Lindy and Cooper: Family of 4

Happy Birthday Bella!

2009-07-10T22:45:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday to my FIVE year old!!! The time has flown by... Bella loves life to the fullest. She is so fun and goes 100 miles an hour all the time. She is a nurturer and a mother hen. She is giving, sensitive and has true compassion for others around her. She loves babies and playing school. She says she wants to be a babysitter and a mommy when she grows up! She loves to play with her American girl dolls and loves to play pretend with her brother, bossing him around no doubt! She loves to cuddle and loves Jesus. He lives in her heart and that is demonstrated through such a pure and innocent desire to love others. I am motivated daily by Bella to be a better mother and to be intentional with this time with her...to bask in the fact that I am still the greatest person on earth in her life! I know that won't last forever!!!
Thank you God for such a blessing!
My Bella bug...

Spring 2009

2009-04-13T20:50:00.014-04:00

Easter Day Lunch at Trackside Grill
We gave the kids garden supplies to plant flowers. We had such a great morning!

Andrew watering his flowers.

Bella's new favorite thing...

North Metro Easter Egg Hunt

My little man

Ready for the egg hunt!

We went to Destin for Spring Break. Andrew had a blast with his best buddy Reid.
This is his constant football stance.

Andrew and Reid

Andrew doing his favorite thing... race car!!!

My Bella Bug...

2009-03-28T22:05:00.002-04:00

Had to write this down..

Lindy: "Bella, what makes you happy?"

B-"Jesus in my heart is what makes me happy."

Cooper- "What about that makes you happy?"

B-"Because of all the love..." with a huge smile on her face.

I love the heart of my Bella bug.... I pray it will stay so tenderhearted and giving.

Our Hope is in the Lord!

2009-03-20T09:27:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to send you an encouraging word this morning...

Romans 15:13

May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you TRUST in Him...

God desires for us to have joy and peace, but that is only found in Him. Not in our circumstance, husband, children, friends, house, etc. This is what separates us from the world. Our hope, joy and peace are in our Father, our Heavenly Father.
That just excites me today...hope it does you as well...

It's been a while...

2009-03-10T15:01:00.008-04:00

Snow day and the circus!

We took our kids to the circus for Valentines day... Cooper and I enjoyed as much as the kids did!
We went with our good friends the Frazers...
Reid and Andrew

Ashton and Bella

More to come later...

Encouraging Word

2009-01-17T15:15:00.003-05:00

A great friend just passed this along to me...
This is from an AWESOME book called HE LOVES ME by Wayne Jacobsen.
Enjoy...

"OF NO REPUTATION"

I have been a slave to my reputation almost my entire life and it
has been an oppressive burden I first saw it weakening in my life in a
conversation with a friend. She had asked me to write her a letter
explaining my role in mediating a dispute between her and her business
partner. They had begun the business out of their close friendship
and now they could no longer work together They couldn't agree on
how to split up the business and asked for my help. I told them at
the outset we probably couldn't find a resolution they both thought
fair, but could perhaps find one where they both felt equally cheated.
A few hours of piecing together various options finally brought a
solution.

Than some six months later, she called me to say that the other lady
was telling her friends how she had been cheated out of the business.
She wanted me to write a letter describing the process we had been
through to prove the other woman a liar.

"I am willing to do that , Jill" I said on the phone, "but let me
give you something to consider first. This may be an opportunity for
you to die to your reputation." As the words came out of my mouth I
remember cocking my head in surprise that I had said them.

For the previous four years I had also been the victim of some rumors
spread about me and my family by those who wanted to discredit my
ministry. I had often prepared responses to the lies that were being
told, but each time God had prevented me from mailing them. "I want
to you to give up serving your reputation and trust it to me." was
all he would tell me. I remembered that Jesus made himself of no
reputation. It was the most painful season of my life. How could I
encourage anyone toward a similar process?

But that morning it dawned on me how much the past four years had
worked the Father's freedom into my life. If people misunderstood my
ministry or believed lies about me, that was without the horrible need
to defend myself and make sure other people liked me in the process.
Now I could enjoy the fruits of his freedom.

I wanted Jill to have the same thing, though she was shocked by my
offer. I told her my story and finished with these words, "Jill, as
long as you have to guard your reputation you are the slave of anyone
who chooses to lie about you. Those who know you well enough won't
need a letter: and those who don't, won't believe it anyway."

I never wrote the letter and Jill got to discover the incredible joy
of living free of other people's opinions. I know it was painful but
when you know the Father loves you completely and that your reputation
is secure in His hands, you will never again have to appeal for the
approval of others.

That freedom will not only be one of the greatest blessings of the
journey, but it is also the key to loving other people the way you've
been loved yourself.

"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the
only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through
Jesus Christ our Lord." -Jude 24-25

Heavy Heart

2009-01-17T10:17:00.002-05:00

I have had a heavy heart this week. I was so blessed this morning by the scripture...

