Random August Pictures (First Couple Weeks)

The past two weeks of August have been pretty chill. We did a lot of resting, cleaning, bible study, yard work, played. Ya know...good ol fashioned summer time. Ascher was sick so resting was the key. When I took him to doctor they said he just had a virus. He never got a fever and his ears looked good so I guess a virus was all it was. Neither Justin nor I got sick, thank goodness.

I love when God sends you right to the perfect verse. The other day I was struggling and God just kept telling me to read Matthew. I opened it up and WHAM. The beatitudes was exactly what I needed to read.

We ate at Cracker Barrel with friends

We shopped at Target & Hobby Lobby with friends and had some fun hanging out around the house

So this was a pretty pointless post...I had it in drafts and I don't remember what I was going to add so here you have it...some cute pictures of my bubby and God using his word to minister to me. : )

Mondays with Mom: I am a teacher

Your child’s favorite person (if you’re lucky)

When my girls started school, they would come home and always, always, nightly tell “teacher” stories around the dinner table. We knew those sweet teachers stories too, which was great. The only problem was that my girls thought their teachers hung the moon, not their teacher mom; no their important teacher that they adored and worked for happily all day long! I was always thankful for those educators that touched, taught, even inspired my daughters. As this year begins for many families this month, my prayer for yours is that your children fall in love with their teachers, and that as parents you never say a negative thing about those educators, especially in front of their adoring fans, your kids J

A Teacher:

I am a counselor and psychologist to a problem-filled child,

I am a police officer that controls a child gone wild.
I am a travel agent scheduling our trips for the year,
I am a confidante that wipes a crying child's tear.
I am a banker collecting money for a ton of different things,
I am a librarian showing adventures that a storybook brings.
I am a custodian that has to clean certain little messes,
I am a psychic that learns to know all that everybody only guesses.
I am a photographer keeping pictures of a child's yearly growth,
When mother and father are gone for the day, I become both.
I am a doctor that detects when a child is feeling sick,
I am a politician that must know the laws and recognize a trick.
I am a party planner for holidays to celebrate with all,
I am a decorator of a room, filling every wall.
I am a news reporter updating on our nation's current events,
I am a detective solving small mysteries and ending all suspense.
I am a clown and comedian that makes the children laugh,
I am a dietitian assuring they have lunch or from mine I give them half.
When we seem to stray from values, I become a preacher,
But I'm proud to have to be these people because ...
I'm proud to say, "I am a teacher."

Christie's Wedding

The first weekend in August we went to Kingwood for one of my long time friends wedding. Christie and I have been friends since before we were teenagers. We met at church and formed a life long friendship. I am sure you have heard me talk before about LACE/Butterflies. Christie is the C is LACE. 

Mom & Dad watched Ascher while Justin and I had a little date night for her wedding. She looked stunning ( I expected nothing less- she is BEAUTIFUL). 

It was a fabulous evening. Now all four of us are married. Such a crazy thought. We went to G.A. camp together, summer camps, hung out all the time, etc. its so weird to think when we were kids we never thought about how one day we would all end up at each others weddings. LOVE!

Sunday, Elissa, Sam & Aunt Joan stopped by to see Ascher. He was quite the cranky little man. He had a cold so he wasn't very happy. However, I am glad they came over and hung out. While they were there Ascher fell asleep on Mom. So sweet. Mom was in heaven. He never goes to sleep on her like that. 

Me & Lissa

Later that afternoon both little boys wanted to snuggle with their mommy.

After afternoon nap we packed up and headed home. It was a great weekend seeing one of my oldest/bestest friends get married. Cheers to a happy blessed life together!!

Mondays with Mom: Losing Grandma

This past week was a hard week on our family. On Tuesday afternoon Mom called me on her way to Grandma's apartment because Joan thought (and was correct) that Grandma had suffered a stroke & was unresponsive. It wasn't looking good. The siblings rallied and we went to the Lord in prayer for his will to be done. My grandma was 92 years old. She is gone now...but her legacy WILL live on in me...in Ascher (his middle name- my maiden name-Grandma's last name)...in all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Today's Monday with Mom isn't a funny story of rolling beads, the story of how she came to know Jesus or even a story of icy hot & lavendar. This Monday is a hard Monday and so will next Monday. Saturday is the funeral. My mother has a gift of writing and even in her grief was able to put the thoughts into beautiful words. 

