Wow!  Another week has flown by!

Today is Eli’s last day of PreK, but my other boys have two more weeks of school left.  I cannot believe summer is almost here!  Yay!!

Now…

Here are my favorite pins from Pinterest this week.

Enjoy!

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Have a blessed weekend!

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Hey Friends!

Well, we have had an interesting week.  Tuesday night, we were celebrating Eli’s birthday with family at our house.  Right around the time everyone was getting ready to leave, Eli got hit in the mouth with a skateboard busting his lower lip and knocking back his front teeth.

UGH!!!

I took him to the ER about 9:30 pm, and we didn’t make it home until after 1:00 am.  Here we are waiting at the hospital…

He got three stitches in his lower lip, and it was very painful.  This mama felt like she was going to pass out when they kept giving him shots in his precious little lip.

Today, we are headed to the dentist for them to take a look at his teeth.

As much as I hate seeing my baby in pain, I am so thankful that it wasn’t worse.

So that is why I didn’t post yesterday.  I spent the day taking care of Eli and letting him spend his birthday money at Toys R Us.  He definitely deserved it!  I love that I have a job I can put on hold when I need to. 

Before the week is up, I wanted to share with you our trip to the Ky Opry last week.

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!

We went down on Thursday night so Jonathan could practice with the band.  He has never been able to go down early to practice with them and usually only gets to practice with them a few minutes on Saturday night right before the show.

It was nice to have a little extra time there as a family.  It was like a mini-vacation.

We are so very grateful for our sweet friends, the McKees.  I cannot tell you how much we love this family!

They let us stay at their lake house when we go down there, and the boys just love it.

Cy and Terry are like two high school kids when they get around each other.  Those boys laugh at each other all day long!

Michelle and I get such a kick out of them.  Michelle is sweet, soft spoken, and petite.  Quite opposite from me…I’m loud and well…not petite.

We are so blessed to have them in our lives!  Cy worked on Terry’s garage on Friday while the boys and I went to the mall and a movie.  FUN!

That night, we went to eat at Patti’s Settlement.  OH MY GOSH!!! We LOVED that place.

I took a bunch of pictures, but they didn’t turn out very good.  But the whole place is lit up with a ton of white lights, and it’s magical.

There are kinds of little winding paths to take throughout the “settlement.”

There are gift shops, live animals, a playground, a chapel, and a ton of other beautiful areas to enjoy before or after you eat.

I think they have a lot of weddings and receptions there too.  It is the perfect place to have them!

The food was UNBELIEVABLE!  Everything is made from scratch.  We loved the homemade strawberry butter that came with Patti’s bread.

If you are ever in this area, you need to visit Patti’s.

Saturday morning, we went to Kentucky Shores.  It’s a little fun center right down the road from where we were staying.

We went putt putting…

And rode the bumper boats…

Then we rode bumper cars…

The boys climbed the rock wall…

Lastly, we played a little outdoor laser tag.  It was blue vs. red!

We also rode some race cars, but I took video instead of pictures.

We were exhausted after all of that fun and went home and took some naps.

When we got to the Ky Opry that night, I got the BEST surprise!!!

I met a blog reader of mine!  Sherry Strauss, and her husband Jay, drove four hours from Indiana to come hear Jonathan sing!  Can you believe that??!!!

It made my night…and Jonathan’s!  They were so, so sweet, and it was such a honor to have them there cheering Jonathan on.

Just another reason why I LOVE blogging….meeting amazing people like Sherry and Jay!  THANK YOU FOR COMING!!

Jonathan sang two songs in the finals, one slow and one fast.  He did an amazing job on both songs. I was so proud of him.  It blows me away that he is 13 years old!  I cannot imagine singing in front of all those people like this when I was 13.

He sang Terri Clark’s “Better Things to Do,” for his fast song and played the guitar.

He changed the words in one part to make it fit his generation…see if you can hear it.

Did you see the fiddle player in the back ground?  That is the McKees’ daughter, Carson.  She is amazing!!

They haven’t uploaded his slow song to the Ky Opry youtube channel yet, but I will share it when they do.

Jonathan placed second in his division and third overall.  Of course, he was disappointed, but he did his best, and that is what matters most.

We still celebrated another wonderful year at the Ky Opry and look forward to Jonathan singing in the “Stars of Tomorrow” shows there this summer.

After the show, we had fun taking some more pictures.