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

It is so easy to breeze through the week and focus on everything we are not and that totally steals God's joy and blessings from our lives. We have had a great week as a family. God's provision, protection and faithfulness has been carrying us through this time. But I have been focused on the wrong things and have missed out on the joy. So my prayer is that I would see myself as God sees me and that I would daily lay myself down at the cross. May the blessings and and JOY of the Lord abound my thoughts and daily walk. May that be your prayer as well... Life is too precious to focus on anything else!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-26T09:46:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas to our sweet family and friends!!! I have been slack on our Christmas cards but I didn't want Christmas to pass without you knowing how special you all are in our lives... whether we see you daily or once a year, your friendship has truly blessed us. God has been teaching us a lot about perspective this season. We pray that God's perspective is ours, and that we remember we are a part of a much larger story. May God's unfailing love and perfect plan weigh heavy on your heart this Christmas as it is ours...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-21T08:37:00.004-05:00

We have a wonderful tradition of getting to go see Santa at the Poston house every year...
this year was so cold but the kids did great!!! Not only did we see Santa but ALL 9 grandkids were together!!! That is huge for our family... what a blessing to have so many cousins and the kids love being together. It just makes me so thankful to see them al together.
So they all got pics with Santa with Cici and Pipa.
Front row: Bella, Merritt, Santa :), Emma
Back row: Cooper, Cici, Luke,Pipa, Andrew, John Allen,Jared and Jake

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and pray that Jesus Christ is what you are celebrating this year.

Christmas Past to Present

2008-12-11T22:04:00.014-05:00

I have had so much fun looking at Christmases past... how time flies!!
The picture above is when I was 4 months pregnant with Bella...
Bella's First Christmas 2004

Our First Christmas as a family

Christmas 2005

Look at those legs!!!

Christmas 2006
Andrew is 4 months old...

Bella is 2 & 1/2

Andrew still gives that look!!!

Christmas 2007

Andrew 1 & 1/2 and Bella is 3 & 1/2

Christmas 2008 to come... HO HO HO!

Stepping Stone

2008-12-06T08:01:00.004-05:00

It been been a much better week this past week...I think.:) Bella is still sick but hopefully on the mend! She did not make it to school at all this past week. We headed back to the dr yesterday (3rd time in 2 weeks) and she is wheezing, so on the oral steriod we go! Hopefully this is the last of it and I a praying for my little guy not to get all of this... :)

I am involved in a Bible study right now called "Truth". It is awesome and put out by Focus on the Family. It has been truly AMAZING!!!! I have been overwhelmed by the truths that God is revealing to me and all the lies in the world I am exposed to daily. This past week was about Gods whole picture and story. If we only looked at our history truly as Biblical history we would see that we are a part of a greater story. It is not all about us but about HIS story and planned fulfilled through us. The truth is our purpose on this earth is to glorify God (Duet. 8:10-20), to take every thought captive to Him (2 Cor. 10:5), and to acknowledge that God is sovereign and in control (Acts 4:27-28) no matter our circumstance or ability to believe... The video said and reminded us that our problem is that we remember what we should forget- we must remember Gods unfailing love and faithfulness towards us in spite of who we are!!! What an incredible blessing this is to me!!!!

So all this to say I will will never be a stepping stone used by God unless I am caught up in the whole story... it is not about me!!! :) I hope this encourages you as much as it has me this week...

Settling down...sort of.

2008-12-02T15:37:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I have blogged. We have been out of the cyberworld over the last couple of weeks. It has been a true whirlwind! As as I posted before about 6 weeks ago we started looking out for a house to move in. Well, we ran into these beautiful new town homes and were asked if we would like to sell our house to the company that built the town homes. A far fetched possibility to us came true! When Cooper and I weighed all the pros and cons the pros came through!!! So we started packing... I never imagined that moving with two small children would be so hard. You realize everything settled is not just for you but for them as well... we were set to close, and long story short we were delayed a week because of some paperwork. So for a week we lived in boxes. For anyone whose has ever done that you know how miserable it is... The whole time I felt God just testing my reliance and trust that His plan is perfect. Finally we got the word the paper work went thru and our closing was set! So closed Thursday, November 20th and moved the next day. We were so excited!!! Little did I realize that even when change is good it is still hard.

So we made the move and I was looking forward to a sweet first morning in our new home. Cooper was still asleep and I got up with the kids and preheated the oven to make cinnamon rolls. All of the sudden smoke started billowing out of the oven and I screamed for cooper. I am throwing open all the windows and Andrew is yelling out of the window "FIRE!!!!" We turned on the oven light to discover that the paperwork for our new oven was inside burnt to a crisp!!! It smelt like a camp fire for two days in our house.

So Monday we have our first day of no school and I am driving the kids to the dr only to find out Andrew has a double ear infection and Bella has a terrible sinus infection behind her eyes. The beginning of the week was filled with unpacking as many boxes as possible while trying to entertain my two fussy children. Wednesday rolls around and I fix me some lunch rather than lay down with Bella... Andrew is down for a nap. All of the sudden I hear "drip, drip, drip." I look up and our ceiling is leaking!!!! Into our den! Our laundry room is on the 3rd floor... very cool I thought in the beginning b/c all the bedrooms are upstairs, but now not so cool! SO I run upstairs to find the laundry room flooded. Then all of the sudden the smoke alarm starts to go off. They are all connected in the house so every single one of then is going off LOUD! Bella is screaming, Andrew is screaming and I am completely frazzled!!!! I called Cooper and so sweetly asked him to rush home as fast as he could...turns out water got into the walls and went all the way down into the garage and was flowing through the actual smoke alarm. Well, I had had it... that was it, I could take no more. :)

Finally, Tuesday after Thanksgiving, life is resuming back to normal... NOT! School called today and Bella has pink eye and still a sinus infection. I head BACK to the dr and got our second round of antibiotics and eye drops and I am praying that Andrew will not get it!!!

