How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! –1 John 3:1

I'm not sure if anyone else is feeling this way, but I feel like I am being swallowed up in this great big world around me. There is never a break, never time for friends, and never any time to complete my to do list. Everytime I turn around there is laundry to do, events to attend, school and homework to do, work, toilets to clean, laundry, meals to prepare, Dr.'s appts, dentist appointments, LOTS of practices to attend, bills to pay, laundry, phone calls to return, emails to read, extra-curricular activities to drive the kids to, and oh yeah, did I mention laundry?? LOL Somewhere in there I try to find quiet time with my husband, a good book, a catch-up phone call here and there, and down time with my kids. I rarely accomplish all these things. I rarely feel successful and I rarely go to bed saying to myself "I am a good Mom, wife, friend, employee, secretary, and taxi driver." I don't believe many women say this to themselves because our nature is to think of all the things we did wrong that day. We lay there tossing and turning, comparing ourselves to other women, and wishing we were like them. Well, I have had enough of that!! I am who I am with reason and purpose and so are you!
My prayer for myself has been that God would somehow reveal to me all the wonderful things He sees in me. He looks at us with so much love. He is proud to call us daughter. We are His and were created in His own image, and no matter what we might fail at, at the end of the day, he longs to tuck us in tight, watch over and keep us as we sleep in His peace. Why is this so hard to accept? I mean, everynight we tuck our kids in tight, pray over them, tell them how proud we are of them, and no matter what they did that day, we have a undeniable, unexplainable, and unfathomable love for them that no one can ever take away. How much more does the Father love us?

I hope to get drawn back into blogging, and eventually fill you all in on the highlights of our lives. For now, this is what I have...........I hope you are being tucked in tight at night, wrapped up in the Father's peace, and feeling His wondrous love for you!!!

Wow! What a weekend!

Wow! What a weekend we had and of coarse I don't have one picture to post. I will still tell about it because even though it was just a typical weekend with family for most, it was much more for me.
I have been so homesick the last month and missing my Mommy and Daddy, my sisters family, and my sweet, sweet Grandmama. I wanted to go to Blountstown so bad, and when it just didn't work out I cried myself to sleep. It did turn out to be a really good weekend.
My good friend Amy always knows how to pull out some fun in the nick of time and fun she made happen. Friday night we went and had a FABULOUS dinner that consisted of all the fresh veggies out of her families garden and mine. It was delicious and I felt just like I was sitting in my Grandmama's kitchen. Then we all got to zipline it in the dark. It was so much fun and Trever reminded me that I finally got my wish.............I flew!!! He's asked me a hundred times what I would want my super power to be and he didn't forget. He cried when he got on and then love it after he tried it. Abbie of coarse had no fear and is still talking about doing it again. We also got to see the rednecks version of hauling a refrigerator. Darn! I didn't get a picture of that either. Brad drove the tractor down with Brent and the fridge on the front. It was hysterical. I laughed until I cried. If only I had Amy's flip at the time. We would probably all be VERY rich! OH yeah, and Jeff got to see Bon Qui Qui for the first time.
Saturday was another fun-filled day. We met up with the Symonds clan at the pool and we all watched it storm until we gave up on the fun in the sun part. We decided some smoked bacon-wrapped backstrap would be much better at the Light's crib. So along with some fine dining prepared my personal chef, Mr. Jeff Light, we listened to Trever and Aaron argue over Mario Bros., ate candybar pie, and ended with herding a bull back into a pasture at 10:45 p.m. Yes!!! I did it!!! Ask Sam. She was there!! After it was all done Trever said, "Mommy, you are a bull trainer!"
We closed our weekend up with some DIVINE grilled rib-eye's done by Mr. Aaron Symonds himself, along with Jill's glorious ranch potatoes,Amy's banana pudding, and Sam's fine hosting!! Our kids were loving the freedom to play with friends while their parents let them do just about whatever they wanted. No fights, only a few tears, but alot of giggles from a great group of kids. We ladies had a great game of Kinasta, Trever talked his Uncle Steve into iceskating as Bowser on the Wii............that was hysterical, and Brent completely tortured Trever throughout the whole game. He's good at that. We wrapped it up with a swim in the Jone's pool at which time the children became completely wild and had the time of their lives swimming in the rain!! Samantha and I had to close our eyes because our children were flying through the air while Steve was throwing them and Aaron was doing cartwheels and backflips into the pool. That was a little to much. We did try and get ziplining in one more time, but the lightning was just too scary for this semi-country girl.
By today, the Light's were completely worn out. Although I couldn't be with my biological family, my God family filled my tank full!! It was all good. Instead of crying because I was sad this weekend, I cried because I was laughing. It was just what I needed:-)

Until next time..................................love all of my blog friends!!

