Just for Amanda (and anyone else who stops by)

So, apparently Amanda is bored. Isn't that sad? She wanted me to post something...oh wait, last time I mentioned her it was to compliment her....maybe that's what she is looking for...Amanda is so nice and pretty and she has a post from me just for her. Now that's Christian love...don't cha think?

Ok, apart from that....here at our house things are hatching...literally. A couple of weeks ago I was outside and noticed that my milkweeds(sometimes called butterfly weeds)were looking really sick. I walked over to them and much to my surprise they were covered with Monarch caterpillars. The problem was they had eaten all the plants already. Being the "super mom" ha! that I am, I set out to rescue these babies and I picked each one off the plant and brought them inside into my caterpillar habitat. For the last two weeks I have been feeding them by bringing in milkweeds from another part of my yard. After feeding them I ended up with 25 viable chrysalises...that's a LOT! So far 5 butterflies have emerged after their transformation. That's some exciting stuff, isn't it? (Amanda, just remember, you asked for this)

The other excitement at our house is that Ellie is potty training...well, actually, she isn't that crazy about it, but I had a pretty free week and so I thought we would attempt to accomplish this task. The funny thing is that the way I motivated her to even try this potty thing was to tell her that all her friends used the potty. I named the little girls from our China travel group...I said, "Molly uses the potty, and Anna Claire uses the potty, and Emily uses the potty...", etc. I just kept naming her little friends that use the potty....and she decided that she wanted to use the potty too. She didn't stay motivated for long though so then I brought out the candy...well, you gotta figure out what works, right? Pretty big stuff happening at our house...

I am very excited to start a new Precept study this week. The class is on Daniel this time. It is going to be great I'm sure. Sarah may be coming too which would be cool. Its getting late so I'll end this riveting post with a few pictures. Pictures are cuter anyway. Take care and have a great day...oh, and Amanda, I really suggest you find some other form of entertainment...not really, I'm touched you care what is going on in my life,or saddened by your state of boredom. Either way, there you go. A post just for you. Many blessings, Jackie Sue

Ellie riding in her new bike seat(Thanks Lisa!)

Our Davie girl

Our fun New Years Eve celebration complete with fireworks. Just us and the kids. It was one of the best I've ever had.

Jo(Matt's sweetie)and Catherine with her new SHORT doo...cute, yeah, I know, but I like LONG hair :)

Matt and Jo. Oh, look! Matt cut his hair too. SHORT hair is apparently very in at our house. He's still cute though and back in school this week, YAY!

Just a great picture of my Eddie. I love it. So thankful for him. God is too good to me.

K, that's it. That's all I've got. Have a great week....thanks for stopping by. Oh, one last thing, tell me what you are reading these days...I'm looking for a good read right now. Thanks!

2009 A Year of New Possibilies

It's the first day of the new year. I was happy to be on my porch today. Thrilled that I've made it out there 3 days in a row. These are the thoughts I had while sitting before the Lord...

It's a new year! Abba, you are all about "new"s! New mercies, new creatures, new hearts, new names, new life, yes, Abba, it is safe to say that You are all about "new"s. Thank You for reminding me of that. I love "new"s too. New beginnings, new clothes, new journals, new Bibles, new babies, new books, new years. Maybe this is the year I will conquer my flesh, conquer my exercise demon, and get healthy...maybe this is the year we will gain a son in law, maybe this is the year I will love You more than ever...new years are filled with possibilities...

I'm so glad there are some things in the new year that I can count on. I know that this is the year I will cling to You. This is the year I will pray more. This is the year You will reveal Yourself to me in a new way. This is the year I will trust You with my loved one. The is the year I will have opportunity to love and give more. This is the year I will not give up. This is the year You will be faithful. This is the year Your will is done. This is the year You will give me strength. This is the year I will praise You. So much about this year I don't know, but these things I do.

This is the year You will love me as Your own and this is the year I will celebrate that love. Gracious Father, I am Yours forever and ever and ever. I am so grateful to be walking into 2009 holding Your hand. may Your name be high and lifted up in my life and in those lives of those who call You Lord. The day is coming of Your return...oh make us ready, Lord, make us ready.

What do you think about the new year? What things do you wonder? What things do you know? Hoping you are trusting in Him today. Love, JS

Just a few photos....

Just let me say that I always download the photos in the wrong order. I can't ever seem to do it right. Anyway, they should be in the reverse order according to the date they occurred, but I am too lazy to fix them. Graduation is in here, with Christmas morning and Christmas Eve. Ellie, our little lamb and Davie, who is the only shepherd in a mini! Just a few of our fun memories. Hope you have TONS of your own...why not share??? love, JS (two fun things...in the Christmas pj photo with all the kids I got Ellie to smile so big by asking, "where is Bryce, Ellie?" and she is painted as a butterfly in the last photo because she and Davie(didn't upload the right one of Davie)were enthusiastic to get their faces painted at our "Light Up Winter Garden" event.

