Sweet Rain

I love the sound of soft falling rain.  I love the way it adds a depth of aroma to everything outside.  I love how the world seems quiet and sweet.  I love to sit in the stillness of it all, and just be.  I love to peek, and see children lost in slumber to the soft drumming.  It's so refreshing and cleansing.  I need the refreshment.  I need to be still.... alone in my thoughts, and  revel in the wonder of it all.  This world is so big... and busy.  Sometimes, I need to be reminded of how little I am, in the bigness of it all.  There is so much to take in.  But, today... I just want to watch the rain drip off colorful flowers, blowing gently in the wind.  Today, I am thankful for soft raindrops that make everything clean....reminding me of grace that allows us to be clean and new again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite songs....................... 

 

 

Healing Rain, By Michael W. Smith

 

 Lyrics:

 

Healing rain is coming down

It's coming nearer to this old town

Rich and poor, weak and strong

It's bringing mercy, it won't be long

Healing rain is coming down

It's coming closer to the lost and found

Tears of joy, and tears of shame

Are washed forever in Jesus' name

Healing rain, it comes with fire

So let it fall and take us higher

Healing rain, I'm not afraid

To be washed in Heaven's rain

Lift your heads, let us return

To the mercy seat where time began

And in your eyes, I see the pain

Come soak this dry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man

Can take a leper and let him stand

So lift your hands, they can be held

By someone greater, the Great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire

So let it fall and take us higher

Healing rain, I'm not afraid

To be washed in Heaven's rain

To be washed in Heaven's rain...

Healing rain is falling down

Healing rain is falling down

I'm not afraid

I'm not afraid...

 

 

 

 

Friends

My sweet hubby and I had a fabulous date night out with friends, last Saturday.  We went to dinner, movie and dessert afterwards.  I'm not sure I can find words, to say how dear these friends are to us.  We met at church, over 10 years ago. 

 

 They bring such joy to our world!

 

 We share laughter, prayers, tears, joy, sadness, faith and a deep friendship. Did I mention laughter?!  We have joined together, in activities, bible study,  parties, brunches, showers and get-togethers.  We have enjoyed many date nights out and countless meals together after church. We have grieved together and rejoiced together. We have prayed together and praised God together. We have celebrated miracles.  We love their children as our own, and our children love them. We even love that our kids sometimes fight like real siblings, when they are together!  We love sitting in church with our "extended" family. We love worshiping as one big family.  We are thankful for happily married couples to fellowship with. We are blessed to have friends who share our faith and values. We trust and respect them.  We know we can count on them...no matter what.  We look forward to the time we get to spend together.

 

 ~More things I love ~

 

 I cherish the marathon phone calls, the lunch dates, the sonic drink chats, the encouraging e-mails and texts, and girls movie night. I look forward to shopping dates, Goodwill bargains, getting our nails done, last minute massages and even having to get my picture taken! (NOT! )   I'm happy that I have friends who challenge me to try something new.  I am thankful to have friends, who know I'm not perfect, but love me anyway. I am blessed to have friends, who show me grace.  I appreciate their point of view, even when it is not my own.  I am thankful for ears, who hear me and care for me.  I am thankful for the sweetness of friendship, that allows us to be honest and real with each other. I am blessed with friends, who pray for me.... and I'm  honored to lift each of them up in prayer.

 

I LOVE & treasure each one of them! 

 

 

( I HATE having my picture taken! BUT, I love these goofballs! )

 

Corey, Billie, Me, Gunar, Shawn & Beth

 

 

 

Good job Beth!  That's a hard picture to take!

 

 

I have pretty friends!


Have a Happy Week!!!


Sweet Thatcher story:
We were snuggling in bed last night and I said "God made you perfect".... he said "God lives at church... it's his house" and I said "yes, and he lives here too, he's everywhere".  He said "I know, he comes sees me, when I'm sleeping"..... Precious!!!!! 


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Just found Thatcher "reading" my daily devotional!
Had to add these pics. Hopefully, he gets as much from it as I do!!!

 

Baby Shower

I was very excited to help host a baby shower for my sweet niece, Carissa.  She is going to have baby Cohen in just a few short days!  He will be my third great-nephew! We had a really good time making decorations for the shower. 

 She is a beautiful lady in waiting! 

 

I LOVE this picture!!  Carissa said I could share it with you :)

 

 

 

 My sister Karen,  made pinwheels (in addition to the pennant),  that matched the papers on the pennant & and the lids on the glasses, that I made.  Pinwheels, apparently....aren't as easy to make, as they look...but they turned out really cute!

 

 

 

 The glasses turned out really funky and cute! I was really happy with how they looked and how they tied in with all the other decorations.  We tried to make navy blue punch.... looked more like seafoam green, but it was DELICIOUS!

 

 

 The colors on the cake were actually much darker than this picture shows.  We tried to "bling" it up and maybe went a little overboard! 

 There are little gems on some of the blue dots. 

 

 Here are pictures of my great-nephews Brody & Brooks.  They are ADORABLE!!!!

 Brody

 

 Brooks

 

 

 ***7/18/14   Here's a picture of our new little man on his way home! 
I'm so in love already! 

 

Have a wonderful week! 

Park Play, New Pet & July 4th

Thatcher is so blessed that he has several sweet little church friends.  There are two little boys, that he especially loves to see and play with.... Malachai & Josiah.   I am blessed that they have a sweet mama, Tahnee, who I like to hang out with too!  We had a play date last week, at the new playground at Island Park. Not great camera phone pics.... but VERY cute subjects!

 

 Sweet boys!!

 

 This picture was taken a couple years ago.... they had their age shirts on...1,2 & 3!

Now they are 3,4 & 5! 

 

 Daddy & Spencer brought Thatcher a new pet!  He is a fast little thing... so,

Thatcher named him Speedy.

 

 

 Ready for the 4th.....

 

 

 We had a really fun cook out at Grandma & Grandpas house. Uncle John brought one of his cool bikes, and he let the "kids" play on it, while the big guys played basketball. 

 Oh... little guys wanted to play basketball too!

 

They all loaded up, when it started getting dark, to go watch the fireworks.  I took a tired little girl home for bed. It's always a fun and long day!  Thatcher really enjoyed the fireworks this year.  He also thinks it's pretty cool to sit in the dark, in the back of Daddy's truck with a Sonic slush!  My boys got home about 11 pm... sweaty & tired! A fun day!