It Is Well.....

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Last Sunday we dedicated Greyson Michael Francy in our church. Before we went up for the dedication, we sang that song. As I sat there tears flowed down my cheeks, and thoughts rushed through my mind. It didn't have to be this way.....I could have been sitting at my sons memorial service singing that same song. And a sweet friend from church is going to do that very thing this week. She will bury her son...And it breaks my heart.

Horatio Spafford wrote that hymn. He had his only son die, then sent his wife and daughters on a trip and was to meet them. The boat sank and his only four daughters died. His wife survived. As he took a boat to meet his wife, and passed the location where his children passed, he wrote those words....It is well with my soul.....That my friends, is faith.

There has been such heartache going on around me. That is the second time in the last week that I have learned of the death of a child. It is the thing that scares me the most. Loosing my children. I can't and don't want to ever imagine that feeling. It isn't right....parents shouldn't bury their children. But God has a plan, and I don't doubt it....not for a minute.

So with that.....the Buyer withdrew the contract. My house is on the market again. But it is well....God has a plan....Please don't think a thing about it.....Just pray for my sweet friend.

My Life....

Lately everything in my world is upside down. On Sunday we moved out of our house. On Monday, we found out that our house did not appraise. Not for the lack of fight from my amazing Real Estate Team. The jury is still out on if we are going to actually close or have to put the house back on the market. But guess what..... I DON'T CARE! Sure - it is a little disappointing, and of course it is inconvenient. But lately - I have had a better perspective on what is important. A friend, dare I say one of my best friends lately, has helped me gain perspective on what is important....and what should stress me out. Ironically enough the other day SHE was giving me the pep talk. So that is what is up with us, pray our house closes on the 6th of March, but please pray it happens only if that is what God has for us in his will. 

On a more fun note. I have taken a challenge. Here goes:

Here are the official rules: I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this post requesting to join the PIF exchange. All the gifts will be made and sent out sometime soon (not within the next year - I will forget if I take too long). How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive. What you need to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ON YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. Recap: The first three people who comment, commit to the PIF thing. The gifts are supposed to be hand made. I know a lot of you are probably thinking that you can't get in on it because you aren't "crafty" enough. If you really want in on it but don't find yourself crafty enough, I am sure it would be okay to support someone you know that has a handmade crafty kind of business. Buy a gift from them. Got it?

1 Samuel 1:27

1 Samuel 1:27 (New International Version)
27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

It took me almost three years to have my first child, Ragon. And she is TWO today. Wow - time flies. So today on her 2nd Birthday I want to tell you my fifteen most favorite things about Ragon....



15. Her sweet smile really does light up a room.

14. She loves for me to hold her and when she wants David or I to hold her she walks up and says, "hold you"?

13. She loves her family, and when she sees them it is as if she hasn't seen them in years. She will squeal and run up to them yelling their name. Even if it was yesterday that she saw them!

12. She loves to dance. She will come up to me and say "Jack Offbach" (that is Jaques Offenbach) on starfall, we play the "Can Can" song, and she, David and I dance away!

11. She loves to sing. We sing "this little light of mine" and when it comes to the "hide it under a bushel" she so cutely shouts "NO"....

10. She loves her brother. She is the security guard for Greyson. She doesn't like people she doesn't know touching her brother.

9. She loves starfall. She is a smart little girl, she sings ABC, counts to 15 and can tell you the sound of every letter in the alphabet.

8. She is obedient. Although my child is such the spitfire! She obeys well. She - to this day- will put herself in time out. If I tell sister to go, she will go. She follows instructions well. Now we just have to work on sharing and hitting!

7. Everywhere she goes, she is in a hurry (she got this from me). She literally runs from point A to point B.

6. She is a talker. She talks pretty well for a two year old. (Albeit, not like a Shockley) But she can say a lot. The other day, she pointed to the sky and said, "I see the moon". I laughed because it was broad daylight...but low and behold....the moon!

5. She loves to play "mommy". She has four dolls now and proceeds to carry them ALL around the house. She burps them, feeds them and rocks them. She will be such a good mommy one day!

4. She loves her daddy! If he is here, he is definitely her choice of person to hang with.

3. When we tuck her in at night, she looks at David and I and pats the pillow and says "sit down"....and she won't pray her prayers unless we are all there!

2. One day I was singing in the car, and I looked in my rear view mirror. I was singing a praise song. I look back and Ragon was sitting there with her fingers in her mouth and the other hand was in the air......praising the Lord right along with me.

1. The one thing that I love most about my daughter, is that when I see her every morning, I am reminded, that God can preform miracles.....

My Valentine....

I got onto my husband and made him promise that he wouldn't spend money on me this Valentine. He promised, so he gave me a gift that is my most favorite and my love language...he gave me his words. He gave me a little letter, and here is what it said....(yes I got approval from him to post)

I AM

I Am Sorry

I am sorry that I snore, I am sorry that it sometimes takes forever to wake me up when the kids are crying at night, I am sorry that I complain about getting your hot packs, I am sorry that I don't tell you the things I feel more often, I am sorry that I don't tell you the things I think more often, I am sorry that I don't tell you I love you more often, I am sorry that I don't tell you how grateful I am for giving me our children, I am sorry that I don't tell you enough that I think you are more sexy and beautiful that I have ever seen you.

