arms. He is so in love with his mommy.Note to Elle ~ you will have to share her.

I am in Gulf Shores! Helping a dear friend move into

her new home! This is a dream come true for her

and I am so honored and blessed to have been asked

to help get things settled in and to have a house

become a home. We are having fun!

Her home is located in Craft Farms and it's beautiful!

I have pictures and will tell you all about it later.

We will be leaving Saturday morning headed to Mississippi,

so look for snapshots and updates to come when the dust settles~

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Good food, good friend, good times~

John Deere & John ~

A very special man, with two very special babes,

at one of his very favorite stores,
with a very favorite brand~

I am so in love with you, Johnny Hood.

And you are an awesome Pa.

with love,

We kept Noah & Ian for a bit this morning,

then went to Moe's for lunch~celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Ian is the typical curious, somewhat quiet 5 year old~

Noah is the silly, witty loving two year old~

and we are so in love with them both!

Noah loved having my glasses, but upside down!

Ian, waiting patiently on his food~

this child has become a bottomless pit!

and Noah always has been.

Afterwards, there was a puzzle to put together,

again, and again, and still once more.

This snapshot is overexposed,

but I love it.

It was a most delightful day. Thanks so much, Jen~

Magnificent Magnets!

Don't walk, click quickly on the photo above, or here,

to go to Chris's site for a sweet post on magnets!

Her site always inspires me & I thought of those moms

looking for a project the little ones can do this summer!

Not to mention, those of us that have fridge things

that MUST be hung {wink, wink!}

This Saturday we will drive over and see

our Mississippi babies! The reason holds sadness,

but it will such a Celebration of Life!

and we so look forward to being with them~

Pa and Nan will see you soon, 'laina!

and I have some flip flops for this sweet suit!

The boys spent some time at a local zoo recently~

and their mom got some adorable snapshots~

snapshots that only remind me how they've grown~

and I am so blessed to be a small part of their world.

As much as I love them, Jen, I love you even more~

So I was driving home
and this policeman pulls me over.
Walking up to my door, he asked
if I had been driving fast.
Of course
I said "No!"
and I think
he may have believed me,
if he hadn't looked in the back seat
and seen my dog.

{I was going back through the first blog we had and found this. I laughed out loud. Again. And I noticed that blog is different than this blog. Longer posts and more of a variety. Has your blog changed since you first began?}

I heard Jenny & Brandon speaking, and writing, of a group that calls themselves Third Day. Not knowing much of this group, but liking what Jenny had posted on their site, I went to YouTube and searched for some of their music. This song? Well, I fell in love with not only the haunting melody, but the words themselves. Beautiful song, awesome group. Thanks, Jen, for posting and for bringing yet another musical artist into my CD collection~

I hope you enjoy this video and that it speaks to your heart, as it has to mine~

My friend, Judy, has found another delightful place to spend some time, get great decorating ideas, and placed it all within our reach. I have added this blog to my list of favorites over on the left, but thought I would highlight it here so those of you that only read 'updated feeds' without visiting my site will see it.

Sherry and John Petersilk have transformed their ranch and will take you on an eye candy journey as they share what they have accomplished. I think my favorite is the before and after of their bedroom, which Judy shares on her site. Here's the pics ~

Before

After ~ is this not peaceful and calm?!I have not taken the time yet to read through this new blog site, but I can bet you I will this weekend when things calm down a bit around here. Love these sites that take a bit and do a lot. Much like our own Layla, here on Wetumpka Street! The little cottage that was/is for sale beside them is being rented at this time. Layla is helping with the renovation and you'll find it refreshing and interesting as well. Scroll through her recent posts to see before and after pics of this charming cottage. Enjoy ~

A Classic Between Legends~

I love these two characters, and when I received this link via email today I knew I wanted to share it with you ~ Carson left this earth in 2005 but Dom DeLuise is still here and delighting millions with his cookbooks and collection of children books. Enjoy!

Trio on Tuesday~

Jenny had some errands to run today, and a doctor visit, so I went eagerly along to help with the boys. Imagine my delight when we picked up Elexis so her mommy could have some uninterrupted time to work on a dissertation! After several stops, we went to Panera Bread for lunch! When I mentioned we needed the camera, Sir Noah stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and posed!

Elexis calls Noah 'NoNo' and if I heard it once I heard it two dozen times, Noah would mutter, "my name not NoNo, it's Noah". I laughed many times today~

Finally, Noah got his cup from Ian, Elexis decided to hold his hand, and we were able to proceed on with our lunch destination!

Afterwards? We did a bit more shopping, a lot more laughing, and Jenny even ended the day with cookies from 'the cookie store' and put in a DVD on the way home! I.had.a.blast.

{These were taken with my cell. argh, forgot the camera!}

Tiger Woods Inaugurational Speech ~

Tiger Woods received a special invitation to speak at the events preceding Obama's inauguration. His inviters were stunned, when he did not deliver the message they expected. You will see why the media swept it under the rug. Below is the text of his speech, entitled "You'll Never Walk Alone," as posted on his Web site.

I grew up in a military family - and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods. My dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home. They represented every branch of the service, and every rank.

In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life. From every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.

Each day, and particularly on this historic day, we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.

I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes.

I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the military, and I am a better person for it.

In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the an at whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio regiment and said: 'I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.'

Just as they have stood tall for our country - we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.

Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval Glee Club.

I have never been more proud of Tiger Woods than when I heard his 2-minute tribute to the military at the Inaugural Celebration in Washington DC . He paid tribute to our soldiers. Not one time did he mention Obama, the inauguration or the new administration. Tiger is his own man; his father taught him to be his own man. Somewhere over that cold, gray Washington sky, old Earl Woods was smiling down on his beloved son.