Journey With Jen

Time is never wasted when it is spent with people you love. I do wish that time would slow down sometimes. We have already had three weeks of our summer vacation. It's gone. As I look back at what I've gotten accomplished (because I always have things I want to get done during summer), that list is still there. The sewing machine has not been dug out yet. There are still so many books I want to read. Oh yeah, more cleaning and going through things, of course. So, what have I done? I've been trying to think of that myself. I have spent time with my kids at the pool. Oh, we've stopped for ice cream a couple times. We have been to the library and I got cookbooks while they got chapter books to read. We have been going to church on Wednesdays instead of just Sundays. (my kids have early bedtimes during school...Faith's is 8pm) We have stayed up late watching movies together. Played the Wii a few nights late. We had a party for my in-laws and worked on our genelogy. Oh ~...

The waiting game....I've never been very good at it. Maybe a reason God has given me a child that I've had to acquire this skill for?? That's my thinking anyway. He has paired us together for a number of reasons I'm sure. And here we are again...waiting. Children's Hospital in Little Rock does not want you to call them. Nope ~ when you do call, you get the run around because your supposed to wait for them to call you. Their receptionists are very good at their jobs as well. Maybe they were telemarketers for training? :D I've been through that before when we were trying to get Luke a diagnoses. And, apparently it doesn't matter if your son has a hole in his heart and a partial blockage starting. You still have to wait for that phone call. I called our family doctor today to see if they had a different number that I could call to find out more information for Luke. (a direct line would be GREAT!) Well, they just got a fax this morning from Little Rock with Luk...

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:15-16 Isn't that amazing? It is hard for my mind to wrap around it really. I forget names all of the time. It's always very awkward when you know some one, but can remember their name. Then, after you speak to them for a moment, two steps later one of your kids say loudly, "Who's that Mommy?" Maybe that only happens to me....but let me tell you...it's a bit embarrassing! So, God to know all of our names and to be able to keep track of who's married to who and which child He placed with who ~ it is amazing. The power of God. The love of God to not only put us here but to still want to be a part of our lives. For God to hear our prayers, whether spoken or not. For God to know our bad days and to send some one for our support or cheer. ...

You might be looking at that picture and think for a moment...humm....I wonder if she has gone bananas?? I mean, seriously. Bananas? And the answer to that question is that I've always been there, just some days I hide it better than others! LOL :) But ~ that is not what this post it about. We'll discuss my craziness some other time! This is about what those bananas can be turned into! The joy of baking! I have always loved to bake cakes and cookies. They are my favorite. uummmm.....warm cake from the oven without any frosting. Could there be anything better? only if they are cinnamon rolls warm and gooey -- okay, getting side tracked again. My mom has been a diabetic since she had me. My husband is also a diabetic. My brother-in-law and my father-in-law are also diabetics. That would be the problem the cake. Even if I Splenda it up ~ the flour turns to sugar. Plus, the flour is not on Luke's diet anyway!! So, this summer, I've been determined to change my ways. I'm...

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice, let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield." Psalm 5:11-12 ShOuT fOr JoY ! The Lord will defend. The Lord will protect. I just needed that reminder and thought you might too! That what ever in life that we may face, God is in control. Isn't that beautiful? In our trials...in our tears...even in the midst of our fears...God is not far away looking down from a fluffy cloud. God is there with us .... meeting us where we are.

It just seems like it always falls to Luke. Joey is healthy. Faith is healthy. When something happens, it falls on Luke. This is the first summer my kids are going to camp. So, one of the first things they need are physicals. Faith did fine and she didn't need any shots so she was being so sympathetic to her brothers by dancing around. Joey did fine although he had to get shots. Then, it was Luke's turn. He got his two shots as well. And then, they found a heart murmur. At that point, I really didn't think a lot about it. He's had it since birth and I kinda' remember his pediatrician saying it but saying not to worry about it. He never did any other testing. Plus, Kent has one. I hear of people all of the time with hear murmurs. No biggie, right? But, with all of the health factors affecting not only adults but becoming more common in children, they want to have it checked out. We schedule our EKG once school is over the next week. Luckily, we have a branch of the ...