Losing Our Mom

Life and death are miraculous events in our lives, but death is by far the most painful for us all. In our heads, our minds, we know “it was their time.” We know “they are out of their pain.” We know “They are with the angels in heaven.” The heart, however, only knows the vast emptiness, the vacuous hole deep within our soul. Memories flood back, always the good memories, and if you are a truly blessed person, and lost someone Godly, the memories are always good.

That’s how we felt when we lost my mom, Martha Turner. That’s where we are right now, with wonderful memories of Mark’s mom, Martha Hardy.  My daughter, Lauren Martha, was named after both Martha’s.

Mrs. Hardy was the quintessential Proverbs 31 woman. She exemplified God and faith first, family second. 

Doing her devotional for family Thanksgiving

To witness the love between Martha and Lee (Mr. Hardy, who we lost 5 years ago) was to feel the uniqueness of what God meant when he defined marriage.  Martha’s family, close and extended, was prayed for daily, and if we had a specific prayer need, Martha was the woman you wanted praying for you. You knew she would pray without ceasing for God’s will.

The Hardys, like my parents, were from “the greatest generation.” They lived through the great depression, WW II, and the baby boom. Mrs. Hardy reused, up cycled, repurposed, recycled before any of those words were cool. She taught us so much. She sewed everything; from clothing to draperies and slip covers. Her cooking …I can taste her Shrimp Sauce Piquant now.

Her children, Mark, Joan and Janet were raised in a Christian home, and in a bucolic neighborhood. The memories they have are priceless and all family oriented.

Mrs. Hardy went to church with Mark (my husband, her son)  the Sunday before she passed away, singing, praising, and refusing to sit down when the praise music lasted twenty minutes!

To all her children, grandchildren, great grand children, and anyone who knew her, each person was blessed to have her in their lives. Now, like all of us who have lost someone we truly love, we grieve for those we lose, and support each other as we move forward with loss, memories, and a hope for our eternal future where we shall all be united one day again…Oh Glorious Day!

Monday with Mom: Episode 6

Have you ever been out shopping, and suddenly something catches your eye that you simply must have?  That's what happened with the multi -strand necklace in the photo:  all the colors of the rainbow, all the beads, all the everything called out my name. An impulsive purchase...absolutely....but I was one happy girl when I announced to the sales clerk that I wanted to wear it out of the store!  I even took a photo wearing it, that's how much I liked it!  After my purchase was proudly being worn, I went to a popular Mexican restaurant to meet some friends. It was the end of the school year, so the restaurant was extremely crowded with families and children.


My friends were seated already when I arrived, and as I approached the table everybody agreed that I was wearing a great necklace.  The waiter delivered our chips and salsa, and as I leaned over so as not to feed my shirt (as my dad used to say)...I heard this loud noise echo throughout the entire place. The noise sounded like a million tiny beads falling to a tiled, slick floor! 

Suddenly, every eye in the place was on our table...on me. My necklace was no longer on my neck but falling, like a waterfall, to the floor of the restaurant! Kids all over the place were jumping up from their seats like it was "break the piñata" time at a birthday party...I nearly died of embarrassment...


And even after the waiters, bus boys, children, and adults alike handed the parts of my prized possession back to me...even as I was returning the trillion misplaced beads to the clerk at the store later for a refund...I loved that necklace!  

Drat...

Fun in the Backyard

I posted a while ago about our backyard fun this summer. We have gone outside almost every day --- even with this super hot heat!! One day I decided that cell phone pictures didn't do justice so I grabbed the "big" camera and went to shooting. 

Fun summer memories...never to be forgotten!! I love our little family so much!!

MOPS Draw Event

On July 29- we had our MOP Draw Event. This year I am a table leader and I am so super excited. I love having a purpose and a job and what better job to love on sweet mama's and get to know each other better!! All of steering (leaders), table leaders & encouragers all gathered at Jennifer's house to pray, eat, chat, craft, and "pick" our tables.

The first thing we did was make shirts. It was so fun! I love to be crafty but am not very good at finishing projects- so when we are working as a group I love it! 

We cut fabric spelling MOPS and then ironed it onto purple shirts.

My final product : ) 

After we made our shirts we gathered up and prayed over our year. Anyone who wanted to pray could chime in and we went the Lord in faith that he will bless us with a fabulous year!! We then went to the front yard and "picked" our table members. The steering team had written everyones name on a flower petal and planted it in the front yard. We went out and chose our flowers. I was one the leaders who got picked to have 6 women at my table so I got to choose 6 flowers. 

My table is full of fabulous ladies and I can hardly wait to get this year started! I am super super excited!!! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this upcoming year!!