SO I ask myself, what is God trying to teach me through all of this. I am resolved to the fact that God allows me to experience what I do to show my love and devotion to Him. It is not about my circumstances but my devotion and my heart towards Him. Our circumstances change but God never will... that is what keeps me hanging on by my thread most days. Bella out of the blue started singing the other day, "nothing can separate us from God's love" and it was such a sweet true reminder for me. It still does not quite fill like home yet, but I know in time it will.

Encourgement by a sweet friend...

2008-11-25T22:08:00.003-05:00

Just thought I would share with you a blog of a very close and sweet friend of mine. She is an incredible encourager in God's living Word and I pray that you are blessed reading her blog as much as I have been!
http://lizblalock.blogspot.com/

Moving on...

2008-11-11T16:55:00.010-05:00

It has been six years this Thanksgiving that we moved into our current house... We bought it from Cooper's brother and his wife who lived here for many years before us. There is not an INCH in our house that Cooper has not worked on. Literally, we have painted, moved doors, added closets, brought our babies home, built a swing set,had birthday parties 1-4, played, chased, loved, cried, prayed, and many more things all in this house. A house is just a building, yes I know. But there is something greater about it when so many memories fill the walls.

We are moving this weekend, and we are very excited. It has been a crazy four weeks, from when we first looked at the house that we are moving to and now this! MOVING! The Lord has totally confirmed to us that this is what we should in every detail. The company that we are buying our house from is buying our house!!! But it is hard not to turn and look over our shoulders... to what is comfortable and memorable. Bella will be in kindergarten next year and I have always desired for her to go to the school system that Cooper and I went to and grew up in.

So here we go... moving on. It is exciting to think about what the Lord has in store for us! We are moving to a newly built town home in Marietta, very close to the square. Something new, exciting, and low maintenance! Please come by and see us... and pray for my sweet babies as we make this transition.

Below are some pictures of the past crazy two weeks...

Hidden in between the boxes...
Cici with Bella and Merritt...

The girls love to be twins!!!! They love to tell people that they are sisters...

That is such a blessing to me because my sister means the world to me.

Peekaboo is taking the move hard... haha

She has made a new friend!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T15:21:00.012-05:00

Ready to go!!!

Aunt BaBa

Best buds... Reid and Andrew-Does it get ANY cuter???
Cousins...the love of our lives!

Bella and Merritt

Hollen and Ashton

The Blalock girls...

We had a great Halloween! Bella was a Auburn cheerleader and Andrew was a Braves player...

The last couple of years my sister and I go on our great friends street so we can all be together... it is such an awesome street! So many fun memories we all have...

We have way too much candy and the kids loved trick or treating!!!

Meditations of my heart...

2008-10-25T23:55:00.002-04:00

It is truly refreshing to believe and know that God is the only way... nothing else matters. It takes the pressure off of all the "things" and standards we set before ourselves. Being a parent has had me on my knees more than I have ever been in my life. These are the meditations of my heart... may you cling to the Truth as I am seeking daily to do.

Isaiah 41:10- So do not fear , for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 37:1-5 - vs 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture

Ps 56:11-In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Matthew 6:33-34-Jesus had compassion on the people and saw they were like sheep without a shepherd and He began teaching them.

John 14:27-Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 15:4 Remain in me and I will remain in you.

John 15:10-11-Your joy will be complete in Him.

John 16:33-I have told you these things so you have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.

1Corinthians 10:13- No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way OUT so that you can stand up under it.

10: 31-So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God.

Romans 8:28-And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Phil 4:6-9-Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 3:13-16-Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Jesus as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

1 John 4:18-There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Psalm 73:23- Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

Proverbs 19:23 (satisfied sleep)-The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Please Pray

2008-10-15T09:16:00.002-04:00

Some great friends of ours are adopting... please pray for the baby, birth mother and the Cowens...
http://cowenadoption.blogspot.com/

Please pray, pray, pray!!!

Shelli Allen Photography

2008-10-06T14:55:00.002-04:00

A sweet and talented friend of mine has gone into photography. Shelli Allen is one of those girls you meet once and you never forget! She is a shining, beautiful light on the outside but even more on the inside!!! She has always been that friend that has captured moments of your kids that you cherish forever...her work speaks for itself. Check out her site:
http://www.shelliallenphotography.com/

Catching up...

2008-10-01T21:01:00.008-04:00

Future Football Player!!! Ummmm.... life having a big sister. What do you do???
Andrew and his best buddy Reid love being together. They are both so easy when around each other and all they want to do is play!!!
Future line backer and future QB?

