{ Happy Birthday, America }

Happy Birthday, America!

{ My Momma's Birthday }

  

Today we're celebrating my Momma's birthday.

She, Jess and I are going thrift store shopping then we're going out to lunch.  What a blessing to still have her after suffering a major heart attack in 2011. She says a lot that God must have left her here for a reason. 

HOPE everybody has a Marvelous Monday!

{ Friday Foto Friends #56 }

Last week I said I would share some of our CHRISTmas decorations, but I'll save that for another Friday Foto Friends.

Today, this handsome fellow is celebrating a birthday!

Happy, happy birthday to my hubby!

We're gonna be heading out a bit for a day of celebration so I might be late in visiting to leave you a comment on your link-up.....

but I'll get there.

HOPE everybody has a great weekend!

{ Wednesday's Word - Daughter }

Tomorrow is our girl's birthday, 
so I thought "daughter" would be the perfect word for today.
















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My pregnancy was before the days of ultrasounds, unless the doctor deemed something wrong. I was healthy and happy and full of energy during most of those 9 months.  God totally ordained that our baby arrive on a Saturday morning because Pappy wouldn't have made it from his job almost 2 hours away in time since my labor only lasted a few hours. We were blessed with a healthy 8 pound 8 ounce baby girl.  She was beautiful and still is to this day.  But, her beauty isn't just on the outside.  Our girl has a huge heart full of love for everybody, especially the four grandchildren she and her hubby have blessed us with.  Only God could also ordain that the parents of one child would give them four grand-kiddos to love and adore and yes, spoil!  The day she was born, my brother came to the hospital later in the day and at the age of only 18, he said something  very profound to me that I haven't forgotten for these past 37 years.
"I believe God gave you a daughter so you could raise her different than Mom raised you."

And, totally by His grace and mercy and guidance, I did my best to do just that!

Jess is one of my greatest blessings.
I truly can call her my best friend.

Happy Birthday, Jess.
Your Momma sure does love you!

{ Birthday Blessings }

Happy happy birthday to my Mom!

{ January 21, 1955 }

 1-year old

HOPE everybody has an awesome day!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for our Friday Foto Friends!

{ Brotherly Love }

Today is my brother's birthday.

Since he adores squirrels......

almost as much as my love for owlies and cardinals.....

I crocheted this for him!

It's one of the most detailed things I've undertook, 

but my brother is oh, so worth it!

So very blessed to have him back in my life.

God is good!

Hebrews 13:1

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.

Breathing in Grace,

{ Birthday blessings }

I want to wish this beautiful woman a very happy birthday.  

What a blessing she's ALWAYS been in our lives.  

She's kind, loving, giving and the most selfless person you could ever meet.

She's a wife, a Momma to our four grandchildren and an awesome daughter,

but most importantly a child of God!

She put a pink chalk streak in her hair.....

I'm sure to please our grand-girl!

I just HOPE she knows how very much she's loved.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Proverbs 31:29

Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.

Breathing in Grace,

Happy Birthday.....

to my man!!!

Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement.....

but, especially, for your Christian leadership!

(yes, he reads my blog)

I love you, Pappy!

HOPE you have an awesome birthday!

Numbers 6:24-26

‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
 May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
 May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.’

Breathing in Grace,

The birthday girl.....

We're so blessed that God chose us to be the parents of this awesome woman!!!

She'll NEVER know how much she's loved and how proud we are of her!!!

After all.....
she's the reason we're GRAND-parents!!!
(well, her hubby had something to do with that, too!)

(a picture of me and our girl taken a few years ago)

Proverbs 31:29
Many daughters have done virtuously, 
but thou excellest them all.

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

Meet Samuel David.....

but you can call him Sam.

Today is his 8th birthday.

He's funny and quirky and silly, 

but can be very serious and mature and asks more questions than you could ever possibly be able to answer.  He's an awesome big brother and he's my helper when I have all four of the kids.  He does his chores at home and plays hard and reads way beyond his grade level and still isn't too big to give his Pappy and Nannie hugs and kisses and even sit on her lap.....

but he has to be the one who thought of it!

(I think that comes from being a male....;-)

One of my favorite things about this precious boy is how much he loves Jesus.

We always pray before we eat and the kids take turns saying grace.

In the past little while,

Sam's prayers have become more "real".....

know what I mean?

He even prays that everything he does be done for God's glory!

Oh, be still my heart!

Here's why his Momma chose to name him Samuel.....

Thank you Lord, for this precious boy.....

who totally stole his Pappy and Nannie's hearts even before he entered the world!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Deb

Our baby grand is ONE.....

See that little cutie pie in his Momma's arms?

Today is his first birthday!!

Oh, how he's blessed us this past year.

Every single one of us are just crazy in love with that little fellow.

God is so good!!!

Happy birthday, baby Silas!!

Breathing in Grace,

Deb

Happy 80th Birthday......

to my Momma!!!

She's not in the best of health.....

and she's beginning to realize that she can't do what she used to.

The last couple of years have been rough on her.

She had a heart attack in 2011 and a hip replacement last year.

