WELCOME TO MY BLOG

You may be wondering why I decided on the title I chose. Well about 2 months ago I decided to become a runner. I am a very slow runner, otherwise known in the running world as a turtle. I am determined to become faster and maybe someday become a racer. Therefore, I chose breaks out of her shell. Join me on my journey. As this turtle breaks out of her shell.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Feeling Better

I am sorry I have'nt wrote anything in a really long time!!! It has been crazy at our house the last few months. First, we found the lump on Jessi's throat, then I found out I had melanoma on my arm. When my mom and Bonnie visited last month, my mom noticed (again) the weird mole I had on the back of my arm. I knew I had the mole a long, long time. But just for peace of mind I decided to go get it checked. I went to the dermatologist and they removed it and another one on my back. They sent it off for a biopsy, and I received a call Tuesday that the mole on my arm was melanoma and the one on my back was cancerous but not yet melanoma. I was very, very scared. I really have had some crying, praying, and my faith tried. But as always the Lord is Faithful and Good!! I found out even though melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, mine was treatable!!! Praise the Lord!!! They had to cut alot of skin off, and I now have 14 staples in my arm. I will probably have a nasty scar, but that scar will always remind me that the Lord is truly Faithful to us, and that growing old is a gift from him. There have been a lot of times where I have not been thankful for my life or the direction it has gone. But now I realize that there are so many more important things in life then how big your house is, what kind of clothes you wear, your looks and aging, and how much money you have. So the one thing I have learned from all of this is be thankful for the life you have now, and count each day as a blessing from him even through the hard times!!! Also always read your Bible because he will speak and comfort you daily through his Word. Loving and Praising God, Jamie

Friday, June 27, 2008

Book Reading

Even when reading is impossible, the
presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more
books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity…
we cherish books even if unread, their mere presence exudes comfort, their ready
access, reassurance. –A. E. Newton (1863-1940).

I love this quote because it is exactly how I feel about books!!! I buy so many books that I think I am a book addict!!! Seriously!!! You know how most children will sleep with stuffed animals when they are little? I always slept with books!!! A good book can get my heart racing faster than a car racing in Nascar!!! I Love Them!! When I was in beauty school I always got in trouble for reading instead of cutting hair( maybe I should have been a librarian? LOL). But still out of all the books that I have read the greatest and the one which has brought me the most comfort is my Bible. No other book can answer my secret sorrows and joys like the Bible!!! :) Well just a little thought about books!!!!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Prayers for Jessi

I am writing this to ask your prayers for Jessi. About 2 weeks ago I noticied a lump about the size of a marble under Jessi's throat. I was terrified!!!! Well I took her to the doctor and he said that it could be a cyst. They did an ultrasound and sure enough it is a thyroglossal duct cyst. A thyroglossal duct cyst is a birth defect. When the thyroid gland forms during embryonic development it begins at the base of the tongue and moves down the neck through a canal called the thyroglossal duct. This duct normally disappears once the thyroid reaches its final position in the neck. Sometimes, portions of the duct remain leaving cavaties or pockets called cysts. These cysts can fill with fluid or mucus, and may enlarge if they become infected. So that is what happend to Jessi!! Today we went for a CT scan so that they could see where exactly it is situated. The normal procedure is surgery and that is what she will be having. So Please Pray For Her!!!! She had to have dye injected into her veins through an I.V. and she did'nt even flinch!!!! God Has Truly Made Jessi A Tough Girl!!!! I will keep everyone updated about when her surgery will be scheduled!!!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Old and full of Arthritis!!!

  • Ok, Ok I know its been almost a month since I last wrote anything, but we have been busy. We went to Dollywood for 2 days!!! Fun Fun Fun!!!! We met my sister Bonnie, David, and their kids, and my mom and dad. That was fun!!! I wish you could have seen Bonnie on some of the rides. The very first ride we went on together was a water ride. We were on this giant raft and it was so funny!!! Bonnie kept getting wet and yelling Oh Lordy, Oh Lordy!! I was laughing so hard I about wet my pants. Then the next day we went on a roller coaster and a ride called the mystery mine. Once again Bonnie had me dying laughing. Ok you had to see this mystery mine ride, it is like you were going straight through the roof. Bonnie, me, Jessi, and Jacob were on the very first car!!!! It was wild!!! One thing I can tell you about this experience is that I AM NOT AS YOUNG AS I ONCE WAS!!!! By that evening every bone in my body was screaming in pain!!! Earlier my dad asked me if I felt 40 yet!!! By that evening I told him the answer was YES!!!! You know this just gets me to thinking how truly fast time flies!!!! It seems like yesterday I was riding rides with Bonnie, and my friend Angie and we could ride anything without getting sick, in pain, and dizzy. But now I feel a hundred!!! We must remember to be thankful for each day we are given it truly is a blessing from God!!!! Oh yeah by that evening Bonnie and I were in the hot tub the rest of the night!!! All I can say is THANK GOD the motel had a hot tub!!!! I would post some pictures but my husband lost my camera cord( long story to long to post!!!) Well I better go Jessi is dying to write about her experiences on her blog!!!! Catch you all later!!!!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

SPRING

Samantha and Wesley wanted me to post pictures of them swimming at the YMCA. We love to go swimming especially when the weather is warm!!!
WESLEY

Spring Has Sprung!!!! I took some pictures of some of the creatures (feathered and slimy) that have showed up at our house. The above picture is a baby bird. We've been watching the eggs for quite awhile and they have finally hatched.



