OH NO!!! POPPY where are you???

I miss YOU Poppy, but Nonny told me you would come next time. So, now I am happy!

Swimming With Poppy (And Nonny's Annoying Voice)

Gardenias In My Kitchen

I have a Gardenia bush by my back door. The fragrance is amazing! It's amazing too what a bowl-full will do to your home. I filled this bowl and sat it on my kitchen counter. Ahhhh the fragrance of summer Gardenias!!! It doesn't take much to make me happy!

A Take On J*n and K**e

I am not a television watcher. Most of it bores me. But, I'll admit, I am hooked on J*n and K**e. I have loved watching their children grow up. And, like most, I have had an opinion about their recent troubles. I read an opinion this morning, written by a fellow blogger, that pretty much sums up how I REALLY feel. I asked him if I could share his post. He said he would be honored. I don't blame him. His post is very Christ Honoring. This is what he had to say.


"Last week I watched a little of the television show, "J*n & K**e" They're all over the tabloids right now so there's no need to rehash in detail what's going on, but if you've never seen the show, here's a summary:

A few years ago, a young Christian couple with two kids had sextuplets. They invited TLC to tape their lives as they raised 8 kids, renewed their vows in a marriage special in Hawaii last season and last week addressed some painful marital issues that have become paparazzi fodder.

I wasn't going to write about the whole situation. A million people already have and reality TV tends to be a great hiding place to avoid dealing with our own lives. But in watching the swirl of conversation online about J*n and K**e I realized two things I think are true regardless of whether you've ever seen the show.

1. When we say, "They got what they deserved" we forget that we didn't.
Did J*n and K**e introduce new risks and rewards into the structure of their family when they invited television cameras and millions of viewers into their home? Without a doubt. Does fame and celebrity come with consequences that are often toxic? Without a doubt. Did J*n and K**e get what they deserve? I don't know. I've seen other Christians express this opinion but I don't know J*n and K**e. I know me. And I didn't get what I deserved. I got grace. I got forgiveness. I got Christ. I got rescued from the ruins of a life that seemed beyond redemption. I got a second chance and a 10th chance and a 300th chance. I didn't get what I deserved. And when we say that someone, "Got what they deserved," whether we're talking about a reality TV couple, our relatives or our neighbors, we lose sight of grace, which is the undercurrent of our entire faith and a gift we do not deserve.

2. "That could never happen to me" is a dangerous sentence.
I don't know the devil, but I have to assume that when he hears a Christian judgmentally proclaim, "That could never happen to me," he does what I do when I hear the Black Eyed Peas song, "Boom, Boom, Pow," and that is the robot. He absolutely loves when we say that. It's not inherently a bad thought, it's just that often when we say "That could never happen to me" we don't take the time to answer the question, "Why?" Why wouldn't that emotional affair you're writing off as just "your flirtatious personality" multiply what's already poisonous and turn into a physical affair? Why wouldn't a week of late nights at the office turn into a month of late nights at the office turn into a year of late nights at the office turn into you knowing your kids as little as your dad knew you? Why wouldn't a small compromise on your dream turn into a bigger compromise on your dream turn into you being an accountant when you've always felt called to paint? Life is littered with moms and dads, pastors and CEOs that believed in the fake comfort of "that could never happen to me" and woke up one day to find a surprisingly broken life on their doorsteps.

I don't really want to analyze J*n and K**e today or discuss where things went wrong or pick apart things they said on the show. I don't really even have a good wrap up that kind of ties things together. All I can really say is that we are not immune to the woes we see in pop culture.

You don't need a million dollar house or flock of paparazzi to hurt yourself and your marriage. I didn't anyway. At times, my marriage has been able to be wounded without the aid of a reality show. But whether you're name is J*n and K**e or Jon and Jenny Acuff, God loves love, and His ability to repair it will forever exceed our ability to deserve it."


Thank God for the grace Jon talks about in this post.

Me And My Pearls

A few years ago I decided I wanted to start wearing pearls.

Every day.

I think I wanted a *signature* if you will. Especially for my grandchildren and nieces/nephews.

So, if you see me, I will have on my pearls.

