Finally...

I managed to get Christmas 

cards made and in the mail!

 

 

Merry Christmas from TCA

Today was Dannah and Jameson's first school Christmas program.  It was so cute! Their music teacher has done a wonderful job!

Dannah did alright until she saw a little girl from Jameson's class start crying... the tears were on!

Jameson did not care anything about singing.  However, we were so proud that he didn't cry or end up in the stands with us!  Big improvement from this summer at VBS.  

BIG baby

Tuesday we (me, David, and Dannah) went to the doctor for our 14 week checkup.  I have had an ultrasound at every appointment, so when David asked if there would be one, I said no.  We were all surprised when the ultrasound tech. came to get us from the waiting room.  (It amazes me how much Dannah remembers and how her brain works.)   As we walked into the room, she said, "Momma, are we giving the baby back to God?"  TEARS!  My sweet little girl was with us last spring when we had an ultrasound and found out that we had miscarried.  She was so excited when she saw the baby moving on the screen.  And when I say baby, I mean BIG baby.  The doctor believes that the baby will be big and come early.  My due date is still June 6 but we are looking for a May baby.  As far as the sex of the baby....   Dannah 'knows' it will be a girl.  She thanks God for her baby sister all the time and says that Jameson is going to have 2 sisters.  We will find out if she is right January 11th.  We can't wait!

Conviction

It amazes me how God can use anything at any moment to open my eyes - sometimes it is to give me a hug, to show me where I need to improve, or to remind me of His love. Last night I was not feeling well - I went from starving to feeling nauseous in no time and my head was hurting again. As I started to wallow in my pain, God quickly reminded me of my miscarriage last spring and all of the women who would be willing to trade places with me. All of the sickness and pain is MORE than worth it. God is blessing us with another sweet baby and I am so thankful!

For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

What an amazing God we serve! He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins! I can't imagine giving up one of my children to save someone's life. But He did - He allowed His Son to be crucified for all of our sins. No matter how bad I feel, it can never compare to what Jesus Christ went through on the cross. My prayer is that God will change my heart - I don't want to complain about the situation I am in. I want to sing praises to Him for all of my many blessings! I am blessed!

the glow of lights...

make me extremely happy! there is just something about the glow of Christmas lights that make me smile and feel warm inside! This past weekend we put up our tree. The kids had a blast - well, Dannah did. Jameson reached his limit quickly. He kept saying, "It's taking too long." Dannah, however, loved it so much that she kept taking them off so she would have more to put on! :)

Attention all bloggers...

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SHUTTERFLY has lots of great products that you can create for great Christmas gifts.

One of the cutest gift ideas is a personalized calendar. When you are done with the calendar, you can frame the pictures!

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WE ALL spend way too much time at our computers! How precious are Shutterfly's personalized mouse pads?
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A few years ago my sister created coffee mugs for our grandparents that had a picture of my nephew - what a wonderful idea. They got to look at his sweet face every morning while they enjoyed their cup of coffee.

Click here to create a cute coffee mug!

OTHER GREAT IDEAS FROM SHUTTERFLY!!!
Christmas Photo Cards
Holiday Cards
Christmas Cards
Thank You Cards
Christmas Party Invitations
Graduation Invitations

I am planning on using ShutterFly for my Christmas Cards this year. There are TONS of designs that I love! :) AND it is extremely easy to use! Just upload your pictures, pick out your design, insert your name, and you are done!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

I look foward to checking my mailbox and receiving your Christmas Card!

Life is changing...

The past few months seem to be somewhat of a blur. Dannah and Jameson are growing up so fast. Dannah has lost 2 teeth and will soon lose a third. It seems like Jameson has grown a foot, but still likes to be held and cuddled. :) And soon we will have a new Knighton to introduce - due date is June 6. The kids are extremely excited... especially Dannah. She has prayed for this baby daily. It is humbling to hear her consistently and honestly pray for me and the baby. What a blessing it has been! I am so thankful for our family and all the blessings God has placed in our life.

B and C verse

Every week Dannah's class learns a bible verse that begins with the letter of the week.

B verse:
"Believe in the Lord your God with all your heart and you will be saved." Acts 16:31

C verse:
"Children, obey your parents for this is right." Ephesians 6:1

It is so exciting to hear her recite scripture and know that God is putting it in her heart forever!

