Back In Business

I got a spankin new laptop and am back in business. I don't like being without a computer!! Here are some of our latest family pictures from our recent get together to celebrate Father's Day.

Cleaning It Up!

I had to move out of my classroom this year at the end of May. The classroom I am moving into was still occupied, so I brought ALL of my stuff home to "organize" it. From the photo, you can see that I am quite organized don't you think? I love the time off that summer affords for cleaning up and getting my teacher things (and house) back in order. I am trying to pare down what all I take back into my classroom next year due to the lack of storage in my new room. I can't wait to show off the after pictures once my classroom is set up and ready for my new group of kids. I'll post them on my other blog. You can check it out here.

Worship & Praise Sunday

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Hallelujah [Your Love Is Amazing]
Written By: Brenton Brown/Brian Doerksen
Performed By: Brenton Brown

Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain firm beneath my feet
Your love is a mystery, how you gently lift me
When I am surrounded your love carries me

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
your love makes me sing

Your love is surprising, I can feel it rising
All the joy that's growing deep inside of me
Every time I see you all your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song rising up in me


This is one our newest praise favorites!
We love belting out the chorus, lifting our hands and voices in praise! We went to visit a new church a few Sunday's back and heard this song. We haven't stopped singing it since! It is great reminder of God's steady & unchanging love for us. We find the chorus to be so true..."His love makes us sing!"

Why I LOVE Summer!

Head on over to ALL THAT IS GOOD if you'd like to participate in Friend Makin' Monday's! This week it is all about SUMMER!! (and why we love it!)

The top 10 reasons why I LOVE summer!

1. I am a teacher and am off work for 2 whole months!

2. I have LOTS of spare time to actually clean and organize. (after 9 months of not)

3. No alarm clock/getting up early!!

4. Snow Cones!

5. Midnight Sonic runs!

6. Making lots of fun memories with my daughter, Sarah.

7. Twin time!

8. Garage Sales!

9. The freedom that comes with not having to be anywhere at 8 a.m. the next day!

10. Vacations!

All In The Family!

Just for fun (the creative & inexpensive kind) my daughter, Sarah, has started her own blog for the summer. With a little help from mommy (me) she has made a few posts. As of yet, I have done all the writing and she has done the photography. She ensures me that she is ready to do both mom "so hand over the laptop!" So without further adieu, check it out.

Sarah's Summer Blog!

Twin Adventures & A Broken Arm

Sam & Carys are my 3 year old, twin nephew & neice. They are always up to something and my sister, Skylar, always has funny stories to share when it come to those two! Sunday evening, my sister took the kids out to dinner with friends. Sam & Carys were climbing on the rocks that are out front of the area where people gather before dinner. Sam made it to the top of the rock. Carys came next and in her hurry to get up to where Sam was, pushed him off the rock. Needless to say, Sam broke his arm. :( Sam was sooo cute in his little splint. His sister is such a bruiser that my sister had them cast it 2 days later due to the fact that Carys kept on taking him down, broken arm and all. Here is the handsome little patient showing off his blue cast. He is awfully proud of it. Here is to hoping that the 3 weeks it has to stay on goes by fast. Love you Sammy!

Worship & Praise Sunday

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The song I chose for this week is God Will Make A Way by Don Moen. This song has been a favorite in our household since my daughter was little. My mother still asks my daughter to sing this song from time to time. My little girl and I often sing it together when one of us needs to hear it. When things seem impossible, it is good to remember that all things are possible through Jesus Christ who gives us strength. This song is a beautiful reminder that nothing will separate us from the love of God. He makes a way, even when to us there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see and He will make a way for me! This song is special to me and my family because of all of the things we have been through together. Without God, we never could have made it.

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today.

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

My Little Girl

Sarah Rose singing her solo part in the 4th grade Christmas musical this past December. She did such an AWESOME job!

