~My Happy Mother's Day...and Eliah's 10th Birthday!~

I Hope that each of you Mother's had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day!!  
I HAD THE HAPPIEST MOTHER'S DAY ONE COULD HAVE! ...due to 6 Wonderful children and their Daddy!
What a privilege we all have to be Mothers.  

BELOW ....ARE LOTS OF PICS OF MY MOTHER'S DAY AND ELIJAH'S BIRTHDAY!!

Here's a poem I wrote on Mother's day.

 ~Being A Mommy~

It's a Wonderful thing this being a Mmmy 

Whether you're or a Mom to Susie or to Tommy.

1st there's the miracles of that tiny one growing inside you ....

Then it is time to "paint the nursery" pink or sky blue. 

Just think of that precious tiny little baby!!

We've got an awesome creator, you think maybe?! 

Oh, the first time You feel that tiny flutter...

Is more special than my tongue can utter. 

And oh, hearing that amazing Tiny heartbeat. 

Brings tears of Joy and is oh so sweet! 

Then when you hold that bundle, oh my!

 I think every time it made Phillip and I cry! 

Then the toddler stage and sweet fingerprints everywhere,

Chubby cheeks, sticky kisses and Cheerios in their hair. 

Then the fun active 5 to 10-year-olds with broken arms,

And the great teenager that are tired and sleep through their alarms. 

The heart to heart talks until the wee hours. 

Stepping on and admiring Lego towers.

Spilled drinks, laughter, and finding a Band-Aid in the shower. 

Hearing, "Mommy, I am starved!!!" every. single. hour. 

Reading, 'riting, and 'rythmatic and study, study, study! 

Going out for coffee with your teenage buddy. 

Teaching them to hide God's word in their heart!

Showing them that serving God is the most important part! 

Teaching the kids to help you, and how to cook. 

Investing in their lives and having them read good books. 

Raising them to be Godly adults and love their KING! 

To seek to Please Him as they spread their wings! 

Thank you, Jesus, for entrusting in me

This great privilege of being a mommy! 

Lord, here are our children ...use their lives for Thee!

May they serve You in this life and for all eternity! 

~Heather~  5/13/2018 

~MY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY~

 ~My Mother's Day started off with coffee that Sarah made me. :-) ~

 

 ~At church Sunday morning~

 ~At church Sunday our youth directors (Scott and Sarah Susan) had previously asked each of our children in our church to say something about their Mothers.  Then Sarah Susan wrote each statement on a chalkboard.  As Stephanie Ryan played the piano our children took turns walking across the platform and holding up their sign for us Mothers and others to read.  It was very TOUCHING!!

Sarah, Abigail, and Elijah standing in line to go up.~

~Sarah's sign said, "She taught me to Serve God."
Abigail's sign said, "I Love Mommy.  She lets me work with her."

 ~Noah's said, "She Loves Jesus."~

 ~Mary's sign said, "She lets me work in the kitchen."~

 ~Elijah's sign said, "I like that She's so Sweet." ~

 ~Kimberly has a servant's heart...and this Mother's day she was staying with Grandma while Grandpa was gone.  So, sadly she couldn't be with me for Mother's Day.
So, we snapped this picture on Saturday night before we left Kimberly at Grandma's.~

 ~On Mother's Day after church, with their signs.~

 ~Me...with 5 of our 8 children.  Kimberly was with Grandma...and our other 2 babies are with Jesus.~

~Our Table~

 ~With Daddy's help, the kids made me this sign for my centerpiece.  But since there was only one "M" they made one with an "N" and an "I." (Thanks to their clever Daddy. :-)~

 

  ~Love these plates that came from Target.  The underneath plates are reusable.~

 ~The kids' signs up close.~

 ~Berry Baskets from Crate and Barrel...~

 ~Yummy pickle/relish tray~

 ~We had pork, sour kraut and potatoes.~

 ~And Costco cake for dessert...that we shared with Daryl and Laura and family.  

(They had special company that day, so we couldn't get together.  

And something came up that we couldn't be with Daddy and Moma this Mother's day. :-(

 

 ~Noah re-wrote his chalkboard as a gift to me for Mother's Day.
Kimberly gave me the sweetest note and some $.
Sarah gave me the sweetest note, and...~

 ~This adorable reversible khaki and blue purse that she knew I wanted. ~

 ~Kimberly did a sweet post on Instagram using these 2 pics.~

 ~Our fun gift from our church.~

 ~ A beautiful tray that Phillip got me.~

 ~A fun bag of goodies from Bath and Body.~

 ~And this candle smells nearly out of this world. :-) ~

 ~My sweet note from Abigail.  We LOVE her people that she draws.  

Sarah drew people the same way. :-) ~

 ~Mary's sweet note to me~

(BELOW Elijah's birthday, is the POST I WROTE ABOUT MY SWEET MOMA!)

