Happy Birthday, Jesus!

To all my 10 or so blog readers, Merry Christmas!!

a little late =]

Konner funnies

I have some more Konner comments for y'all.

~What's your deal?

~I think Jesus is in my brain making it good.

~In 1937 Christmas came to life.

he went through a phase where he liked to use older years.

~I don't like appetizers.

~I need some water becausse my head is loosing energy.

we sure wouldn't want that to ever happen.

~I can't believe I'm sick.

~I'm teaching him (Rivers) wild sounds.

He was in the tub suppose to be bathing and this was his excuse for not bathing.

~"And Lord, I just have to ask, why are things so different? Aren't a pig and a wart hog the same thing?"

kids got a point

Prehistoric Adventure

This weekend we celebrated Konner's 6th birthday at the park.

the party decor came from Paper and Cake

The Pterodactyl nest consisted of Chex, M&M's, Pretzel sticks and White Cheddar Popcorn.

I also took some of Konner's small dinosaurs and used them for cupcake toppers.

I got this idea to print off some dinosaurs and tape them on poster board and put a few facts about each one around them. I used the cupcake toppers for the facts and the outside border is the drink labels.

I decorated the table with some dinosaurs and a few dinosaur books we have.

I forgot to bring candles. Konner didn't mind. It was too windy anyway.

The kids loved picking which cupcake they wanted.

He racked up on some great gifts and lots of money to go shopping with.

Will probably take him soon to spend it all!!

And little brother supported big brothers party with his dino shirt!!



M.Y.O.B

Mind Your Own Business

One of many things Konner will learn at school.

*constantly praying Mama*

Santa

Konner knows the REAL meaning of Christmas.

A month or so ago, before bed, I told him that Santa wasn't real.

Of course, he didn't believe me.

Then I went into the whole "mermaids aren't real," "Peter Pan isn't real," etc, etc.

I told him that Dan and myself bought him the presents.

He believed me for a few days, then it was right back to he is real.

His behavior hasn't been the best lately and I have told him that if he doesn't straighten it up I will take his presents back to the store.

Well.. the other day Santa came to school and he gets home and says,

"Mom!! Santa is real. I saw him today at school and his beard wasn't cotton balls. The beard was real. If I would have pulled on it it would have hurt him."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

 ''wasn't cotton balls''

HAHAHA!!

Oh that boy!!

Thanksgiving

**WARNING** PICTURE OVERLOAD =]

I am not kidding when I tell ya the past two weeks I have been getting back to the norm. Back to reality.

Back to life.. You know?

Our week long vacay was much needed to say the least for this family.

As I mentioned in my post the day we got home, we went to Gatlinburg, TN.

We left Sunday morning and stayed with a friend in Atlanta, then headed out Monday morning towards Gatlinburg. The picture above was taken before we left Monday.

Our GPS took us the scenic route. The back way into Gatlinburg through the mountains. Which I am so glad it did because we would not have seen the Chainsaw Art and the waterfalls and mountain views had we gone the other way.

We HAD to stop when we saw all the chainsaw art.

It was good for all of us to get out the car for a while.

And I got a few pics.

Konner was so happy he caught a lizard too.

And had we not went the scenic route we would have not gotten these pics.

Konner had a BIG wad of gum in his mouth.

It was cold and rainy (that drizzle rain), but still beautiful and the sound of the water was so peaceful.

We rode the Polar Express. We were late for our 5 o'clock train, but got to catch the 6:30 train.

While we waited, we had hot chocolate and hung out at the Train Depot.

Oh!! I also forgot Rivers bottle in the car.  Luckily we bought Konner a pretzel and he snacked on that during the ride and he was just fine =]

Dan has some family that lives in Knoxville, so Thanksgiving day we headed there to have lunch.

I got to do a load of laundry too =]

Konner eating one of those suckers that has a insect in it.

 Of course we had to eat at McDonald's. In their Happy Meals they put the "mini fries" AND apple slices.

