It's summer and it's HOT!

Ohio felt like a southern state yesterday with temps up over 100 degrees!  It wasn't too bad early morning as we headed to the barn.  Natalie has been working hard with Shiloh! She has ridden her everyday except Sunday for the past two weeks.  We've accepted that this will not be an easy snap finger journey...it is one that will take time and patience.  One that will be worth all the hard work!  Shiloh's stubbornness reminds me of my own.   Hmmm ...I laugh but it's true!  We braided her mane and forelock up pretty, knowing the heat that was coming and hoping maybe she would be a little cooler with it off her neck.  Its amazing how much we love her already!

Tristin has been working at Grandma Shopps house all week.  Cleaning windows. Washing curtains.  I told her she was training him up right!  Now he knows how to do that at home...our windows are a mess!!  What a blessing to see them working together!  Grandma's 83rd birthday is today!

The hot afternoon was filled with kiddie pool fun, friends and popsicles!  I love hearing their splashing giggles, Kolton's screams when water gets in his eyes and seeing their smiles as they run and play!  Gifts I cherish!

In the midst of all the fun are lots of doll parts!  We are working hard to get caught up before the Christmas cart coming in July.  The 4th of July celebration starts today so the weekend will be busy busy busy!  Baby be Blessed has donated a Sabrina Ballerina so if your uptown, enter the raffle and help support the park!!

And,as the day winds down and clothes come down off the line, flowers get watered and toys gathered...I catch a glimpse of this in the window.

Nothing ends the day quite like a game of Go Fish with Daddy in the workshop!

Oh, what joy they bring to my heart!

A new direction?

Writting is not my natural gift.  I am terrible at spelling and grammer and typically litterally re-read the words that are pecked out 10 times or more to tweek this word or that.  I have struggled on this blog for years, not sure where it quite fit.  Should it be about the dolls, our family, my walk in faith....hmmm seeking His direction.

One thing is for sure...I want to grasp each day a little more. 

What a wonderful gift a blog can be when you can scroll down memory lane by the click of a mouse!  I've done it intriqued with what we were doing on that very same day in years past.  What joy that it brought! 

So things may change a little bit here on the blog.  Might get a little more personal with a lot more of our everyday life, which reminds me of Laura's husband Chris when they came to visit the very first time.  He walked around stopped and smiled, "It's like getting a sneak peek behind the curtains at Disney Land!"  He cracks me up!  But really he should have said the Ringling Brothers Circus because that is what it is like around here most days!

So we will see what will come!
 My hearts only desire is to glorify God in this little place on the big ol' web!

Refreshment!

Summer is just rushing by and all these days, weeks are just flowing right together!  I'm sitting here on my porch again this morning.  It has been my quiet spot to sit, read, ponder & pray.  I hear the kids in the house.  A robin just flew up and rested on a branch in front of me.  I'm thankful for these moments.  Sometimes it's hard to stop and take these moments!  They are gifts of grace.  Moments of prayer and reflection.  A time of refreshment for weary bones!

Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest, [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls]. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For my yoke is wholesome (useful, good - not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and my burden is light and easy to be borne. ~ Matthew 11: 28-30

Too Cute...Tuesday

Sending pics of Cataleya loving her new baby!! Thank you so much for your ministry.


Cataleya has a feeding tube that I placed in the doll using these instructions:

http://agirlandhertube.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-put-g-tube-into-doll.html

I am absolutely planning on getting one and placing a trach for my son. Your dolls are so cute and having medical extensions on them make our kids feel normal.

Thanks again!

Beautiful!!  And thanks for the link! What a wonderful resource!
Praying over your sweet children!!

Learning requires lots of practice!

I sit here on my front porch.  The squirrels run and play in the trees around me.  Birds churp, woodpeckers peck and turtle doves sing steady, deep and slow.   Yellow morning sun moves across the old porch boards and I rock in this old wicker chair. 

I hear creation sing love songs to the creator without any effort, but yet this morning I choose to praise.

