Babies are priceless!

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since you have had the privilege of viewing my darling little man!

He brings such joy!  I love it when my errands take me close to my brothers house. (and close can be a very flexible word:) *smile*

You have to admit it...you just want to squeeze him don't you?!?

And of course I just have to show-off one of my other lil' sweeties!  Yelena never fails to make me laugh!  Her expressions are just so...adorable!  *smile*

Set Apart Girl

A couple months ago a friend of mine told me to go and check out this online Magazine put on by Leslie Ludy.  I have really enjoyed reading some of her books and so I went to check it out--I was challenged, inspired and encouraged in the Lord through it!

So I encourage you to go and read it for yourself!

Set Apart Girl Magazine

Mommy

 Happy Birthday, Mom!!

For those of you who don't know my mother you are really missing out!  And if you do know her, why not drop and note and let her know?

If you have ever wondered where my brothers get their competitive nature...wonder no longer:)

Mom, I love how you do everything with your whole heart.  Whether it's serving the Lord, playing Scrabble, spending time in prayer or playing knock-out, you never hold anything back:)

Thank you for your godly example of a wife and mother.  Thank you for being a living example of one who seeks the pleasure of God more then the pleasure of man.

I love you!

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Col 3:16-17

Branson!

You will have to excuse the lateness of this post.  A month as already passed since I've been to Branson, but there have been lots of things going on, like...sewing Christmas orders, delivering babies...stuff like that:) *smile*

And once again I didn't take any pictures.  At all.  In fact when my family left for home I *accidentally* left my camera in the van, so it was hundreds of miles away--that's my excuse this time:)  So instead of lots of pictures I'm gonna give you lots of special hints just in case you manage to find yourself in Branson--and these are especially good if you find yourself staying with a large family that puts on their very own show!

So...here goes it;

-Never, never and I mean never underestimate how much work goes into producing a show!  I got to watch what happens behind the scenes...it takes lots of work, and we will just leave it at that! *smile*

-Make sure the family you are staying with has a good sense of humor...it comes in handy!

-And the flip side of that...if you intend to put some of your wonderful humor to use...remember the quote "you dish it, you take it."

-Early morning runs are a great way to start the day--especially if it's a little chilly:)

-Flexibility is a must--whatever situation you find yourself in, make the best of it!

-The balcony is the best place to watch a show...especially if you have a friend with you;)

-Dixie Stampede is AMAZING

-Dixie Stampedes food is even more AMAZING

-The Nativity at Dixie Stampede is the best.  Ever.

-Go to Dixie Stampede:)

-Swimming in an outdoor pool while 'back home' their shoveling snow makes a really great Facebook status. lol

(swimming *smile*)

- If the group you are with happens to sing at restaurants every morning to advertise their show, and you just happen to find yourself waiting in the van, immediately begin to search for a sign like this one!

Because if it is all lit up and pretty like this one is that means you will get to enjoy one of these...

And yes, they are YUM!  And they make the waiting all the more worth it!  Oh, and an extra 'hint' to save yourself some searching...the Krispy Kreme in Branson is located right next to a Denny's...it's a very easy walk--as long as you don't go around the back way.

-And if you ever go to Branson be sure to go and see the Wissmann Family Christmas!!  It's the BEST show in town...granted I only saw one other show...but who cares:)

My lil' man!

Babies are one of God's most precious creations.  Especially this one! 

From his big hands, his soft light brown hair, to the most kissable cheeks you ever saw...he is pure perfection:)  I know that, being his Aunt and all, you might think I am little biased.  But come and see for yourself.  You won't be disappointed:)

Thank you, Lord for such a precious little boy!  As he grows up, shape him, and make him, into the man you long for.  May he truly be a "man after God's own heart",  Desiring the pleasure of God more the applause of men!

I pray"...that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God..." Col 1:10

Welcoming to the world....

Edmund Nathanael Beasley

born to Caleb and Abby Beasley

Born December 9th at 3:35pm

Weight: 8lbs 13oz.

Length: 22"

This is just to whet your appetite...there will be LOTS more pictures and info to come!!  But until then just trust me...he is absolutely a heart throb!  *smile*  I have the cutest nephew EVER!  :)

"I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all Your wonders."

Psalm 9:1

Psalm 9:10

"Those who know Your name will trust in You, 

for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You."

Grommets...*smile*

This may seem like a strange post.  And it is:)  But this post isn't necessarily to share this memory with you as it is to record it to be remembered!  But, before you come to any conclusion, let me explain myself!

