Mathew 21:22

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." - NIV

I pray, I pray a lot, I pray alone, I pray with Courtney, I pray with friends, I pray when I eat, I pray when I'm in bed, I pray in my car. But, so often I wonder if God even hears me. I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel this way but I do feel this way some times. I know God hears me, God hears me when I forget to pray. I guess I don't really doubt he hears me, I just wonder why His way is so different than mine some times.

Today I don't feel that way. Today I was reminded that God does hear us and God does answer our prayers. God is listening and God is doing what is needed on His time.

I have a friend, a wonderful, godly of a woman friend. She prays for her son every day and God answers her prayers. Not only has he answered her prayers once, but 4 or 5 times in just the past few months. When she is concerned, she prays for something specific and I tell you what, God answers that specific prayer, literally.

When I get her text messages (today's said "Prayer Rocks") I know the Lord has been listening to her and just blessed her with an answer. What an amazing God we have. What an amazing friend in Christ I have.

photographers dream...

So, being the photographer of the family I NEVER get my picture taken. As I remember my childhood, my Dad was always on our vacations yet he's not in any of the photos. Now, that is me. I am always behind the camera. Hopefully my kids will remember me there in their hearts. :-) Anyway, we had a photographer come to MOPS this month and she took pictures of us all. She did a great job, thanks Kimberlea Bass!

ode to Ethan

So Paul is super into fishing since his cousin Mike is here and Mike is a 'fisherman'. He (Paul) has been fishing, oh, A LOT lately and just not really getting anything. Ethan on the other hand, well, see for yourself. I think Paul was proud, I know he was proud...but I think he was kinda jealous too.

This is just a super cute picture. It's spring break and we get to have Ethan all week. I woke up to him and Courtney layin' in bed with me today. I love Spring Break!

things i love...things i hate

Some things I love:

1. taking photographs of my beautiful children



2. my husband


3. orignal nintendo (check out the remote)


4. watching courtney ride her 4-wheeler like a pro


5. my brother


things i hate:

1: artificial sweetener


ok, that's pretty much all i hate and i hate it! i tried to like it. in juice, gross. in tea, gross. in cookies, gross. it does NOT taste like sugar. give me my sugar.

random picture of the day

little helper

Yesterday the wind knocked a trash can over so Courtney and I went out to gather up the stuff that blew across the yard. She didn't like to just help, she insisted on carrying the bag herself. It was so windy I thought she was going to blow away. She did too I think...it would blow really hard and she would say 'whooooooa, Mommy'. She helped a lot though, we covered all three acres and she didn't complain once. :-)

she's home!!!

We all made it, even Daddy. Surprisingly, I was the one who was ok. Paul, not so much. Although I missed my sweet little baby girl like crazy and had a stomach full of crazy caffeinated butterflies when I knew she was 5 minutes away; the weekend went well with no anxiety. I talked to her each night; the first night she cried when I said I was going to get off the phone. The second night she said "ok, bye Mommy, love you". (that was a weird, bitter sweet moment if I've ever had one) I got a lot of stuff done around the house, worked on some pictures that the church wanted 2 days after I took them (crazy church people) and Paul fished a lot. 

This text has been removed for further evaluation. For those over analizing, the analizing is being done elsewhere.

email from Dad

(if you haven't, read previous post first)

Good Morning.

Just thought we’d let you know that she has only fallen down the stairs twice so far and into the lake once but that worked out okay because when we fished her out she had a catfish hooked on her shoelace so we have dinner!

Love you

anxiety anyone??

I have enough for everyone. How awful is it that Courtney is almost 2 and she has not had a weekend...no, a night...no, more than 6 hours away from me and Paul? I thought this was normal, I thought I was being a good mommy but God told me other wise the other day. Ok, God himself didn't, but He used the powerful Perry Noble to tell me such a thing. I think P.N. stated it as 'way to go, you are raising a social outcast'. Oh, his word choice is amazing. 

So, on that note, the anxiety part...Courtney is heading to my parent's house for the weekend tomorrow. I am meeting them half way (they live 4 hours from us) and letting the reigns go. Ok, not letting them go, more like making them longer. I can not let them go just yet, she is my baby girl. C'mon now! 

But, I am having down right anxiety. Like, wedding day heart pompulations(I can't figure out how to spell the word I am looking for, just roll with me here). Like, too much caffeine heart racing. Like, can't sit still, gotta do something. Like, what the heck am I typing ANXIETY! 

Am I worried about her? No, she's going with my parents. Seriously, what could go wrong? They live out in the middle of no where, at least 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. No worries there. They have lots of wood steps leading to a tile floor that she has once fallen down. No worries there. They live on a lake and she thinks she knows how to swim because I tell her so when she is in the bathtub of 5 inches of water. No worries there. She will be 4 hours away from home; not 4 steps. No worries there. Seriously, why would I worry? :-) 

Honestly, I'm not worried. I am having pure separation anxiety. I am hoping she wakes up tonight crying so I can bring her to bed with me. Maybe I should go run the blender at 2 am or vacuum her room at 3? She might cry then and I would only feel right bringing her back to bed with me once she has woken up from such a thing. Right? 

Oh, I will be fine. I will get to sleep in. I can go to Target (have you been to the new Target yet?!?!) for how ever long I want. I can...well, I think those are the only 2 things she hinders. She is perfect, you know. :-)

Well, we are off tomorrow, she will be back Sunday night. Please shout out a prayer (and seriously, shout it, so God doesn't mistake it for a normal prayer) if you get a moment. 

These next pictures have NOTHING to do with what I wrote about...well, yeah they do, they are of my sweet baby girl just being sweet and cute.