God is so GOOD!

This may seem insignificant to some, but to me it was a direct answer to prayer. Like a lot of families (especially one income families) we're tightening our belts and spending money only on what is most important. Our needs. Not wants. And even then, things are tight. So, it's time to buy Ruthie some new shoes... she only has one pair that fit and they're getting very close to not fitting.

And, Ruthie is a DIFFICULT little girl to buy shoes for... She has the tiniest ankles and heels and a very narrow foot. So, all of the super cute and realitivey inexpensive shoes that you may find at say... Target... NEVER fit her feet. They just fall right off. It's not even close enough to be "good enough"...

So, to put shoes on Ruthie's feet that actually fit right and won't trip her when she walks... assuming she actually learns to walk sometime soon... we must go to Stride Rite. Any parents out there who have ever bought their child shoes know that this is an expensive endeavor. I mean, the kids shoes there are more than I spend on my own shoes...

But, It's to the point where we can't put it off any longer and with the next paycheck we're going to take a trip to Stride Rite and mortgage some shoes. I've been praying about our budget asking God what I can do to help alleviate it (it seems that 1/2 of the budget is going to gas and if those prices ever drop we'll be in good shape!) when in the mail... email... came a coveted coupon from Stride Rite. 15% off!!! I can't believe it. Just in time for our purchase.

God so knows the exact timing of all our needs, and just like the Bible says in Matthew 6:25-27, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

Miracles of Love

Words can't describe my emotions as I sit and rock my precious little girl with her head on my shoulder and her arms around my neck. She is playing with my hair. I am holding her tight. Rocking my sleeping little girl. She is growing up so fast. These last 7 1/2 months have just flown by. I am trying desperately to savor each day and each stage of her life, but I feel like they are slipping through my fingertips as she makes her way to the next milestone and stage.

My precious Ruthie is such a joy. The utmost honor I have is to be her mom. To love her, rock her, feed her, laugh with her, watch her grow and develop is what makes my mommy heart sing. Her personality is so sweet and loving. She truly is a loving and tender hearted little girl. She's funny and enjoys playing games and laughing. She's got the BEST tickle spots and laughs right out loud when's tickled. She plays with her friends Duck and Octopus and loves her shiny little fishy. Taggy is a constant friend too.

She sings and talks all the time. What a beautiful melody it is. I am so glad that my home will be filled with the sound of her voice for so many years to come. My heart wells up and spills over with wonder, amazement, love, joy and such a sense of awe. I can't believe that God entrusted me with this precious, perfect little life.

She loves others and interacts so well with everyone. There isn't a soul at church who isn't greeted with a smile on Sunday. She has enough love to share and shares it freely. Her smiles light up a room, and she draws people to her. Everywhere we go, she is the attention grabber.

I am absolutely humbled by my precious little girl. Truly grateful for the opportunity to guide, direct, teach, and observe this wonderful gift from God. If only I could bottle my feelings and make time stand still... but then at the same moment I can't wait to see her crawl, walk, and run. To jump and swim, to hear her talk and to watch her bloom even more into God's little girl. To come through those rocky years of adolescence and become close friends. I guess that is why my heart is so full. It is full of love, full of hope, full of wonder, full of dreams for the future.


I love you, Ruthie. You are my sweet pea, my lovie, my Ruthie Roo. You make my mommy heart sing.

Giving Back to the Lord!

Yesterday was a very sweet day for us as we dedicated our sweet Ruthie back to our Lord. We were blessed by many family attending church with us! Grandma Fogle and Grandma and Paw-Paw Zeller; Aunt Mardi, Uncle Jack, Luke, and Bailey; Aunt Angie, Uncle Adam, Michel, and Tiffany were all there. Plus, our sweet friend Sandy! Not to mention our church family who were there to celebrate with us! We also had family who wished they could be there but were out of town!

Our family came to the front of the church where Pastor Billy said a little about Ruthie (like he hasn't heard her cry yet...talk about asking for trouble!) and our Family. He talked about Tony and how he is the head of our house and the Spiritual leader of our family (his girls!). Then the elders came up and Billy anointed her head with oil and lifted her up in prayer! Our hearts were so full!

Lord, again, I lift Ruthie up to you. She is your gift and blessing to us. We are so honored and blessed that you would allow us to raise Ruthie and we pray that you would give us the wisdom to raise her in YOU, oh Lord. We ask that you would seal your Word upon her heart. That you would speak to her and the Holy Spirit would call to her so she would answer to great and mighty things for Your glory. Lord, go before her and behind her, and keep your hand upon her. Lord we recognize she is Yours. We thank you for the blessing she is to our life. Amen

After church we had everyone over to our house for lunch. Ham, mac n cheese, green beans and corn casserole (thanks Alana for the recipe!) It was yummy if I do say so!

Here are some pictures of this blessed event:

The Swing Saga

Ok, SAGA is kind of a stretch (I just liked how the title sounds)...

You know how deciding each item to put on your baby's registry is the MOST important thing? Even down to which burp cloth do we want? I mean really, is little Ruthie going to care if she has the sunshine burp cloths or the forest burp cloths when she spitting up on them? But, as a new mom-to-be, it is VERY important to me!! So you can imagine how important things like strollers, car seats, and swings are to me as well. I spent a lot of time researching each item for safety and ease of use ratings from experts and parents alike.

Well, Tony and I registered together, and we both really happen to like the Natures Touch Baby Papasan swing. There are several reasons why we choose this swing. First, the part that you put the baby in is a cradle like shape which looks really inviting, soft, warm, and cuddly. When we were imagining what our daughter would want I could totally see her loving this swing. Also, it rocks side to side and back and forth. It has a very developmentally appropriate (that's the teacher in me coming out) mirror for her to look at herself in, and it plays lovely classical music/nature sounds. All of this wonder can be yours for the small price of $140.00!! Yes, that's right. $140.00.

So, when we were looking at what we still needed before our little one joined us on the outside I started to add everything up and quickly thought there must be a better way...

(enter super hero with a cape on his back, can you hear the music?)

That's when my friend was telling me she had been on craigs list and saw 2 of my exact swings. Can you believe it? Now, I'd been on craigs list before, but I hadn't thought about going on and looking for the swing. So I went right home and to my surprise there they were both listed under $60.

The Lord is so good and gracious. He care about all things, even the things that may seem silly to the God of the Universe, King of Kings. He gave me the exact swing I wanted, less than 5 months old, for over 1/2 the price. He is Good. All the Time!!