Easter 2011

We had an incredible Easter week!!! We stayed busy the entire week in preparation for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which we are in charge of and it was another great success! We didn't quite make it in time for the Easter Church Breakfast, due to not wanting to have full stomachs for singing, though Aly did get to enjoy a bit of the morning goodness! Our Worship Service, mini-musical and sermon, has been said by several who were in attendance, to be the best Easter service they had been to in years or even for their entire lifetime! We must agree, the Spirit was there in a way that just gave you goosebumps from the first note of the first song! One of my personal favorites this year was, "Finished Indeed"..... ♫♪ "The road to Calvary's hill has been travelled, for Jesus took upon Himself the burden of our blame, so why do we feel the need to bear that cross again, to struggle so with all our guilt and shame. When He said it was finished, it was finished, indeed? We're no longer bound to what sin had decreed with the blood that was spilled, His Grace was revealed and it was finished, indeed!" ♪♫ Of course, Easter isn't complete without a fun Egg Hunt, lots of candy, a visit with the Easter Bunny, a wonderful meal with the family, etc. So, I've added a photo album below for you to have a glimpse of our Easter celebrations this year! Our dinner menu consisted of Glazed Ham, Chicken & Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on Cob, Broccoli Casserole, Strawberry-Almond Salad, Deviled Eggs, Hot Homemade Rolls, Cream Puff Dessert and Swedish Nut Cake! Thanks to each of the family members for bringing in such delightful foods!!! I'm afraid my diet was in jeopardy! Trust all of our friends had an enjoyable weekend, filled with the knowledge of God's divine love, in that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us and the through the goodness of quality time with those you love! We love you ALL.....

Easter 2011

Winter Wonderland... A Bit Late in Coming!

SUPERBOWL WEEKEND

WOW! What a week! Some good and some bad! We've had many ups and downs this week. We've been and continue to carry heavy burdens for those we love. We have prayed and will continue to pray for these needs! Trusting and believing that ONLY God can answer such difficult tasks. He brought light into our lives this week in the form of a couple of announcements! CONGRATULATIONS are in order! To Whitley, for an outstanding GPA, she has been enrolled into the NATIONAL Honor Society! You go, girl! We are proud of you! Also, the word is official, Wesley will be stationed in S. Korea, following Tech School. We are so happy that he will be able to live out a life-time 'Korean' wish and pray daily for his safety. To Wes, Congrats, we love you so much! You know, when the world seems bleak, God knows just when to send these kind of blessings our way, doesn't He? HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD... SING WITH ME, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!

We've had our first, what I would call, major snowstorm of the season and there's more on the way tonight!!! Too late if you ask me... As most of you know, I absolutely do NOT love snow!!! Which will be no surprise to most of you, however, IF it must come this is the way I'd love to see it happen.... On Christmas eve, in the late afternoon, it would begin to flurry just a bit. Temps would stay around 30 or so. Though the snow would not accumulate at all, it would continue to flurry lightly throughout the rest of the evening, into the night and all day Christmas day/night. Temps would remain in the upper 20's or lower 30's during these two days. However, two or three days following Christmas day, the temps would fall drastically into the single digits. A heavy accumulating snow would begin to fall and not let up until it reached a minimum of one foot, PLUS. This would cause EVERYTHING to be 'shut down' for a few days. Giving everyone time to relax, spend time with family, etc. AHH After 4 or 5 days of this, the temps would begin to rise gently into the mid-to-upper 40's and above, the snow would then melt and within the week, SPRING WOULD ARRIVE!!! Now, that's the way it ought to be!

If you've heard the name, Laura Silsby, head of New Life Children's Refuge, Boise, ID in the news lately. She's a part of a group who traveled to Haiti to retrieve children, bring them to America and give them new lives here. Her particular group is being wrongfully suspected of human trafficking and facing time in court and possible prison. Would you please say a special prayer for her, the rest of her group and their families here in the States? LAURA'S FAMILY ARE FRIENDS OF MY PARENTS AND ARE IN DIRE NEED OF YOUR PRAYERS AND MINE!

Well, we had a grand Super Bowl weekend!!!!! While living here in Indy, I've become a "True Blue"! However, last night, MY SOUTHERN BLOOD RAN DEEP! Born and bred in Louisiana and being proud of it, I felt compelled to cheer for the Saints! No matter the final outcome, it was a great game for all!!! Greg, Aly and I wore black and gold to church on Sunday morning, blue that night and black to the family party. I've been a bit neutral, verbally speaking, throughout the past few weeks due to feeling a sort of "double-minded" and would have been happy had either team won, however... after THAT win??? MY HEART'S FEELING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW! GEAUX SAINTS! (Nothing like a party for some great food, too!) For pre-bowl-fun on Saturday, we surprised Aly with a spur of the moment trip to "Incredible Pizza Co.", for supper and as you can tell (in the photo album above), she did indeed have an 'incredible' time!!!