When things don't go as planned and a little boy has a belly that is "burping and chewing" and this is the second Sunday in a row not sitting in the wooden pew and I miss the fellowship, feel the responsibilities and deadlines weighing down hard and simply want to STOMP MY FOOT in a tantrum, I don't.

Though temping,  I hold back. 

"I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD."  Psalm 116:17 NKJV

The sacrifice of thanksgiving, the hard Eucharisteo. 
This desire to learn and with learning comes lots of practice. 

Words come slow and hard but the offer of praise offers opportunity for the heart to change.  Words start running free.  Praise flowing up as a sweet aroma to the throne, and a healing salve to my soul. 

It's the choice to trust.  It's a choice not to wallow (though sometimes I just want to roll it all over me). 

It's grabbing His hand and moving joyfully forward.

Ah, yes!  I feel like skipping....  =)

YAY.....FREE FRIDAY!

It's FREE FRIDAY!!

Enter to win a FREE personalized doll by leaving a comment below!

Winner will be chosen Monday!
Have a FANTASTIC weekend!!

Summer's are for Jump Roping!

Brothers, sisters and jump roping in jammies!

What else are summer evenings for?  Well besides catching lightning bugs of course!

Too Cute Tuesday...Summertime Fun!!

Attached are some pictures of my daughter, Kelli, with her new Baby Be Blessed Doll. She named the doll "Polka Dot."


Blessings!
Lisa

Thanks for sharing your too cute Kelli with us, Lisa! 
My daughter Natalie loved the doll riding the horse! 


We need your pictures for our Too Cute Tuesday -Summertime Fun, series!


Where do you take your Baby be Blessed dolls in the summer?
The park, pool, a picnic, Grandma's, on Vacation, the Library or to VBS??


How about backyard activities...blowing bubbles, playing baseball, or sidewalk chalk?

Have fun capturing your babies with their babies this summer or Give your child a camera and have them capture some summertime pictures with their doll/animal.


We will post them on our Too Cute Tuesday post and in August we will have a vote to see who wins a $56 Baby be Blessed gift certificate!

~The only rule is that your photo must include a Baby be Blessed doll. Please email them to babybeblessed@gmail.com  with Summertime Fun in the subject line.

Bits of Weekend Grace

Puppet Shows at 1:30

Nature walks with my FAVORITE four!

Beans growing tall.

All these smiles!

On a hunt for Monarch caterpillars.

The find!!

Our old bucket filled with treasures.

And some BBQ and S'mores with the BESTEST DADDY EVER!

Summer's are for reading!

One of our very favorite summertime activities is the reading program at our local Library!  They always have a fun theme and great incentives to get those little noses stuck in lots of books!  With the kids home from school I try and limit the amount of TV that is on during the day so it's great to see them tucked in a chair or sitting outside reading away.  Tristin wanted to read his book in a tree yesterday but found it too hard to climb with one hand since he was holding his books in the other.  He has been my biggest reader yet, visiting the Library at least a few times a week! 

They had a magician visit!  Oh you should have heard all the laughing and giggling and I would like to thank him for teaching all those beautiful children how to blow arm farts using a straw.  Yep.  Great fun and lots of straws laying around the house now...  =)

A couple of evenings ago, Kolton grabs a handful of his books and crawls up into my lap.  I read.  He makes sure I don't skip any pages.  One big kid and then another climbs in too...reading aloud together reciting and repeating the rhythm of the books.  My heart --FULL!  A gift to this Momma who's chest gets tight at the thought of them growing too quickly...

So thankful for each of these moments!

Too Cute Tuesday -Summertime Fun!

This week we kick off our Too Cute Tuesday -Summertime Fun, series! 

Where do you take your Baby be Blessed dolls in the summer?

The park, pool, a picnic, Grandma's, on Vacation, the Library or to VBS??

How about backyard activities...blowing bubbles, playing baseball, or sidewalk chalk?

Have fun capturing your babies with their babies this summer or Give your child a camera and have them capture some summertime pictures with their doll/animal.