These changes will happen nationwide come March 2012.

We played a little mini-golf.

Black Friday, we went shopping in Pigeon Forge and got the boys' matching outfits for Christmas pictures (which I must get on that), and got 3 pair of boots. 2 for Dan and 1 for myself. They were buy 1 get 2 FREE!

That afternoon we went to the aquarium.

I hate frogs, but love these frogs (as long as they don't come any wear near me)

I love their colors.

Black Friday night we went back to Pigeon Forge to find Rivers some shoes.

The outlet mall was PACKED!!

It took us 1 HOUR to get from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. Which, mind you, is only about 4 miles.

We had a great time.

We didn't wanna leave, but wanted to be home.

Dan talked about moving up there. HA!!

I do believe this will be an annual trip for us.

There is so much more to see and do!!

July 2

We pulled up to church yesterday morning and Konner asks, "Mom, when are you going to have another baby?"

"Mommy is done having babies."

"You are going to have another one, July 2nd."

IF this is true (WHICH IT IS NOT) I would be about 3 months pregnant now.

WHICH I AM NOT!!!

I just thought it was funny. Never a dull moment. =]

**I will get post our Thanksgiving/vacation pics soon.. promise**

10 months

Yes.. this is a little late.

Sorry.. We were on vacation when Rivers turned 10 months old.

Mr. Independent. He plays so well by himself.

And with Konner too =]

Mr. I will hand you by sippy cup when I want a drink.

You now take only 3 bottles a day ~morning, noon, night~

Mr. Why are you trying to feed me with that spoon? Just give me the real stuff. I can do it myself. None of this puree'd stuff.

Mr. I like to make this face alot when someone 'sniffs' or breaths loud.

Those are SO my lips by the way =]

Mr. I am too busy to have a diaper change.

You can say Dada.

You are such a Daddy's boy too, but when you are tired you want your Mama =]

Mr. When I am shy I put my chin to my chest and just stare.

It is THE cutest thing. EVER!!

Crazy to believe in just two *2* short months this guy will be a whole year old.

Time. Please. Stop!!

We love you more than words can say sweet boy!!

Jeremiah 1:7

 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

His beauty

There is beauty all around us.

God's magnificent work.

Sometimes we are too busy to STOP and look around at the beauty of His hand.

And sometimes, it takes going on vacation to be reminded of that beauty He created.

Beauty in nature

Beauty in the sea..

The true beauty in everything. 

If He created Earth this beautiful, can you imagine what Heaven looks like??

Purely magnificent!!

Beyond anything we could ever imagine.

These are just a few pictures I took on our family vacation to Gatlinburg this past week. I just wanted to write a short post tonight. There is a suitcase and piles of laundry that are staring at me, so I must get to them. And I am totally exhausted from the 10 hour drive home.

I will post more in the next few days.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

The Golden Sky

Today, I am honored to take part in a blogfest about loosing a loved one.. a tribute to them.



Tomorrow, this book by EC Stilson, will be released.

It's a memoir about the death of her son, Zeke.

Tomorrow will be 9 years since he has passed.

I still have a hard time saying my daughter 'died.'

Doesn't it sound better when we hear or say 'passed away.'

As hard as the truth is to hear, she did die. But I still don't like to say it or hear it.

Sometimes, not often, I do say it.

A tribute to my daughter, Adyson.

The days after you passed, I never thought I would see any good that could come after loosing you.

The days were dark, gloomy, long, and just down right miserable.

Didn't wanna get out of bed. Couldn't go to sleep because images of you ran through my head.

The ''what if's'' and I ''should have done this'' or ''should have done that.''

The first year was not near as bad as the second year. Maybe because year one, I was in deniel? Shock?

Year two I believe was harder because you little brother was here.

And I see his milestones and just think of what I am missing with you (not that I didn't realize that before he was born, believe me I did).