My daughter Sarah loves to visit our family blog. On more than one occasion she has remarked that the blog is lacking in the "pictures of her department!" :) So, without further adieu, let me introduce my 10(going on 16)year old daughter and best friend.

Sarah Rose is the first and only child in our family. While she is a lot like her mother, there are certain personality traits that are uniquely hers. I admire her and am so proud of her and I must confess, want to be like her at times. She is such a happy, good natured little girl. She is confident, caring, smart and soooo very social. She has never met a stranger and carries on conversations with adults like she has done it for years.

To have her confidence and talent! To hear her sing! To see how very much she is loved beyond words by her family. She truly is a blessing and I am so very blessed to have her as my little girl. She says the sweetest prayers, asks the most curious of questions and never gets tired of being the center of attention. I think she is like me most in that department. I thank the Lord for blessing me through her. I cannot imagine my life without her and wonder what I did before she came into my life. Sarah Rose I love you very, very much.

Gilcrease Museum

Over the weekend Sarah and I decided to go and visit the Gilcrease Museum here in Tulsa. We had such a fun time just the two of us. We saw lots of neat artifacts, sculptures, and paintings and we were surprised at how many different things there were to see and do.








Willard Stone: Storyteller in Wood features the work of Willard Stone, an artist-in-residence at Gilcrease Museum between 1946 and 1949.These wood carvings were my favorite part of the museum collection. The detail and craftsmanship were incredible.








We look forward to going back this summer. For $8.00, you can't go wrong. The exhibits change every few months and the museum also has a really neat gift shop and restaurant. We gave it a two thumbs up!

Worship & Praise Sunday

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for worship and praise Sunday.

Here is how you can participate!
Share a favorite worship song and a little about what it means to you.
Give credit to the artist who wrote it. Then just publish your Worship and Praise Sunday post on your blog.Remember to link back to the main page of Sweet Nothings, so other readers where know where to join in.


Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
By Jadon Lavik




Come Thou Fount

Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy praise
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it?
Mount of Thy redeeming love


Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I've come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood


O to grace how great a debtor?
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Seal it
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above

Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above

This is a description of the song that I found on the web. It gives the meaning behind the song and how it applies to Christians. The fount or fountain of every blessing is the Lord Jesus. The fountain speaks more directly to the blood of Jesus being spilt, with the immediate results that He died, with the long term results being that those who trust in Him have their sins forgiven. The song is a prayer first to have the Lord "tune my heart" to sing God's praise. That is, that the Lord transform our heart so that we may more appropriately offer praise to God.


I couldn't have described this song better. A song of PRAYER and PRAISE. It is my desire to have God not only "tune my heart" but to transform it as well.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Tonight we went to Osaka for a family dinner to celebrate my birthday. It was delicious and I ate way, way too much! We had so much fun watching them make the dinner right in front of us. As always, it is spending time with my family that is the best birthday present of all. Thanks guys for a delicious dinner and for all of my wonderful gifts!

Sam's reaction to the "big fire" as they prepared the food for our meal.




Sarah Rose & I




Skylar, Carys & Matt



Sarin & Brett
"The Newlyweds"

Strikers ROCK!!

To play or not to play...
that is the question!




Way to hustle Sammy!









Hey, where did the ball go?




Today Sarah and I had the pleasure of attending my niece & nephews first soccer game. Mind you, they are only 3 years old and we weren't too sure what to expect.(neither were they for that matter) The twins were so stinkin cute. Sam was all over the ball, running towards ANY goal in hopes of scoring. Carys on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the ball, the game or anyone else for that matter. She'd stand in the middle of the field and the team would run right past her on their way down to their goal. It was the best soccer game I have EVER been to! I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time. I look forward to many more games. It was so much fun. Go Strikers!!

Worship & Praise Sunday

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for
Worship & Praise Sunday by clicking here.