Surpise, Surpise.......I'm blogging!

Abbie working hard in the Garden


Trever planting corn


Can you find the little man with his daddy?

Medieval Times field trip


Seco Christmas Party

My Grandmother with all her great grands

Abbie and Trever with their cousins

Ethan and Alana

One of my proudest moments. Abbie feeding

the homeless.

Hello everyone! I know you are all shocked, right? Well, I'm shocked my self. I really wish I had kept up with my blog, but I have totally neglected it. Well, my goal is to blog the rest of the year. We will see...........

So, in a quick post I will try and fill you all in on the Light's party of 4.

We are in full swing of school still and so want it to be over!! It's been a great year with lots of learning and lots of fun field trips. Our favorites of school have been our CO-OP, P.E., and ART classes. Jeff even got to drop by a few times to see what the kids were up too. He also had the priviledge of taking them on a field trip. Looking forward to wrapping this year up by June. That's the plan!!!

Trever--Oh, our cute little Trever turned 6 this year! I cried on his birthday. Can't believe he's already 6. He is doing great in school and is a very good student. He is reading, and his favorite subject is math. A praise report for Trever!! He was finaling enrolled in speech at Wildwood Elementary! It was an answer to prayer and he loves Mrs. Grant so much. She is amazing at her job. He is as busy as a bee using his imagination and pretending to be Sonic or Mario Brothers most of the time. He is a cutie and makes me laugh everyday. Oh, by the way, did I mention that today he proved that he knows how to swim?? It was great!

Abbie--Well, I can't imagine what she will be as an adult. She already acts like an adult. She wants everything in perfect order at all times. She likes to have a list at the beginning of her day and her goal is to check that list off so she can ride her bike, jump on the trampoline, work in the garden, and play softball. She is Jeff Light made all over again. School is not a favorite of hers and feels her time is extremely wasted, but she endures it. She is a great reader, and she loves to have spelling contest with her daddy. He hasn't stumped her very often. It's quite impressive. She absolutely hates math! She is also in full swing of softball right now and loves it. She's looking forward to summer so that she can spend all of her time in Mrs. Jone's pool. I couldn't imagine life without her. She keeps me straight, motivated, and affirms me in most things. She's a keeper for sure.

Jeff--He is loving life right now. Why, you ask? Well, it's gardening time. He has plowed and planted and he is so excited about the harvest that is to come. I know it will be a big one. Jeff doesn't plant for a party of 4. He plants for a whole community!! He's still leading our small group and doing a great job at it, coaching softball, and taking part in the landscaping of The Warehouse Church. He's busy, and that's what he loves, so he's happy as can be.

Jen--Well, I'm happy too! I've been challenged this year teaching two kids in different grades. I've had days that I cried, and days that I jumped up and down for joy and shouted praises out to Jesus while my children stared at me like I was a crazy person. I've climbed the clinical ladder at work, and actually there is no more climbing. I've made it to the top of my clinical ladder and still can't believe it! It was a huge success. I have also joined our worship team at The Warehouse Church and am loving everything about it. It has been a long time, but loved my time alone with the Father. Sitting was a time for Him to show me that our closeness is not based on our ministries, but based on our relationship with Him. It's a hard lesson for a preachers girl to learn. I'm glad I had this journey with Him.

So, as a family, we are absorbing up any time we have together by watching movies, working in our yard, and helping Abbie get better at softball. We are having a great time!

The pictures posted are just a few of my favorite pics since Thanksgiving..........hope you enjoy!

Busy having fun!

No pics for this quick little post. My camera is broken and I haven't had a chance to shop for a new one. Thank God for great friends taking pictures for me lately.

We have been in full blast since school started and are loving every minute of it. Trever read his first word and Abbie read her first chapter book at the beginning of this year. We have experienced the wonderful sound of Opera, the Orchestra, and the Orlando Ballet. We've also visited the Florida Aquarium for some fun (my kids thought it was for fun, but we did get some education). The kids have dressed up like mummies and Egyptians throughout our exploring of Ancient Civilization. Trever is still very upset that people actually ate lizards in a stew. Afterall, they are not predators to people. Abbie thought lizard stew sounded disgusting and found comfort in the fact that there were vegetables back then.

Abbie is in the full swing of dance and both of my children will be starting a P.E. class next Wednesday. We also are 4-H members and Trever simply can not get enough of 4-H or CO-OP.

As for Jeff, well he has once again moved himself up in the company at SECO and is loving his new position. I am so proud of him and I am glad that he is having such great success where the Lord has placed him. I am still working part-time. Only every other weekend dayshifts, and every Monday night. The days are wonderful. We also started a small group in our home that is held once a month. It was a little scary diving in, but we have been sitting and praying for a year about what the Lord would have us. It was soon confirmed that it was time and so far it has been great.