Alyson Dawn ~ Now 19 Months Old

I want to say a special Thank You to my hubby, Greg! He has 'taken over' and cared for Aly and the house over the past week, in order for me to spend as much time as possible, with Mamaw S. at the Hospital! I don't know what I'd do without him!!! Greg, you are the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do to make our lives so 'sweet'!!!

Because of the busy lifestyles we've been living, there isn't much to blog about, other than the fact that our Aly-Girl turned 19 months old, this past Saturday, the 30th! Simply unbelievable, it would seem that life is going to slip right by us and hardly give us a chance to try and keep up with it!

"And no matter what the progress -
Or what may yet be proved.
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed...
You must remember this -
A kiss is just a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply...
As time goes by."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS ALYSON!

You will always be our 'heart' and we will love you for all eternity!!!

Click Here!

Alyson Dawn at 19 Months Old

We are thankful to God, for His tender mercies and many answered prayers over the past weeks concerning Mamaw S., she is improving and though it is a slow process, we're believing God for the future... He is so good! Here's to another busy week ahead in Blogger-land!

An Easter We'll Never Forget

http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/HappyEaster2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIb9087knbDiDw&feat=directlink Click Here! to view our Family Easter 2009 Photo Album

The pictures pretty much tell the story... we had a very busy week leading up to our annual Easter Egg Hunt at church. Greg and I were in charge of this event, so you can imagine the behind-the-scene work that had to be done beforehand. We had a wonderful turn out... close to 3,000 eggs were filled, hidden and ready for the kids to 'hunt' when they arrived. There were 7 large prizes given away, in addition to several hundred 'prize eggs', which were hidden with the filled eggs. Aly had a ball hunting eggs and even more fun on her first visit with the Easter Bunny!

The Sunday Morning service was absolutely incredible! The Cantata went exceptionally well and it seemed the Holy Spirit was there from the moment we set our feet in the building. During the Finale, 'Jesus' returned from the grave as the Choir sang, "We Shall See Jesus"... you could feel electricity filling the air, as people began to shout and praise the Lord! Hallelujah, He is risen! He has risen indeed! We are so thankful to be able to raise Aly in services where the presence of Jesus is evident enough one feels as if they can almost touch Him in a physical sense.

We also enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon with family. The meal was as delicious as ever and the fellowship was great fun, as well! We are so blessed!!! The kids had a BALL with their Easter Baskets and probably received entirely too much candy!

We trust you all had an incredible Holiday surrounded by those you love, as well...

This Is the Month of Love...

It's hard to believe, that one Christmas could change someones life forever, but that's just what happened to me. Greg and I fell in love during the Holiday Season of 2003 making this our 6th Valentine's Day together 'In-Love', 5th as husband and wife and 2nd to share with our Aly-Girl! Where has the time gone? "Love is a many-splendored thing, Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living, Yes, true love's a many-splendored thing." (by: Frank Sinatra---a perfect way to put "LOVE" into a song, if you ask me!) God has been so good to me and given me an almost-perfect life with an ideal husband, Greg and a lifetime dream come true in little Alyson. Life really couldn't be much better...

I will always love you, Greg!
~Aly, Daddy and I both love you more than you'll ever know!
Happy Valentine's Day to my two Valentine's... XO

Obama Elected...

We have only ONE thing to say, "God Help Us All"! The End Times are upon us for sure... is it possible that God will find faith on the earth at His sure-to-be SOON return? Many prayers were made over the past several months, it would seem that FAITH among Christians is now very low, as the Nation ushers in a new 'White House Team'... HOWEVER, God is somehow still in control! Our family is very fearful regarding the future, but as always we're trusting GOD for the days ahead! Especially for our children!!! (http://election2008review.blogspot.com/ for a little scary information from us, 'Your Penn Palz'.) Romans 8:28 ~ "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." A strange thought for the politics of today, huh? We MUST continue to trust God... NO MATTER WHAT!

