Psalm 27

The boys were excited about sharing their memorization with you all.

Psalm 27 link

We hope you enjoy their efforts!!

Memorial Day at Dollywood

We weren't sure a holiday day would be a good day to go to Dollywood, but it actually ended up that it wasn't busy and lines were short so that was nice.  Ryan LOVES riding roller coasters and it is a blast to do it with him.  He laughs the whole time.  I have to keep a hand on him (motherly instinct) to keep him 'safe' and he would keep pulling my hand off of him.  We took the whole family on the ferris wheel, which I nearly had a panic attack.  Just sitting up in the sky while loading and unloading is not fun.  When it's actually moving, I'm good.  Hunter went on a kiddie coaster and did not like it at all.  We are really enjoying our season passes and the boys were already asking to go back the very next day.  

Please pray for my grandma.  She's in the ICU.  Thank you.

Ferris Wheel Face

Memorial Day 2014

11/14/05 CPL Longoria, LCPL McCracken


11/16/05 Lt. McGlothlin, CPL Ware, CPL Rogers, LCPL Deeds, LCPL Lucente


Reflecting on these brave men today.  Men that lost their lives for our country.  Thinking about the families they left behind.  Like LCPL Deeds who left behind a wife and a little baby he never even got to meet.  These were men that were fighting right beside my husband.  It seems like forever ago, yet it feels just like yesterday as I think about it.  Thanking God for sparing my husband's life.  It very easily could be his name on this list.  And then we would have to erase life from that point on.  Everything we know and everything we have done would never have happened.  No happy homecoming from deployment.  No Ryan.  No Hunter.  No Andrew.  No Hailey.  No first home together.  No move to Tennessee.  No 9 years of marriage together.  So, I can start to really get sad thinking about that.  But I don't have to because that happened to not be how our lives turned out.  But it did for the names above.  I'm sure some of their widows eventually moved on and remarried and started a new family.  I'm sure family members don't feel the same pain as they did November 2005.  But there are wounds there that I'm sure will never completely heal.  Please pray for our military servicemen and women.  Those who currently serve, our veterans, and those who paid the ultimate price and all of their family members.  We live in a free country because of their sacrifices.  Don't take that for granted.  And when you see one, thank them.  God bless our country.  Pray for our country, as well. 


 

John and Alyssa's Wedding

It's that blessed time again!  Another Bates wedding!  This time dear Alyssa and her sweet HUSBAND John! And again, it's been such a lovely season of life getting to see them in a courtship, planning for a wedding, and then marrying.  We were delighted to help share in their special day!  It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple.  We wish them the best and can't wait to hear where the surprise honeymoon is!!!!  We are also gonna miss Alyssa and her bright and shining face, as she is moving to FL.  Church won't be exactly the same without her.

Congressman and Mrs. Webster

Hailey

Pastor and Mrs. Bates

Tori Bates, Andrea Warren, Jill Miller, Erin Bates, Whitney Bates, Not sure of her name, Michael Bates

Ellie Bates

Ellie and Addee Bates

Waitn' for his bride :)

Flying candle!  lol

First kiss!

Uncle Steve

The picture didn't turn out so good, I think because I retrieved it from my phone, but this was taken on Sean's birthday at Red Robin down in FL.  Steve and Melinda had come to help us celebrate Sean's day.  Everyone else was out of town.  They drove quite a distance to go to one of Sean's favorite places to eat.  We had a really nice time with them.  This was 2012, right before moving up to TN.  

Obituary.  We are unable to make it to the funeral.  

Last Convo

with my Uncle Steve (or at least one of the very last), he had said that I needed to Google this and read it, which I did, because he really liked it.  Any way, it was brought back to my mind yesterday. 

ATTITUDE

by

Charles Swindoll

 

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company... a church... a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes”

Just Asking...

For some prayers for my family, especially my Aunt Melinda, my cousins Amy and Emily, my grandma, my father, and my Uncle David and Uncle Paul.  They have lost a husband, a father, a son, and a brother.  Sadly, my Uncle Steve passed away suddenly today.  He was a believer so I find great joy and comfort in that, but it's hard for all of us that have been left behind.  