Bella has shown much enthusiasm for hair lately... they love to dress me up!

It has been a good couple of weeks... God is so faithful and so good!

Our verse as a family right now...

Do not fear for God is with me. Isaiah 41:10

SORT IT OUT!!!

2008-09-23T21:14:00.003-04:00

SO excited about my new website... Our best friend Mark Frazer did it for me. Please pass along if you know of anyone interested.

http://www.sortitouthome.com/

Cooking in the South with Johnnie Gabriel

2008-09-16T23:45:00.002-04:00

I have to brag for a second and share with you a great success story! My mom has had a close knit group of girlfriends here in Marietta long before I was born. One lady in particular has been as close as a sister to her, Johnnie Gabriel. So much so that she is my Godmother. :) Johnnie opened an INCREDIBLE restaurant in Marietta called Gabriels Desserts years ago. Not only can you order wedding cakes, birthday cakes and desserts, you can now have breakfast, lunch and dinner as well! The homemade veges are my favorite! The thing about Johnnie if you know her is her heart of gold. She loves the Lord and loves serving those around her. She has just published her first cookbook and it is so special. Not only does it have a ton of yummy recipes in it, there are so many personal stories inside Johnnies life. If you are in the need of a good cookbook with recipes that you know you don't have to make once before your guests arrive, this one is for you! It is a classic! You can go to Barnes and Nobel and get it or at her resturant to eat and buy!

All Aboard the Choo Choo Train!

2008-09-09T11:25:00.015-04:00

Andrew and his best buddy Reid turned two and we celebrated with their favorite thing...

CHOO CHOO! We had a blast and the boys rode the train for an hour straight!
Does it get any cuter than this???
The boys and their Sissy's.

"Happy Birthday" shock...

My sweet little family

The boys and their Daddy's

Our sweet friends the Hunters

Sweet boy... look at those legs! Yummy!

Merritt and Bella

So shy...

Kalynn and her girls

"Our boys"

First Day of School...Finally!

2008-09-03T16:48:00.010-04:00

So the first day of school finally came!!! My kids go to First Baptist Church Preschool on the Marietta Square. Both had a fabulous day and we are so thankful for the

teachers and classes that our kiddos have.

Here is Bella and Andrew eating their "Wa Wa's" (aka Waffles) before school...Here we go!!! Andrew insisted on holding HIS bag!!!
Sweet Ms. Zajac...Bella's teacher

Sweet Ms. Jennifer, Andrew's teacher. Look at him cutting his eyes at her! He knew he found love when he found a Barney book for her to read to him...

Great first day! Hey Mommy!

Whoo hoo!!!

A week to Forget!

2008-08-31T20:49:00.007-04:00

So this past week has been a hard one!!! Last Sunday we celebrated Andrew's 2nd birthday. Thinking I had just one more week of time to kill before my kiddos head off to preschool, I planned all these great things to do! Well, in the middle of the Tuesday night Bella woke up with the throw up bug... UGHHHH! 1 am to 7 am throwing up... bless her heart. We have never had this particular bug before, shocking I know. We made it through with a light at the end of the tunnel...John Mayer, Friday night. So I Lysol,wash, spray, clean, Lysol, wash, spray...(you get the picture) making EVERY effort that Andrew will not get this bug. All is well come Friday morning. We head to Target and are in the parking lot...only 3 hours away from freedom and what do you know, Andrew starts throwing up everywhere! Really, I just stood there in disbelief! Seriously??? Needless to say we did not go to John Mayer, instead I cleaned up, washed, Lysol, etc. all over again. Here is some art work that Bella did while we were

spending our many hours at home...

This is Andrew on the right, with the "A" over his head... Bella said Bebe, our great grandmother, is on the upper left corner with her "walking stick".

Bella said this picture of Andrew is him throwing up!!! HAHA!
All is well...finally! My little man.

Bella playing with her backpack!

So, we have had our sickness and are ready for school...

Please Lord help us to have a good and healthy week this week!

Andrew Turns 2!!!

2008-08-25T18:16:00.013-04:00

It is hard to believe my littleboy is 2!!! We had a fun, low key day with family to celebrate our little man. We are so blessed to have all our family close by to celebrate with us. It is a bummer that he has been on steriods for a week so he is a little crazy (actually mean) but oh well, what do you do? I have always heard there is something between a mom and her son that you just can't explain... It is true! I love this little guy!

Here are some pics from the day!!!Birthday Boy!!! He insists that he is 3!

Papi and Mimi gave him a funny card... this is such a look of love!

Sweet Daddy

Big Sissy had to dress up... no attention was killing her!

My little man

All we say is "choo choo" these days...

Andrew got a basketball goal... Sissy cheering him on!

A really cute remote control train... he loves this!

