Box of Chocolates

I have been challenged by something a friend sent to me this week. In her daily devotion based on Matthew 4:  1 -11.  It is so simple yet never have I seen it in the light in which the author wrote about Jesus' temptation and how he dealt with Satan.  He didn't use his divine God powers (which he was capable, he is God.)  I'll get back to that... We are challenged to be like Jesus.  How can we be like our God, savior, redeemer, our king? He obviously prayed, one thing we can do.  He said love your neighbor as your self, this is a little hard to do with some people. That is a blog in itself.  I think you get the idea. This next simple truth (ashamed I never really understood it in this light) was a huge ah ha moment for me. I have heard for years hide God's word in your heart, and study to show yourself approved. I never really understood the practical reason in the light of being like Jesus.  This is where the author the the devotion enters... The Bible tells us that im...

Saturday we went with our realtor for two hours and looked at 8 houses.  Sunday open house day we looked at another 3 or 4.  With all three kids, 6 and under.  They are funny and I really have great kids. I can't remember them all they are all starting to blur in my mind. This is proving to be harder than I thought.  There is one house we like but it has a driveway of about a 40 degree incline.  The backyard is mountain and rocky, but flat enough to hike.  The question we have is where would the kids ride their bikes, play kick ball or play catch?  If only the house was on a different lot it would be more appealing.  It might have structural issues.     So much to consider here.  Mountainside, acres, acres with mountain, mountain view but not on the mountain, valley, valley subdivision with tiny lot with new house,  top of the mountain, my list could go on and on and on.   Then there is the new house verses old.  All the houses we looked at this weekend needed help and most need wo...

Living in a different house there are silly things I miss and now realize I took for granted.  So here is my list.... My huge dish washer DEEP sink.    Glass top stove Glass shower (shower curtains are creepy when they touch your leg)  TV!  Mark said I wouldn't last and he is right.  We left the TV because it would cost another $300 to move it, a third of what we paid for it. Plasma I guess is the issue? We didn't have room in the van.  Our plan is to get it later during a visit, unless the new owners just have to have it.  It is one of the only things left in the house.  Air conditioning that works.  Air guy is coming today, but we are now at the mercy of a landlord and had to wait a week.  So, owning and living in my own house is on the list. Living in a different house has its advantages too.  I now have a greater list of things to look for in a new house that I might not have thought of before.   Bathroom door can not open toward the tub and block the view of the tub!  The ...

Our Easter weekend was anything but traditional.  We had a interesting weekend full of learning experiences.  First lets talk about mountains.  See in the valley it is a tad warmer so when you travel up it tends to get cooler.  Yes, I knew this in my mind. To experience it was a totally different story.  We decided Saturday to go to Mante Sano State Park for a picnic lunch. Elevation 1,600 feet. It was cloudy in the valley but was supposed to clear, it never did and actually got colder.  We could see our breath in the air by the time we left the park.  We had a good time and will go back when it is warmer.   Saturday night around 6 PM I went to Cracker Barrel to do some one stop Easter Bunny shopping.  Never have I been so late on my Easter Bunny duties.  The kids didn't even realize it was the eve of the Easter Bunny until bed time.  Moving changes the priorities of life! All the girls expected (yes they expect something from the bunny) was Webkinz.  They need another Webkinz like...

On our 13 hour car ride to our new dwelling place I had to drop Mark and Delta off at the Chattanooga airport to get his truck. He flew from Chattanooga to St. Pete to come home to drive with us to our new digs.  Chattanooga is the closest airport other than Birmingham (1.5 hours away) that flies directly to Tampa/Saint Petersburg.  The Chattanooga airport is two hours from our new house.  This meant that I got to drive by myself with the kids for the last two hours of the very long trip.  Of course all the kids fell asleep, which is not good when you are leaving your hometown of almost 30 years. First time on the trip it was quiet.  Most days that would be a blessing, but this Sunday was not the case.  I needed noise to keep my mind from thinking about all that was happening.     So what does any girl do in a time like this?  I called my mom. One of the few times I am thankful for the invention of the cell phone.  The drive from Chattanooga to our house is so pretty and there are so m...

I think I have explained this before but today we had a God wink. Little things that remind you that He is watching and knows your heart and desires or places people in your life for a special reason. Well, Madison has been convinced that once we moved she would see snow.  I thought this was just about the most impossible event to happen ever, let alone in the first week of April. I kept telling her that we probably wouldn't see snow this year.  I was wrong!   We have had our first snow today.  Just flurries but Madison couldn't be happier. There was literally one little cloud above our house with blue skies all around and Madison in her furry to see flurries said "mommy I think it is snowing."  I was like, "no honey, that is just paint splatter on the deck and then one landed on my shirt and you could see it falling through the air. God wink!  Just a little something for us.  And YES, I do believe that cloud was just for us this morning.  Not enough to even take...

I feel like the house should be all packed today.  This week has been crazy at best.  I thought doing it during spring break was a good idea.  Now I'm  thinking I need a spring break once we are moved.  SIGH!   Saturday at 11 AM, I get a call from the realtor that someone wants to see the house in an hour. AN HOUR!  My house was a mess, but since no one had looked in three weeks. I had to get crack-a-lackin' and stop pack-a-lackin'. (that was for Mark that doesn't read my blog!) So thankful for Jackie that brought the her vacuum (Mine was gone, long story) and did my dishes.   Sunday Mark calls me about a house that we liked and asked the for the address. 20 minutes later he called and said "I like the neighborhood and I'm waiting for the realtor to go in and look".  He really likes the house and wants to make an offer with early occupancy. Worth a try so we don't have to move twice.  He then gets another call that someone wants to see the house on Wed...