Father's Day once again. It has been two years since I've spent it with my Dad. In those years there are moments that I wish I could have called him up and talked with him. Times that I know my kids wished that he was there. It just reminds me about how important the role of a man, a father, is in a person's life. Two years later and that hole is still there. After talking with others that have lost a parent, even 10 years down the road, that hole will still be there. Yes, birthdays and holidays will get easier. But ~ that spot ....that void.....will never be filled again. Maybe if we realized that while they were here, we'd treasure those moments more. My Dad used to call me seriously at least 10 times a day. Those phone calls were about anything. He found a show on the kids would like. The Razorbacks are playing (woo-PIG-sooie!!) It's going to rain. ANYTHING! Yes, they would get annoying sometimes. But now ~ I'd love to have another day of it. Amazing how your...

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." ~ 1 Peter 5:8-9 The Bible warns us to be watchful more than once. "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Does that make you feel like prey? We are. There are so many distractions. So many difficulties in this life. It is very easy to take our eyes from our goal. To live like Christ ~ For Christ. There are so many opportunities for satan to attack us. He has many things to use against us. Things that are in our human nature. Pride. Anger. Discouragement. Things that can be twisted and turned from things of God ~ to things for our own wants. How many times do we get angry at our family? How many times has pride hurt a relationship? How many ...

I do love old pictures. I've been working on our genealogy for over fourteen years now. Well, on and off. My husband says I'm an all or nothing kinda' person. I'll dig it out and just work on it. Stay up late trying to figure things out. Of course, having the kids in those years ~ there are several years that I didn't even crack it open! My oldest, Joey, is into it as well. So, we got a program and we are trying to organize all the notes and papers that I've accumulated. Trying to put the pieces together. It's summer now (woo-hoo!!) so I've stayed up a few times this week until 1 am trying to find things. It really is amazing how much is out there on the Internet! I've spent lots of hours looking up things on microfilm in years past, but now so much is online. Okay ~ I just re-read that and I sound like an old person!! Geez!! ;~D Take for instance the last picture. His is John William Yarbrough but for some reason everyone called him "Riggs....

Luke, Joey, and Faith Snow Abby and Faith Snow Summer, Phillip, and Cara Rolf Looking at the photos just make me smile. Do you know that Brad Paisley song, "The World"? The song talks about how to everyone else your just another nameless person. But ~ to me, you are the world. (hence ~ the title..LOL) I find that so true. Looking at the people that I love so much, I realize that you probably don't know them. Yet, the mean so much to me and add so much to my life that I cannot imangine my life without them. Do you ever people watch? I used to do it more than I do now. I used to actually want to go shopping and to the mall. And, I didn't have three kids with me when I went. Anyway ~ I used to watch others and wonder if they were married. Or had kids. Grandmother or not. Strict one? Or a spoiling one? Things like that. It is just a reminder that all of those strangers our there that we interact with everyday ~ have a story as well. They are loved. Mothers. Fathers. Au...

I love getting all of the "kids" together! :) L to R: Phillip, Joey, Vernon, Carolyn, Luke, Summer & Cara. Faith and Abby are in front. Everyone loved the hair-do's! Their hair took way too much effort for me! Lemon Cake with pink frosting Chocolate Cake with blue frosting My sister-in-law made these pretty flower arrangements for the tables. :) It was a great Sunday! My in-laws were surprised by the anniversary reception. The announcement made it into the newspaper. (that's how they found out!!) My punch turned out really well. No one would guess that it had sugar free 7up and Hawaiian Punch made with Splenda! The only sugar added was with the rasberry & pineapple sherbert. The cake was beautiful. Cupcakes were cute with their gold sugar on top and wrappers of gold. The flowers were a nice touch to the tables. Friends and family came. (I love it when all of the cousins are together.) Moments like this become warm memories to look back on. I love to glance ...