I Love

I love the way you always think of our children first, I love the way you cry over sad stories, I love the way you drool when you fall asleep on the couch, I love the way you accomplish every thing you want to, I love rubbing you to put you to sleep, I love being able to surprise you, I love the way you love our families, I love when we get to lay in bed with our kids, I love going to bed with you, I love waking up with you

I Am Grateful

I am grateful that you are frugal, I am grateful that you like to be with me, I am grateful that you let me be me, I am grateful for the way you are with our children, I am grateful that you love them so much you have given up your career for them, I am grateful that you trust me, I am grateful that you love and trust God so much, I am grateful that you fight for victims, I am grateful that you don't let people change who you are, I am grateful that you are patient with me, I am grateful that you hold me accountable, I am grateful that you are passionate about everything you do, I am grateful that you chose me to be your husband.

I Hope

I hope you know how important you are to me, I hope you know how much your children love you, I hope you know how great a mother you are, I hope you know how great a wife you are, I hope you know how much I love you, I hope you know how much I need you, I hope you know how attracted to you I am, I hope you know how much I want to be with you, I hope you know how much I think about you, I hope you know how much I want to make you happy, I hope I remember to tell you all of these things more often, I hope you know how much I love my life, I hope you know how much I love my family.

I am in Love.

I am in love with you more than ever.....

David

______________________________________

On another note, today (Valentines) we took the Micah Challenge - and we decided to deliver donuts to the local firefighters, to make a long story short, they were out on the job! Then we went to the police station - Yep! Again - they were under construction and couldn't get in. But there were some very sweet construction workers working hard in the cold to complete the Police Station, so we gave them the donuts! If you haven't read about Micah, he is a wonderful little boy and has such a vision! This is a picture of Ragon with the picture (aka valentine) she drew for the fire fighters!

Grey....and George....

My children are blessed enough to have a "Mimi" that watches them two days a week, while their mom maintains her sanity working two days a week! My latest assignment is at the Justice Center. Many of you think I am absolutely crazy because I have a hard time placing my children in the care of anyone other than a relative. I spend the entire day reviewing cases like these. I am so thankful that we have Mimi to take care of the kids. I am able to work all day and not once worry about my children's safety or welfare. Now just to clear the air, I DO NOT THINK that daycare is bad, at all. It is just that I spend the entire day reviewing child abuse cases, and it is hard to convince my head that it isn't the norm. Even though I know it isn't!

Anyway - today David picked up the kiddos. Grey had peed all over the outfit I sent him in, so she had to change his clothes. Apparently I put an outfit in his bag that was WAY too small. I really don't think that I have accepted how quickly my little man has grown up. He almost weighs fifteen pounds, and is in the 80% in height. This outfit is 6-9 months, and he is just over three months. Here is a picture of Greyson in the outfit and his sisters socks.....she put the socks on so his legs wouldn't get cold! I laughed so hard, as you can tell - he didn't find it as funny.






























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My rockin friend Kim gave me a TON of clothes for Grey. I am having so much fun going through them. David turned around the other day and low and behold, here is Ragon....she had gotten into the bag....have we mentioned she loves George?

My Daddy Can Beat Up Your Daddy......

Well I did a little "tribute" to my Mom....and so I felt that I really couldn't go without doing one about my Dad. You REALLY must meet my Dad. He is one of those people...well - everyone likes him. Some people call him Steve, or Murf....sometimes Murphy...the wee ones in our family lovingly call him Papa....my sisters and I - well, we call him Dad.

In case you are wondering and you don't know me or my family......I am a carbon copy of my Dad. Ragon is a carbon copy of me....and the craziness just goes on and on...

Here are the Top 10 Lessons My Dad has taught me....

10. Don't put value in things. (You should know this about me, I have NO emotional connection to "things" - so don't give me a gift, expecting me to hold on to it forever and have a sentimental attachment - it just isn't going to happen!)

9. Don't judge others - you never know where they have been.

8. Delay gratification - do the work first - then play!

7. Educational debt is good investment.

6. You don't know anything unless you know it first hand. (aka gossip sucks! - if you weren't there, you don't know what happened - I think he had to tell me this a thousand times)

5. Murphy's don't say "can't" - we just knuckle down, buckle down and (say it sisters) DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!! (My Dad taught me that nothing I want is beyond reach)

4. Watch your mouth. Your mouth can build a person up or tear a person down. Make sure you are always building someone up.

3. Work hard no matter what. My Dad brought me up to have a good work ethic. If my Dad had to take a job flipping burgers at McDonalds to pay the bills he would...and so would I. My Dad taught me to do what has to be done to get by. I taught Jazzercise and cleaned offices to get through law school....and you know what? I am PROUD of that!

2. Love your neighbor - recently my Dad has taught me to always remember that EVERYONE has value. Be it the homeless person on your corner, the senior citizen in the retirement community, the drug addict, or the sex offender (yes i said that)....they all have value. Christ loves them and we should show them grace....he doesn't just say this - he lives it.

1. Christ is everything....God is the center of my Dad's life, he is the center of his family. Jesus Christ is my Dad's savior, and you will know this the minute you meet him, because he lives it, he breathes it, and he speaks it. And I am so proud.

I love my Daddy, and I love him more and more every day for the woman that he brought me up to be. Now that I have a daughter who is like me, I know how he feels about me. He is one of the few people on Earth who fully "gets" me. He gets that I feel everything passionately, he gets that I love others deeply, he gets how desperately I want to help victims of crime, he understands that I would take the shirt off my back if you really need it, and he tears up the same way I do when they raise the flag and salute military, and he praises the same God I do everyday for the blessings he has bestowed upon our family.

And that my friends......is my Daddy.