"Look What I Can Do.....Thank You David!"

And so it is that I'm back once again doing what my heart loves.....writing. And through that writing - -sharing and encouraging (hopefully) others with God's love, God's blessings, God's faithfulness and life in it's realness. :)

My life, as it looks today, is winding down a journey.

A journey that has had laughter, smiles, happiness, amazement, thankfulness, surprises, love, joy, accomplishments, togetherness.......as well as tears, anger, frustration, disappointment, fear, impatience, and non-comprehension. I speak of the words - raising children.

You see, our youngest child, who is Levi, will be 18 in less than 2 weeks, and graduating 7 weeks after that.  Our second child, who is Savannah, will be walking the aisle in marriage in 6 weeks. And our oldest, who is Heather, is on God's timetable to make straight her paths. If you would, please pray for each of our children for they truly need it.....and who of us doesn't?

And so that brings my journey - as Mom - to a close. I know you're going to say "You never stop being a Mom." and that would be correct. But, I don't believe everyone is called to keep being the "Mom" you were the first 18 years of their lives. Instead I see it as I step out of their lives.....letting go of all preconceived ideas that I have ever had any power to stop what they chose to do or not do.....continue to trust and pray that God has his own timetable and plans of turning them each one back to him.....asking him to stand the TRUTH, his truth, so firmly planted undeniably in front of them that they cannot see around it or through it and must deal with it in God's way and not their own..........

AND.........

I CONTINUE ON loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength.....and loving the beautiful gift of his love to me through my beautiful husband, David!!! 

My life started, almost 48 years ago, with God. And almost 27 years of those 48, God brought along my David to join me in this wonderful adventure we call LIFE. And so it is.....my life will begin and end with God and my David. Yes, added blessings along our adventure that we call children.....and hopefully someday called GRANDchildren. But nonetheless.....my life is......God and then my David. And I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

I have wanted to write a Blog dedicated to my David along the way of my Bloggings, but I didn't want it to come off as me just bragging about what I have. My intention and goal is to NOT have that come across to anyone.....for we are ALL blessed in God's blessings of who he has placed in our lives (even if you don't see it). But rather my desire to share comes from a heart that is so FULL of gratitude and complete LOVE for a gift to me. And in that gift of my David is the very heart of God himself. For my David shows forth the very nature and character of God daily to me. So please read this in the way that it is given.....through a genuine heart of gratitude.

David and I have been doing some renovating of our home. Renovations are fun, cool and exciting....I love to see new things take place, shape and form! And in those "Renos" <<the home shows call them that.....David has taught me many skills along the way. As I was learning each new skill, I began taking pictures. As I took more pictures, I began thinking back to all the MANY things David has taught me in life. I scanned back through many pictures of days gone by and came up with a collection of various things. Although certainly not all; these are some. . . 

Demolishing is super FUN!!! I yelled every single time I swung this sledgehammer!!

Thanks David. :)

We are hand sewing curtains in this picture! David has always been our seamstress in our family. And now with his guidance, I can sew too!!

Thanks David. :)

I can now say I have stained furniture as well as varnished too!! This is our handrail up the stairs.

Thanks David. :)

I am also the designated "roller-painter" too! David is the detailer and I'm the roller. 

Thanks David. :)

And yes, sometimes, I do trim work too!! Although this looks BAD - - we were coming back with a main color for walls. :)

Thanks David.

David has taught me a real LOVE for adventures of ALL kinds!! Our adventures lay before us daily (yours too)! Seize the opportunity whatever it may look like....you'll be glad you did!! :)

Thanks David.

Adventures even in the smallest sizes can be O so FUN as well!!! :)

Thanks David.

David has taught me to love exercise through walking too!! We walk everywhere and often. :)

Thanks David.

David has taught how to do yard work and make areas pretty by planting flowers! I seriously enjoy the accomplished feeling when you have worked HARD all day in the yards and look back to see something was done and know that you were a part of that something! :)

Thanks David.

I can now say I also know how to use a crow bar to remove an entire wall of paneling and base/crown moldings too!! Which had about a 100 nails AND glue on it!! And take it ALL down the stairs and into the garage myself!! No small feat!! :)

Thanks David.

And although these are David's hands and not mine....I learned how to sand spin along with him!! :)

Thanks David.