Well, I guess that's all concerning the Light clan. I hope to have a camera soon!!

Forgiveness does bring Freedom

I had the most wonderful experience with Abbie this afternoon. She had been waiting several hours to talk to me and then she just couldn't take it anymore and with tears streaming down her face she said "Mommy, I really need to tell you something that happened." I braced myself and let her have the floor. She began sharing with me how she's been feeling different since she asked Jesus in her heart and she gets this wierd feeling when she isn't making good decisions. She then went on to tell me a story about what she's been going through all on her own for the last few nights at bedtime. I would like to share her words with all of you. It brought tears to my eyes and later her daddy's and yet reminded me of why what we are doing in training our children up in the ways of the Lord is the only way to go.

Abbie:

"Mommy at night when I lay down to sleep I get this sick feeling in my heart because I can't stop thinking about a lie I told. I know I'm not suppose to tell a lie and it was a really long time ago, but I can't stop thinking about how bad it was to do it. I can only remember this lie because its the only lie I remember that I told to you and daddy. I just kept crying last night in my bed and my heart felt weird. So, I just prayed to Jesus and said Jesus, I'm a sinner and I need your forgiveness."

Well ladies, my eyes were filled with tears. Of coarse I had to ask what the lie was and it had to do with a fight between her and her brother 3 months ago!!! We discussed the consequences of telling a fib and she has only had to suffer those consequences a couple of times, but it has been well over a year. I asked her if she had told me any other lies and she replied with "noway and I'm not going to tell anymore because I don't like feeling Jesus is hurt." We discussed the purpose of the HolySpirit in our lives, more about what conviction is, and what forgiveness brings........FREEDOM. I asked her how she felt after she prayed that prayer to Jesus and she said "my tears stopped and I went right to sleep." I have to say that I felt and Jeff felt that there would be no need for the punishment we would normally give because the Lord's discipline was far greater in this circumstance. She had been dealing with this in her time of sleep since last Friday night.
I am thankful for this moment. I know the Lord is growing and molding our children and it is touching to be reminded that he's capable of reaching anyone no matter their age. I believe this is just the beginning of Abbie finding out what it's like to have a true relationship with the Lord. She is walking in freedom tonight by the way!

Our Abbie Doobie

Now she is 7........................................hmmmmmmmmmm. It does make me want to cry.
Where has the time gone? I'm not quite sure but one thing I know is that this little girl is loved by many and I'm thankful that she was our gift to take care of and cherish. There are so many things I could say about our little Abbie Rae. I guess I first would say that I know she was our example of God's miracle. She was not suppose to be created in me, but she was and I remember very vividly the first sound of her heartbeat and the very first kick. I remember the very moment the ultrasound tech looked at us and said "it's a girl" and Jeff's eyes were as big as golf balls. Whatever would he do with a girl??? Well, he and I soon found out that we would not be able to get enough of her. She is miss independent, the gardening princess of our family, the shy one, the easily embarrassed one, the one we still have to hold down to kiss and hug because it's just not quite her thing, the one who say's "no, I'll read to you mommy," the only girl I know that could take down any boy that tries to beat her up (thanks to her brother), the one who would have a friend over everyday if we let her, and the one who prefers to get down right filthy outside no matter how many times I say not to play in the mud. It is fun to watch her grow and learn and turn into her own little person. I won't lie and say she's always wonderful because I'd be fibbing. She has her moments when correction must be in order. However, she is ours and she is special and we are thankful to be able to teach her the ways that are good and true.

She has been praying fervently for an American Girl doll for a year. The Lord did answer her prayer and the picture I posted of her is with her new friend Melissa. Melissa is 7 years old as well and was introduced to all of her friends and their dolls at a American Girl tea party on her birthday. She was happy to share this moment with her friends and I think somewhat overwhelmed. One of her favorite gifts from her party was a set of Pajamas from Stephanie and Olivia that had a monkey on it that looked just like her monkey Nienie that she has been sleeping with since she was 6 months old. She's slept in those pajamas everynight since her birthday. It's time for a washing!!