This is a picture of a toad I found out in our building. Samantha and Wesley have been waiting all winter for a toad. His name is Big Bubba. He is HUGE!!!! They have been feeding him caterpillars!!!



Fear

Psalms 34:4 " I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
I discovered this verse this morning during my daily devotions. I love it!!! It is such a calming verse for those who have any fears. I think if you are like me there are several things to fear. For example, the gas prices are very scary to me. I keep thinking how high will they really go and how will that affect our economy. I know that I have had to cut back on my driving around because of this very thing. Another fear, is how will my children turn out? What will happen to them? Especially with teens in the house, you wonder who will they date? who will they marry? will they raise their family in a Christian home with Christian values that you have tried so hard to install in them? And the newest fear I have is that I recently got a job. I will be a dispatcher at a local police department. I hate to start a new job. My fears are am I good enough to be doing this job? Will I be able to handle the stress that supposedly comes with this job. And even though I will just be working weekends, how will this disrupt my family's schedule ( even though we really don't have one.) Fears, whether real or imagined, they are still real to you. But somehow it seems God in all his blessed grace, comes and brings a verse like the one above to calm your fears. He wants us to learn to trust in him and not be fearful of the future. I am such a worrier( is this a real word?) which is all about fear. I am glad I found this verse and I just wanted to share it with you in case you have any fears. Pray for me and I will be praying for you!!!!

Friday, April 25, 2008

A Prayer.......Dear Lord, I pray
for Wisdom to understand my man;Love to forgive him;And Patience for his
moods;Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,I'll beat him to death, because I
don't know how to crochet .
I love this quote my sister sent me. Isn't great? I am sure everybody has felt this way at least once. I love my husband so much but some days I know I have to pray for the wisdom to keep quiet because I LOVE TO ARGUE!!!! There are days he'll make a decision and I just can't see the sense in it. But truth be told I am an impulsive person and the first thing I want to do is the complete opposite of what he wants me to do. But I also know that the Lord has asked us to be submissive. I really had to study this word submissive because at first I thought it meant being a doormat. But that is not true it means to give in when you simply do not want to. We should do it because we love and respect our husbands for all the hard work they do, and all the love they show us. I know there have been times that he has given in to me when he did'nt want to. My sister is probably laughing as she reads this because she KNOWS I have a hard time with being submissive and I really feel like the above quote. So for whoever is reading this pray for me that I will learn to have patience, wisdom, and love!!!!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Waiting for Court

Today I had to go to court because I got a ticket for my inspection sticker being expired. For those of you who have never been( and I hope you never have to), I will give you a brief description. When you first get there you have to stand in line outside the courthouse and wait to be let in, then you have to go through a metal detector, and they have to look in your purse (Thank goodness I cleaned my purse today(: !!!!). Then you have to stand in a line to get in the courtroom, while you are standing there you start to notice all the different people around you, how they look, their body language, as well as their face language. Some are very quiet and sad, some act like they have had one too many, some are friendly and dressed nice, some are friendly and dressed not so nice, and some act like they are in shock, like what am I doing here? I think the latter one was me, because I have never been to court before. I started talking to the lady in front of me and the gentleman behind me and they are telling me why they are there. Finally, you are in the courtroom and you notice the lawyers to the side and the Judge at the front. As you wait your turn, you once again notice how people are responding as they get to the front. You are asked your name, the Judge looks it up and then asks if you would like to plead guilty, postpone your judgement for a few more weeks, or he simply looks at you and says you are free to go (like me!!!). As I was sitting there waiting for my turn I realized this is how heaven is probably going to be. You will see all kinds of people waiting to be judged, you may even talk to someone in front of you or in back of you. You will see Satan waiting for those who would not accept Christ, and Christ waiting for those who did accept him. Just like the lawyers he may try to plead your case, but it will be too late for some and their will be no continuance. The anticipation of waiting your turn. But oh the joy when God says to you , "You are free to go!!!" I expect I will feel like I did today relief, but I will feel something so much more JOY!!!! I will tell you the truth I was dreading today, but I think God used it as a teaching lesson for me. One day we too will be judged, will God sentence us to an eternal sentence of Hell or of Heaven. Will you feel relief and joy or horror beyond belief. This is something to think on for today!!!!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

