multiple blessings in a week

The first one didn't start as a blessing. S.T. got two of his teeth chipped by one of his younger sister's head. On the trampoline. We sold it. (Not because of that, we were selling it anyway).

This happened Monday evening. I called Tuesday and our dentist was able to get us in on Wednesday. I was so glad, because I had already gotten copies of our records for the move. (Can I put in here that I hate to leave good doctors? In this case, dentists). So anyway...

They were able to put a sealant on the tooth so it wouldn't be sensitive and planned to bring us back in Thursday or Friday to put on a temporary crown. (He'll have to get a permanent one when he's in his late teens). They knew we were moving by the end of the week and wanted to get it done. Sealant is on and we wait in the waiting room for dad and the rest of the children to come back from the park. While we are waiting, someone cancels their 2:30 appointment! It was 2:25! We were able to get the crown on that same day and not have to come back! Blessing number one!

Now yesterday we spent the day running a few errands and getting some things on the vehicles ready for the trip. We got home and checked the mail. Our electric bill was in there and it had an over $70 credit on it! What?! We had not paid it yet. Someone paid our bill for us! Since they didn't know the exact amount, they just paid $200 even. And it was obviously more than what we needed. So not only is our bill paid for this last month, it probably will cover most if not all of this part of the month we'll be here. Wow! Blessing number two!

I'm sure I'll find many ways in which the Lord is working through this whole move. Oh, yeah, here's one. We needed to put a transmission cooler on the van. We bought one, took it to the mechanic, and discovered it already had one on it! So we were able to take the cooler back and saved the money we spent on that. I guess that would count as blessing number three!

Well, my fingers are getting tired just writing about all these good things. :)

How has the Lord blessed you this week?


Until next time...

new friends, new adventures

It's funny. We've lived in east TN for 12 years and put off going to some places. It took a visiting family to get us to the Museum of Appalachia.

It's an interesting place to visit. And there is one price for a family with children ages up to 12. (Which we still have until December when our oldest will be 13). Our new friends also have children 12 and under. So we got a great price on admission.

Speaking of our new friends, they are in the picture above (except the dad who took the picture). They have seven children. You can pick them out because all of mine had on teal.

Don't you just love meeting new people and knowing that they will become friends?


Until next time...

Mommy Moments

Ever experience what I'd like to name a "Mommy Moment"? Let me give you an example.

Yesterday was a dental check-up for the five oldest. I take them all because we have other plans for afterward.

As we are leaving the house (with just enough time to get there), unknown to me at the time, A.L. steps in some poop. I find out as I'm getting in the van. The other kids said she had it on her shoe, so I take her shoes, wipe them quickly on the still dew-damp grass, and put them right inside the van doors. At the dentist, I decide to take them in and wash them off in the bathroom (imitation crocs wash easily). So I take A.L. to the potty and while she is busy, wash off her shoes. We go back out to the waiting room and I am still smelling it. Yuck! I check her out and find out that she had left her culottes on under her dress...and...yep...poop on the culottes. Yuck! I quickly take them off and send them out to the van with my oldest son. (I told him to just set them on the step OUTSIDE of the van).

Oh but that isn't the end of this story...oh no...I could still smell it!! So - I checked her dress. *groan* Somehow she had gotten it all over the inside of the ruffle on the bottom of her dress.


(You know how a small child when they are climbing into their car seat will climb up, then twist around to sit down? Well, that little procedure smears anything that is on their shoes all over their clothes. And since I had been in a hurry that morning, I left it to her to get in all on her own. Ha! Last time that happens! Or at least I will check her shoes first).

Ok. Back to the bathroom. I strip her dress off and proceed to wash it out in the bathroom sink. Thankfully they use really strong soap there. It took out the smell, too! As I was washing out the dress (I actually just washed the poopy spots - which ended up being quite a bit) I had to just laugh.

This incident definitely defines what I consider a "Mommy Moment".

So do share...have you had a "Mommy Moment" lately?


Until next time...

"I'm a happy girl"

And indeed she was.

(Breakfast was chocolate and pink swirl waffles).

From her birthday breakfast to her cake at Mamaw's house A.L. had a happy birthday celebration today. Her birthday was actually yesterday, but we waited til today to have cake and stuff. Whenever I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, her answer was always, "Pink". So she got it! Pink waffles, pink cake, and a pink princess. :)

Cake was strawberry cake with strawberry frosting. (Probably the worst cake I've put together...not the taste, that was good...but it's like the leaning tower of cake...lol...oh well, they loved it!)

And she got to keep the princess and horse that we bought for it.


Blowing out the candle with a little help from her little brother. What actually happened was she blew it out before my mom or I had our cameras ready, so we had to relight it. By then A.Z. got the idea to help her out.

All day she kept saying, "I'm a happy girl." She was meaning "the Happy Birthday girl", but we didn't correct her...she was so right! She was happy all day.



Until next time...