Dannah's Luau Party

David brought home the newest member of our family - Charlie. Dannah loves him! (he's growing on me too.) He is an extremely hyperactive kitten that at times worries me. Other than that, he is great! :)

We had cupcakes and a flower cake for the party.

The only thing Dannah asked for was a bicycle. This is where we told her we were going to take her to the store so she could pick out whichever bike she wanted.

When we took her to get her bike, she knew exactly what she wanted - a pink princess bike! She rode it out of the store!

I love this picture. (I think Tanner took it.)

My sweet little girl is beautiful!

Peaceful

5 years ago today...

God blessed us with the most precious little angel! We are so thankful to God for putting Dannah Alex in our lives. She has taught us so much - which is funny because she is extremely bossy. :) She is an extremely loving, intelligent, and observant child. She has her own way of demonstrating her love. She has an understanding of God that I have not observed in a lot of children - it is completely humbling because I know it is not from anything that I have done but because of Christ!

She loves her 'little' brother so much and looks our for him! Last night Dede was asking her what she wanted for her birthday. She said, "All I want is a bicycle. Why don't you get Jameson a gift and bring it to my party because he has really been wanting something. I think he would like a truck." UNBELIEVABLE!

God has really used Dannah to teach me so much. Her prayers melt my heart! There is so much I can say about this amazing child! I know that as her parent I am supposed to say that, but even if she wasn't mine, I would still feel that way!

Happy Bithday to my sweet 'pumpkin pie'!

birthday cookies to take to school

Romans 3:23

Tuesday Dannah came running up to me and began reciting her first bible verse she learned at school - hand motions and all! What an awesome memory!

"ALL haved sinned and fall short of the glory of God! Romans 3:23

We are very blessed that God has been moving in Dannah and Jameson's lives at such an early age. Both of them pray with such honesty and openess. There is no right or wrong thing to say. My mom has been really sick and Dannah wanted to send her a voice note on the phone. I thought she was just going to say I love you or something to that effect. When it started recording she started praying. I am not real sure where she first heard it but her prayer is that God will 'touch' whoever she is praying for. Later in the day she talked to Dede and wanted to know if God had touched her! AWESOME! On our way home that day Dannah was feeling car sick and we found out that my sister Jessica broke her nose. Jameson said that he needed to pray for them. "God, thank you for Dannah because she is sick and thank you for Aunt Jessica because she broke her nose."

God knows the hearts of kids; He knows what they are trying to say. And He knows our hearts. There isn't a right or wrong way to pray. God already knows how we feel or what we are thinking about, but He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. We all do fall short and the penalty for our sins is death. But God loved us so much that He sent His son to die in our place. I love my children with all my heart. I can't imagine sacrificing their life to save someone else! God loved us that much! What an amazing God we serve!

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life." John 3:16

(This is the first bible verse I learned. My granddaddy taught it to me on my 5th birthday.)

Things that make me laugh

I love it when Dannah or Jameson says something that just makes me stop and laugh. It's like I can just feel my heart smiling! Jameson is usually the one that is being silly and makes us laugh; however, this week Dannah has really made my heart smile! I just wanted to share some of her wit:

The other day the kids were using hats to catch bouncy balls in the house. Jameson ran into the room and said, "Dannah, I caught two at the same time!" Dannah calmly said, "He is amazing!"

During nap time in Dannah's classroom, they watch a movie. Well, Dannah CANNOT go to sleep with the tv on unless she is exhausted. So, needless to say she hasn't been taking naps. The other day I asked her if she took a nap. She said, "Momma, I couldn't go to sleep. That movie was cracking my head up!"

Dannah and I were leaving the grocery store when we saw a truck pulling a trailer loaded with hay. The hay was on fire. Dannah asked me what caught it on fire. I told her I didn't know but it looked like someone threw a cigarette out the window and caught the hay on fire. Later she said, "Do they call them sickarettes because they make you sick?"

I am so thankful that our heavenly father has a sense of humor and knows when I need a good laugh!

God has a sense of humor

The kids have started school and absolutely love it! I am so thankful to God for making this transition smooth! What a blessing! Dannah is in K5 at Tri County Academy and Jameson is in 3K; both love their teachers. The part we are having trouble with is the mascot....
WE ARE DAWGS... Bulldogs that is. We love our maroon and white. Tri County's mascot is the same as 'that team from the north'! I have to dress my children in red and blue every day!