One exception. Monday-Friday:5:00 am at the Y.

My pearls don't do exercise.

Sonny and Cher

Remember these two???

Tell me, do they remind you of us?

Not even a LITTLE bit???
E.C. thinks so.

She's 19 months. For some reason, she never says Nonny without saying Poppy. And she never says Poppy without saying Nonny. My daughter says we are like Sonny and Cher to E.C.. We are synonymous to her. I thought maybe it was because we looked like them. My daughter says Not So Much. Darn!

Her First Horsie Ride!

Happy Father's Day !!!

One thing about the Fathers in our Family:

They Love Well!
We have been blessed with some GREAT dads!!!

My dad has led well and loved well and has been a great example to the men
in our family of what a DADDY is.
We all call him Daddy and Grandaddy!

My hubby would do ANYTHING for our children. He's a dad they can be proud of.
We call him Dad and Poppy!

My son-in-law is a loving and understanding dad to our granddaughter.
He makes being a daddy look like a *gift*.
E.C. calls him Daddy!

Hubby's dad is 83!! He still goes to work every day and has an incredible work ethic.
We call him PawPaw!

My daughter-in-law,K's dad is a wonderful man! He loves my son and is very generous to all of us!
They call him Dad, with pride!


My daughter-in-law,J's dad is a super guy! He adores my son and likes us a lot too!
They all call him Daddy!


And finally, my son-in-law A's dad is such a great man! He treats my daughter as if she were his own.
They call him Pa and Abuelito!


Aren't we all so blessed to have such wonderful fathers in our lives?

Psalm 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy and all the other important dads in my life!

No GENDER News!!

Couldn't tell the GENDER, but we have an active, healthy grandchild. For what more could we ask? Praise The Lord!

Will E.C. Have A Baby Sister Or A Baby Brother???

Tomorrow we should know.
Will it be a..............

Baby Brother?

or a

Baby Sister?

She will be a SUPER big sister to either one.
And Nonny and Poppy can't wait!

Wordless Wednesday

It's A Table! It's A Chalkboard!

I painted the tabletop of the kiddie's table with chalkboard paint!! They are going to love it. If not, I do!!

Low Carb

Are you a carb addict?
I love me some carbs!
But,
goodbye potatoes
and rice
and bread
and popcorn
and chips
and most things good.
For two weeks.
Wish me luck.

*M Girl* Is Turning TWO!! She's Got PERSONALITY!

A Miracle was born two years ago today...in more ways than one!

My baby sister's third girl. Check out those eyelashes!

She turned one before we knew it!!

.........and talks like she is 4!!

If I could choose a song to describe little *M Girl*, it would be:
*She's Got Personality*!
This baby girl has unbelievable spunk and humor for her age!
You just have to laugh!!!

Happy Birthday *M Girl*!
I Love, Love, Love YOU! Can't wait for you to come to Miss Angelove's Camp.... (but you may be 17 before your mom lets go!!!)

Top Five Things I Love About Summer!!

My dear friend, R, over at The Company She Keeps, challenged me to list my five summer favorites. So..........

1. The hot sun.
2. Fresh veggies.
3. Homemade ice cream.
4. Beach trip with my family.
5. Baby pools.

What do YOU love about summer?

She Will Be Swinging A Little Closer

In just a few weeks, E.C. and her parents are moving to NC!!!!!!!!

Nonny and Poppy are thrilled!!
(E.C. is thrilled too. She's just playing hard to get!!)

KiKi Graduates!!!

Remember THIS post??? She just graduated from 8th grade........ with honors I might add! KiKi has always gone to a private, christian school. This is her last year there. Next year she will move on to public high school. It will be quite the change for her. I feel confident that she will do well. She is very disciplined and works very hard. I am so proud of her!

Her school had an 8th grade graduation ceremony. These pics were taken AFTER the ceremony. She was teary-eyed in all of them. I pray she will always remember that feeling and the years she spent at GCA. I pray too that she always remembers that the same Jesus that was with her at GCA, will be with her in her new school. I love you KiKi!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...well, almost

Granddaughter,E.C.

Niece, M and Nephew, J

Niece,M