They do love the water! The water was too cold for me. This is as far as I got! And, a slice of peach pie to end the day! Our first few days of summer vacation just passed right by! It felt like I was running here and running there without getting much done. I did get some girl time with my baby girl on Friday. The boys went to Papa's and mowed his lawn and then took him out to lunch. (It was his birthday!) So, Faith and got to walk around the mall and have lunch. We got baked potatoes at Jason's Deli ~ delish! :) Today we got to swim....well, as you can tell by the pictures....Luke and Faith got to swim!! (It was freezing!) Then, it was time to get busy on some cupcakes. Can you keep a secret? Shhhhh..... my sister-in-law and I are planning a surprise reception for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary! I am just hoping my punch recipe that I found is a good one. (crossing my fingers!) I made a batch of chocolate cupcakes and a batch of lemon cupcakes. I thought those would go w...

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the path is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14 God never said it was going to be easy. Life here is filled with sadness, anger, jealously, and uncertainty. Nothing can be counted on in this world. Not our health. Nor our loved ones because they can be taken at any time. Our jobs are uncertain. (especially today it seems!) And in this verse in Matthew reminds us that if life here is getting too easy ~ if you blending with the crowd too much ~ maybe, your on the wrong path. That's hard because honestly, sometimes I just want it to be easy!! Not to say that just because things are awesome in your life right now, that the path your on is wrong. God loves us and wants what's best for us. It is just that this world should not be too comfortable. God's best for us is not always ...

One Basket with Peanut Butter and Snickerdoodle for Nanci Robinson (I know your not a big chocolate fan, so I picked one of our family favorites for your 2nd choice.) One box with an assortment of cookies being sent to a sweet lady winning the battle of cancer. God is So Good! One Basket with Oatmeal Raisin and Double Chocolate Chip for Jason Scott Thank you everyone for playing! I do enjoy baking. I know that part of it is the joy others have with receiving it. It brings me joy to see your happiness! :) Isn't it great how it works that way? If you have any suggestions that you would like for the next drawing, just hit that comment button and let me know! Thinking maybe I could find a pretty cake plate and make a three layer or something? Humm...Pie? I don't know. Let me know what you'd like! :) "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing, You have loosened my sackcloth and clothed me in gladness; that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent, O, Lord, my ...

This is my gift list book. My gifts that God gives me each and everyday. The gifts that I try to take the time and notice. I try not to let those gifts just pass me by. (although I'm sure that I miss many!) On my front page, I put "Count your blessings one by one." Remember that hymn? It just seemed to fit. Here are a few that I've wrote down lately: 33. Hiking with the family 38. Breakfast remembering the good times with my Dad 42. Finding a gas station before running out of gas (out on county roads in Newton/Madison County) 46. Beauty of the hills of the Ozarks 48. Summer break with the kids "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you, I will sing praise to you name, O Most High." Psalm 9:1-2 I know that your probably wondering who won the drawing. (Maybe?) So, I tried something new this time. I saw this website on a friend of mine's blog. ( http://www.blessedholly.com...

One of the joys of the kids getting bigger are them being able to do more things. Kent's company picnic for the several years has been tickets to Silver Dollar City. They have grown from just a couple kiddy rides to lovin' the water rides. I remember pushing a double stroller up and down those hills wondering why we were even there when they can't do anything. Then, came the single stroller with Faith while I watch the boys being able to do a few things. Now, there's not stroller and no place to put anything! (one of the things you miss!!) But, there is so much more to do! :) We do love the Marvel Cave. It really is beautiful. My pictures don't do it justice. It would have been better if we found one of the bats but they were hidden in the depths of the cave. Which I can't say that I blame them!! It is a reminder for me of the living God that is in control. Look at all the He's made!! "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and...

I had so much fun with the Easter Baskets giveaway. It's just fun to do something special for some one else! I realize that most people are like me and LOVE to win things!! :) I was going to do something for Mother's Day but May seemed to have come and gone before I even knew it. Sorry ladies! So, it's June. We have Father's Day this month. Also, the end of another school year. So, what to give away?? I don't know about you but cookies taste SO much better if: 1) they are fresh and 2) some one else makes them!! Why else would we go to the Cookie Company at the mall and pay $6 for a few cookies? Cookies are portable so they are great to take on your picnics! So, I'd like to give away 2 dozen cookies to 2 different people!! That's right ~ two dozen! To two different names drawn. Each person may choose 24 cookies of one flavor. Or a dozen cookies of two different flavors! Yummm!! Some ideas to choose from: The Classic Chocolate Chip Double Chocolate Chip (...