Happy Mother's Day!

The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured.  They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.  - Billy Graham


Listen, my child, to...your mother's teaching.  What you learn will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.  Proverbs 1:8,9 NLT

Message From God

I was headed off to work on Tuesday feeling a bit overwhelmed with the many responsibilities I seem to have....wife, mother, R.N., church member, daughter, friend, cook, maid, laundry doer, office clerk, accountant, list maker, shopper, etc.  I kept thinking how I am not getting to truly enjoy life and my many blessings because I'm always doing.  Not being.  As I was driving, a sermon off the show Building Blocks came on BBN and I felt like it was God using this pastor to speak directly to me.  It was all about moms and our many roles and duties and how what we do means so very much to our lil guys and gals and our husbands of course, too.  He based his sermon off the Proverbs 31 woman, which is one of my most favorite passages in the Bible.  Now that was an amazing woman!  The sermon was just what my aching heart needed!  It is normal to feel a little overwhelmed at times, I suppose.  Because it happened again last night.  Work was sooo busy and I didn't get to sleep until 1 a.m., knowing I have 4 lil ones ready and waiting for me in the morning to care for them, train them, love on them, discipline them, and teach them both the love of Christ our savior and schoolwork.  But through God's strength, I woke up this morning ready to do it!  Ready to be a wife.  A mom.  A maid.  A laundry cleaner and folder.  A dishwasher.  A chef.  A businesswoman.  A grocery list maker and meal planner.  The joy of the Lord is my strength.  I CAN do all things through Jesus Christ!  He gives me strength! 


On a side note, our friends at church had their baby!  A girl by ultrasound, but a BOY by birth!!!!!  What a surprise and a gift!  Life is a great miracle from God! 

5 Years Old

Ryan went for his well visit!  Look at the paper gown!!!!!  I heard it didn't last long!  He is 39 pounds (50th%) and 44 inches (we think, if remembering correctly) (75th%).  He is all healthy, PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

Happy 10 Weeks Our Precious Little Girl!!!!

Dollywood Pix

I think I mentioned in a previous post that we got season tix to Dollywood.  We headed out there for the first time last Saturday.  I think we are all going to enjoy going all season long!  The day was gorgeous!  It was a little busy there.  Ryan and Sean waited in line for a family roller coaster for 2 hours (including the half hour of waiting for the stuck coaster to be fixed!!)  That 2 hour time period proved to be a little interesting for me since I had the 3 youngest.  Started out fine until Hailey got hungry and I discovered I don't know how to read picture maps and ended all the way back at the front of the park (started at the way back) to get back to the baby center.  This is with Hailey in the Ergo and pushing the double stroller through the crowds with Andrew and Hunter in it.  Funny thing is (well, not funny at the time), there was another baby care center at the back of the park where I was, but I couldn't find it because of my inability to read a map!!!  I was a little frazzled and out of my normal routine!  God was observing the limits of my patience, which was worn thin, but I decided to start telling Him all the things I was thankful for, and that helped tremendously!@

Created To Be His Help Meet

Here's a few pages I scanned from the book I'm reading (see title above).  I thought I would share the section under "Just a Meal idea."  The author, Debi Pearl, offers some great suggestions on meal planning.  Ive done it a couple of times and it's super easy and tastes good and is relatively cheap.  

And then I just think this is cute :0)  If it's hard to read, click on the pic :)

God's Protection

I am a little sleepy today, but enjoying my day off!  I've been working a lil extra the past few days and we went to Dollywood on Saturday!!  It has been busy, but we are blessed! 


I have to share a story!!!  On the way to work on Thursday, I almost got hit by a semi.  See, he decided to change lanes while I was in the lane he wanted to change to and I had no other option, but to move out of his way, so I switched lanes, but was not able to even look to see if there were any other cars in that lane.  This was all on the highway at fast speeds, BTW!!!  Any way, praise God there wasn't anyone in the lane that I switched to and I was fine!!!!  I was thanking God and counting my blessings!!!!