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Fall Family Pictures!

I LOVE Fall colors & especially Fall photos!  Thankfully I am blessed to have a very gifted friend behind the camera that can take photos! :)  For those of you living in the Ft. Smith area, check out StillMomentsbyLeighAnn by looking at the blog link on the right hand side of my page.  She's the awesomest (not sure if that's a word :) ) & I LOVE her!!!  Thanks for capturing us~silliness & all!

 

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

Posing for a picture at the Pumpkin Patch...

 Turning corn into meal...

 Getting ready to mine for gold...Jones found the "gold" piece in his class! 

 Duck racing at it's finest with lots of hand pumping & some water...

 Checking out the TeePee (& getting tired of pics)...

 Bumpy hayride through the pasture with Mom!

Choosing just the right pumpkin to bring home...

 Hanging out with his buddies before heading home.

A FUN Day was had by all~a great 1st grade field trip! :)

Halloween Fun!

Go HOGS Go!

Some people chronicle their family pictures at the holidays, but I thought it would be fun to look at our pictures during RAZORBACK season!  Now these pictures don't start until 2003 simply because I don't have a scanner, but if I did have a way to scan pictures, we could chronicle all the way back to 1994 when the Hogs played Alabama in Fayetteville because that was our first "Official" date! 

 2003~First HOG Game for Laynie!

 2004~We have a cheerleader & are expecting a football player!

 2005~Cutest little Razorback fan EVER! :)

 2006~In need of a stress relief...I know let's watch the HOGS! (About to start chemo)

 2007~Fun at the HOGS game with our Heber friends the Riddles!

 2008~My favorite picture of the 10 year HOG chronicle of the Whites!

 2009~The girls are getting ready to "Call those HOGS!"

2010~We always have a great time Tailgating with our HSA friends!

2011~Tailgating AGAIN!!! Way to go HOGS!!!

Blogging

Well I finally found another person in this sweet little town of ours that is blogging.  She actually made me laugh quite a few times & I know I'm going to enjoy/learn quite a bit from her posts.  Guess what she didn't have....one single picture on her blog...I know pics will come because she's still relatively new in the blogging world, but it made me think.  I used to be like that...expressing my feelings or funny stories just because I could.  Now I find I don't blog as much because I think I always have to have a picture, but she's proof that blogs are fun to read pictures or not.  So watch out I may try to post over the next week  or maybe I should say during fall :) some thoughts WITHOUT pictures...now that would be a shocker!

Oh & by the way this blogging chick is 5, that's right count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years cancer FREE.  We celebrated with the kids by eating at Whole Hog BBQ (just can't get enough of their potato salad...it's YUM-O!!!)  The boys were getting our food & my sweet Laynie said to me, "Momma I'm so glad you're alive & not in heaven." I got a little choked up & said, "Me too sweetie I'm so happy I'm here with you guys."  She then looks at me squarely and says, "But Mom you know you would be waaaay happier in heaven, right, because Jesus is there."  "Yes Laynie, I know, but I think God knew Momma needed to be with you guys for a little while longer." 
Then she says, "Yeah I think so too!" :)

That was THE toughest part of praying not MY will, but YOURS be done.  I still just wanted to be a wife & a mommy, not a 'cancer patient' who might leave this world early.  For the longest I did not want to pray that prayer, I might say them, but I wouldn't mean them...I just wanted to be better & that be the end of the story.  I didn't want to take the chance that I would go though chemo & be sick & lose my hair & possibly leave my earthly family.  But let me tell you I remember so vividly the day I was able to pray not MY will, but YOUR will during my cancer journey, & it totally changed me.  I was no longer afraid because I knew Jesus had me in his hands.  It was through the lyrics of a Travis Cottrell song that finally I was able to feel free & know no matter what the future held, God was in control.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand.

‘Til He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

God taught me so much...he's loves ME (& YOU) more than anything & wants the best for US.  Things are going to happen we don't & may never understand, but I believe everything that happens is a part of God's plan for our lives.  I am so very thankful & humbled that He chose to heal me on August 21, 2006 & that I am still here getting to do the things I love most in the world...being a wife & mom to 2 awesome kiddos.  I know there is not always earthly healing & for those of you that cancer has touched in that way, I'm truly sorry, but God is still there & know He is sufficient for you.  Some days it may hurt and we may feel rotten, but as another blogger friend is quick to point out, "God is good, ALL the time."

Thank you Jesus for being my Savior and Jehovah Rapha! :)

"For I AM the Lord who heals you." Exodus 15:26b



The 1st Day!

Kids Can Tri!

Let me start by saying...this is a long post...and as you will see, we are so proud of our kids & the effort they put out over the summer getting ready for their BIG DAY at the Conway Kids Triathlon!!!  Last year was Laynie's first time to participate and this year the little brother got to join in on the fun (well training might not be so much fun at our house except on the days you get to ride bikes & swim with your buddies, but race day was exciting)!  This post will just take you through the course of their race day experiences~if you have a kids triathlon near you I encourage you to encourage your kids to enter.  It's an awesome way to get your kids motivated & excited about exercising. Way to go guys we are proud of you!

Jones getting ready to set up for race day.

Getting marked with our numbers for the day. 

Numbers 179 & 180 (our markings stayed on for a few days) 

Last minute instructions from Daddy. 

Quick pic with our training buddies. 

Jones getting ready for the 50 yard swim, this was definitely the most difficult leg of the race for him, but he did it! 

Swim & transition are over, now it's time to bike two miles! 

 Just a 1/2 mile run & he'll be done!

This is one of my favorite pictures~he's so close to the finish line, but he's not giving up yet.  That's a look of pure determination! 

And he's done in 19:15.2 minutes~not sure I could go that fast! :) 

SOOOO Happy to be finished! 

 Laynie's swim of 50 yards~she did awesome~2nd one out of the pool in her heat!

Ready for her 2 mile bike...much faster this year! 

And she's off on her 1/2 mile run. 

The finish line is in her sight. 

Congratulations from her Daddy~Way to Go Laynie~she finished in 18:46.2 (5 minutes faster than last year)!!

Good job guys! 

AND their hard work paid off~Jones was 2nd place in his age group. 

And Laynie was 4th place in her division. 

  Now we are gearing up for another Kids Tri at the end of August!