Strike It Up With The Gang!

When my sister and I get together with our kids...it's quite the gang! There is always lots of fun and lots of laughs!  I never thought we would have nine children between the two of us!  NINE!  We celebrated my nephew Skylar's birthday on Sunday.  He had a bowling party.  It was a blast!  I'm pretty sure the last time we went bowling was on Tristin's 10th birthday...that was three years ago.  =)  We have enough people for a couple of leagues...we should do it more often! 

  

 

They all had so much fun!

 

 

 He wanted a Lego cake so we mixed up some white cake mix and tinted green icing.   

 

 

But I forgot the candles.  We had to compromise....

 

 

 

 

It was a fabulous afternoon!

 

Happy Birthday, Skylar!!!!

 

Brrrrr -It's Snowing!

It's snowing here in Ohio today! 
Kolton is so thrilled!  I could just set him in a pile of snow with a spoon and he'd be happy for hours! 

I have been praying over all those affected by storm Sandy.  I pray that God draws them to himself through this time!  I also pray for all those with livestock affected by this storm. 

Yesterday, our horse Izzy spooked from the wind blowing hard through the barn and kicked up in her stall.  She got her leg stuck in the gate and scraped/bruised herself up pretty good.  It's a little swollen this morning but it seems that it is nothing too bad.  I called the vet and will pick up some Bute later this afternoon.  If we wouldn't have two horses to worry about, I would never have even thought about all those East who have livestock that they love and even depend on as their livelihood.  Early this year the barn we had our horse boarded lost power for about four days and you really had to plan out how to get them water ect...so that they were cared for.  Its a lot to think about!  I'm not sure if everyone prays over their animals the way I do.  Sometimes I feel really silly but know that God desires and cares about all that is on our heart!  It's like having two more children in the family.

I hope all of you are well!  Is it snowing where you are?  Raining?? 

Do you have a prayer request for yourself or a loved one? 

It's a privilege to pray for you! 

A Free Friday...TRICK OR TREAT!

We made it to Trick or Treat...or "Happy Halloween" as Kolton calls it!  Lola made her own costume this year and was a Dance Kitty.  She cut her ears from a paper plate and tied them to a headband with red yarn.  It was so cute!!  Her tail was a safety pinned purple fuzzy scarf! 

I had planned for Kolton to be a cowboy but he was set on wearing the same puppy ears/tail as last year...so...that's what he was!  He would run up to each house and yell, "Happy Halloween!!"  It was cute!

Natalie threw on her hat and walked around as a cowgirl.  She wasn't going to go but walked around with a friend instead of Mom.  (sigh)

Tristin hung out with Grandpa Thompson.  After last years humiliation of walking with Mom (and a group of friends seeing him) he was NOT going to have a replay of that!  The thing is...he really still wanted to go but none of his friends were walking around so it was kind of hard for him (and me).   He ended up having a great evening though and I was so happy for him! 

I've never been too big on Halloween.  I absolutely do not like the history behind the holiday, I'm kind of too cheap to buy the $30 costumes and I really don't like all of the scary stuff!

 How about you?  Do you go BIG or go small for Halloween?

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AND to give someone a special treat on this YAY...FREE FRIDAY~We would love the opportunity to bless one of you with a FREE personalized scripture doll or animal of your choice!

To Enter our giveaway this week: Simply leave a comment under this post.
Winner will receive a $61 voucher to use on the Baby be Blessed website!!

For additional entries: (leave 1 comment for each) *Follow our blog *Write a blog post about the giveaway (please leave link) *Like Baby be Blessed on facebook*Share on facebook (Please hit share from our post) *Follow us on twitter (all links are on the top left sidebar) *Tweet or Retweet about the giveaway (must tag @babybeblessed)

The Winner will be chosen on Monday!


The Flu Stinks!

The weather has been simply gorgeous the past few days! Today...a high of 79 degrees! The only thing about this beautiful weather is that we haven't been able to go out and enjoy it much. Other than sneaking out in the morning and evening to feed the horses, I have been housebound with two with the flu. It has been pretty awful! I just sit and cry right with them. It's horrible not being able to do anything to make them feel better! While the healthy two are at school this morning the rest of us are tucked under blankets and watching a little Mickey Mouse Club House. Kolton is very excited that it is "Halloween Day" aka trick or treating night...I sure hope they both are on the mend by then!