My sweet babies

BIG BOY
Jameson in his classroom

me and Dannah

Daddy's little girl

Dannah in her classroom for her first day of kindergarten!

Aren't they the cutest little rebels you have ever seen?!

The end of summer means...

My little girl is growing up too fast! I cannot believe that my little girl is about to be 5 and is starting kindergarten! Jameson is also starting school (3K) but it is not the same. All summer Dannah has been excited about starting big girl school and turning 5. The past week it has all gone down the drain - she doesn't even want to talk about it! My mom tried to help out by taking her to get a backpack. Dannah wouldn't even consider it - she isn't going to school or turning 5. Jameson went with me to the school the other day and met his teacher and saw his classroom. He loves it! He wanted to stay and play. Everyday since then he wakes up and asks, "Am I going to school today?" I am so excited for him! I just wish his sister would get excited about this new chapter in her life. Maybe once we get her supplies and uniforms, her feelings about school will change...

Please keep ALL of us in your prayers as we go through this exciting change. (Especially August 9th, their first day of school - crying is inevitable; I will need God to give me the strength to not cry infront of Dannah!)

Where are you going...

This summer has been a growing time for me. God has really opened the eyes of my heart and I am so thankful. He has shown me that He is in control. Matthew 6:33 says 'seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you.' It cannot get any clearer than that! The purpose of God's word is not to confuse us. Confusion is what Satan tries and often succeeds in doing. As a child of God, I am supposed to seek Him in everything that I do - how I spend the day, how I speak, what I listen to, what I spend money on, how I treat the relationships I have- after all, all that I have is God's so why would I not use it in a way that is pleasing to Him! It makes sense!

The past 4 Wednesday nights we have studied Sharing God Without Fear. It has shown me how to share God's wonderful love and eternal gift of life in a loving non-offensive way. God's commandment to His children is to go out and share the good news. Because God has delivered me from numerous situations and blessed me in countless ways, why would I not share? This study has also taught me about my relationship with God and how lazy I have been. One question from the study is 'if you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?' That is stout! That is the rest of my life! I don't know what tomorrow will bring but the Bible is clear -at some point I will die (Romans 3:23, 6:23). It is inevitable. Because of my sin, the only way that I can spend eternity in heaven is through Jesus - He paid my way (John 14:6). I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the death, burial, and resurection of Jesus Christ, and the grace and mercy of God that I am a blood bought born again believer. I will spend eternity in heaven (John 3:3). I made the commitment to live my life as a follower of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). I love Jesus Christ - my Lord and Savior. This is where God has been working on me...

LOVE is an action word - when I say that I love someone, the only way for them to know it is by my actions. Because I love my family, I talk to them, listen to them, do what they ask, and so on. The only way for someone to know what I proclaim to be in my heart is by my actions. Also, when I commit myself to someone, such as my husband or children, it is a daily commitment. It is not something I turn on or off when I feel like it. Otherwise, the commitment would be broken.

It is impossible for me to understand God's love and mercy because I am human. I am not perfect and never will be. But even with all my faults God loves me! And because I love Him, my actions should reflect that love. Because I committed my life to Christ, I should commit myself daily-not just Sunday and Wednesday or when I feel like it. If I treated my earthly relationships like I treat my relationship with God, I would not have anyone! Thankfully, God's love and forgiveness is greater than any human's. All I have to do is accept it (Revelation 3:20)!

God, thank you for the gift of eternal life! Thank you for your Son and the Holy Spirit. Thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for your UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! I love you!

We love our family

Some of my greatest memories as a kid are when I got to spend time with my family. This summer Dannah and Jameson have been blessed with the opportunity to spend lots of time with family.

