Happy Snow Day!

Eddie Ross

My friend, Allison Pugmire, surprised me one day with a call to hang out with Eddie Ross at Scott's Antique Market..We LOVE reading blogs and talking about them so this was a real treat for us!!! We had so much fun and loved him and his friend Jaithan.. We even made his blog..so did my vintage camera lamps and salt/pepper shakers! Check it out here! I also bought a x-bench picked out by Eddie that was stolen and then found 2 weeks later, but that is a story for another day.. Eddie is super talented and is soo down to earth and fun! It was a good day for 2 Mama's that needed a day off!! A day in the life of a celebrity like Eddie Ross is pretty fun! He shows Martha how to do it..literally!

It is a New Year...

Wanted to share some of the things I am learning in BSF (bible study fellowship) this new year:

*What distinguishes us from other people? IS IT OUTSIDE OR INSIDE?
*The best thing I can give to my husband, friends, children, etc is PERSONAL HOLINESS. what kind of witness am i to them? Do my kids see me digging thru my bible daily, at my computer, looking thru magazines, etc..? CONVICTINGGGG!
*GOD transforms those that spend time with him.
*There is no middle ground in your relationship with God.. You are either moving forward(spending time with him) or moving backwards.
*How am i asking God to transform me daily?
*The closer you become to God the more you will see faults in yourself so constantly live in REPENTANCE.
*What time do we set aside daily to meet with God? Is it evident by choices, relationships, how we spend time and money?
*God is the most important pursuit in life..
*Where do i need to die to self today? Where do i need to ask him to transform me? (refining can be very painful)
*To take on more than I need is PRIDEFUL to God.
*It takes humility to listen to advice but fool not to take it and learn from it.
*Those who are wise do not despise truth when it is given.
*4 ways Gods speaks
1. thru scripture 2. thru prayer(softening our hearts) 3. body of Christ (friends, etc) 4. thru circumstances
*make God your first and last thought for the day
*as God's people we need to be Theo centric not egocentric.
*worry is opportunity to recall God's past faithfulness.
*there is no room for sloppiness in servant hood? How am i serving to further his kingdom daily?

Great News! Strother went to the orthopedist earlier this week and they saw no further damage. He is attempting to walk again and is REALLYYY doing well! Thanks for all your prayers and concern!!

Strother

For those of you that only receive updates of our family via this blog, i wanted to share with you a little blessing from our Christmas while visiting with my family in Florida.
Our 6 yr old, Strother, was hit by a car on Christmas Eve day. He didn't realize there was a car coming and ran across the street to be with my mom and Jon Matthew and was struck. He suffered a great deal of pain, but is doing much better now. We truly feel his life is a miracle from God and I wanted to share with you in hopes you will be touched by the works of him, as well. We know in Romans 8:28 that "all things work together for good to those who love God". We want to honor him by sharing our little miracle story with you. Below is an email from my friend Catherine to all our friends in Marietta the day it occurred. Then there is another email of an update from me once we returned home. i just cut and paste it because Catherine explained it perfectly.

EMAIL FROM MY FRIEND CATHERINE TO ALL OUR FRIENDS ON CHRISTMAS EVE:

I just had to update y'all/inform y'all of the Allen family's Christmas miracle! Earlier today, after eating lunch near Seaside, FL, Strother was following his grandmother across a street and was run over by a truck. He was playing with some coins in his hand and dropped a few...when he turned around to pick them up, one of his legs was run over. Shelli said had he not turned around and bent down for his coins he would have been completely run over. Thankfully the intersection was one with a stop sign, so the man was braking as he approached an unseen Strother. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital with a serious leg laceration and what was certain to be a very broken leg (Matt had to ask the man who ran over him to back up b/c he had Strother's leg pinned under the tire). After the doctors viewed the x-rays, they couldn't find a break in any of his leg or ankle bones!!!! The doctors treated Strother as if his leg was broken and they will have to have more x-rays done over the coming days to be certain their wasn't a vertical break, which is hard to detect in children by x-ray. Strother is home from the hospital and resting in the loving arms of his very thankful family. Christmas and the hope and peace only Christ can bring will certainly have a new meaning for all who have seen God's hand work in this sweet little life. "Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord have done it." Psalm 109:26-27
We give thanks and praise to our Lord who protected sweet Strother today! Please keep praying for the Allen's and for their complete emotional and physical recovery from this accident. Merry Christmas!!!!
Love,
Catherine
Please forward on!