I have grown up with a certain friend.   And this certain friend and I have made quite a few interesting memories together.  We were no ordinary children--at all.   And when we get together, which isn't too terribly often anymore due to certain studying habits, we love to rehash all our fun/amazing stories.  And most of them carry a common theme which is; why spend more money/time to do something the "right/safe/easier" way when you could accomplish the same thing in a more, shall we say, creative/fun/inexpensive way?  Most of the projects ended up taking way more time...etc.  But the memories are half the fun right?  Yes.  At least that's what we have decided:)

Now you still might be confused, so let me give you an example.  The only thing is...that this is a more recent example.  Like last week recent.  The project that I needed to do was, set 4 grommets into 2 bags.   

The proper tools to use?  A grommet setter--which would have cost us $22.50 (we did try to use the one picture below, but it was too small)

When I decided to use grommets I thought to myself "I know my friend has a grommet setter, and it will only take a couple minutes to set them...perfect way to save some money."  If I would have thought back to the dozens of times I had thought that same thing...I might have just bought the specific setter...

The tools we ended up using

I went down the stairs thinking it would only take about 10 min.  I had with me 8 grommets...

I emerged an hour later with the 4 grommets set and 4 grommets that were used as 'testers'.  It involved the use of 13 different tools...don't ask for an explanation...and it ended with another fun memory!  

You have a job that needs done?

You might want to think twice before asking us to do it for you:)  lol

Joy

I don't know about you but, when I have a ton to do, I like to make lists! And recently I have gotten some good practice at that. Now the main reason for my love of lists is; I get to cross things off my list...it makes me feel like I'm getting something done--and normally that's the case. But do you ever have those days where the to-do list is super long and then something else comes up that you have to do but isn't on the original list and then it takes the rest of the day to finish? So when you finally look at your list at the end of the day it seems like nothing as been accomplished!

Now maybe you're smarter then me, and add that specific responsibility to your list, that way you can cross it off and feel like you're getting something done. Or maybe you're the type of person that doesn't do lists at all and are thinking "why in the world is she doing a whole blog post about lists? She must be crazy!" (And you're not going to tell me that the last statement hasn't ever crossed your mind:)

But the point of this post is not to ramble on about lists, or to make an excuse for not blogging.

This is a busy season of life. Now maybe you have lots of free time and don't ever feel overwhelmed, and if that's the case you can stop reading. But the majority of people I have talked to are busy. Life is full. And it's full of good things. Things that God has given us to do. Yet in the midst of these responsibilities and long lists I tend to find myself feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, bogged down...etc.

One morning last week I was feeling particularly overwhelmed and God gave me this verse;

"You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

It is God who gives joy! We don't get it from sleeping in, spending time with friends or crossing things off our lists, we get our joy from the Lord. Let me rephrase that. We get true, lasting and satisfying joy from our Lord. Joy that will allow us to sing in the midst of stressful day. Joy that puts a smile on our on face when things don't go as planned.

So if you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, discouraged, tired..whatever it might, stop a minute come before the Lord. Allow Him to clothe you with joy that you may sing unto Him. Don't let busyness disrupt a heart of worship to your King. Don't let your circumstances rob you of the joy the Lord has for you.

The Lord also encouraged me with this verse from a friend;

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!

He is my God, and I will praise Him!

"I will exalt You, O LORD, for You lifted me out of the depths...

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;

praise His holy name.

For His anger lasts only a moment,

but His favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping my remain for a night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning."

"Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to You and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever."

Psalm 30:1, 4-5, 10-12

Happy Thanksgiving

In keeping with my love of randomness I have compiled a short, random, list of 10 things that I am thankful for. What is one random thing you're thankful for?

1. Warm fuzzy blankets to keep me warm
2. My 'Apple' sticker that makes my memory packet look so much cuter
3. Cameras that capture priceless memories--even if I do forget to use mine
4. Babies...most importantly the one that is almost ready to meet his adoring Aunt
5. The faithfulness of God
6. Music--especially the happy stuff that just makes you want to dance
7. Blue pottery mugs filled with tea and given to me by my amazing friends (pictured above)
8. Hair sticks
9. Brothers who have challenged me physically, spiritually and emotionally--for the better
10. That I have an Anchor that will hold no matter how wildly the winds may blow

"Praise be to you, O LORD...from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours....You are the ruler of all things.

In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise Your glorious name."