Too Cute...Tuesday!

Adalynn with her first baby be blessed baby

I could sob her up with a biscuit!  Adalynn, you are so CUTE!!



~If you have a photo that we could share for Too Cute Tuesday, please email it to babybeblessed@gmail.com

Crazy Weekend Bliss!!

Our weekend was even crazier than normal...which normally is pretty crazy! 

FRIDAY

Husband was still out of town
Sewed dolls until almost 9pm
Kids sat in the sewing room with me, all piled in the big red chair.
Watched a movie with them
Ate popcorn
We all stayed up WAY too late!

SATURDAY

Fed horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Ran to the BMV
Renewed my license
Lola was thankful.  I "looked too young in my old photo" (she makes me smile)

Dropped two youngest at Grandma Shopps
Tristin stayed home
Natalie and I off to an open horse show.
Couldn't use the trailer we had lined up.
Found a Plan B trailer.
Almost got stuck in the field
Praised God for 4wheel drive!
Arrived too late.
Events were over.
Natalie planned to still ride
Izzy...a social butterfly.
Natalie...sad because Izzy was a social butterfly and was a little excited to be around the other horses.
Tears
Stayed up too late
Rode just a little
More tears
Forgot to take any pictures
Time to go home

Gathered up other three
Pumpkin patch!
Fed the horse, dogs, cats
Legion chicken for supper
Grandpa working the window and treating us!
Scooping out seeds.  (or the "honey" as Kolton called it ??)
Carving!
Smiles!
Finding tea lights!
All lined up in the dark!
To bed on time!!

 

SUNDAY

Fed the horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Fellowship!
Worship!
Truth in His word!

A special out to eat Birthday lunch.
Grandma Thompson's treat!
Not McDonalds.
Cloth napkins in lap
Sunshine
Afternoon with family

Hooking up the trailer again
Driving down interstate with horse trailer and four kids
Restroom stops
Big parking lots!
Only getting lost briefly (twice)
Meeting a sweet mini horse
Free to good home.
It being SO SWEET
Happy kids!!
Lola naming him Obadiah (because its fun to say)
Driving home in the dark
Down interstate
Four kids
One horse
Traffic jams
Taking an hour to go four miles.
Start Stop Start Stop
Kolton throwing up in the back seat
How Natalie helped clean him up
Windows down
Making it home SAFE (thank you Lord!)

Praising God it's Monday!

A FREE Friday...it's full of Promise!!

Over the past few weeks we have seen quite a few rainbows. 

More than we typically see even in the spring!  Just this morning as I was hurrying Kolton into his boots and coat the girls ran inside the house excited! 

Come and see!!  Another rainbow!  God's Promise!

Sure enough the sunrise peeking was just enough to shine a bow of color through the morning sky!

Last week, a double rainbow!  Can you see it?

As I dropped off the kids at school and drove to the barn I thought about this promise.  A rainbow is a sign of God's promise, His covenant with us to never to flood the earth again.  The Bible is PACKED FULL of God's promises for his children and it seems when the skies are dark and rain is pouring we find it hard to see the light shining through to the beautiful rainbows. 

The light is there. 

I don't know why my mind ponders promises in rainbows.  Maybe because I have had more days of rain and darkness loom over me than I would care to admit?  Maybe because...(finally, Lord willing) I'm opening my eyes up to actually see rainbows that are really there?   Am I realizing the covenant promised?  His Grace?

“This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (NKJV).

So next time I see a rainbow, not only will I remember the promise of God not flooding the earth but I will remember His grace.  Christ himself showing us the way in beautiful color in spite of this dark dark world. 

AND to celebrate His promises on this YAY...FREE FRIDAY~
Please know that I appreciate all of you and LOVE that we have the opportunity to bless one of you with a FREE personalized scripture doll or animal of your choice!

To Enter our giveaway this week: Simply leave a comment under this post.
Winner will receive a $61 voucher to use on the Baby be Blessed website!!

For additional entries: (leave 1 comment for each) *Follow our blog *Write a blog post about the giveaway (please leave link) *Like Baby be Blessed on facebook*Share on facebook (Please hit share from our post) *Follow us on twitter (all links are on the top left sidebar) *Tweet or Retweet about the giveaway (must tag @babybeblessed)

The Winner will be chosen on Monday!

