Merry Christmas!!!

From Our Family to Yours!!!

Flashback Friday

This picture was taken just shy of 39 years ago of  my brother, Bryan (7), my sister, Robbin (10) and ME!!!  Yes, I'm the chunky one in the middle.  It's funny to look at this picture the WILD pattern on my brother's sweater, he looks just like his oldest son and my sister has a

daughter the spitting image of her.  My sister says that I was her "real" live baby doll.  

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make

His face shine upon us,

that Your ways may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

Psalm 67:1-2

Blessings to all ~
Carla

So Blessed

WARNING!!!

This post contains a lot of pictures......WARNING!!!!

There are times that I realize how fast my kids are growing up and that my pictures do not always consist of Phillip or I with them, like when they were little.  I know that sounds silly, maybe I'm just being a little sentimental.  So this afternoon when we arrive home from church as we pulled into the drive way before Jonah even parked the car, I said "no one changes, I want pictures first."  Yes, I heard a couple of groans but I warned them that if everyone cooperated we would be done quickly and we were.  I will say that is one thing that gets better with age.

 Always have the camera ready with his crew.....I love that I was able to snap

 this picture of Phillip being silly with the kids.  What a face!!!

Jonah, yes, he is just like his father!!!

 I love this girl!!!!  God certainly BLESSED us with one special young lady.

I really can say that she is not a follower and she is one that
will stand firm for what she believes.  I hope she is always that way. 

I am SO BLESSED......

Phillip and I will be celebrating 21 years together at the end of this month (dating) and then celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary next month.  WOW.....how time flies!!!

Well, I hope everyone had a bless and wonderful Sunday and if you haven't taken snapshots of your family lately, then I encourage you to do so.  Life's too short!!!

…by Him everything was created, in Heaven and on earth…

all things were created by Him and for Him.

Colossians 1: 16

Blessings to all~
Carla

Weekend Happenings

Seriously is the weekend over already!!!  Well, for the record we had a very laid back and relaxing weekend.  Phillip's family left on Friday, they were stopping in Tennessee and then heading back to Florida on Sunday.  Friday afternoon we headed to Nashville to Opry Mills to do a little back to school shopping since it was tax free weekend.  Whoo Hooo!!

Courtney spent the night with her friend Bailee, friday night and then Bailee spent the night with Courtney, saturday night after the SWHS football game.  It usually hard to separate those two once they are together and they're a hoot when they're together.

Saturday afternoon, before the rains came and while Jonah took a nap, Phillip and I enjoyed some time in the pool, along with Rascal.  Yes, he floated around in the pool with me, he is so rotten!!!

Sunday was church, followed by a much needed nap on my part.  I told you it was a very relaxing weekend.  I did manage to get a few loads of laundry done somewhere along the way over the weekend.

On Sunday evening Jonah and Morgan attended the Train Concert at Fontanel Woods Amphitheater in Nashville.  Jonah gave Morgan these tickets as a graduation gift back in May.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Hold on to what is good...

I Thessalonians 5:21

Blessings to all ~

Carla

More Fun with Family

On Wednesday we headed out to the Mennonites so that Phillip's mom and sister could get some homemade jelly, we also needed a jar.  Our favorite is seedless black raspberry.  Whenever any of our family comes to town they always like to ride out to the Mennonite community, which is something that they don't see much of in Florida.  I will say that I still find it very interesting how they live and applaud them.  It has to be a hard way of living, but you can surely see one thing, they all work together for each other's benefit.

While we were out there, we picked up some fresh peaches and a couple of watermelons.  You can't beat their prices and I love that you don't have to worry about any chemicals.

We stayed pretty busy everyday going different places.  Tammy and Mary wanted to visit Heartstrings since they had heard me talk so much about how wonderful of a store it was and of course they feel in love, who wouldn't.  Brooks could only think about getting back and jumping in the pool at the end of the busy day.  What a little fish he is!!!

On Thursday, Gene, Tammy and Brooks woke up early and headed to Mammoth cave.  Mary stayed with us and then we all met up in Glendale for lunch at The Whistle Stop.  Talk about great food!!!  We also stepped into a cute little shop across the street, in fact the small little town in filled with antique shops, I see a road trip in the near future.