Summer ends and School Begins

Since the Light's summer has come to a closure I thought I would share some of our last adventures. We had a wonderful summer and I am in some ways very sad. There were many freedoms I enjoyed such as no alarm clocks, no worries of a structured school day, no schedules to maintain, no strict bedtimes, tons of sleepovers and absolutely all the sun and water we could stand!!!! The one thing I will not miss is the heat. I am looking forward to the evening meals on our front porch looking out and feeling the sweet breeze blow. We have some learning to do, wonderful school projects, field trips, dance recitals, ball games, and somewhere along the way we will squeeze in gymnastics. So the bussiness begins and alarm clocks are set. It's time to bring all things in order including 6:30 a.m. workouts......ugh!!! School is called to order and I'm not really seeing much of a recess.
I am posting some of my last moments of summer that I treasure. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

We had a mommy and kids night, with an extra kid involved while Jeff was out of town last weekend. We went to Disney's Rockin' Road Trip show. It was wonderful and I have to admit there were times that I just became emotional watching my children's faces light up. They were mesmerized and captured into a fairytale world and for a moment I was as well. In the very first scene Trever not taking his eyes off the stage, said to me "see Mommy, I told you they were all real." Tears just filled my eyes as I watched his eyes sparkle. When Cinderella walked out Abbie couldn't hold back the smile and she just glowed with joy. Okay, I know this is all a little mushy, but people, it was a moment. Disney captures you and there is just no way out at times. It was a wonderful evening spent with my fabulous babies.

One of my favorite trips this summer was the trip Abbie and I made to Sylva, NC. We did miss our Trever and Jeff, but this was a mother and daughter trip that I will never forget. It was breathtaking at times to see God's beauty and for the first time I realized why Amy feels the way she does about the mountains. There was one moment while we were visiting Panthertown when Abbie said to me "mommy, I don't know why, but sometimes I just get tears in my eyes while I'm looking at all of it." I found her many times very quiet and still, but yet smiling. She was so happy to see her dear friends Chloe and Alma and I have to admit that my face lit up when I saw them too. I laughed hysterically when I saw Amy because she had these God awful bright green rimmed glasses on and that's how she greeted me. To answer your question, yes, she did it on purpose. They are real glasses that she ordered and didn't look at all like what she thought she had ordered. It was a funny moment and it reminded me of why she's in my life and the joy she brings.

When Brent and Tiffany arrived we went and visited this beautiful place called Panthertown. We took a long hike up to a waterfall. We actually were able to jump into the fall and swim, and walk on top of the water fall. Along the walk on top of the fall there were many pools of water that the girls would get into and swim. In those same pools of water Amy would seem to slip into them unplanned. She scared me the first time, but by the 3rd slip I was just laughing my butt off and there was one time I literally thought she would curse me for laughing, but I just could not help it. Brent was never able to capture one fall on the video camera, but he did manage to do his normal shaking of the head and add a little "hmm" in there. By the 4th fall he was asking questions like "Amy, what's the deal?" Her reply was "Brent, I don't know."

This was on top of the water fall and I will forever cherish this picture and moment. It was perfectly quiet. Not even the sound of water moving and it was a place I could have just curled up with her, held her tight, and never let go.

This is such a sweet picture, but I'm quite sure the conversation had something to do with bugs. haha

Okay, I know I have no make-up on and my hair is pulled back in bobby pins, but this day was the funnest day of the whole week and this picture will always remind me of how much we laughed so I'm dropping down my guard and posting the picture anyways. Keep your negative thoughts to yourself. This was the day we went tubing in Deep Creek and it is also the day that I paid four dollars to nearly die. Seriously people, it was crazy!!! I hit more rocks than I can even count. I flipped over only two times, but one of those two times I could not get from under water because the current was so strong and I just hung onto my tube while it drug me over rocks. I really did at one point think I paid four dollars to go to heaven and I'm sure somewhere in there I asked Jesus into my heart and to forgive me of all of my sins just in case I wasn't saved and didn't realize it. However, I did not meet Jesus that day as we all know. I eventually surfaced and thanked God almighty that I was back on my tube. Then, Brent started laughing at me. Surprise, surprise!!! After our hour long fun, torturous, funny, and life-threatening tubing trip we met back up with Amy, Chloe, and Abbie at the calm waters. I talked Amy into going on the trip with Brent, Alma, and Tiffany. Yeah, you read it right them crazy loons did it again!!! Amy stayed off her tube more than on and eventually got out of the creek and started walking. When she caught up with the rest of the gang waiting in the creek for her she yelled out "SUCKERS!!!" Such a Corky Jones moment and it was priceless. I'm still laughing about this day. It was fun and Abbie even got to go on a more calming tube ride.

The girls also got to go Jem mining and they found lots of Jewels (also known as rocks....hahaha).

Amy really wanted to take us to her all-time favorite restaurant Nick and Nate's. I must say, I am not a pizza fan, but it was delicious.

I have no pictures of Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Deidra, but we spent a lot of time together playing Kinasta and me and Dee were quite the team. Mrs. Smith made me laugh and cry at times. She brought so many memories back about growing up around my Grandmama from the way she cooked to the way she giggled. We truly feel blessed that she allowed us to come and stay in her home. It was a special gift that we will always remember!!