friday fun

Started a fun Friday with cute friends at the bowling alley :)

After-lunch at CFA...they look so big sometimes :(

Back at the house.  Reading while she waited for Fin to get here...she looks big too :((

Fun girl time...they are so quiet and calm

Meanwhile, the boys are not so calm but still very sweet and lots of fun.  It's hard to get a pic of them without some blurring ;)

Gehrig has had Bible Thrills events on Friday nights, so the girls and I had a dinner date while he was there and B was at practice.  I love that we are getting to this easy point of dinner out and conversation and fun girl time together :))

And when we got home, they melted my heart with their cute pretend play.  They set up an art class like the SMOCKS classes that Gehrig goes to.  Greer was the teacher and started with Garner as her student, then added Gehrig when he got home.  I just watched quietly from my red chair.  It was so.stinking.adorable.

These. are. the. days. :)

surprise visitors :)

Sadly, budget-watching kept us from making our annual MLK weekend visit to see everyone in Chattanooga.  :(  We missed it so much, but planned to catch up on things around the house and do some local visiting too.  We enjoyed some good Miller time at our country house :) on Friday night and then got a last minute visit from the Links as they came up for some house hunting Saturday AND the Owens ended up in town too!  So fun to have everyone together for some playtime and catching up...

All the Links, Owens & Massey kiddos :)

Andrew was showered with toys and affection :)

Can't express how thankful I am for these friendships...and always glad for time together.

Later that night, we visited and the boys fell asleep.  So cute :)

Sweet Sunday morning playtime with the Link boys...

And Gehrig and Sam matched for church :)

Garner thought she was big controlling the computer...they watched some cute videos for Madi's schoolwork

And Monday, we learned lots about Martin Luther King Jr. and how much he did for our country.  So thankful for his life and lessons to pass on to our kids!

I love this view.  Can't wait until they are here for good!

#revivalNOW

For the last year or two, our FCA leaders have been more burdened for the lost than we've ever seen. Burdened for their school, for our county, the surrounding areas and far beyond.  They have prayed and discussed ways to reach them and to bring together area schools for a community-wide night of worship and revival.  One night last fall in our living room, it all starting coming together to prepare a gathering in January that would ignite and encourage hearts for the Lord.  As the days and weeks passed, more details came together (speaker, band, location, awesome support) and before we knew it, Christmas break was over and it was time to get the word out.

Our awesomely talented friend put together a logo for us and we started getting it out on social media about a week out...

We also canvassed the area schools with flyers that another sweet friend put together for us and prayed.  A lot.  Our heart behind it was that many would come, believers and non, and most of all, that He would be glorified!  However, we really didn't know whether to expect 5 or 200.  It's hard to describe the excitement of that day.  We were so thankful and in awe when the doors opened and 500 streamed in!!

Our church's amazing band led worship and then Willie spoke and then, the Spirit moved mightily! Later that night, B and I were in tears as we went through over 150 decision cards for salvation or rededication and read comments of "I need Jesus" and so much more.  We are so so thankful for so many who served and met with those students that night and helped with details and organization that we'll never know about.  Reading social media once we got home and seeing so many students proclaiming His name and testifying about His work in their hearts there, made it all so worth it...and we were/are overwhelmed.by.HIM.

The leaders, Willie and B.  Hearts that love the Lord and love the lost and responded to the vision He laid on their hearts.  My heart swells with love and pride for them.

And so, the work continues!  Each leader has followed up with a share of those who made decisions, we've gotten in touch with adult leaders in their lives and we continue to pray for them and look for ways to spread the gospel here...so that #revivalNOW grows and continues and becomes #revivalALWAYS.  Praying big and so thankful to witness His changing power.  There is nothing better than seeing the heart change of a new believer.  The old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corin 5:17  Amazing, amazing grace...

filming garner

We have countless video tapes from Gehrig's first few years...when we still had a working video camera and time to find and use it.  Not the case after two and then, three kids.  Thankfully, our phones capture moments with Garner, especially at this age that is just so stinking cute :)

When they were supposed to be playing one afternoon while I finished up with work...

One day in Target...she would rather plop down in the book section than play in the toy aisles :)

When I was trying to explain that Jessica and Eric were coming to visit one weekend...she was determined that it was the other Jessica and Bebe (who visited together in October).

She "reads" to herself 24/7...one time that B caught on video without her saying "don't video me!"

And finally, singing "All the angels sing hallelujah, Jesus Christ is born!" :))

Thanks for watching :).  On to January...

december other

SO can't believe it's already the 23rd of January!  I still feel like we are working to get back into routine and normal life this new year.  Finishing up some pics from December here and then one more post with videos I want to document and then on to the new year finally!

My quiet time view on December mornings is so peaceful and beautiful...

Sent over from Jen to show Gentry's notes on his phonics one morning...made me stop again to thank the Lord for such great buddies for Gehr :))

After resttime I found this...the sign says "no parents aloud"

And a favorite thankful journal from Gehr

So many dreary days in December made us stop and look one morning when the sun broke through!

And the boys worked hard on their bowl game picks.  Gehrig ended up winning the whole pool!  (With Daddy and other coaches against him :))

Silly boy drawing his animal on his thankful journal this day :)

And has just been awhile since I captured her preschool time.  L is for leaf!

My birthday treat from my sweet hubby!  I shared the donuts, but not the drink ;)

Love my sweet Greer...she cut pics out of a magazine and picked something Madi loves for the "give" side.

Playing with the awesome vintage nativity at the Bournes

And snuggling with her friends "illegally" one morning ;)

One of my favorite pictures ever.  It captures her so well right now....girly bookworm and shoe-rule rebel ;)

Normally, they go to resttime from 2-4.  On a day I had an early work call, they slipped me a note to make sure I wasn't going to forget about them :)

 Football with Gench...and the best photobomber, Camp :)

Lacing fun from the Ruckers to get her through college football bowl season.  Because you can bet that Gehrig wanted to watch every.single.game :)

Giftcard lunch out after church...love their cute faces :)

She insists on dresses most days...even when completely inappropriate for the season

Found this under the tree...with no idea of what it was or when it was wrapped :)

And finishing up with a nice evening view too.  A blessed and busy season...so thankful :))