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

I'm Back:)

Have you ever had a trip that is so busy and full, yet so fun and refreshing all at the same time? I just got back from one:)

My family and I just made a trip down to Branson, MO to see the Wissmann's show and spend time with them, as well as to have a little vacation. And I was able to stay a week longer then the family did...and was it ever fun!

Branson, MO is full of theaters. Billboards line the streets convincing you that this is "The Best Show in Branson" or "Branson's Best Dinner Show"...etc. The traffic is pretty much constant and the roads are pretty curvy--which, depending on the driver, can be pretty fun:) Some people like the constant business and activity and it can be fun, but as I have said before..."I love Branson because of the people that are in Branson."

I am hoping to get a post together to give you a taste of that week...but I didn't really get many pictures taken(actually I didn't take any pictures at all) ...so I'll try to get creative and see what I can come up with:)

Abby

Happy Birthday, Abby!!

What a blessing God gave me when He gave me YOU as a sister:) I just love that about having brothers...I get some amazing sister-in-laws out of the deal!!

I appreciate your cheerful countenance, it has brightened my day many a time!

It is so much fun to watch you be a mommy to your cute little girls--and soon to be little guy! Their cheerful, obedient attitudes are just a reflection of their diligent mother:)

May God bless you with His joy these upcoming months! And may you draw ever closer to Him each day! I love you!!!

"For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."

Psalm 18:31-32

Yelena

Happy 1st Birthday, Yelena!

Can you believe it? My lil' sweet pea is already a year old!!

You just have to admit that she is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! Of course, I'm biased...but I don't care:)

And in case you haven't heard, this little darling is soon to become an older sister!! In about a month--give or take a few weeks--you will be seeing pictures my little man:) I can't wait to show him off *smile*!

Yelena, as you grow up it is my prayer that you will learn to love the One who created you...and to love Him with all you heart, mind and strength! And that you will have no other goal then to please Him, and bring glory to His name!

I love you, my little snicklefritz:)

"If you are pleased with me, teach me Your ways

so that I may know you and continue to find favor with you."

Exodus 33:13a

My newest thrill...

I'm always game for an adventure! I love to try new things...especially when they have the ability to go fast *smile*

And yes, you guessed it--my newest adventure was with a dirt bike.

I have driven a dirt bike before...but it was a much smaller one, and something didn't quite work right with it, so it couldn't go very fast. This one could!

My previous record with a dirt bike (and that is in singular form) was not very good...I totally wiped it out--along with my ego--in our garage, and all that it left me for bragging power was a big bruise on my leg that no one would ever see, and a broken wooden cabinet. (and for those of you wondering; yes, the bike was fine.)

Now if you are curious, as to why in the world I was driving a dirt bike in the garage, and how I managed to end up on the ground...well, that is for me to remember and you not to find out:)

But just for the record, I did get back on that bike, and had a great time--I even got some air coming up one of our little hills. :)

So when a dirt bike was mentioned in a conversation with a friend I jumped at the opportunity to clear my bad record! I shouldn't have been so eager...

The said friend brought the dirt bike over to my house to ride in our pasture. The little hill was to slippery/muddy to ride up so I had to content myself with circles...actually let me rephrase that, I should have contented myself with circles...

If you notice the impressive scrape on my arm(the picture doesn't do it justice) that is the result when one is not content with a semi-large pasture. And when an unexperienced rider tries to maneuver a small space and ends up driving through a tree--and making it about half-way. My thumb was unmovable for about a week, another bruise was made, and my eye looked like I tried to do something funky with purple eyeshadow...the scrape, sadly, disappeared quickly...but at least I had a little something to show for my bravery:)

I did get back on the bike, covered in dirt and scratches, and rode it around in circles a couple more times. So I was 2 for 2...and I didn't know if I ever wanted to get back on one of those crazy bikes. But I couldn't leave myself with a record like that. So a couple weeks later I found myself successfully driving that bike around in a large field. And trust me, its FUN!

And now if you're wondering why a girl would even want to ride a dirt bike. And why she would want to have an impressive scar to prove it. And why she wouldn't be content with a small pasture and little circles...I will blame it on this small, significant fact;

I have 7 brothers!

And I wouldn't trade that for the world!!

Ever!

Joe

Happy 21st Birthday, Joe!

Wow, you're 21 already! I can't help but look back on days when we were little...what crazy memories we made together:)

I love it when you imitate people/things! It's so funny:)

May God bless you and give you continued strength!

