Birthdays!!...Events!! and Other Things...

All four of our daughters, that are here at home, have birthdays within three weeks of each other!  It is a flurry of cake and celebrations back to back.  My children are all so precious to me but I never realized what a gift daughters are to a mother.  The comradery as we work side by side.  The love, support and friendship that develops over the years as they mature and grow.  I am blessed beyond measure.  They are all treasures to me.

Elizabeth turned 14 this year!  I see her blooming into a beautiful woman with every passing year.  She loves to do ballet and color.  She likes to help me garden, cook and keeps the kitchen in great shape.

Tim always gives the girls flowers on their birthdays!

Elizabeth wanted a cake with flowers on it, so my sister made her a very beautiful cake, for her special day.

Elizabeth has always been one of our hardest children to raise.  She has RAD and was so difficult, day after day her whole life...at times her behaviors were out of control and very taxing on our whole family.  Just exhausting.  We have staid the course all these years and been steadfast in prayer, love, discipline and hope, only by the grace of God.  I am overjoyed to share, that God has done a miracle and great work in Elizabeth, over the last six months.  The change has been nothing short of remarkable.  Her heart has been totally changed.  She is working very hard to be a new creature in Christ Jesus and the difference it has made in our home is breathtaking.  God is so faithful and true.  His Word does not return void and His mercies are fresh and new every morning.  Only our faithful God can change a heart and mind and make it truly His.  From her very fragile beginnings to now, she always was and will be my miracle girl!

Kindly helping Antonio to bowl the other day.

I thank you and praise you God for our precious daughter Elizabeth and the new work you are doing in her life.  May you have your hand on her, her whole life, leading and guiding her every step of the way.

Carolyn had her birthday next.  She turned 17 this year!  My sweet hearted, young lady is almost an adult!  Where does the time go?

She is still my right hand girl and so helpful around here.  She loves to do ballet and ride her pony Millie.  She is very good with children and animals.  I can honestly call her one of my very best friends.

Carolyn and her little spoiled dog Bella.

Carolyn collects these little rubber animals and her very favorite one is called Perry.  I guess he is from some TV show but we don't have piped in TV, so she has never watched it.  She carries that little rubber Perry in her pocket everywhere.  He is quite worn out.  She likes him so much, she wanted him on her birthday cake.  My sister did a great job of making her a Perry cake!  It made Carolyn's day!

Thank you Lord for my sweet and sassy daughter.  May she serve you all the days of her life and dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

William finished his GED recently.  Praise God!  He has worked so very hard at it all.  We got notification a few weeks ago, that he was going to be inducted as a member, into the National Adult Education Honor Society.  Tim and I got a sitter for that day and went to his pinning ceremony.  As all Williams teachers stood to speak about him, I almost cried.  God is so amazing.  He chose Tim to do the honor of pinning him.  He will wear a gold cord at his graduation ceremony.  Tim's parents came to it as well.  The school put on a luncheon for William after the ceremony.  It was such a nice time for him.

  William we are so pleased with you!

My sister took some of the children on two outings last month. She took this crew to the Etowah Indian burial mounds.

She took these two to Amicalola Falls.

Thank you Aunt S for enriching the children's lives and for all you, your husband and family do for us.

Tim and William went away for a weekend recently.  They left for their yearly trip to Bug-A-Paluza.  I am always amazed at all they do around here.  I really feel it, when they both leave every year.  It makes me appreciate them so much more.

William always takes hundreds of pictures off all the bugs and wants me to post so many of them.  I told him to pick two this year.

The weather has still been pretty and the flowers are in bloom. 

It is almost time to plant our garden!

God is so very good.  I pray God will lead and guide you as you learn and grow in Him.

Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Blessings,

susan