~Seeking Grace

Remember that beautiful sunrise I talked about on Friday?  Well here it is!

Just looking at this photo brings me right back to that moment...God is so faithful and good!

The kids did not have school on Friday and with my husband off on a hunting adventure we snuck off to Indiana for the weekend.  I struggled with actually going.  My work load is over the top right now and I couldn't really take a few days off...but my spirit needed a few days of rest.  One of the bad things about working at home (at least for me) is that it is always around you.  I can try and take a day off but with loads of babies scattered everywhere I'm always working on something.  It's always in front of me. 

So though I left Lori here at home with a stack of dolls to sew (sorry Lori) and actually brought dolls along with me to finish with smiles, time away was much needed! 

Psalm 27:8 reads, "My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek." 

...and that is just what we did!

Too Cute...Tuesday!

 

 

Here are 2 cute pics of my girls with our youngest daughters bbb. ~Jenn S.

So precious...I LOVE it!  (and did I see from your email Jenn, that you are a chocolatier -OH YUM!)

Thank you so much for your photo's!

 

*Do you have a photo you would like to share for Too Cute Tuesday?
Please email them to babybeblessed@gmail.com! Can't wait to see them!!

Weekends are for Adventure!

Hey beautiful you! 

Did you have a fantastic weekend?

With hunting season in full swing, the kids and I snuck away for a couple of days of adventure.

We met this sweet fella...I can't wait to share!

Yay...Free Friday!

I woke this morning to the crackle of the fire and a beautiful sunrise bursting shades of magenta pink up over the hillside! 

 "He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth." 2 Samuel 23:4, NIV

{I can't wait to show you photo's!}

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AND HEY! IT'S YAY...FREE FRIDAY!

 

I appreciate all of you and LOVE that we have the opportunity to bless one of you with a FREE personalized scripture doll or animal of your choice!

To Enter our giveaway this week: Simply leave a comment under this post.
Winner will receive a $61 voucher to use on the Baby be Blessed website!!

For additional entries: (leave 1 comment for each)
*Follow our blog
*Write a blog post about the giveaway (please leave link)
*Like Baby be Blessed on facebook
*Share on facebook (Please hit share from our post)
*Follow us on twitter (all links are on the top left sidebar)
*Tweet or Retweet about the giveaway (must tag @babybeblessed)

The Winner will be chosen on Monday!

Flashback Thursday -Celebrating 12!

I just can't believe it is Thursday already!!  Weeks fly by so quickly!

And speaking of time passing quickly, we had a special celebration in the house this week, Natalie turned 12. 

 

Age 3

Age 4

We celebrated on Sunday with family, chocolate cake and Grandpa's homemade ice cream!   -Yum!

 

Oh, the years of horse cakes...if I had the time I would make an album!

Earlier that day she rode in her first parade with Izzy.

They both did a fantastic job!!

...and Daddy surprised her with a bouncy house when we pulled up back home!

Cause your never too old for a bouncy house!

 



Too Cute...Tuesday!!

Eden Ruth meets her baby for the first time!

Oh, I love it!  She is precious!!



*Do you have a photo with your BbB doll??  We need photo's for our Too Cute Tuesday posts!  Please email them to babybeblessed@gmail.com .  Can't wait to see them!!

Yay...Free Friday!

Its hard for me to say no.  I pile and pile thing on top of thing until I gasp for air...heart beats fast.  Maybe its that I don't want to disappoint, upset or let down?  Years ago a friend told me that "Sometimes a no makes a better yes".   Saying No to the things we are not supposed to do makes a better yes to the things we have already committed to do.  I'm still learning this.

"Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."  Proverbs 3:6

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AND HEY! IT'S YAY...FREE FRIDAY!

I appreciate all of you and LOVE that we have the opportunity to bless one of you with a FREE personalized scripture doll or animal of your choice!To Enter our giveaway this week : Simply leave a comment under this post.

Winner will receive a $61 voucher to use on the Baby be Blessed website!!

For additional entries: (leave 1 comment for each)
*Follow our blog
*Write a blog post about the giveaway (please leave link)
*Like Baby be Blessed on facebook
*Share on facebook (Please hit share from our post)
*Follow us on twitter (all links are on the top left sidebar)
*Tweet or Retweet about the giveaway (must tag @babybeblessed)

The Winner will be chosen on Monday!