David has taught me how to even play golf....believe it or not!!! Although we never fully became accomplished at it, we had FUN!! :)

Thanks David.

Although technically full credit should probably go to my Dad for this one, for he started me off very early in life loving this adventure....my David is the one that renewed it's desire once again. :)

Thanks David.

But David gets full credit for the bow and arrow lessons! Haha! 

Thanks David. :)

As well as the cooking lessons!!  

Thanks David. :)

AND......I can shoot a gun now too!! 

Thanks David. :)

Hey I can even peel and eat a crawfish now....although very S L O W L Y!! 

Thanks David. :)

David has taught me the love of a good hike up a very TALL mountain....to reach the tippy top and feel the joy of accomplishment while praising the very Creator of our Universe!! 

Thanks David. :)

David has taught me to be ME..... like me.....to enjoy being me.....to accept me. That even in all my quirkiness and weirdness.....I can be ME.

Thanks David. :)

And he has taught me to enjoy each and all of our moments......together. For in those times we are at our happiest!!

Thanks David. :)

As wonderful and great as each of those things are (and there's so much more he's taught me).....I know with all my heart that the biggest and greatest of lessons are these . . . .

To love and forgive completely in it purest form. And what it truly means to do both.

To let it ALL go and give it ALL to God.

Three of those "All" being our children.

To understand what real faith is and assuring me that we can trust God even when it doesn't make since.

To know that FAITH is the answer always...no matter what. For our God is in control.

As he has often reminded me.....when is there ever a time to worry??

And it is in these last lessons, I have shared with you, that I value the most in him......"Thank you David." 

I am beyond blessed to be your wife, support, encourager, lover and very best friend!! :)

And so it is that I bring this to a close......a closing of a Blog......a closing of a chapter of my life as "Mom". 

But sure as God IS coming back again (and He IS!)....I'm off to a brand new and wonderfully joyous adventure and journey with the two most important in my life.......God first.....my David second. :)

Thank ya, Jesus!!!!

"That's My Boy!"

Today....many parents, along with me, are saying it's my son/daughter's last first day of school!
Yes, my son is a Senior today, August 26, 2013. He not only is just my son approaching the milestone of graduation, he is also my baby. Woo-Hoo!! the very last one of three!! {Waving our hands in the air excitedly} For the past continous 20 years (1993-2013) we have had a child attending school. It's time to celebrate, people!!! :-)

And today, I celebrate my Levi . . .

From the days of Pre-School 2000

 The first days of Kindergarten 2001 . . .

The first days of Kindergarten 2001 . . .

 The first bus ride home 2001 . . .

The first job 2012 . . .

The first car/truck 2012 . . .

The first happy drive 2012 . . .

The first change of wardrobe for new 2nd job 2013. . .

Second new job 2013 . . .

Second new job 2013  . . .

Second new car within a year 2013  . . .

To the second new car being in a Nismo-Fest Cruise with my baby driving speeds up to 120 mph and taking hairpin curves through mountainous roads on a 7 hour journey!

And all the very wonderful memories made in between . . . today I celebrate you, my Levi.

I love YOU with a sincere heart and I am proud of YOU my son.

__________________________________________________________________________________

For my readers reading along, I share something with you . . .

I am proud of my son . . .

No, he isn't excelling in any sports. He doesn't participate in any. When he was participating, he wasn't the best, nor the second, and nor the third. He was average.

No, he isn't excelling in academics. He isn't taking any "Honors" classes. His grades aren't A's and B's. He doesn't love to read. He has no great thirst to succeed in school, but rather just to get by. He is average.

No, he isn't serving and participating in youth mission trips, evangelizing, and being "on fire" for God as a youth can be. He doesn't even attend the same church we do, but rather has chosen to go with a friend to another. He is average.

No, he doesn't have great and wonderful plans for after graduation. No, his desire isn't to go to college. He possibly is considering joining the Air Force, but in that undecided. He is average. 

No, he isn't a perfect child who has never struggled, nor strayed from what he knows to be right. No, he isn't full of obedience and respect all of the time. He is average.

But what he is is my son and God's gift to me. . . a thankful and proud mother. 