Love you, Joe!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as working for the LORD, not for men,

since you know you will receive an inheritance from the LORD as a reward."

Colossians 3:23

Old Market Photo-shoot

Stroll hand-in-hand down the cobblestone street with the live strains of music floating in the air. Eat a romantic dinner on the roof under the stars. Or trot through streets in a horse-drawn carriage. The Old Market is the perfect place for date. But, if you're like me, and lack an essential part to this amazing evening--i.e. the guy-- don't worry...you can still have great time! Call some of your girlfriends together, visit the shops, have a photo-shoot and finish it up with some ice cream --trust me it's a whole lot of fun!

~Lydia~

~Bekah~

~Esther~

The Candy Shop

~Liz~

~Ellie~

~Me~

~Angela~

~Miranda~

~Betsy~

~Grace~

~Friends~

~The Group~

~The Wonderful photographer--Anna!~

Special thanks to Anna for taking the pictures, and Grace for coming up with the brilliant idea!

She's amazing!

Yes! She's my sister! I claim her:)

I love this picture! It describes her perfectly. The smile, the joy, the Lord radiating through her life...

I love randomness! I love special little things that people do--just because they love me! It makes me smile and feel very, very loved. And this post, it's one of those just-because-I-love-you posts.

Esther and I are sandwiched in the middle of a bunch of boys. She's my room buddy, my confidante, my sister and my best friend.

If you want to know something about me...ask her. I have some amazing friends--who know a lot about me--but I think she wins the prize:)

Lately my schedule has been pretty busy and she has taken the brunt of it! She'll make dinner for me, gather things for GNC, tidy our room, give Grandma care, do laundry. She keeps me on course...whether I appreciate it right away or not. She reminds me that I do have a budget and that I really don't need everything that I think I do:)

She is such a blessing to everyone! And if you have never met her...you're missing out! Her ready smile never fails to cheer me up!

God knew exactly what I needed when He gave me YOU!

I love you, Esther!

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

Proverbs 11:25

A Taste of Ellerslie

How am I supposed to put into words what was experienced that weekend? We all went expecting a good conference. Expecting challenging thoughts that would cause us to think.

We all left in complete awe of who God is, and our minds were filled, not with thoughts, but with the Truth that changed our lives that weekend.

The conference was entitled "A Taste of Ellerslie". Ellerslie itself is a 10 week, intensive, leadership/discipleship training. This weekend conference was geared to give you a "taste" of what Ellerslie was all about.

Eric and Leslie Ludy are the founders of Ellerslie, as well as the authors of some of my favorite books. I would encourage you to go to their website HERE to find out more about their ministry.

Eric Ludy taught 8 different messages over the course of the day and a half that we spent on-campus. Each one of those had powerful truths that left you hungering for more of God and His Word.

Complete abandonment Christ. Giving all for the sake of His glory. Living in the victory that He has given us. Clothing ourselves with the righteousness of God. Wrestling prayer--standing with confidence against the enemy, and not backing down. The indescribable joy and peace that comes with knowing God.

These were all part of the messages that Eric preached. You can download his Sunday morning sermons here. I would highly encourage you to download a couple and listen to them!

"Don't settle for a little better then everyone else. Constantly press forward! There is no limit to Jesus Christ--it is an endless frontier. We think of Christianity as full of limits, but really it is an unlocking of who we were really meant to be. There is no limit to the life of Jesus Christ."

-Eric Ludy

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Phil 1:21

Estes Park, Colorado

It's been over a month since we went hiking through Colorado's gorgeous mountains...but I can still feel the cold, nipping wind slice through my jacket, the burn in my legs as they carried me higher and higher, the crisp mountain air filling my lungs, the fresh scent of pine trees that surrounded me on every side, the stunning view that took any remaining breath that I had left, and the unmistakable sense of God's power and glory. I have never felt so small as I stood, surrounded by God's handiwork! I loved. every. minute. of. it!

We arrived at our hotel Thursday afternoon/evening. Supper was made in a crock pot and left at the hotel room to cook while we headed out to do some shopping. Why you would ever want to shop in Colorado, when you have mountains just waiting for you to climb, is beyond me...but a member of our party was on the lookout for a pair of ski's. Rumor had it that Colorado sometimes would have nice ski's for really cheap at pawn shops/thrift stores, so we gave it a go...but to no avail. We did stumble across a wonderful little ski/snowboarding shop that should rank #1 on customer service:)

While the skiers chatted with the ski experts, Betsy and I gazed longingly at the racks of snowboarding apparel and accessories, not mention the snowboards themselves--some of them are just so darling, but there is definitely a price to be paid for cuteness *smile*:)

The above said ski searcher found a wonderful pair of perfect ski's at the wonderful ski shop. The ski man cut her a great price, but she decided to wait and think about it. Now there just happened to a birthday that weekend, and that birthday just happened to be the same girl that wanted the ski's...so much to her delight we all pooled our money together and the wonderful ski's ended up in the van as a birthday gift! And our shopping trip ended a success!