A Hay Ride Date... Perfect October Weekend!

http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/GovSarahPalinVisitsIndy# (Album Link)
As you're already aware... we were unable to attend the Presidential Rally, yesterday, in northern Indy to hear Gov. Sarah Palin speak. Aly became 'ill' on Thursday so, it was off see Dr. Kidd on Friday with only a couple of hours before the 'big' speech!
Greg and I, along with both sets of our parents, have been STAUNCH supporters of Gov. Palin from the moment she burst on the scene until now! My dear Mother has prayed for Mrs. Sarah night and day... beginning even before her V.P. acceptance speech! We have a 'peace' in our hearts, that the team of McCain and Palin are just the "CHANGE" America needs! Though there is fear at times, christian Americans need to remember that GOD is in control and we all just need to go to HIM in prayer and trust that Satan will have NO dominion over the situation at hand!

Well, we found out that little Alyson has a bit of a virus with 'cold/flu' symptoms... needless to say, she's not feeling that well at the moment, but we feel better just knowing WHAT the problem is!!! Being a 'Mama', all I want to do is fix her and make her better and one of the toughest things I've ever had to do is be told to "just wait it out"! We're trusting God to heal her little body completely... the little 'bumpies' on her legs are already gone and hopefully the 'cold' will soon be, as well!
Last night, Greg and I were able to enjoy a romantic date on a Hay Ride... perfect for an October weekend! It was a GORGEOUS Fall evening (though a bit chilly for my southern blood! LOL), full of food, fun and fellowship with several couples from Church at Camp Camby. We laughed so much we were almost sick and of course, ate more than we should have, I guess to put it simply the entire night was just a ball! Following the Meal and Hay Ride, Pastor and Mrs. Esther invited everyone to their little cabin, for Cookies and Hot Cider. AWWW! It was great to taste something warm after that ride!!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/HayRideDatePerfectOctoberWeekend# (Album Link)
While we were out on this wild adventure, Aly spent a warm and cozy evening with her Memaw and Papaw and I'm not so sure, but what they had as much fun as we did! That precious little tyke has fun and is such a sweetie... it doesn't matter whether she's 'well' or not! She enjoys and loves life so much! Oh, that as adults we could all be more like her!
Greg went "Paint Balling" with a few friends from work, today before coming home (at present, he's playing with Aly) and I believe he really enjoyed himself this morning! I am a bit afraid that he has possibly begun a new hobby, with this Paint Ball situation, that MAY be habit-forming for him! Then again, exercise is good for the soul, right?!?!? (Sorry, no photos of this great Event are available!)
My dear Mother and I, went through all of Alyson's personal items on earlier today and I must add, this 'act' was extremely emotional for us!?!?! She's gotten to be such a big girl and it's very difficult to put her things in storage that she's already outgrown!!! Time really has gone by too fast but, we're more and more thankful for her EVERY day and can't wait to see what God has in store for her! (Again, no photos... if taken, they would NOT have been pretty! LOL)
As you've probably already noticed, I've posted this BLOG on Saturday night/Sunday morning and this is due to the fact, that I'm going to have an extremely BUSY week! Our Children's Fall Festival is on Wednesday evening and I can't begin to tell you how much work is left to do, as of now! (Otherwise, I normally would've BLOGGED on Monday or Tuesday.) If you think about it... say a quick prayer for my nerves and for Greg's, too over the next few days! LOL Thanks and remember, we'll be praying for ya'll, too!

"Country First in 2008"...

What a grand week this one has been in the Political arena! The 2008 Republican National Convention took place in St. Paul, Minnesota from September 1 through September 4. The first day of the Republican Convention was Labor Day, the last day of the popular Minnesota State Fair, due to Hurricane Gustav. BOY! Are we ever 'pumped' for the upcoming elections!
GO MCCAIN-PALIN IN 2008!!! We truly enjoyed the speeches and were so pleased with the addition of Gov. Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket. She may very well be the 'salvation' of this 'party'... we pray she is and that God's will be done in November! Just two months before joining the Republican ticket, while giving a speech to troops in Iraq, Gov. Palin said these words, "We pray for you, (our military men and women) who are striving do to what is right. Also for our country, the leaders, our national leaders, that have sent you (the troops) out on this, a task from God. This is what we have to make sure we're praying for --- that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan." Mrs. Palin is known to be 'pro-life' and a spokeswoman says she is 'pro-Israel'. Palin's former pastor says, 'he has no doubt her religious beliefs will influence her decision making when it comes to government policy'. Our deepest desire and prayer is, that we as Christians, will ALL get out and cast our votes to help to make the CHANGE happen that America needs at such a crucial time... Country First!
Since everyone in our family were out of town this past weekend, at special Events or in local Revival's, the three of us rode over to Mamaw S's to just 'hang out' on Friday evening. Though it had been an unusually busy week, we were able to get out on Saturday to simply enjoy a beautiful sunny, yet windy day and 'snapped' a few photos while we were at it!
(We're experiencing a bit of trouble, AGAIN... our Slide Show will not post at this time... please 'click' the LINK provided below to view our Photo Album. A few of the pix are better than the others, but what can we say, it was WINDY and she was having such fun!)
http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/ASunnySeptemberSaturday#

Until next week... God bless America and God bless each of you!!!

