In 1984 a tall skinny hot blonde walked into my junior high school ... I was totally curious about him ... He was new, cute, an athlete, and not like the other guys I had grown up w/ ... This was just the beginning of a teenage romance full of all the drama that comes w/ high school ...We got engaged one year out of high school and married Dec. 29th, 1990 ... It was a beautiful Christmas wedding ... White lighted Christmas trees, red satin bows on the pews, and toped off w/ Scott surprising me w/ singing a song at our wedding ... The song "Always and Forever" by HeatWave had never sounded so good (not a dry eye in the church when he was done)... Scott has more talents than anyone I have ever met ... I used to ask myself all the time in high school, "Why Did He Pick Me?" ... Just being around him would give me butterflies (and still does on date night)... He was and still is my Prince Charming ... Our love has grown so much over the years and had its fair share of testing ... I won't pretend there weren't some really rough years in the beginning as we were still growing up and finding out who God wanted us to be,but thank the Lord He keep us together and grew our hearts to perfectly intertwine ...

Our entire life changed the day Jeremiah was born. We became a new, beautiful, and blessed family ... As God continued to bless us w/ Elijah, Emily, and now Maggie our hearts expanded more and more for the Lord and all that He would bless us w/ ... I am so proud to be Scott's wife ... He is an amazing provider, friend, soul mate, and ultimately my most favorite man on this earth ... He is my other half ... I love him more today than the day we got married ...

So Scott, I love you w/ all my being, you keep me laughing, you meet all my needs, you spiritually lead me and our family, you support me in all my crazy plans, you make me feel safe and secure, you make me feel beautiful and loved ... I pray you always feel the same !!!

Happy Anniversary to US !!!!

P.S. I had some amazing pictures of us at Junior and Senior prom, 1st married, and family shots as each child entered our life, but couldn't get them scanned ... So I will leave you waiting for these fun pictures of my really big hair, Scott's super blonde hair, and our youthful smiles ...

This question seems to be ask a lot this time of year and honestly I don't think I can answer it this year ... My mind has been wrestling w/ NEED vs WANT ...

I WANT Maggie's head to already be fixed.
I WANT Scott not to have to work 7 days a week.
I WANT Katie's kids to all have enough to eat and a blanket to snuggle under at night.
I WANT Abigail and Joseph home from Ethiopia.
I WANT my children to always be safe.
I WANT there to be no more orphans in the world.
I WANT all my friends who are waiting for children to get the call they have a child.
I WANT some very precious people struggling w/ terminal diseases to be cured.
I WANT marriages to be healed that are broken.
I WANT Cade's sight to be okay.
I WANT there to be no more racism in the world.
I WANT the Chapman's heart to heal.
I WANT Abe to get his miracle.
I WANT people down at the shelter to know they are loved.
I WANT Erica to know how beautiful she is as a creature of the Lord.
I WANT so much more than this, but this is what fills my days, my prayers, my heart ...

But in reality what I NEED is to stay broken and in prayer for all of the above because it is what keeps my focus on the FATHER during this season. I NEED to give more of myself to the FATHER's people .... I NEED to keep the faces of all those I love in my thoughts !!!! I simply NEED Jesus on a daily basis ...

I am asking anyone who reads my blog to please consider placing Katie's Button on their sidebar ... There are so many people both young and older who need to read her journey. You need to see how God took a 17 year old girl and placed her in Uganda to do HIS mighty work. This was a girl who had never really considered life on the mission field just knew God called her to love children ... She goes to Uganda and God says, "YOU ARE HOME, NOW BEGIN MY WORK." ...She is now mother of 9 children and provides for 191 children to go to school, get 2 hot meals a day, and get medical care and she does that w/ the help of people like me and you ...

But my encouragement is for you to go back to the beginning of her blog and make it a daily journal till you read it all ... Read about how she rid a family of scabies, took bananas/water to the hospital and ended up delivering a baby, cut the head off of chickens to feed her family, nursed a dying child back to life only to have her mother reject her again, and so much more ... IT WILL BE THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE EVER READ ... And it all really happened ...

It is encouraging to me to see such a young woman w/ reckless abandon follow our Lord and Savior to the Least of These ...

This is what the season is all about it ... GIVING AND GIVING ...

Thanks for always understanding my heart ... Love to you all this week !!!