The blur in the blue shirt is the youngest McKee, and Luke’s buddy, Clint.

These three beautiful women are Carson McKee, Savannah Garner, and Hunter Wright.  All of them sing and play instruments.  So talented!!!

Just hanging out and having fun…

Thanks for following us at the Ky Opry again this year!  And thanks for cheering Jonathan on!

Have a blessed day!

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Hey Friends!

I am so thrilled to tell you about a trip I will be taking next month.  It’s a trip that required me to get a passport.  I’ve never had a passport in my life, which means I have never been out of the country.

Well, I’ve been to Hawaii, which to me seems out of the country!

From June 18-22, I will be traveling with Compassion Bloggers to Nicaragua!

I was beyond thrilled and humbled when Shaun Groves asked me to join the team that is traveling to Nicaragua on behalf of Compassion International.

I am a HUGE FAN of Compassion International and the authentic way in which they share the love of Jesus with children all over the world.

This trip will be life changing for me.  I just know it.  It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to go.  I want the Lord to work in my heart and help me gain perspective of what really matters in this life.

I know that Compassion changes the lives of children all over the world, but I know my heart will never be the same as well.

I’m so excited to see how God is providing for children and their families through Compassion.  And I cannot wait to share my journey with you on my blog.

Here are the rest of the team that I will be traveling with…

Trip Bloggers

• 

  Christy Jordan

  Southern Plate, Blogger

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Edie

Life In Grace, Blogger

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Kelly

Faithful Provisions, Blogger

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Traci

Beneath My Heart, Blogger

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Mike Varel

Mike Varel Digital Storytelling

Photographer/Videographer

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Brianne McKoy

Compassion Blog, Leader

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Shaun Groves

ShaunGroves.com, Leader

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Keely Scott

KeelyMarieScott.com, Photographer

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Of ALL the opportunities that this blog has afforded me, this one means the most to me by far.  Sharing the love of Jesus with others is more important than anything else I have ever shared on this blog.

I am so very, very grateful to God for this opportunity.

I covet your prayers as I prepare for this trip.

If you would like the above button for your blog, click HERE.

Have you heard of Compassion International?

Do you sponsor a child?  If so, where?

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Howdy, Y’all!

I’m sitting in a McDonald’s somewhere near Draffenville, Ky using their WiFi.

I am laughing at how “unconnected” to the world I have felt since we got here Thursday!  I don’t have WiFi where I am staying, so I haven’t been able to post the past two days.  AND my cell phone doesn’t get good service where we are at either, so I haven’t been able to check my emails and such either!  It’s such a weird feeling, ya know?

But I have been soaking up some really good mama time with these four sweet boys…

Jonathan practiced with the band on Thursday night, and yesterday the boys and I went to the mall and a movie.  Cy is helping to build an addition to the garage of our sweet friends, the McKees, this weekend while we are here.  So the boys and I got to go play while he worked.

Tonight, Jonathan performs in the finals of the Talent Search at the Ky Opry.  We are super excited about it.  He knows that it isn’t important if he wins, but that he trusts God to help him do his best.

I can’t wait for the show.  Sooooo  much great talent to listen to!

Anyway, I wanted to share my favorite pins from this week, even if I’m a day late.

Enjoy!

{click the link below each image to view the source}

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Have a blessed weekend

and a wonderful

Mother’s Day!

xoxo

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Hey guys!  Are you ready for summer?!!  In just a few weeks, my boys are gonna be out of school, and that means that I need to get to planning.  My boys get bored pretty easily, so I have to make an effort to keep them busy during the summer.

That is why I am so glad that I have this little book to help me out.  My friend, Jen, has written a wonderful little book with a ton of activities to do with your children this summer.

Jen and I met several years ago at a conference and became instant friends.  I love Jen because she is the mom of four boys like me.  Except her 4 boys are quadruplets!  Yep!  The cutest little boys you have ever seen.  Jen is also know as “QuatroMama” in blogland and writes a blog called 4tunate.

You can connect with Jen here:

Blog: 4tunate.net
Twitter: @QuatroMama
Facebook: 4tunate
Pinterest: QuatroMama
Instragram: QuatroMama

Jen has worked really hard at creating this book, and I am so excited for her!

 Click here to visit KidVentures – Jen Murray.

What is Kindventures? 50 Outdoor Experiences of Wonder, Discovery, & Childhood Memories?