UPDATE FROM SHELLI
Friends,
Wanted to send an update on little Strother.. First of all, thank you thank you for ALL your prayers! Thank you for all your calls, emails, texts, balloons at the door, meals, etc..I am sorry I have not been able to return calls, but I do want you to know how much we appreciate it all!! We are truly touched and so thankful for everything you have done to show us you love and care.
We are home now and Strother’s pain has eased a great deal. He still has a laceration that we need to watch and will meet with orthopedist on Monday to rule out any growth plate injury. Dr. Joe Phillips visited us this morning and feels very encouraged by Strother’s progress..Please continue to pray for the emotional state of all of us. We have a lot to work thru, but know it will subside with time. Please pray mostly for Jon Matthew and Strother.. It was a miracle he lived, but true nightmare to watch him suffer. We are so grateful to God for this 2nd chance with Strother. We know God has big plans for this little man to save his life this
way. It will be forever life changing for us. We love you!

Matt and Shelli

Eliborio and Elidia..Merry Christmas

My heart is full tonight as I blog about my dear friends Eliborio and Elidia. They are from Guatemala and have 3 little girls. They help me during the week keep my sanity, and we have become very close. Last year, 2 of my sweet friends, Lindy and Garrett, got together a group of girls to give to needy families. Many of my friends went in and bought their entire Christmas. The mom and dad came to our door in a taxi and took the gifts home with them. I will never forget the tears when they saw what my sweet friends had done for their girls. There was soo much for them.

I started worrying in October because I knew the economy was bad and there was no way Matt and I could provide for them the way my friends did last year. Another family that Elidia works for, and my 4 friends Allison, Joy, Jenica, and Susie pulled through and it was such a God thing! We each were able to buy the mom, dad, and 3 girls at least 3 gifts plus money to help with expenses.

Elidia is the mom and she comes to my house every week with a HUGE smile on her face. They live in an apartment where their kids cannot go out to play and they frequently hear gun shots outside their window. The first time she realized my kids were out in the neighborhood playing, she frantically found me in the house to say, "They cannot play outside in the yard by themselves, can they Shelli?" She was so worried. I had to explain to her that our neighborhood is safe and it was okay. I can't imagine the fear they live in everyday. This family has basically no material things, but hearts of gold. The little girls are all so polite and and respectful. I always tell Matt that i would love to build a house in the backyard and let them live in it because I love them that much. (i would love the help too..he he) I always ask Elidia( knowing they are stressed)if she is okay and if she needs anything.. She always says, "I am good Shelli..i am good!" They are content on not having much.. no car, no money, no healthcare, no house. Their apartment is 2 bedroom with cousins that live with them, as well. The husband is in and out of work and one of the most hardworking men I know. He comes with her sometimes when he doesn't have steady work, and said to me one day, " Can i work in your yard?" I once told him, "We don't have alot of extra money right now Eliborio, so i am can't use you today." He replies, "You don't have to pay me Shelli.. I just want to work." OHHHHHH...once again my heart melted. (and no i didn't let him work for free.. ha ha)

These truly are the sweetest, most content people I think i know.