Discernment-edited

2008-08-18T21:59:00.003-04:00

Most know my true intentions and my love and desire for the Lord to be ALIVE and the leader of my life. I truly believe and desire to live "Thy will be done". This past Sunday Dr. Youssef, at Church of the Apostles, spoke on the book "The Shack". He made so many wonderful points that I wholeheartedly agreed with. I guess that I am not surprised but am saddened by the lack of my depth into the book. I truly look at this book as fiction and as an example reiterating that Jesus desires to be in a "relationship" with me. I never thought of all the theological debates that would come along with this book! Back when I posted my original blog about the book and I had just gone to hear the author... it was a very powerful night at 722! All this to say I know everyone has different opinions, but as a blogger I wanted to make the blanket statement that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life and HE is the only way to our Father... May discernment always be on my mind. Please watch and make an opinion for yourself... http://www.apostles.org/

WHEW!

2008-08-17T20:42:00.018-04:00

Andrew was insistant on wearing the pink knee pads like Bella... oh well, what do you do?

I feel like that is how I end each day these days... WHEW! Life is just crazy right now... hard but so fun! August has been a little long. I think it is because my kids don't start school until September the 2nd! So we are waiting and waiting and Bella just does not understand why all her friends and cousins have started school. Here are some highlights of my day:

-Andrew and Bella fighting and me being a referee..."my turn, no my turn"

-Coughing has kicked up=medicine, medicine... maybe we will get to pay another $40 copay!

-Spilled two drinks all over the place...doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was in the moment!

-Got Bella to bed only for her to get up a few minutes later to a TERRIBLE bloody nose

-Stripped bed sheets, cleaning up from that

-go in laundry room where my dog peed all over the floor...out of paper towels

So in my mind I am singing a song from Church this morning... "His grace is enough for me"

And then I look at these sweet kiddos having fun together. The UPS and DOWNS of parenting. :)

Andrew loves to be just like his big sissy... look at that face!
Ready to go!

"I WANT A HELMET LIKE SISSY!"

even if it is pink and purple! haha

Cooper's grandmother, Bebe, was in town for Martha's 60th birthday...

Bebe gave Andrew an early b-day present! Yippee!

Papi putting it together... Andrew had fun helping.

We had a surprise 60th birthday party for Martha at the Swan Coach House in Buckhead. It is the most fun and girly place ever! It has wonderful food, beautiful decorations, and fresh cut roses on all the tables... It was such a treat to get to honor sweet Martha. I do have the BEST mother-in-law in the world!

Patricia, Martha's sister, and Bebe

Sweet Albert praying over his bride... Is there anything sweeter??? I am so thankful this has been Cooper's example as a dad and husband...

All Martha's boys came in a brought her flowers...Andrew, Cooper, Casey, Colby, and Albert

Martha's two girls! :) Bella and Mary Madison

SO Scary!!!!

2008-08-15T23:48:00.003-04:00

So tonight we had a fun filled evening out with friends to a restaurant called Two Urban Licks. The food was really good, decor very simplistic and mod and the company priceless! There were 8 of us and Cooper and I drove with our friends Mark and Sloane Frazer riding with us. After 2 1/2 hours of dining we left the restaurant. While driving down freedom parkway, headed under an overpass, out of nowhere a ROCK falls from the sky in front of us and hits the front of our car! The rock was the size of a volleyball, no lie! It hit the front right, bounced off, hit the ground and hit the car again! It was SO scary! I know that things could have been worse ... 1 second sooner and it would have hit me through the windshield! More than anything it is so disappointing there are people out there that are doing that for the thrill of it! I just have such faith in people when it comes down to it. After all was said and done we can get our car fixed and no one was hurt...but the life of whoever did that seems to be headed in the wrong direction. Cooper and I said we really must pray for them that God will reveal himself in their lives somehow, somewhere. I will commit to pray and thank the Lord for His provision and protection over our lives tonight. Great is THY faithfulness!

Grace and Mercy

2008-08-06T20:52:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted... with juggling my new working role along with all my other responsibilities I have not done very well at blogging! Summer is over for me... I am ready for school to start back and for routine to get back in our lives! Bella and Andrew will go to Marietta First Baptist Church preschool program which is awesome! I have found out both of their teachers are awesome and they both have some friends in their class. I really wonder what Andrew will be like???? Lord, bless that teacher! haha

We have been struggling a bit with Bella over some fear and anxiety problems. Not really sure where this has come from but it has come OUT OF THE BLUE! Mainly, not wanting "mommy" out of her sight when we are home, and having a hard time going to bed b/c she wonders where we are in the house. So here I sit, on the couch, waiting for her to fall asleep. It has been an hour since I put her to bed! This truly has baffled Cooper and me and has brought us to our knees in prayer. There is nothing worse than your child having fear and anxiety daily! We pray over her, with her, talk to her about what is going on in her head, etc. Nothing is really clicking. We are chalking this up as a phase and I am praying a short lived one! One thing someone said struck me though as we have been seeking counsel about this.

We keep telling Bella, "God is with you...mommy and daddy are not going anywhere... we are on the couch... we will not get locked out of the house...don't worry... we will not let anything happen to you...trust us Bella... "
and it hit me!!! this is God speaking to ME!!! "Trust me... I will take care of you no matter what!" He disciplines with such grace and mercy and yet I am the farthest thing from grace and mercy. So, the Lord continues to smooth out ALL my rough edges:the purpose of parenting, and continues to show me how to love on my baby as He loves on me... with grace and mercy. Thank you Jesus.