Happy 2009

It has been so busy around our house, not unlike yours I bet. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and day. Davie and Ellie were in the Christmas eve service at church and then we had pizza with friends from church. After that I headed home to wrap gifts. I wrapped and wrapped and wrapped and then David came in and wrapped some more. We got it all done and then went to bed. Thankfully our kids are late sleepers so we actually got started with our Christmas festivities about 10:30am. Christmas at home all day went even better than I could have hoped. It was just nearly perfect. I love seeing my kids play together. I am so thankful and amazed that they like eachother as much as they do. It was a fun fun day. We spent the evening with David's family which was nice. These last two days we have just been home and hanging out. Today I began the task of taking down decorations and have already done my mantle for Valentines! Yea! Finally ordered our New Years photo card to go out this next week. That will take a bit of doing, but we are on break so it will be fine. Sarah is working at Universal until she can find something else. Halleluia for jobs! My quiet time on my porch has been seriously lacking so I am going to get things back in gear there...I need to seek Jesus and be still before Him. I miss our time together. My soul longs for a word from The Word....thankfully church is tomorrow and I can expect to meet Him there. Many blessings to you and yours....Happy 2009! Love, JS
p.s.I can't believe that when I first published this post I forgot something really important....SARAH GRADUATED!!! I AM THE MOM OF A COLLEGE GRADUATE! Booyah or something like that!!! Yipee is more the word I would use. Our girl is home now and we are so blessed to have her!
p.p.s. thank you Amanda for being so so sweet to Ellie at the Christmas service. You are just precious!!!
Oh, and one more thing(spoken like the folks in Monty Python)...my boy pulled off 2A's, 2B's and 1C for his final grades at VCC this semester. Whew...he did it after all. I won't run away again now for at least 3 months :)

Amy Grant Plays Nertz!!!

Through a series of bloggy rabbit trails I came across Amy Grant's blog today. She is on the road doing her Christmas tour and her favorite card game is NERTZ! Can you believe it, Cass??? Well, I just posted her a message to play a game when we get to Heaven....isn't that a fun thought? Of course there will be no yelling when we lose...and no name calling either....man, I hadn't thought about that until now....won't be too fun to play after all I guess. Oh well, it was a fun thought until I played it all the way out :) Ok. I'm gone now. No more wasting time on this thing for the day. I'm gonna be PRODUCTIVE!!!! Many blessings. 13 days until Christmas...ahhhh! Love you. Jackie Sue

You could win!

Check this out....you could win and help our friends out too!

Don't Worry....I'll Go Home Again

Hi Y'all! How are you? I have run away from home again today. I'm at Starbucks with the blessing of my sweet and very understanding husband. This is my second day of running away. Last night I went to watch football at Kent and Cathy's. I have to say that I just love that Tim Tebow. What a sweet boy. Did you hear him thank Jesus, His Lord and Savior after their win? Just because of him I was able to root for the Gators yesterday, which is a first for me. Although I loved Danny Wuerfful, too. Anyway, it is finals week for Matthew, hence my need to run away from home. My precious son is far too casual about his schooling for my taste. He gets distracted so easily and acts like an 18 year old. Imagine that?! He and I spend a lot of time at home together since he can't find a job and is only in class 2.5 days a week. I cannot seem to not nag him about his school. I KNOW...I said I would...but I can't seem to keep my mouth shut. So, since I can't leave him alone when I'm there, I decided to run away so he could do things his way. Pass or fail its his deal. I am sure I underestimate his abilities, but seriously I just can't stand by when he should be studying and watch him check his myspace, facebook or email..it drives me bonkers! You can feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for all my kids and if you know me you know that I'm not even kidding. It is overwhelming to me the power we have as parents. We are by far the most influential relationship in our children's lives....for their ENTIRE lives. How they respond to life is completely connected to the things they "heard" from us growing up. They will never get over us. I don't mean that they can't overcome us with God's help, but their natural responses(as opposed to supernatural God learned responses) to things is forever connected to us. Our parents are the voices we hear in our head...the endless loop tape that we have to replace with Jesus' voice in order to be all He intends us to be. I find that a bitter pill to swallow...aren't you glad I shared? It is just what I've been thinking about for the last few months. I have mentioned before that I am always looking to improve my parenting and I do a lot of self-examination about it. God is so faithful to reveal the mistakes I am making to give me a chance to change the way I do things and I am grateful for that. Still, the only things I've ever wanted to do well are relationships...with God, David, my kids and my friends. I have put my hand to the plow in this and I would really like to do it well, but in my natural self I am really ill-equipped for the task. Still, God promises that He will help all of us to be His representative to those around us. He will give back the years the locusts have eaten...that goes for me AND my kids. He is the One who will help my kids get over the wrong messages I've sent to them and He is the One who will be their comfort and their rescuer. He has been that to me. I am trusting He will be that to them. I still wish I could be the perfect daughter, wife, mom and friend, but I am so glad that I have a God who promises to clean up after me when I fail. He wants to be the voice you hear in the hard times. He wants to be your encourager all the days of your life. So, what is one line, false belief, self concept that your parents fed you that you have needed God to help you to overcome with His sweet truth? I'd love to hear about it. He does love you so. Take a minute and soak that in...Immanual, God with us. Wow...love you, Jackie Sue
P.S. Read a fantastic book..."Reckless Faith" a must read....here's some info on it.
P.P.S. There is still time to donate monies here for our orphans in China. They need you!!!