This was the best 24 hours ... Emily Alexander was in town from TX and I just love this woman so much ... She has become my sister and we have only physically seen each other twice ... I feel completely connected to her ... Her spirit inspires me to dig deeper ... I love you EM (aka Gertie).
Suzanne, Em, Me, and Corrine ... Corrine is the one who connected Suz and I to Em ... Corrine has an amazing servant's heart and is always there helping people and journeying w/ them ... Love Ya Girl ...
The blog world meets ... Kelly, Kristi, Tracy, Me, Katie, Lindsey, Suzanne, and Em ... I meet Kelly, Kristi, and Tracy a few months ago because of our blogs ... These women have amazing faith and amazing stories ... I love hanging w/ them and talking adoption ... Lindsey just got back from Guatemala w/ an adorable little girl ... We just all had an amazing time at Kristi's house fellowshipping w/ Em ... Kristi is way better than Martha Stewart because she is cool, cute, and so much fun to be w/ .... I love all these women and feel so blessed that God saw fit to have them enter my life at this time!


UGANDA DINNER ... We thought it would be a fun experience for our families if we had Katie fix us a Uganda dinner, so our kids could see what her kids are eating ... We just love all of Katie's kids, we have pictures of them, we know their stories, we pray for them, and we just want to understand just a small part of their life as we love them from afar ...

Maggie just loves her Katie ...
Scott loves to mimic Joshua ...
Katie's Mom (Mary Pat), Suz, Katie, Me, and Yolanda
Watch out for these two! They could change the world like Katie if they choose -Mallory & Grace
Anna and Maggie ... Anna is so sweet to my family ... I adore her ... She is like my sister !!!
Katie and her American Kids ... We are sending her back w/ this picture so her Uganda family can get to know our faces ...
Katie and Ben .... Aren't they just the cutest couple ... Young and In Love !!!!
At the table looking at the food !!! They really didn't get very excited about the cabbage, veggies, beans, and posho (flour like tortillas) ...
In the kitchen hard at work ... The kids loved helping out ... Mike is observing !!!
Emily and Mallory ... Precious two hearts !!!
Suzanne, Katie and Me
Suzanne and I were mixing up some nasty stuff .... I don't think but 3 bites were eaten of this cornmeal and water combo ... LOL (notice the diet coke in the bottom of the picture, not sure they get many of those in Uganda, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do ) ...
Please don't burn my kitchen down girls ...

THANKSGIVING always puts so much in perspective ... I am thankful for many things and my family and friends are at the top of that list ... Lord Thank You !!!!
Aunt Leigh Ann and Emily ... Picture Pefect ..
My Older Brother (just joking Paul ... I am older), and our amazing parents Judy and Allen ... The four of us have endured a lot and so thankful that we have stuck together .... These were the first 3 people to ever love me, believe in me, and encourage me in my dreams ...
Tori and Scott ... I joke that I think Tori was the first child Scott ever feel in love w/ ... She was the cutest little thing ever ... He would call her Mariah Carey as she lip synced the theme to Pocahontas ... Now she is all grown up ... We love you Tori !!!

These two are trouble ... Both competitive to the nth degree ... They have so much fun together and just watching them makes me tired ...
Tori and my girls ... They love using her for a monkey bar ...
My sister-in-law Leigh Ann ... She is one of the strongest women I know ... She serves our country in the Military and has had to move so many times in her life ... I am very proud of her !
My two beautiful nieces ... They are amazing soccer players, but more than that they are kind and beautiful on the inside ... I am so proud of you !!!!
This is Mackenzie ... I call her MINI ME ... I appreciate my sister-in-law having a daughter that looks like me ... You are the BEST ...
Emily, Elijah, and Dailen (cousin) collecting leaves ... It keep them busy for an hour .. It was fantastic ...
Emily and Cousin Rayna (freshmen at Smyrna High School)



We attended 4 different Thanksgiving meals ... This is the one hosted at our house for Scott's side of the family ... We were missing many this year due to travel, work, etc ... We had a great time, but did miss those who couldn't be w/ us ... We are excited to add Stephen to our bunch ... He is Tori's new boyfriend ... He is a Marine !!!!

Just spent the most amazing 5 hours w/ Emily Alexander from Texas, Corrine (who introduced Suzanne and I to Emily), and Suzanne ... We sat around a fire, ate delicious food (thanks Corrine for serving us so sweetly), and just chatted the way women do, cried, prayed, and just enjoyed being together ... Emily is an amazing woman on the journey of a lifetime ... Please visit her blog and be inspired to be closer to the Lord ...

STAY TUNED FOR THANKSGIVING PICTURES AND PICTURES OF OUR UGANDA DINNER W/ KATIE ...

It is has been a packed few days ... I feel blessed beyond words !!!!