After lunch we headed to Fort Knox to the Patton Museum, which was a must see for Gene.  Phillip, the kids and I had been about 6 years ago but thought it would be fun to tag along.  We were a little surprised when we arrived to find that about 80% of the museum had been moved to Fort Benning.

 Brooks, Jonah, Gene, Courtney and Tammy, outside the museum.

 Phillip and his mom

 The girls

 My beautiful daughter.  It is so hard to believe that she is going to be a freshman.

We were surely blessed with a wonderful visit, great company, safe travels and much love.   I miss being close to family but I love living in KY!

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus...

Romans 8:1

Blessings to all ~
Carla

Grandma Starling's Flight

On Tuesday afternoon, Jonah took Grandma Starling and Brooks along with him on his flying lesson.  They were able to watch Jonah go through his checklist before take off.  It was a pretty afternoon for a flight, with the exception of being a little bit warm.  

Jonah checks the fuel to make sure that he has an adequate amount for his flight.

Jonah with Brooks and Grandma Starling, who should I say had never flown before.  YES, this was her first time EVER flying and her grandson was her pilot.  How cool was that!!!  She was a little nervous, but made it through the flight just fine.  She said that during take off was squeezing Brooks hand really hard but was fine once she was up in the air.

Doug (Jonah's flight instructor), Jonah and Mary.....getting ready for take off.  I'm not sure if that's a nervous smile or a happy smile that Mary has on her face.

And there they go....

Of course everyone enjoyed the flight and now Mary can check flying off her bucket list.

You are mighty, O LORD, and Your faithfulness surrounds You.

Psalm 89:8

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Family comes to Town

It's been a busy couple of days.  Phillip's mom, sister and her husband and son arrived on Tuesday for a visit.  They had a full list of things that they wanted to do on top of the everyday things that was happening in our life. Phillip took the week off and I was fortunate enough to be able to work my schedule where I left each morning after our meetings.  Jonah took Grandma Starling flying, we went to Ft. Knox, ate at Whistle Stop in Glendale, spent the evenings swimming, shopped and much more.  In fact more pictures and posts to come, I won't leave anyone hanging. HeHe!

Phillip, Mary (mom), Tammy

...put your hope in the LORD. For there is faithful love with the LORD,

 and with Him is redemption in abundance.

Psalm 130:7

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Holiday World

Yesterday we took a day and headed to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, for a little roller coaster excitement and to try out the newest water slide, the Mammoth.  Which was AWESOME!! It just opened this year and it is the World's largest water roller coaster, it was so much fun!!!  Phillip went down the entire ride backwards since you are sitting in a raft that holds six people.  It was definitely a thrill.  While waiting in line for the Mammoth I'll say that I saw my fellow blogger and friend Tiffany and her family in line also.  I knew through facebook that she was heading to Holiday World but was surprised to see among so many people.  Hope she and her family had as good of time as we did.

It 's a tradition every time that we go, to get the kids picture with santa and the Holiday World sign.  Of course they fussed but you don't monkey with tradition, Ha! Oh, I made Jonah's girlfriend Morgan get in the picture, too!!

 I snapped this picture right after we finished the Raven, which was and usually is the first thing we ride when we get inside the park.  I just love the wooden roller coasters but they sure can jerk you around more then a regular coaster, at least I think they can.

 I got in TROUBLE for the next picture....ooops!!!  We were heading up to the drop off on the Voyage and I told Phillip and Courtney to turn so I could snap this picture. WELL, just about that time over the loud speaker the guy or should I say kid said, " lady with the camera, put your camera away."  I'm such a rebel. Ha! Ha!  Needless to say when we got off of the Voyage, nothing was said to me but the kids wanted to ride it again, especially Courtney.  Phillip opted out and the four of us rode it again.  Well right before we got back on there was a sign that clearly said no cameras on the ride....ooops!!!!

 I was pretty good about not taking a lot of pictures yesterday in fact what you see is pretty much what I took.  Of course with all the water rides, I value my camera a little more then to risk a picture for my camera plus it was about having fun and I did get a picture with a story behind it (the roller coaster picture).  I did however think to have my daughter take this picture of me and hubby before we ALL got soaked on the Raging Rapids.

 Let me just say for the record that I love my baby girl!!!! Courtney used to HATE roller coasters, now yesterday, we could not keep her off of them.  She and I out rode everyone, in fact we rode the Voyage three times.  The last time we rode the Voyage we kept our hands up in the air the whole entire time and that is not an easy roller coaster to do that on.  She's definitely got roller coaster fever!!!