 ~HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, ELIJAH!~

Happiest of Birthdays to our fun-loving "Energizer-Bunny" Elijah. 😊 He loves Jesus, loves everyone, loves to give gifts to others, and is very creative. He often spends his own money to buy his siblings or Daddy and Mommy gifts. We love you bunches, bundles, and oodles!! ~Mommy~

 ~Probably 3 to 5 years ago after one of Levi's parties....Susanna P. gave me a plastic table cloth with Legos on it.  We recycled it this year and had a Lego party for Elijah. :-) ~

 ~Noah made me a "centerpiece" out of Legos spelling Elijah's name.~

 ~And Noah did the "#10" as if it were lit up.~

 ~Elijah...our sweet boy.
Elijah wanted his cousins to be at his party, so we asked Grandma if we could have a party at her house. ~

 ~Candy to pass out to his brother and sisters and cousins.~

 ~Ava and Abigail~

 ~2 adorable SWEET girls eating their candy~

 ~Michael and Beth and family brought Elijah a balloon, and a nice gift... Legos, His favorite!~

 ~I made sourdough rolls and served bbq pork on it, lots of chips, and fresh veggies.~

 ~Phillip praying for the meal~

 ~The birthday boy bowing his head~

 ~Elijah and his cousin Jeremiah LOVE cucumbers.  So, I bought 12 for Elijah's party.~

 ~Opening gifts.  $ from Grandpa and Grandma and Legos from U. Michael and A. Beth and family~

 ~We got him an ice cream cake~

 ~Noah and Abigail eating pop cycles.~

 ~Elijah wanted Daddy....the artist...to draw his name for him.  ~

 ~Since we had celebrated his birthday 2 days early, on Monday morning I was calmly having my devotions, when I realized that TODAY was his actual birthday!!!
So, Noah and I ran downstairs, used the leftover plats from his party, found some Lightning McQueen napkins (left overs from years ago as well) and threw together a breakfast table for him. HE WAS SO HAPPY when he came down.~

 ~Fresh strawberries and pineapple, eggs, cinnamon toast and coffee for breakfast.~

 ~Gramp and Gram sent him a card and a $2.00.  U. Dan, A. Carole and GG sent him a card (and told him a gift card was coming.) ~

 ~This popped up on FB....

ELIJAH'S BIRTHDAY 3 YEARS AGO IN ARGENTINA!  

We were with U. Charlie and A. Yoli, and U. Leo and A. Caro, Jonathan and Valen!~

 ~We gave Elijah some $ to buy some things he has been wanting.  Kimberly gave him $ too.
Sarah gave him play-dough, which he graciously has been sharing with his tiny sisters.~

 ~Abigail's little toes...in church the other night. :-) ~

I trust that each of you are enjoying the warm days of Spring/Summer.  

We have a busy summer planned traveling for Jesus some 

and being with family.  

THIS SUMMER:

Let's draw closer to JESUS, 

Share Him with Others,

Draw closer to our family, 

and make Fun memories!

 ~Heather~

 ~Happy Mother's Day, to my sweet Moma~

 My Moma is such a sweetheart. I remember as a little girl in the mornings seeing her come out of the master bedroom with her Bible. It showed me that Jesus was of most importance...even though she was in-sanely busy. Since Daddy and Moma started that Christian school in Friendsville, TN my moma was unearthly busy being a wife and Mommy to 4, plus the home Ec. teacher, dietitian for our whole school, choir teacher, and the many other hats that she wore. While I was growing up, Daddy and Moma only got $25 a week ...if they got paid. But our life was so exciting and Happy that I felt like we were the richest family around. Moma has a fun way of making every event special; birthdays, piano recitals, Christmas, milestones, etc. I remember that after every piano recital we would get ice cream… Even though they probably did not have the money to buy it.🍦 Every year they would save $$$ ( or my brothers were save money from their lawn busy) and get a hotel room across from IHC. Then because we didn't have $ to go out to eat once we got there, Moma would make and take delicious food from home.
Moma was the kind of Mother that let Laura and I help in the kitchen. I made my first bread at 11 and have been making it ever since. I started my own bread business when I was 14.
Moma taught us to be content with whatever house God sent us. She taught us that we could fix up anything and make it a happy home. Moma lived "if mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy" and always had a great attitude. She taught us to love our daddy by her actions. Because she respected Daddy, we all did. (we moms hold the key to whether our children respect and love their daddies! ❤️)
We knew that Daddy and Moma were very much in love because they flirted in front of us! Many were the times that we saw them hug and kiss or daddy pull Moma onto his lap… Or we'd hear that infamous Pat. They are still very much in love and fixin' to celebrate 57 years!
Moma (and Daddy) have opened their arms to Welcome all of the other four kids that have married into our family. And love all of their grandchildren to pieces!
Moma is an excellent decorator, hostess and homemaker. She has lovingly been called the "Martha Stewart of the Holiness movement." Her home looks like a page out of the Victoria Magazine.
In June 2013 Moma had a stroke. 😢😢😢It changed her world and ours too! We are so thankful to Jesus that she has recovered as much as she has. She gets tired easily but we are soooo thankful that we still have her with us! Since we have been home from the mission field, We try to spend as many minutes together with our parents as we can!!!!
The Happiest of Mother's Days to you, Moma! We love you and Daddy bunches and oodles!!!! 

Pic taken 11/2017 

  ~HEATHER~