We will post them on our Too Cute Tuesday post and you will be entered to win a $56 Baby be Blessed gift certificate!

~The only rule is that your photo must include a Baby be Blessed doll. Please email them to babybeblessed@gmail.com with Summertime Fun in the subject line.

I'm SO EXCITED!!  --HERE WE GO!

Playing and posing with their Baby Be Blessed dolls at the park!
Thank you so much for the dolls the kids LOVE them!


Thanks,
Jennifer S.

Love it!  They both are --ADORABLE!
Have a Super Fantastic Summer guys!!

Bits of Weekend Grace

How they still hold hands.

Boots, shorts and how much she LOVES that horse!

This 13yr old and how he made at least 6 trips to the Library this week!

How he insists on wearing his floaty in the sprinkler.

Patio flowers full bloom.

Chalk pictures on picnic tables.

Nursing kitties on the back porch.

How their tails circled into a heart.

A butterfly quest!

~Just a few bits of His weekend Grace!~ 

Yay...Free Friday!

It's FREE FRIDAY!!

We are giving away a $61 Baby be Blessed Gift voucher!

To enter:  Leave a comment below

Winner will be chosen on Monday!

Jesus said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

We are blessed and privileged.  Over the past month we have been supporting the Hoffman family.  If you aren't aware of the tragic event that changed their lives forever, please CLICK HERE.

We've asked you to pray and financially Give a Blessing to this sweet family and I thank those of you who have done so from the bottom of my heart!

As we wrap up the next two days I ask boldly ask in faith, can we step out even further? 

I believe that we all can do something. 
Would you ask God today what your part would be?

Please continue to pray.

Please give...maybe give a little more?  (imagine another $5 from each of us)

Please SHARE * SHARE * SHARE!  Sharing allows us to stand hand in hand together. Maybe you can't give but someone in your social circle can!



Spending time in prayer this morning...I've asked God to move our hearts.  To stir up and cultivate a deep  passionate desire to follow His leading.    

You are so appreciated and loved, friends!  
Look at what you've done so far!!  Thank you, THANK YOU!



--and don't forget to forward your chipin information to babybeblessed@gmail.com .  We have many fabulous items we are giving away to bless you for your financial contribution!! 

Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus

As I listed Sabrina Ballerina, I couldn't help but think of this devotional that I read a while back.

MAKE ME YOUR FOCAL POINT as you move through this day.  Just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, so you must keep returning your focus to Me.  Circumstances are in flux, and the world seems to be whirling around you.  The only way to keep your balance is to fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes.  If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will become dizzy and confused.  Look to Me, refreshing yourself in My Presence, and your steps will be steady and sure.  --Jesus Calling, Sarah Young

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right and of the throne of God.  -Hebrews 12:2

But you remain the same, and your years will never end.  -Psalm 102:27

Do you feel like your spinning and whirling today?  Take a few minutes to regain your balance in Him.

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Over the past four years we have met so many beautiful friends!  Friends we have grown to LOVE as much as southerns LOVE their summer-time sweet tea!  And from my northern perspective...that's a WHOLE LOT!  =)

The Kight family is one of those families that we have journeyed with.  It has been such a privilege to pray over them and watch how God has blessed them abundantly! 

We LOVE you, Kight family!



...and starting next week (if we get photo's) we will be starting our Summer series, 
Too Cute Tuesday...Summertime Fun!


Where do you take your Baby be Blessed dolls in the summer?

The park, pool, a picnic, Grandma's, on Vacation, the Library or to VBS??

How about backyard activities...blowing bubbles, playing baseball, or sidewalk chalk?

Have fun capturing your babies with their babies this summer or Give your child a camera and have them capture some summertime pictures with their doll/animal.

We will post them on our Too Cute Tuesday post and you will be entered to win a $56 Baby be Blessed gift certificate!

~The only rule is that your photo must include a Baby be Blessed doll.   Please email them to babybeblessed@gmail.com with Summertime Fun in the subject line.
 
YAY!! Can't wait to see them!!