It made for a long day but we had a BLAST!!  The lines were not long at all except for the Mammoth and then it wasn't that long of a line. 

Restore us, O God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us...

Psalm 80:7

Blessings to all~

Father's Day 2012

It is amazing how fast our little ones grow up.  This picture was taken in 1999, Phillip's 2nd father's day as a daddy of two kiddos.  The tie that Phillip is wearing has Jonah's little feet on it and it says "my sons walks all over me".  A father's day gift that I made for him in 1997.  I love little Courtney's expression in picture she looks so bored by my taking her picture.

 Then we have 13 years later....oh and one little furry Rascal, my how they have grown.  I am so thankful for my family especially Phillip, the father of my wonderful children. 

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His

riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

Blessings to all~

Morgan's Graduation

Jonah and I attended Morgan's graduation this afternoon.  

It's hard to believe that this year is over and that Morgan has now graduated and

 in two years it will be Jonah and then four years it will be Courtney....YIKES!!!!

I will never forget the first time I meet Morgan.  It wasn't by way of Jonah, it was Leslie Hutcheson who introduced Morgan and I a couple days before school started this year.  I was in my office when the two of then came by, they had been making spirit posters for the first day of school.

They do make a cute couple!

It's going to be hard to see her leave in the fall for University of Tennessee,

we are all going to miss her. 

 She has grown to be a big part of our family.  I love this girl!!!

...make the most of every opportunity.

Colossians 4:5

Blessings to all ~

Carla

Flashback Friday

I love this picture of my mom, dad and I taken in 1975. As many of you know my mother passed away several years ago, oh how I miss her :( Which is one reason why this picture is so special to me but I grew up in this house and my father still lives there. Of course the kitchen looks nothing like this but the layout is the same and of course the memories I hope will never fade. This corner of the kitchen is where I had the habit of hopping up on the counter and sitting (when there was room) and engaging in conversation with mom or dad.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Blessings to all~

Carla

Wordless Wednesday

Paoli Peaks

Last Tuesday, the four of us, plus one of Jonah's friends, John Mark, headed up to Paoli Peak for a day of skiing. For the last several years Jonah's birthday "wish" or want is to go skiing, which is usually a challenge to fit into our schedule because for some reason our weekends in February are just CRAZY. Last year, Phillip took Jonah out of school one day and he and Jonah, along with one of Jonah's friends went skiing. Well last Monday when they called school 2 hours early, Phillip started working on taking Tuesday off because we figure with it snowing school would be cancelled for Tuesday and we would take off and go skiing. So that is just what we did.

" Our snow princess"

The soon to be birthday boy, I still can not believe that he'll soon be 15!

This kid has only skied 4 times in his life but to watch him ski you would think he has been skiing his whole life. The first time we ever took him skiing him went down a black diamond and now he is doing jumps.

Courtney and her daddy, she was always racing him and winning!!!!

This was only Courtney's second time skiing. After her first fall, she looked at me and said I don't want to ski, I don't like it. I reminded her that it had been a long time since she skied and that it would take a while. Well by the middle of the afternoon she was off with the boys going down slopes by herself and even down a blue square. I was so proud of her.

There she goes......

There goes my hubby.....

There I go and I am upright......you laugh! I wasn't very talented that day. The snow was very slick because of the low temps which made you go fast. Lets see, I landed in the woods once, cutting my glove and thumb and I can not tell you how many times I fell getting on the ski lift. Oh and skied into the caution fencing twice. If only someone else was hand my camera beside me during those times. You would really have some pictures to laugh at.

The kids on the ski lift coming up from the bottom of the slope.

She looks like a pro.

Let me just say after being there since 10 a.m. in the 20 degree weather Phillip and I were done, Phillip and I were done by sundown. I could not feel my toes any longer and my face was numb. So Phillip and I went inside and sat by a fire, well it really wasn't much of a fire and it really didn't put out much heat at all but soon my toes did start to thaw out. Interesting enough we did run into someone there from BG, I mean out of the whooping 50 people that were there that day, we run into someone from BG. Finally around 8:30 we were able to round up the kiddos starting thawing them out and head back to BG. I know that Jonah would have stayed all night if we would have let him. Good thing it closes at 9.

Blessings to all~

Carla