It’s a practical step-by-step ebook guide for your outdoor summer adventures! It’s chock-full of  creative, active, and hands-on learning activities for you and your family this summer along with supply lists, detailed instructions, printables, diagrams, and resources to take each activity a step further!

Doesn’t this sound amazing?!  I have my own copy, and I cannot wait to try some of the activities in it.  My boys are excited too!

If you want to purchase your own copy, you can click on the link below the images.

Click here to visit KidVentures – Jen Murray.

Are you ready for the kids to be home for the summer? 

What do you have planned?

^{*Disclosure:  Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links.}

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Hey friends!

Well, Jonathan made it to the top four in the Junior Division this past weekend at the Ky Opry Talent Search!

He will be competing against 9 other singers in the Beginners, Adult, and Sr. Adult Divisions.

This weekend, he will sing two songs, one fast, one slow.  He’s going to be playing the guitar on his fast song and is looking forward to it.

The competition is tougher this year than last, in my opinion.  There are some really talented singers, and I LOVE listening to them sing.

Here is Jonathan’s performance of Rascal Flatts’ “Wont Let Go” from this past Saturday.

Stay tuned for the results of the finals next week!

And if you live anywhere near Paducah, come on down to Draffenville for the Ky Opry Talent Search finals this Saturday night to cheer Jonathan on.  Just be sure to call head and get your tickets…it will be a packed house.

Have a blessed day!

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Well, you know that I am in the middle of installing my new master bedroom closet with EasyClosets.

I’ve had many of you ask me how “easy” it is.

Well, when these boxes arrived on our back porch a couple of weeks ago, my husband said jokingly, “I hope they stand up to their name!”

I have to be honest that the pile of boxes was quite intimidating.

Cy and I moved all of the boxes into our master bedroom.

Then we had to move the piano out of our closet.  You know, the one that was “stuck” in our closet?  Well, we didn’t have to bust it up to get it out.  Cy and I turned it on its side and slide it through the bathroom into our bedroom.

The piano slid right up against the wall near the boxes.   {This is how the boys practiced their piano for a few days.}

When it was time to finally start putting the closet together, I made sure to open this box first…

Inside this box, I found all of my hardware for the closet, plus the directions on how to put my new closet together.

These directions were my best friends while installing my closets.  I read and re-read the directions throughout the whole installation.  They were so helpful!

After opening all the other boxes, I did what the directions told me to do, and I organized all my boards by size and laid out my hardware.

(The boys helped me out by carrying all of the empty cardboard boxes up to our burn pile in the backyard!)

Then I started on the first wall by installing the steel track.

Next, I hung the vertical panels, of course, following the diagram in my directions manual.

Lastly, for this wall unit, I installed the cam shelves and chrome rods.

My next wall had drawers and shoe shelves to install.  I read the directions thoroughly, and then started putting it together.  After I figured out how to put together the first drawer, the rest were a breeze.  Same thing for the shoe shelves.

I still had two more units to put together, and I will share that with you next week.

So are EasyClosets really “easy?”

I’m gonna have to say “yes!”

There is a learning curve, for sure.  The first unit is the hardest because you are getting familiar with the directions, diagrams, and hardware that you use.  It sometimes gets a little confusing as to what pieces you are supposed to be using, but you can always look back at the directions to help you figure it out.

After I got through the first wall unit and figured out how it all works, the rest of the closet was “easy.”

I was flying through it by the end.

And I did the whole closet by myself!

I’m quite proud of myself.

So, do you think putting this closet together looks “easy,”

or like something you could do?

*This post is sponsored by EasyClosets.   All opinions are 100% mine.

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I hope you guys have had a FABULOUS week!

We are heading down to the Ky Opry this weekend to watch Jonathan perform in the semi-finals.  Can’t wait!!

Say a little prayer for him. 

If anyone hasn’t told you this week….YOU ARE WONDERFUL!

Why?  Because God made you that way.  He loves you more than you will ever know, faults and all.  You are the apple of His eye.

Maybe you have had a not-so-good week.  Maybe, like me, you’ve made some mistakes.  Maybe you messed something up.  You feel overwhelmed.  You feel inadequate.  You’re tired.

My prayer for all of us is that we would take our burdens and cares to the Lord.  Lay them at His feet.  Sit in His presence and hear Him say…

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I just love you guys!

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Now for my favorite pins from Pinterest this week.

Enjoy!

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Have a blessed weekend!

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