Memorial Day

On Memorial Day John and I took our Kiddos to the Lake. Don't ask me where...cause I really don't know. All I know is we had a great time! We packed up the ice chest, fishing poles and chairs and headed for the hills. First we stopped at some camp ground by a lake and had lunch. Then we headed for the river. The boys had so much fun fishing with Daddy. Daddy on the other hand was untangling fishing wire and making sure the boys didn't fish hook one another... or him. I think he still had a good time though. Madi had a good ol' time getting her feet wet and throwing rocks in the river. While I captured it all threw the lens of my camera. It was a wonderful Memorial Day. God is so good!

I love my Crazy Family!

For Nina - Part 2/ Our Parents Fav. Mugs

A few blogs ago, I posted a picture of my fav. mug. I also explained about my Sisters challenge she posted on her blog. That blog it got me and Mom talking about the famous mug Nina STOLE! from our dear sweet Mother. Anyway, it made me think... our parents should have a post about their fav. mug too. Since they don't have a blog (well, our Mom has one but she doesn't remember how to get on it...so....) I figured I would help them out and do one for them. So here it goes - Mom has 4 favorites (well 5 if you count the 1 Nina STOLE! Hehe!). Mom doesn't like them for who gave them to her, or what they symbolize. She likes these four because of the lip on the mug... Yes the lip.

She even holds on to this cracked one... cause it has a good lip. I don't think I have ever held a mug to my mouth and said - wow this mug has a great lip. But hey what ever floats her boat!

Now on To Dad/Howard. He has two favorites. On his left hand he holds his favorite Monday-Friday mug. On his right hand he holds his favorite weekend mug. He likes his weekly mug because...well, look at it - It rocks (Scripture + Fishing + Coffee = priceless mug!) He likes his Saturday mug because it is bigger. He drinks more coffee on the weekends. So there you have it. Don't you feel your life is more complete now? I do!

PB&J

This is Trenton making his 1st PB&J sandwich all by himself. He took it very seriously.


And yes that is Jacob in the
back-
ground with a knife.
Oh My Dude.... where's that kids mother?











He even got to draw the T on his bag. This was a big day at the Lanier Home.

I know...we need to get out more.

For Nina

My Sister Nina has this challenge on her blog to find your favorite mug and post why it's your favorite mug. Well... her favorite mug post was awesome cause she totally "STOLE" our Moms mug she rocked when we little. Every time I see that mug it makes me smile. Well it used to, now I turn green...with envy. Na, I'm just kidding. I'm so over that (wink). Nina I'm glad you enjoy it. May it always bring you hot drinks and warm smiles.

Anyway, on to the challenge. This is my favorite mug. To be honest, I don't remember where I got it or who gave it me. But I love it because of what it says "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound". That is one of my favorite songs, so that is why I love this mug.

So now I challenge my friends to take a picture of your favorite mug and tell us why it is special to you.

My Baby Girl is 9.....

.....so lets party!!!!!!
Watch out for this group!

The park sprinklers came on so some of the kids got to run and play in the water. They had a blast while getting soaking wet. Good times!

This is My Cousin Lisa and her daughter Savanah (whom Madi adores).

Uncle David & Auntie Angela

Goffy Girls!

Brothers (not by an earthly birth) - John & David

Aren't they cute?

Madi and her Friend Baily

Cass, Uncle Jason, Aunti Sara & Great Aunti Di - to Madi
Daddy praying for his baby girl.

Yes, that would be a hot pink ipod. Wait....I don't even have one of those! What's up with that?
*More pictures to come!

My Boys

For some strange reason I found my boys sitting under these trees, quietly digging in the dirt. Since this was so rare (the quite part that is) I went and grabbed my camera to try to capture this moment. They never seemed to notice that I was there. They were just enjoying the gentle breeze as they waited for their friends to came home from school. It was so cute.

Little i

A Dear friend of mine sent this to me as an encouragement today,

and I wanted to share it with all of you. May you each be blessed today by His love.

Little i
Marybeth Whalen

"He must become greater; I must become less."
John 3:30 (NIV)

Devotion:
The other night my husband and i were at an event where the words to the worship music were placed on a screen for all to see. But this night i noticed something: every time they used the word "I" on the screen, it wasn't capitalized. My editor's eye was drawn to this glaring error, and i spent much of the time that i was supposed to be singing trying to discern why they had done this. Oversight? Trying to be cute? It bugged me.Then i felt God's whisper to my heart, causing me to go a bit deeper. "Why are you stressing about capitalizing the i?" He asked me. "Why does it need to be capitalized? Who decided that? Maybe these folks recognize that "i" am not important -- but I AM is."While i am not proposing a little i revolution -- shaking up tradition and causing a crisis in the grammar world -- i am wondering, what does a little i life look like?
Sacrifice?Surrender?Slaying self?Setting apart?Seeking Him?Serving others instead of doing what i want?This little i thing could catch on. It should catch on, because it's the life Jesus called us to. We don't need to be capitalized. We need to be small, insignificant -- just a jot and a tittle, the littlest marks in the alphabet. Instead of a capital letter that announces our importance. At least, that's what i am learning these days -- and trying to live out.

Sacrifice, surrender and servanthood are hard. But i know that's what God calls us to do; laying down our wants, needs and desires and straining towards His.

Dear Lord, I want to make Your name famous and mine unimportant. Help me to be mindful of my tendency to make things about me. And help me Lord to keep the focus on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.