SORT IT OUT!!! Designer

2008-07-23T22:28:00.003-04:00

A sweet friend of mine designed my logo/business cards for me! You should see my business cards...They are awesome! I just wanted to make sure and pass her info along. She is not
only an incredible Godly woman, but she is extremely talented as well!
Thank you Cara!

Cara Gaskins

Leave The Light On Creations
www.leavethelightoncreations.com

Sort it Out!

2008-07-21T15:39:00.004-04:00

I have started a new business venture! One thing I have always been good at is organizing

and maximizing space. As a mother of two small children I am constantly creating

new storage solutions. I am so excited about this new opportunity!

Destin... oh what fun!

2008-07-18T18:19:00.011-04:00

Our Sweet Family
Handsome Boy
My Bella Bug

This was Andrews favorite part of the trip!!! HAHA

Bella conquered swimming this week at the beach! Her favorite

new thing is to throw the ring and dive down to get it!

Andrew and his Daddy... he loved his float!

Mimi and her girls...

Mat Mat and Bella...so big!

My little beach man! He did not care for the sand at all... most

of the time he sat in a chair and played!

It was such a fun week at the beach! I was not ready at all to come home. Coopers whole family was there. He has two brothers and it is so neat to watch all the guys together

for the week. It was so good to have uninterrupted time all together. Mimi and Papi spoiled us with an incredible place to stay right on the beach. Lots of good talks, shopping, and family time.

We are extremely blessed to have such an incredible family!

Bella turns 4!!!

2008-07-13T21:25:00.012-04:00

My Bella turns 4!

All the little ballerinas!

Two of her favorite "girls": LB and Kalynn

Family Princess Bella

She was worn out at the end of the day!!!

Bella wanted a ballet party this year for her birthday. We had her cousin Mary Madison come with a friend and teach ballet moves. It was the cutest thing ever!!!! We transformed our den to a ballet studio... it was fun! After the party family came over for dinner and cake. We felt to blessed to be able to have everyone over to celebrate our sweet little girl.

The Shack

2008-06-30T20:28:00.001-04:00

I wanted to pass along that I went and heard the author of "The Shack" last week and it was great... I don't know if you have read the book but it really is a great read! It is #1 on the New York's Times best sellers list. It reiterates the fact that life is all about your relationship with Jesus, not your religion. Here is the link to listen to him speak. It is worth the time I think!!!

click on the bottom right hand corner listen to recent message...enjoy.

http://www.722.org/

Wild Dunes 2008

2008-06-26T15:32:00.012-04:00

ALL 9 Grandkids with Cici:
Luke, John Allen, Jared, Andrew, Cici, Merritt, Jake, Bella, Cooper and Emma

This year was a blast at Wild Dunes. It is crazy that I started going there when I was 8 years old and now I am taking my two kids there! All 9 kids and 4 adults piled in our 3 bedroom condo. Everyone really did awesome! It was so worth being crowded to have all the cousins together for a week. Andrew LOVES, LOVES, LOVES all those boys!!! And they could not have been sweeter to him! The girls played so well all week and now all of Bella's babies are named Emma. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful, healthy family. God is good!

American Girl... ode to "Julie"

2008-06-17T19:03:00.000-04:00

Well... all Bella wanted for her birthday was an American Girl doll, so we surprised her and took her last Friday to lunch at the American Girl Bistro with Grandmother's, Aunts, and cousins. It really was SOO much fun!!! It was what you dream about doing when you have a daughter. After 45 minutes of being completely overwhelmed by ALLL the choices, Bella choose "Julie" the hippie, 1970's girl. She has beautiful long blonde hair and came in a trendy little outfit. Bella has not put Julie down since! She got lots of stuff to dress, bathe, and do Julies hair and yes... to put Julie to bed! Oh the joy of having girls!!!!

Happy Fathers Day!

2008-06-17T18:58:00.000-04:00

I just could never have imagined life could be so sweet!!!

We love our Daddy!!! How blessed we are to have a Daddy that values our children beyond words!!

Our Dog Peekaboo

2008-06-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

Cooper and I got married very young. It was such a fun and exciting time in our lives, but often lonely for me as Cooper was working all night at the studio earning his Music Business Degree from Belmont University. I literally moved to Nashville not knowing one soul, except the man I married. One day I came home to our apt. from school and something starting attacking my toes. He surprised me and got me a dog named "Peekaboo". She was already named (we would not purposely name our dog that) and was about 5 months old. A lady that Cooper worked with could not keep her anymore and she wanted her to have a good home. At first I was not sure... her nickname at the studio was "pee and poo" b/c that is what she did everywhere! But time passed and we fell in LOVE with our first baby. Well, over the last 9 years she has been a perfect dog...no sickness, etc. Two weeks ago that all changed. Bless the baby's heart, she hurt her leg and turns out she has a broken wrist! I will leave out the details but I have to say the Vet has taken incredible care of her and she is on her way to full health again. It is amazing how she can walk around only on 3 legs...we are thankful that she will be okay. So here are some pics of our little Peek in her pink cast...:)

Bella and her Daddy

2008-05-31T12:47:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing that I count my blessings for daily it is my sweet hubby! My kids ADORE him! The moment he walks in the door they are yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!" They love their one-on-one time with Daddy...