Tonight, my friend Barbara(Lindy's sister) and her family (who Elidia works for, as well) went to their apartment to deliver some of the gifts. We wanted our kids to see us giving, so we piled everyone in the car and headed to their apartment. Barbara brought a cake and we took a family pic of them. We walked in and their little apartment was spotless, they are all dressed up in church clothes, flowers on the table, and so excited!! It was a special night for them and who knows how long it took them to make their house sparkle for us. The girls were so happy to see what we had brought. My heart melted. I pray that God will bless that little family because they are so special to us.

I am backkkkkkkkk!!! Will update later this week.. I have missed all my blogging friends!

SORT IT OUT!

I want to introduce you to my very good friend, LINDY SIMPSON JONES! She lives in Marietta and has started her own company of home/office organization called SORT IT OUT! She comes to your home, business, etc and offers her expertise! She has always been one of the most organized girls I know and now you can be too!! She has such a strong Christian faith and a huge motivation in everything she does..! How awesome to give someone a gift certificate! I would loveeeeeee it!! Check out her website! http://www.sortitouthome.com/

Homeschool

For those of you that asked, NO, I am not going to homeschool! Matt thinks that is a very very very very bad idea! Wish I were gifted in that department, and I really look up to those that are...however, there is no hope there for me.

My Girl!

 

 

 

 

Things I want to remember forever...

Things I want to remember forever..
1. Annie Rose sat with me in my bed the other night. We watched tv very quietly. When she wants you to acknowledge her or has something to say she wants you to remember(3rd child behavior), she grabs you and looks you dead in the eye. That night, she leaned over in my face and said, "i your best friend mommy?..you my best friend.." my heart melted..
2. Jon Matthew is having a hard time in school this year. Things are at a much higher level and I think he is tired, etc.. We have alot of tears and it breaks my heart. Anyway, he came home the other day and said, "Mom, Mrs. Dalton asked us where we would rather be besides school..Mom, most people said outside or playing sports, etc..but do you know what i said? I said I just wanted to be with you.. Will you homeschool me next year mommy?" my heart melted..
3. Strother came downstairs tonight after I had put him to bed and said, "Mom can you come back up and pray with me?" Soooo we headed upstairs once again and climbed in his bed.I asked him if there was something specific he wanted to pray about..he said,"yes about a boy in my class that isn't nice." So we did and I explained to him that sometimes people are not nice because they are sad inside and maybe the little boy was sad and we really should feel sorry for him and be nice." He said, "I think I should build him up Mom and not build him down, right?" my heart melted...

Weekend Fun..Mr. Mom

 
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Mr. Mom has really had to kick it in high gear on the weekends lately. I mean really kick it in gear! I came home one day to a "pudding party"!! For a Dad, he is pretty darn creative. I wish i had half the energy he does! I think hmmm pudding=mess. Matt thinks Pudding=fun=let's have the neighborhood kids over.! I told him he gets the prize!

My Little Cheerleader!

I can't even begin to tell you how happy this makes me!!! For those of you Auburn fans, you know my exact feeling!

A few pictures of the past couple of weeks! These little youngins are so funny that I have a hard time finding my stupid camera, turning it on, and snapping before they are on to the next thing! I need a small camera strapped to me. Annie Rose has some pretty funny expressions and quotes these days! I realized after this post that most of my pics these days are of Annie Rose and not of the boys! They are in school so much now and it makes me sad! I need to be better about capturing them weekly. After all, the reason I am doing this blog is to turn it into a book one day because I am NOT a scrapbooker! I need to get on the ball! You should see this book my friend Will did for his wife Jenny from her blog! It is pretty awesome! He tells me it was easy, but I am not convinced! They are also the same people that tell me that my new IMAC is easy to maneuver..I am definitely not convinced of that either.! I am still so lost on it! I call Apple Care daily!

More Helen Pics

 

Remember our trip to the river in Helen? Melissa's mom, Miss Vicki, sent me these pics she took and I love them and wanted to share! Miss Vicki has a Bread House in Albany, Georgia that has amazing breads, fiber bars, etc.. My favorite are the walnut cranberry fiber bars.