We are so thankful Nannaw asked the kids and I to go to GA with her, Corey, and Tanner to surprise Ashton for her birthday. It was about an 8 hour drive but the kids were wonderful. The kids got to go to Vacation Bible School with Ashton, Aunt Lacy, and Uncle Steven, swim and play with their cousins and 'Sinny girl', and spend time with Nannaw. Nannaw and I got to spend time playing Sequence (lots of fun!) and we made the cutest dress for Dannah! Dannah and Jameson each got their turn to spend the night with Ashton. I don't think Uncle Steven will ever forget the night Dannah stayed... he ended up on the couch. Dannah resembles a helicopter when she is asleep! After 5 days in GA, we headed to God's Country with an extra bulldog in tow... a GA bulldog! Ashton got to make her first trip to MS without her parents; her Aunt Lynda tried her best to convert her. Nannaw and Lynda are extremely brave and patient women! They kept seven kids (ranging in age from 6 months to 11 years) for 3 days. And the kids had a blast!

The next week Lacy and Ashton made the trip to Flora. Wednesday night we took Ashton to church with us and then the kids had a slumber party with Aunt Lacy. They got to watch a movie, eat popcorn, and drink coke. They thought they were so big! Thursday I took Dannah to Dede's. She was so excited because she gets to spend 5 days with Dede all by herself - NO BOYS! Jameson left Friday with Lacy, Ashton, and Mammaw to go to Muh's for the night!

I am so grateful to ALL of our family for the time they spend with us and the love they show!

Now to find a way to see Jojo, Uncle Kenny, Carson, and Cooper... working on that one.

My sanity...

It was only 15 dollars but it is so much more valuable to me! And I don't know why I waited til half of the summer was over before I decided to get it. This little pool is big enough to entertain and wear my 2 kids out. We had lunch outside and several hours of fun followed by a much needed nap!

It also reminds me of my summers growing up. The grandkids would go to my grandparents house and my granddaddy would get a pool similar to this one out and fill it up. We thought we were something. We spent lots of time splashing around at Viv and Granddaddy's house.

Colorado in June: Day 5 & 6

Thursday:

While I took the kids to the park that morning, David

and Dede went on a 2 hour horse back ride.

When we got there, Dannah and Jameson got ride - they thought they were a real cowboy and cowgirl! The guides said they talked non-stop... imagine that! :)

After their ride and lunch, we took a wagon ride with two Belgian horses pulling. We saw a buffalo names Reject (his mother rejected him when he was a few days old which is why he is at the ranch) and prairie dogs.

Dannah took a picture of Jameson, David, and Dede

Our last night we went out to eat and then took the

kids ice skating at the rink in Beaver Creek.

David helping the kids

It didn't take Dannah long before she could do it all by herself... well, her and the rail. Finally she got brave enough to skate into the middle and Jameson soon followed.

When they want to they can be extremely sweet and loving!

Friday was spent packing and going to the airport.

It was a wonderful trip and lots

of wonderful memories were made!

The only thing that would have made it

better was if Nannaw could have come!

Colorado in June: Day 3 & 4

Tuesday:

We started the day off by taking the kids to the Beaver Creek Stables for pony rides.

Jameson is on Mr. T and Dannah is on Gonzo.

One of the most wonderful things about Vail is their beautiful parks. We took the kids to Bighorn park and had a picnic. I think we all had fun playing in the park!

Me and Jameson sliding

Dannah sliding

Dede, Dannah, and Jameson seesawing with David

The Knightons climbing together

After our park adventure, we rode to Leadville and to Turquoise Lake. It was amazing to see the beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains.

Wednesday:

We went to downtown Vail to eat lunch at a restaurant that looked over Pirateship Park.

Dannah's first reaction was "NOAH'S ARK!" The kids had so much fun 'walking the plank' - in fact, when we went to church last night, they constructed Noah's Ark and Jameson had to put a plank on it!

That afternoon my mom and I enjoyed a massage at the spa... it was wonderful!

That night David and I went out to eat while

Dede spent some time with the kids.

They played putt putt and did some arts and crafts at the condo.

Colorado in June: Day 1 & 2

For vacation this year we went to Colorado for a week. It was absolutely beautiful and the weather is gorgeous. We stayed in Beaver Creek which is just a few miles east of Vail.

Sunday: Our first day we took the ski lift that was right by the condo to the top of the mountain. There was restaurant and play area for the kids. It was absolutely beautiful to look out and see all that God had created! How glorious!

Monday: We went to Glenwood Caverns which is at the top of a mountain in Glenwood. The kids had a blast! There was a rollercoaster type ride that went 1/4 of the way down the mountain, bungee trampoline, giant sandbox, 4D movies, rock wall, and a huge swing that went over the edge of the mountain.