Cooper got an idea from a friend to paint a birdhouse with Bella and she had a blast! Here are a few crafty pics. :)

Off to the beach tomorrow with all the cousins! 9 kids and 4 adults in a 3 bedroom condo! whew! here we come! can't wait to record the memories.

So fun...

2008-05-31T12:40:00.000-04:00

Our kids are a trip! They just make us laugh all the time! It is amazing how fast time is flying by! Here are some updated pics...

Andrew is like his daddy... he loves music, loves to sing and play the piano. He totally got busted for getting into Coopers set-up! haha

Awesome series at church!

2008-05-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

Awesome series at church ended today... It was called "Ironman". It was geared toward men but also was so encouraging to women. Mark Henry, our lead pastor, spoke of the challenges we face in our relationships:marriage, friendships and children. If you are looking for something to encourage you in the challenges of parenting, today was awesome! Here is the link to our church...http://www.northmetro.org/home.aspx?pid=145

more later with the kiddos! :)

Our Community Group

2008-05-21T20:24:00.000-04:00

We go to an awesome church, North Metro Church in Marietta, GA. We started going a few years ago and can truly say it has been such a blessing to our family. We went out on a limb and joined a community group 3 and 1/2 years ago. We were scared of the commitment at first... We met on Sunday nights every other week, joining a group of people that we did not know at all, and most of us had young children. Well, I can honestly say 3 and 1/2 years later that God's hand was over our group from the beginning. How cool for 8 random couples to come together and seek the Lord together and encourage one another along the way. We were also extremely blessed to have our leaders, Rick and Emily Everswick. He is on staff at our church with the missions. Those two hearts have the be purest and most non-assuming I have come across in my 30 years of life. And their children!!!! Oh my goodness, if you could bottle them and feed them to your kids you would!
Anyways, ( I know I am SO long winded!) all this to say we had our last meeting this past Sunday. It was incredible. We joined together to break bread and remember what Christ did for us and how much He has done IN us. We spent time talking and Rick read The Last Supper. We then we went around and said how everyone could pray for each other. At the end as we were taking communion and praying it started to pour down rain... it was as if God's mercy, grace, and presence was among us and it was AWESOME! I am so thankful for the commitment of each family in our group. It has blessed our lives being a part of theirs. We are excited about the next path that God will lead is down within our church. But I will be forever grateful for the foundation that was built and upon which the rock I stand!

Hilton Head

2008-05-14T20:16:00.000-04:00

Silly Girls...

Andrew, Bella, Ashton and Reid

I know I am bias, but does it get cuter than this?????

Bella, the twirling princess!

Andrew not sure of ALL his floatation devises!

Our dearest friends, Mark and Sloane Frazer, took our family to the Hilton Head beach last week and it was a hoot! You can imagine four kids, two girls that are almost 4 and 5, and two boys that are 21 months old...it made for lots of laughs. Ashton is their oldest and Reid is their little boy. They are all big buds... the boys are way more aggressive and the girls WAY more dramatic!

What a blessing to have close friends that you can share so much with: the love of our Lord, awesome husbands, parenting, laughter, hard times, and still at the end of the day are so blessed by their friendship. If there is ONE thing I have learned about parenting...it is WAY more fun going through it with close friends!

Just thinking...

2008-05-03T22:27:00.000-04:00

With all the strep last week we had a lot of home playtime... these are a few updated pics of that. Andrew is so into "balls" and Bella her babies. This is "Emily" and she happens to be the CHEAPEST doll we own. When Bella was sick last year we were in Walgreens waiting for her antibiotics and we got her a treat...Emily. She loves this doll! The doll is falling apart and loosing stuffing, but bless Bella's heart she can't part with this doll. So forget American Girl dolls... we love the stuffed Emily.

Cooper and I love music. I would listen to the same thing all the time but he is good to keep me updated on what's new. The CD I am wearing out right now is Chris Rice- Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project. http://www.chrisrice.com/music.php?id=4 It is incredible! It is all the good old hymns updated a bit, but wonderful.

So as I was baking cookies tonight I was thinking about "How Great Thou Art". I have to say that the hardest thing that I have ever done is what my current role is now: MOM. I am a bit shocked at how hard physically, emotionally, and mentally draining it has been. But then I think of how great Thou art... His power throughout the universe... and He was the one that gave me my two kids. WOW! What an incredible responsibility. My job is to raise two children in the ways of the Lord. And then I am overwhelmed by the verse that God did not even spare HIS own Son to save me from who I am at the core... could I even imagine that??? No way... I was at the redneck circus last night and held Bella so close in fear that something would happen to her, yet God allowed His only Son to die for me. If nothing else brings you to your knees that should!!!

All this to say, whatever your lot right now God is there, smack dab in the middle. My challenge is raising Godly children, being a Godly mother/wife, and getting on my knees daily in order for that to happen.