These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord, yes
And these are the days of his servant, Moses
Righteousness being restored
And these are the days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
So we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord

CHORUS:
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes

And these are the days of Ezekiel
With dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of his servant, David
Building the temple of praise, yes
And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are all white in the world
And we are the laborers that are in your vineyard
declaring the word of the Lord

This is a song we sing frequently during our praise and worship time. It is one of my favorites! I love the message of restoration this song proclaims! As we celebrate Easter and the promises from our risen Lord, this song reminds me to be thankful for the work of restoration the Lord is continuing to do in me.

My Flower Girl!

Sarah is the resident green thumb in our family. Here she is planting my birthday flowers from my sister, Skylar. The flower beds are far from finished but to have anything LIVE in our front yard, is in our book, quite blog worthy!

First Dance

Brett & Sarin
04-04-2009





Such a beautiful couple!

The wedding was beautiful and I made it through the entire ceremony without shedding a tear. When Sarin & Brett had their first dance together as husband and wife I knew I might cry then. When the song started, Brett had a BIG surprise for Sarin. He was the one singing the song to her. Needless to say I cried! I think Sarin might have too. It was soooo sweet!! The video is of their first dance together as husband and wife. (and Brett's sweet song to Sarin)

Sarin & Brett's Wedding

The wedding was beautiful and Sarin made such a gorgeous bride. We had so much fun sharing in their special day. Sam & Carys did a great job being the ring bearer & flower girl. We had a wonderful evening spent with family and friends. Congratulations Sarin and Brett. May you live happily ever after.

Sarin's Bridal Luncheon

The table was set so beautifully!


The Shotts girls at Sarin's bridal luncheon. Tomorrow is the BIG day!



Skylar, Pam, Sarin, & our hostess Jackie.



Sarah Rose, Susan, Jenny, Emily & Lauren





Jackie & Lauren hosted Sarin's bridal luncheon today and we had a wonderful time. In attendance were her friends: Jenny McLarnon, Lauren Hess, Jackie Crahan, & Emily Turner. Susan Brett, Brett's mom, was also there including all the girls from our side of the family. Tomorrow is Sarin's wedding. We are so looking forward to sharing in she & Brett's special day. More pictures to follow. Until then, ENJOY!

Friend Makin' Mondays

Friend Makin' Mondays is a fun way to get to know other bloggers created by Kasey at All That is Good. Join the fun!

Today's task is to list 10 things I cannot live without and why.

1. My laptop! There is NOTHING like lesson planning in your jammies!

2. Diet Dr. Pepper. It is my "coffee" in the mornings.

3. My friends at work. I wonder what I did before they came into my life. I am so blessed by their friendships and I love them to death. Such a blessing from God.

4. My I-Pod shuffle. I cannot workout without it. I love listening to praise & worship songs and I can take it anywhere.

5. My cell phone. It is my life line. :)

6. Candy! I am a candyaholic! Gummi Bears, Gummi Cokes, Hot Tamales. Yum!

7. Sonic! We are on a first name basis with the people who work there! :)

8. Our local library. My 10 year old is a bookworm and I teach Kindergarten. We are there at least twice a week.

9. My digital camera. Life is short. Taking pictures is a small way I can make the most of the memories that I make and the people I make them with.

10. BOTT Radio Network. It is my favorite way to listen to GREAT bible teaching and with all the junk on the radio these days, I can feel good about listening to it with my daughter in the car.

Worship & Praise Sunday

Join Brittany at Sweet Nothings for
Worship & Praise Sunday by clicking here.



Praise You In This Storm
Casting Crowns





Lyrics
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm.

The idea of praising God when life is going well is something I am good at. I get it. It is praising Him during a storm that tests my faith. Sometimes it is hard to "see" or "feel" God in the midst of trials and tribulations. He calls us to praise at all times, even in the storm. I know that His ways are not my own. And as the words of the song so beautifully express, He is ALWAYS with me, ALWAYS worthy of my praise and I shall ALWAYS put my hope in Him no matter the circumstances . He is my refuge & strength through ANY storm.