Our crock pot lasagna was baked to perfection and was quickly consumed. A quick trip to the hotel pool was made to burn off a lot of stored up energy. A quick trip to Coldstone--with a coupon--seemed like a perfect end to the day...but not to every member of the party! Our wonderful idea was denied by the tired driver *sigh*. But it was probably a good decision seeing as though we were getting up at 4:00am to hike.

Four o' clock came early, but we were ready for it! There was long deliberation as to the choice of clothing. Long-sleeve or short, a cute shirt or a practical one? We choose the short sleeve...which was bitterly regretted as the day wore on;)

I just loved this hairstyle on Bekah! And she liked it so much that I ended up doing it several times that weekend!

I did a post just on the gorgeous scenery pictures that were taken on our hike. So I thought on this post I would post mostly people pictures!

Anna's big camera backpack was packed with camera gear...as well as a laptop that was accidentally left in the bag. Another backpack was loaded with water to keep us hydrated!

Having way too much fun!

I had done a little research on the different trails. And I finally was able to pick one that seemed to be a nice steady climb, and would bring us to the top of the mountain!

It was also a horseshoe shape trail that combined two different trail, so that way we wouldn't have to take the same way back down. But when we were supposed to switch trail to begin our descent we had not even broken tree cover yet. So we plunged off trail, following a stream, and began to really hike!!!

Still smiling, Anna?!?

Taking a quick breather...this picture is for my brother, Josh! He loves braids, so I wore them in honor of him! He is a big climber...and would have loved to be out there with us:)

The higher we got meant less oxygen in air, which made for a little harder of a climb. And towards the end we were gaining height really fast!

This picture has a whole story to go with it:)

Aaron was leading the way at this point and turned around to say something to us all. His words were lost in the wind...and I was just about to ask him what he said....but I experienced it for myself.

There were large lumps of grass that were above the ground about a foot. The whiffs of grass hid the deep channels of mud. Basically it was a maze and you couldn't really tell where to put your foot because the grass kinda hid it, and if you guessed wrong your foot/feet would sink into a mud/water mix! It wasn't really that pleasant...trust me I tried it!

Bekah named them the "musical lumps" and was very grateful to be behind me! My hasty actions served as a guide for the rest of the crew and they were able to maneuver them with little difficulty...sorta:)

After quite a while of hiking we finally broke tree cover...and out came the cameras!!

I HIGHLY recommend hiking!!! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it!

When we decided to go off-trail and get out of the trees we had no idea how long it would take! And as most things go, it took way longer then we expected. Not to mention that the thinner the air got the harder it was.

We had to be in Windsor, CO for the conference by 5 that evening, so we either had to not climb to the top and start heading back, or totally miss the conference and keep climbing. We decided on the first choice and, after taking lots of pictures, we began our descent.

The view cannot be adequately described in words, or with a camera!

Anna had a little remote thing for her camera so we were able to get quite a few group shots!

::Sisters::

Now I do have to mention that we weren't exactly the best prepared hiking crew! We kinda forgot that temperatures drop the higher you get, and without trees the wind can be kinda strong!

At one point we actually saw snow! And the little mountain stream had ice on it!

And just a little something I learned--GAP hoodies, however warm they seem, can't quite cut a good mountain breeze/wind:)

Heading back down! It about killed me not to make it to the top...but time would not allow us that luxury.

We did find a little time to stop and fill our water bottles with fresh mountain water...and it was the best water I've ever tasted!

Now this picture also has a story to go with it...but it is quite long and I'm not sure how I would put it into words without making this post way longer then it already is. So you will just have to imagine why Betsy and I had to sit and entertain ourselves for over an hour at the trailhead. I will give you a little hint; cell phones didn't work in the park and communicating with people is kinda hard without them:)

::The group--near the top::

Just one more comment--I. love. hiking!!!

"Who is like You-

majestic in holiness,

awesome in gory,

working wonders?"

"The LORD will reign for ever and ever!"