The Love of Change

2008-04-23T13:01:00.001-04:00

I have a new addiction... Facebook! Oh my goodness. I guess everyone is using that instead of email now??? Well, I have had more than enough time this week to do laundry, surf the web, clean, reorganize and clean some more... my kids have been home with strep.
One thing that I know about me for sure is that I LOVE change. I am not a homebody and I love to be busy. Change of scenery, change of meals, change of clothes, etc. I rearrange furniture more than anyone I know! haha Cooper is sweet and complies and I really do appreciate that about him. We are hoping to place our house on the market this summer and move to where God leads us. We would love a little more space and I would love to be in the city limits of Marietta. Bella only has one more year until kindergarten so that will play a big role in finding a house.
I have started a few new habits lately: walking 30 minutes a day, eating better (for bathing suit season-yikes!), and spending more time LISTENING to God. Consistency is something that I really do struggle with in balancing my love of change. I pulled out an oldie but goodie this past weekend... "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers and read on April 17th:

"If you have heard Jesus Christ's voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship with Him."

That is so encouraging to me! So I am concentrating on my RELATIONSHIP with the Lord and not on everything I am not...Thank you Lord for that word... Hope today finds you all well and STREP free-concentrating on your intimate relationship with the Lord. He is waiting for us! :)

Asthma in the Jones' House

2008-04-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

So one thing that was passed down from daddy to children is asthma. Bella has always had it and Andrew has had it worse. My kids are great about going to the Dr b/c they have had to go so often in their little lives. The same drill... little runny nose, turns to a cold and then goes straight to their chest...wheezing, coughing, steroids...miserable. A couple of months ago we decided to be proactive since Andrew's is so much worse and go to an allergist. It was the best decision Cooper and I have made! Both kids are on a maintenance routine daily for prevention and boy has it worked!!! Andrew is on the neb daily and takes Singular. He is such a trooper! He just sits and watches Barney and waits for it to finish. Bella is also on the neb but thankfully does not have to take Singular. I can say whole heartily that the hardest part of parenting for me has been when my kids are sick. I did not realize how much stress and anxiety that would bring me! Thank the Lord for Dr. Kalish and that we have had a semi healthy couple of months compared to how it was 4 months ago! Here are the kids in their daily regime of nebulizer treatments...

The love of Cousins...

2008-04-15T12:42:00.000-04:00

Bella and Merritt at our church Easter Egg Hunt.

Riding the canoe on land! And the boys shoved in the back of the car...

There is one thing my kids love and that is family. When we pretend to talk on the phone we are talking to any number of them... there are 9 cousins. My brother has 4 children...not so little anymore, my sister has 3, and Coopers brother has 1. Needless to say they are the sane ones. Ha ha. Anyways, my brother and his family live in Buford, GA. He is the head football coach for Buford High School and has made quite a name for himself! We don't get to see them very much, but when you are family love knows no miles. Just so you know, every one of Bella's baby dolls is named "Emma" after my brother's little girl. I am blessed to have my sister 10 minutes away from our house. My kids are overjoyed when we get to see the Knox family. For a while Bella would tell people that her name was Bella Knox! In the rare instance of no homework, baseball, football, tennis or gymnastic we try to get together. My sister's boys have to be the sweetest boys I have ever encountered. If I could clone them to make Andrew act like them I would. I know I am the aunt, but also know I could get an AMEN from many of you out there! I thought I would share a few of my recent favorites with the Knox cousins... the pictures say it all!

Bella and Andrew... do they look alike?

2008-04-10T15:57:00.000-04:00

This is Bella and Andrew at the same age in life. About 19 months. It is so fun to see their differences. Bella was and still is SO girly!!! But she acted so much older than her age which I did not realize until seeing Andrew now. It is HARD to believe that Bella was potty trained at this point and I CANNOT imagine even attempting that with Andrew! Andrew does play by himself better thank Bella ever did. Andrew is MUCH more serious about everything and Bella is my social butterfly. They both have a heart that loves to make people laugh. It is truly amazing how they both capture my heart daily. Someone once told me that the love our Father has for us is 100 times more than the love that we have for our children. I cannot imagine nor grasp the love God has for me.

P.S. Andrew enjoyed a bowl of spaghetti...:)

Lazy Days...

2008-04-07T20:48:00.001-04:00

This is my life in a nut shell... don't you love it! Peekaboo, our dog, Bella and Andrew hanging out while I am getting ready for the day. These are the days we are not running around to carpool of course! I savor the days of not rushing around first thing in the morning... I am sure they are watching Barney which is the only thing that makes Andrew sit still for a little bit. Bella is sweet to comply and watch a "baby show" with her little brother.

Oh how sweet life is with these two babes!

Where has the time gone???

2008-04-04T13:24:00.000-04:00

I know that we always say time goes by so fast, but this is true now more than ever! How did I get here? I have been married almost 10 years and I have two children... Bella will be 4 in June and Andrew will be 2 in August! I am constantly cracking up at my kids. God has such a sense of humor and I know that He shows me that through my kiddos. Life is busy but in a great way. Cooper and I really do look at eachother and wonder where did that week go??? I desire to be more intentional with my time as it is a fleeting thing!
Here we go in the blog world.... :)