You see I've had to learn a thing or two {or three} in this life. One of them is it gets you nowhere good when you stop and compare your child with another child. Your child may excel at everything he tries and my son may not. Your child may excel at academics and my son may not. Your son may have great and grand plans for after school and my son may not. Your son may be involved in youth groups and my son may not. But does that really change the fact that your son is a blessing to you and my son is a blessing to me? I would like to think not. 

I know that my God has given me this son and placed in life where HE wants him to be. All my hopes, dreams, desires for all that I want my son to be mean nothing when they are wrapped up in the external things. What truly matters - is he seeking to live his life for God where God has placed him? I pray that he is. Is he desiring a closer fellowship with God in his daily average life? I pray that he is. Does he understand what it means to be devoted to God in this average life? I pray that he does. 

Friend, don't get caught up in comparing. It will lead you down a road you don't want to travel. 

Rather set your heart and mind on thankfulness. Thankful for who your son or daughter IS and all the beautiful blessings they bring to you.....whether they are high excellers.....or just plain average. 

For in both God has promised in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." and also in Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 

TRUST those plans and good works, that God has for your child, whatever they may be....average or not. 

"Number 26 is Here!!"

Twenty-six years.
Twenty-six years means you're just getting started real good. . . does it not?
For many it's a brief time. About five drops in a bucket - depending on the size of your bucket of course. :)
And for many it's a very substantial amount of time, especially for those newly acquainted with this beautiful blessing called "marriage".

This Thursday, August 15, 2013, will be the 26th celebrated year of love and marriage that my David and I share. As I looked back through my previous Blogs, I found one (Dec. 2011) that shares the story well of how we met and found the love of our lives. If you would like to read, hopefully this link will take you to it:

http://lifeiswhatgodmakesit.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-gift-to-me-and-how-we-met.html

Our story remains the same. But there is one thing that continues to change. For with each passing day my heart swells with such love, gratitude, admiration, pride (the good pride), excitement, and just a genuine thankfulness all around of who I share my each and every day with in this world. A run-on sentence it may be, but there's just so MUCH to be thankful for!! I hope there's never a day that I don't remember to stop and thank God Himself for the beautiful gift He has given me.

Before this Blogs continues any farther - I will share, as I have in the past, that GOD and GOD alone is my first and foremost love. I do not ever want to confuse anyone into believing that my David holds first place. God has that placed reserved and filled by him. He alone is my truest and greatest love and all the days of eternity will not be long enough to truly thank him for all that he is and all that has done/doing/will do in my life! First place in my heart is filled with God.....and second place will forever and always be filled by my David. Not my kids, not my extended family, not my home.....nothing. God first, David second. And forever it shalll be.

Maybe since I've written a previous story of how we came to be....this time I will share some pictures.

"The Early Years. . ."

Were we not the cutest? :) 1972!

Pre-dating days. 1985!

He is SO DARN good-looking!! :)

Yes....we are dating now!! YAY!! Big smiles!! :)) 1985!

Dating days...and yes braces too.....1986!

Dating days...hitting the slopes together.....1986 or '87!



Still dating.....1987!

And yes to this day....he is always in my thoughts. <3

Ta-Dah!! Engaged....February 7, 1987!!

The BIG day has arrived!!

The day I married my very best friend in the history of ever....August 15, 1987!!

He is my HAPPY!!

All the days to follow he has not only held my heart...but also my hand.

I love him so.

Wedding Announcement!

Then there's was three Moores......

1988!

And then there was four Moores......

1992!

Still just four Moores......

1993!

And wait....there he is....Five Moores!!

Our family is complete!

1996!

One of my most cherished pictures.....family.

2000!

"The Later Years....."

Family......Novemeber 2010!

Family.....December 2012!

Family....December 2012!

So from the beginning of time + everything in between = the sincere love two people hold in their hearts by a loving God Who placed it there.

And now as the story of our love continues, we will celebrate this Thursday with a trip to Louisiana to share in our love of history together, by spending the afternoon touring the beautiful Noddaway Plantation. And then we are off to soak up the sunny beaches of Pensecola, Florida!! :)

And to my David.....

I loved you yesterday

I love you today

I always have

And I always will!

Thank you, to my readers, who let me a small part of our lives together through pictures! :)

And as always.....Thank you to God for blessing my life to the fullest with this most precious gift to me!