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

(As all of my blogging friends are aware, we're in the middle of V.B.S. this week... and many of you will also understand THAT enough to know just how busy we are right now!!! LOL Needless to say, I've not any 'extra' time to write a very lengthy blog. However, there is ONE very important and most happy Event coming up... on July 24th and I refuse to ignore it!!!)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY!!!

It's hard to believe... time has simply FLOWN by, hasn't it, Greg? God has been so good to us, we are the best of friends and the best part is that we're more in love today than we were then! WOW!
Well, being as we're both quite busy this week at Church, I thought I'd post a few lyrics to OUR wedding song. (These bring back such wonderful memories!)
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
Greg, I want to say, "THANK YOU for being the best husband I could have ever dreamed of... I'll love you 'till the blue bells forget to bloom. I'll love you 'till the clover has lost its perfume. I'll love you 'till the poets run out of rhyme. Baby, I'll tell you true... Until the twelfth of never I'll still be loving you."
Due to a 'nasty' computer with quite an attitude and lots of problems, I've posted a LINK below to our most recent Album, just a few photos that were taken at our Faith, Family and Freedom Rally (at Church), a couple of Wedding (Engagement) Memories, etc. I'll also continue to add other pix of our July happenings to this album over the next couple of weeks, as well.

(Just 'copy and paste' the LINK below to enjoy a look into our lives!!!)

http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/AVeryPatrioticJuly2008FilledWMemories

Just A Portion of Our New Home for "Show"...

Well! Needless to say, we've been MORE than busy over the past several weeks! Moving is such a feat with a baby, but we're thankful to have gotten the perfect home, seemingly made just for our little family! God is better to us than we deserve, that's for sure!!! We've been able to accomplish quite a bit, but there's much left ahead for us to do!

We've had so many requests to post pix, that we've chosen to post a brief slide-show that will have "to do", until we finish the house and can post more. The rooms that are in the slide-show are incomplete but we HOPE to have them complete within a couple of weeks and the rest of the house done by the end of the summer! (The good Lord willing, that is!) HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS ALIKE... THAT THESE PHOTOS DO NOT DO THE HOUSE JUSTICE... PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN AND HAVE MUCH MORE TO DO BEFORE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY IT'S 'DONE'! (WE'RE STILL IN THE STAGES OF "CHANGING STUFF" EVERY DAY, MOVING THINGS FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT AND GETTING NEWER THINGS TO REPLACE OTHERS...)

The 'show' below is ONLY of our Living Room, Kitchen/Dining Area and Aly's Room. We will post pix of the other rooms (EG: Entry, our Room and Bath, the Family Room, the Guest Bath and Office) ASAP.

We will need to post another regular BLOG next week, being as we haven't done so, since Revival!!! We'd love to hear from some of you - it's been a while - why not leave us a comment or give us a call sometime soon?

Have a great day and enjoy just a peep into our very 'unfinished' new home...

WOW! What An Awesome God...

Just when we need it... the Lord comes in ways we think impossible!
What a revival we've just finished!!!!! The Coffee's did an incredible job and God was there in EVERY service!
Aly and I took a break on Saturday evening, being as Sundays are kind of tough on her... wouldn't you know that we missed probably the best service of them all??? "Papa" Coffee asked for praises and after a few had given their praises he began his sermon. Just then, Mary a dear teenage friend of ours, spoke out and the Lord fell on the place in a cloud of GLORY and took over the entire service! There was no preaching, the altars were filled and many found the peace they had been searching for! What an awesome God we have, He can work through a child, a teenager or anyone else willing to obey Him.
The entire week was just exactly what Greg and I needed, what our family members needed and what our church congregation needed!
I just wanted to take time out of 'cleaning' and 'decorating' to share with you, my fellow BLOGGER'S, what the Lord has done in our own lives this week. The best part is that He can and will do the same for ANYONE, if and when they listen to and are willing to be open to Him.
May God bless each of you this week and we'll BLOG again, soon...

A Baby's Conversation with God -

A baby's conversation with God-
A baby asked God, "They tell me You are sending me to earth, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile and be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing with you and will also smile with you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to You?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray to Me."
"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you, even if it means risking it's own life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see You anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be with you in spirit."
At that very moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked,
"God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, "You will simply call her, "Mama."