When your little brother was about 4 months old, he was in his high chair, and I looked at him and saw you.

BUT with all the sadness and grieving that I still do, I can see the beauty and the goodness that has come from this tragedy.

The beauty and goodness of my closer walk with the One you are with now, Jesus. *jealous*

The beauty and goodness of Him blessing me with your little brother, Rivers.

The beauty and goodness that has forever changed me.

I will end with this:

I just finished a 12 week Bible study on the book of Revelation and when I read Revelation 21, I cried.

I cried not only because I can't wait to have that home He has made for us, but I am SO SO SO very, very THANKFUL that you are already experiencing ALL of that.

Revelation 21:9-27

"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.  Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Thank you Jesus for allowing me to experience such tragedy, only to see Your glory through it all.

And thank you for the gift of being Adyson's mom.

And last but not least, thank you Adyson for just being you!!



**For Adyson's full story, click on the tab on the top "Adyson's Story."**

Isaiah 65:20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days.."

Dr. Lloyd Stephen Jones

October 18, 1932 - October 29, 2011

Mr. Jones was a veteran of the Vietnam War having served in the United States Air Force for twenty-three years. He was retired from the Jackson County School District, serving as the School Adminstrative Counselor, Drop-Out Prevention and ESL. Mr. Jones was founder of the Vancleave Baseball League in 1971. He was an active member of First Baptist Church Vancleave.

He was preceded in death by his parents Walter Columbus and Avey Elizabeth Carter Jones; sons, Charles Jones, Michael Jones, Roger Jones; brother Jesse Jones; and a sister, Billye Duckworth Glancy

Mr. Jones is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Wanda Jean Jones of Vancleave; children, Jim ( Karen ) House, of Augusta, Georgia ; Stephanie ( Larry ) Cobarrubia, of Vancleave; Jesse  "Sam" ( Janet ) Jones , of Vancleave ; Casey ( Bridget ) Jones of Jacksonville, Florida ; brothers, Walter C. ( Winnie ) Jones of Virginia Beach , Virginia; Charles Jones (Lynn) Carter of Mize; sisters, Mary E. ( Leroy ) Rogers of Vancleave ; Lou Thrash of Vancleave ; Shirley ( Bob ) Watson of Hillsboro, Texas; thirteen grandchildren, twenty- seven great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Papa served in the Air Force for 23 years, but his wish was to not have the full blown military service.

A video played throughout visitation of his life growing up and in the service.

My cousin sang Papa's favorite song Beulah Land and my Dad sang Knowing What I Know About Heaven. Dad singing was a surprise to my Nanny. It was hard to get up at Adyson's memorial and speak, but I can't imagine how hard it was for my Dad to sing at his Dad's funeral. With the strength of the Lord and lots of prayer from me and my mom (and others), he did it.

He did have the American flag on his beautiful casket. At the end of the service the color guard folded the flag (it was amazing). After it was folded one of the six handed it to my Nanny, who was sitting right in front of me. When he started to speak, "On behalf of the United States Air Force..."

We all lost it.

It was a beautiful service and we miss him so much!!

He was the rock of our family.

I am so thankful he taught us to love the Lord and thankful for his service in the Air Force.

And I am HONORED to be one of his 13 grand children. And I am HONORED my children are 3 of his 27 great grand children.

Please continue to pray for my family as we embark on life without him.

9 months

Although you DO love to play with your big brother and follow him around the house and he follow you, you are not happy when he wants to wrestle with you.

You are very aware if we have food or drink, then you want food or drink.

I just wanna eat those toes.

Size 4 diapers

Eats 7 oz every 4-5 hours with homemade baby food to follow

9-12 month clothes

You are beginning to climb.. shelves, steps...

Just the other day you stood by yourself without holding on to anything. It scared me half to death I grabbed you so fast. It was only for a split second, but you did and haven't tried to do it again since.

You are growing too fast!!

We love you sweet boy!!