My brother is living with her now, 

which is a tremendous help.....

(to her and me).

She loves thrift stores......

like mother, like daughter.....

 so she was so happy to learn that I'm taking her thrift store shopping this morning.....

and tonight, we'll all meet at her house for one of her favorites.....

dump cake and vanilla ice cream!!!

We love you, Mom.....

mom-in-law.....

and Mamaw!!!

Proverbs 31:30-31

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
 Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Happy Birthday.....

The 139th Psalm is one of my very favorites.....for lots of reasons.  

One is that the night before our kids boarded a plane for Uganda in 2012, 

I read this part of the Psalm to them.....

verses 7-10.....

I can never escape from your Spirit!

    I can never get away from your presence!

8 

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

    if I go down to the grave,you are there.

9 

If I ride the wings of the morning,

    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 

even there your hand will guide me,

    and your strength will support me.

Today is a special day for me.....

'cause it's my birthday!!!

So, I want to share these verses from Psalm 139.....

verses 13-18.....

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

    and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 

You saw me before I was born.

    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

    before a single day had passed. 

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

    They cannot be numbered! 

I can’t even count them;

    they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

 you are still with me!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Happy belated 6th birthday.....

.....to one of our precious grand-boys!!!

His birthday was yesterday.....

but this is the picture I really wanted to share and I had to wait 'till I got a chance to "steal" it from our daughter!!!

This boy is simply awesome.

I have never met anybody.....child, or adult.....like him!

He's so merciful and kind.

His Dad and Mom volunteer at The Samaritan House.

When Sawyer found out that a little boy living there with his Mom and sister needed toys.....he willingly.....nobody prompted him.....he wanted this boy to have his DS and one of his games and one day when I was at their house, he got it together, along with two Hot Wheel cars, one for the boy and one for his sister.  He was so excited to give away one of his "prized possessions" to somebody in need.  And, don't even get me started on his prayers.....

Yes, I'm a proud Nannie......

but this boy is just different!!!

We love you, Sawyer Jackson.....

you are one of our greatest blessings.....

along with your sister and brothers!!!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

Happy 85th Birthday.....

....to my Daddy!!!

April 13, 1928 - December 4, 1994

Daddy only went through part of the 9th grade in school, 

but he was the smartest man I've ever known.

He could do math problems in his head and come up with the right answer every single time.  

There wasn't anything he couldn't fix around the house whether it was

electrical, plumbing, carpentry, mechanical.

He was simply amazing!!!

He was kind and gentle....loving and caring.

These verses of scripture so remind me of him.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way. 

It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 

 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 

 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, 

and endures through every circumstance.

I love you, Daddy, and still miss you so much!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Happy Birthday.....

.....to my precious Mom!!!

Proverbs 31:28

Her children stand and bless her.

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

It's my birthday, too, yeah!!!

Psalm 139:16
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

I got the greatest birthday gift I've ever received!!!

Our kids arrived home from Uganda Friday night....

....and I have a brand new grand-daughter!!!

(pic taken in Uganda)

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes He is!!!

In HIS Most Precious L♥ve....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Happy Birthday!!!!

Thanks so much to all of you who commented on my post yesterday and also on Facebook.  A year is quite a long time to be without a job.  God blessed us in so many ways, though.  He also taught me A LOT.....things like putting away pride....depending entirely on HIM....and totally realizing that HIS time isn't the same as mine!!!  Pappy's official last day of work in 2011 was December 2nd.....his birthday.  Exactly one year later, he was given a brand new job....what an AWESOME birthday present, right?!?!?

Pappy, I love you more than you will ever know.  This past year, although difficult in a lot of ways, has been wonderful....we've grown even closer, spending time together in prayer and reading the Bible thru, taking turns reading each chapter out loud.  We've taken little day journeys together, gone grocery shopping, visited "my" thrift store,  and made lots of sweet memories (teaching me how to use the riding lawn mower to pick up leaves....another great form of therapy for me!!)  Our boys have grown so close to you, especially Sawyer who didn't want you to get a job!!!  I cannot wait to see how Miss Ruby Kate will wrap you around her little finger, too.  I'm gonna miss you like crazy tomorrow....and each and every day until you are able to retire.  Thank you for loving me and putting up with me on those days that my faith wasn't what it should have been....I'm so grateful for a loving God who understands that. I give HIM all the glory for putting us together.

Ain't God good?

Oh, yes HE is!!!

Happy, happy birthday, Pappy!!!

I love you with all my heart!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine, too!!!

Blessings,

Deb

Fantastic Friday - Edition #30!!!

First off, I want to wish my baby brother a very Happy Birthday!!!

He's 53 years "young" today.

 I ♥ you!!!

My brother and me - about 1964

I had planned to post some funny prayers said by kids, but let's put that off 'till another Fantastic Friday!!!  Instead....how 'bout "things that make me smile"!!!

Dawn and me!!!

I told her I'm ALWAYS the one on the right, but at least I'm stylin' in my shades!!!

.....and this one is so me sometimes......

Hope these made you smile and you have a "Fantastic Friday"!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Blessings,

Deb

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