MY SISTER


This blog is dedicated to my best friend and sister Bonnie!!! Bonnie is a wonderful person. She always encourages me when I feel sad or down. She is a wonderful mother, wife, sister, and friend. We have been through everything together. There were times when I was younger and I did'nt appreciate her like I should have. But she never held it against me. We don't live close to each other anymore but when we visit each other it feels like we were never apart!!! Bonnie also has a very generous heart, even though she does'nt have a lot of money, she will be the first to give for your birthday, new baby, or whatever the situation. She also is always up for laughing, joking, or even playing board games. So Bonnie this blog is dedicated to you and everything you mean to me!!! I appreciate you and love you!!! So if you have a sister that God has blessed you with give her a big hug and tell her you appreciate her. And thank God everyday for sending her to you!!!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Wesley



This is Wesley!!! He is truly his father and mother's child. I say this because he is the one who loves to stay home with his dad and mom when the others go and spend the night with their grandparents. He will not go. Wesley is my little scientist. He loves to read about anything that has to do with the human body. We went and bought him a microscope to look at different things . He loves it!! Wesley is also my Game nut!! He is like his cousin Micah. Anything that has to do with Gameboy, Playstation, or Computers he loves it. Wesley loves his cousin Brendan he calls him his best friend and tries to email him all the time. Wesley was my little surprise that the Lord sent I was not wanting another child quite yet. But the Lord thought different. And boy am I glad he did!!! Wesley is truly my heart's child.

Samantha and Buddy


This is Samantha my 9 year old. Samantha loves our dog Buddy. She loves to dress him up in different outfits, and when she is homeschooling she has Buddy right next to her on his own chair. Samantha loves littlest pet shop animals, bratz dolls, and her polly pockets. She is all girl. Jessi is more of a tomboy where as Samantha is my girly girl. She has a sweet disposition most of the time. But when she is mad boy do you know!!!! She is my most helping child, she will most likely make my bed and help with any other chores before any of my others. I call her my movie buddy because she is always watching movies with me. She was another answer to prayer. Right before I got pregnant with Samantha I miscarried a baby. But three months later I was pregnant with Samantha. She is truly a blessing to me!!!

Luke

This is my oldest son Luke. He is my skateboarder. Luke likes anything that has to do with skateboarding. In fact, for those of you who homeschool, skateboarding is how I helped Luke start to read. I struggled for so long to help Luke with his reading. Then last year he started reading skateboard magazines and car magazines and his reading took off. I am so proud of him. Luke also love to go to youth group and christian concerts. He loves to read anime comics also. Luke is also the tallest in our family, which is a suprise because his dad is only 5'9 and I am 5'5. For those of you with small children it will be such a shock when they grow talller than you, not only tall, but their hands and feet are bigger than yours. Your left wondering where did my little boy go? I just pray that he will grow to be a big man spirtually. We need to pray for our sons as they grow older because they will be the next men to lead our world spiritually.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Jessi


This is my oldest daughter Jessi. She is 15 years old. This picture was taken in Tennessee. She does not like her picture taken at all!!! So I was lucky to get this rare picture of her. Jessi is my strong christian. She loves to witness and bring her friends to church. She loves Skillet, Barlow Girl, Toby Mac, Stellar Kart, and Hawk Nelson just to name a few. She loves to go to their concerts. Her favorite thing to do is to hang out with her group of friends called the "Quad", and read Anime. She hopes to go to Liberty Universty when she graduates. Jessi has had Juvenile Diabetes since she was eight, but the Lord has been good!!! We've only had one scary episode. About 2 years ago Jessi went into Diabetes Ketoacidosis. However the Lord was good and used this episode to get Jessi on an insulin pump. Praise the Lord!!! Ever since she has been healthy. The Lord is so good just when you think a situation is hopeless he comes and shows grace. I feel like he used this to show Jessi and me faith in him. We really do serve an Awesome God!!!

NEWBIE

Hi everybody!!! Well blogging is new for me so be patient. For those of you who don't know me I am going to tell you a little about myself and my family. My name is Jamie, I love to read, cross stitch, and travel with my family to different places. My husband of almost 18 years is Anthony, he is in law enforcement. My children are Jessi 15, Luke 13, Samantha 9, and Wesley who is 7. I will try to show pictures as soon as I can. I have been homeschooling them for almost 10 years. I would just like to say that any mother who homeschools deserves a BIG pat on her back. This is my first year homeschooling a high schooler and BOY is it a chore. With trying to juggle their credits, making sure that they complete those credits, as well as dealing with teenage hormones! It is enough to drive any sane mother INSANE!!! But don't get me wrong it is also can be fun!! Especially when they feel comfortable enough to tell you about everything that is going on with them and their friends. What boys/girls they like and even sharing their favorite music with you!!!! That is special!!! I thank the Lord for everyday I spend with them. Well that is just a little about me. I hope you enjoy this little bit about me and mine.