Happy Birthday my brown eyed girl......

Oh my Addie Boo....
I can't believe you are 7 today!

This seemed like yesterday...I remember the wind blowing your hair on the pier when we were at the beach...

It seems I have blinked and you went from this little girl:

to a little young lady!

Maybe I shouldn't have blinked so long....'cause I miss this little girl....

....the little girl who was so independent from the word go...

But boy has it been fun watching you grow into a beautiful young lady...inside and out

You still light up a room with that smile...your laugh....your sweet spirit!

You are one in a million Addie Mae and I am so proud of you!

You are still that independent little girl....determined to do things your way...

And I pray that determination is used to do great and honorable things for our Lord. I pray that God would continue...'cause He already is....to use you to bless people. You are a gentle soul Addie...wise beyond your years. I pray that your heart will always be sensitive to others....and that your wisdom of God's Word would increase. You bless me sweet girl and I love ya....from here to the moon!



Happy Birthday Addie!

I'm so glad that I have Jesse Boy....

I can't believe that it has been two years since this precious child graced us with his presence! He came into this world in a big way....and has lived "big" every since!

I love every little thing about you Jesse....from the way you love to get into things that you are so not supposed to be in.....

To those chunky little cheeks with those insanely cute dimples.....

To those deep brown eyes that speak volumes.....

To those soft floppy ears that are so sweet to snuggle up next to....

To that stark blonde hair that makes you mine....cause we were the only ones in our family to have it.....

To this perpetual grin that lights up your face.....

'Cause your just so stinkin' cute......

And mostly because you are such a ray of light....and I believe God is going to use you as a Light for HIM....

I love you Jesse...right along with everyone who knows you. You are the continuous giver of love...laughter...hugs....pounds.....giggles.....and kisses. You are a precious child and I am so glad you are ours! I pray that God would bless you little man. That He will work in your life...save you at a young age...keep you pure...and use you to further the Gospel. I can't wait to watch God's plan for your life unfold...... Happy Birthday Little Man!

Tiny Truth's Thursday....Boo get's Baptized...

My sweet Addie Mae got baptized on Sunday night. Back in January she had sat down with a great friend of mine after a children's revival service and asked Jesus to be the Lord of her Life. We took some time to talk things through with Addie and answer questions...and we wanted to watch her. We wanted to see if she meant business...if she understood fully what this all meant...we sat back and watched.
About 2 weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I was home with Jesse and his snotty nose...the phone rang. It was my precious friend Becci who told me that Addie had just started balling and crying in the middle of kid's worship and she wanted to talk to me. Addie got on the phone and she told me this..."I just want to know for sure that I'm saved Mom...I just started crying because of the song and me not knowing for sure". I talked to her for a few minutes...told her how much I loved and her and that we would settle things that afternoon over lunch.

Ric and I sat and talked to her and she was so focused...so intent on our words...as Ric explained salvation...repentance...why we need to be saved. The other three kids were running around like a bunch of whacko's.....and she never got distracted. Ric asked her several times..."do you wanna go play?" (this is a little test we do to see if our kids mean business) and she didn't budge. Her little eyes were so sincere...so seeking...so grasping at His Grace. She told her Dad that she knew she had been saved that night at church...she had no doubt...and she wanted to live for Him. It wasn't about not going to hell...not getting saved because a friend did....she was a broken little girl...desperate to be made whole by Jesus! Ric reminded Addie as we finished talking about what salvation is about....he said "Addie...I want you to know that it's not about what you did .." and before he could finish Addie said "no Daddy...it's about what He did". She got it! I was in tears over seeing my 6 year old grasp the truth of God's Grace!

She got baptized by her Dad and it was so super special. She was so excited and her best friend Maddie stood by her side as she waited to outwardly show our church what God did in her heart....Praise God that He is still in the business of changing lives....transforming hearts....gifting us with His grace. Here are pictures from her special night.....I know I will never forget it!

At the foot of the cross

where I am made complete

You have given me life

Through the death You bore for me

And you've won my heart

Yes, you've won my heart

Now I can


Trade these ashes in for beauty



Wear forgiveness like a crown


Come and kiss the feet of mercy

I lay every burden down

At the foot of the Cross

When Ric baptizes he says this "Buried in the likeness of His death....Raised to walk in the Newness of LIFE"....does this face scream newness of life or what!!!!!

I love you my sweet Addie Boo...may God use you in a Mighty way!!!

P-Money....

My brother....is a great guy. Today is his 36th birthday. Typing that seems so strange...so surreal...are we really that old??? Paul has been by my side since the beginning...we were born 16 short months apart...and yes, my mother cried when she found out she was pregnant with me! She had 3 kids in a three year span...my hero! We were always partners in crime....mischievous playmates that tormented my poor mother. We would dig in the dirt...play with trucks....ride our bikes....decorate our house for Christmas(in the spring)! What memories we have.

As time moved on we stayed close through middle school and then in high school moved on to being the kind of brother and sister who had the same friends and hung out together. We even went to every high school dance together....with dates people, we didn't live in West Virginia! We laughed...oh, how he could make me laugh....and still does! We would stay up late at night with our friends watching Saturday Night Live back in the days of Chris Farley and then proceed to reenact every act the following week! We fished together...rode to school together...hung out on the same wall in high school.....he was my buddy!

My senior year of high school, my brother was in college and I was finishing up at our beloved BHS. On Mother's day of '93 we got the phone call that no one ever wants to get. There had been an accident and Paul was in the ER...they could not tell us anything. My parents and I drove that 10 miles or so not knowing if he was alive...if he was ok....we simply just prayed. He had been ejected from the car...and not breathing when they found him. They had to do CPR 3 times on the way to the hospital....he had over 600 stitches in his face....a broken back and arm....but he was alive. ALIVE! He would never be the same....he had several plastic surgery's on his face to rid the scars....but those slight scars now are not even visible to me anymore. They are a part of Paul....they represent his life to me....God's grace to me! I was immobilized during his hospitalization...I didn't want to go to school...run track...nothing. I just wanted to sit at the hospital and talk to him. Help him when he needed something....he was my brother...my friend.

Now we live 8 hours apart...he has a wonderful wife and two precious kids....and I miss him. I miss sitting up at night talking to him...laughing with him. I thank God that I can still call my brother and we pick up right where we left off....we're cool like that! I love to hear him answer the phone when I call.....it's the same as it was in college.....a loud.....ssssuuupppp!!!! My brother....my friend!

On this day Paul, I hope you have an awesome Birthday...and remember that your little sister in Georgia thinks the world of you! I pray this year is blessed by our God more than ever and that HE would continue to work in your life! I love you P-Money......