Another good one!

Another Christmas has come and gone. It went by so fast it seemed. This year our plans ended up being a bit scattered...at last minute we ended up at Adam's parents' in Brandon on the 23rd then as usual at my parents' on Christmas Eve. It was for the most part the same routine except for a few specific things...lil Jerry is overseas & Grandaddy in heaven. We did, however, get to spend almost 2 hours "with" Jerry via skype which was good. In the past few weeks especially I've been missing my brother and anxiously awaiting his return which turns out will be sooner than I had originally thought! :) I've kinda done pretty well emotionally as far as Grandaddy being "gone" is concerned. It really didn't "hit" me until we were opening presents. When I opened the gift bag from with the usual envelope my grandparents & it was signed "Love Gramma." Not Gramma and Grandaddy...just "Love Gramma." And we didn't get done w/ Santa Clause real quick in order to get dressed & ready to head to Union Christmas morning so we could visit & be ready for Christmas dinner at the prompt hour of 11:00 a.m. And like Laini has already said we didn't get our "Chrima Joy, Chrima Joy" from that old familiar voice that always brought a smile to your face.

Regardless, it was another good year with some extra special "homemade" gifts that dad & I agree need to be apart of our tradition from now on. Those "homemade" things seem to be so much more special & neat! And I don't know about everyone else but I had a ton of fun getting them ready & "creating" them! :)

(Thanks Annie again for all of your help & encouragement!)

I hope that each of you had a very Merry CHRISTmas & a blessed New Year!!

Look what I found!!

WOW!! Now, that was a loooooooooooooong time ago! Seriously, it was at least six years ago and I'm sure maybe seven! Woah!! SO MUCH has happened since that "time" in our lives. It's crazy where life has taken us since then...where God has taken us since then. And quite honestly, I NEVER thought that we would be where we are right now (i.e. married with 2 beautiful kids in MS). Yeah, yeah, yeah, Laini says she never wanted this whole picture but that's a bunch of MESS and she knows it! haha! I was most definitely the sister that NEVER wanted kids, mess, I NEVER wanted to get married!! I had way too much to do--to accomplish! Well you know that old phrase "Never say never." Yeah, that one pretty much came back to bite me in the rear. hehe :) And even though we didn't start this union the right way, I really believe we've made decisions that have brought us back into the path where God is leading us and let me tell ya that is what is the GREATEST!!! No, we are NOT perfect by ANY means--we DON'T make all the right decisions, but I do believe with all my heart that because of the path we chose after our initial "failure" that God has truly blessed us and continues to bless us even though we so don't deserve any of it!

Adam and I have two beautiful, smart and healthy children that I have been so blessed to be at home with as they grow instead of missing all of their little bits of growing up because of work. It most definitely has not been easy to make that choice to stay home and I do have to remind myself why I'm making that decision almost every day, but I wouldn't change it for anything in this world! I've just been so blessed. Oh yes, there are days that I just want to scream...days that I'd really like to be at an outside job so I could actually have "me" time...some days even that I think why in the world didn't God give me a second chance when I know people who went WAY further than I ever did and they're still a goin with no major consequences or others that have families now too but can go out and buy whatever they want for their kids or take them places, etc. Then I catch myself and think, "How dare you?!" There is no comparison of sin...no level...sin is SIN!! And I have an AMAZING life that so many would give up so much to have. Even though I know that God would have still rather I not made the decisions that deserved my "consequences," He made something so beautiful out of something so ugly!

Adam and I recently (Sunday actually) celebrated our six year anniversary. It has been most definitely an interesting, many times DIFFICULT, six years. But I can honestly say that I love him more today than I did even the day we exchanged our vows, and THAT is how it should be...in my opinion. Now that doesn't mean he never drives me absolutely NUTS or me him, but I so appreciate the man he is still becoming and the amazing father that he is to our children. And again I say that I am SO BLESSED!!

A Few Things continued...

The last picture from the last post was on the swing on our front porch at the "new" house. This was right after we had taken some family pictures at the church.

Now as you can see we had a ghost & a kitty cat for Halloween. I tried so hard to talk Landry into being the Scarecrow so Andee could be Dorothy because Aunt Laini wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West (lol), but his mind was set on being a ghost...a white sheet ghost! haha! Anyway, they were cute & had a good time.

The next two were taken at Camp Dixon last week during Thanksgiving break when we went to help Granpaw load firewood. My sister, brother & myself used to LOVE playing on the trees that dad cut down for firewood. As you can see Andee was serenading the whole grounds at the "top" of the tree. As for master Landry...he really surprised me that day climbing up into the already cut branches that we had stacked for a "burn" pile actually. Uncle Jerry, he fell a few times & never end cried! Can you believe it?! ;) They had a lot of fun & it was fun to watch them follow in our footsteps. hehe :)

We are looking forward to a "homemade" Christmas this year. I'll try to get as many pictures posted as possible!

LOVE TO ALL!

A Few Things...

The first few of these pictures are some of the last ones that we took at our "old" house. A home that Landry told Adam just the other day that he missed some still. It was a good little house...not technically our "first" house but most definitely our "first" HOME. We moved into that house at the end of April 2006 when I was almost 5 months pregnant with Alexandrea. Over the 3 years we were there I repainted the entire house...it looked like a completely new place. But it was about 30 miles from work & school. So we prayed & looked & were blessed with a rather LARGE new home that's only 3 miles to church and mom & dad's, about ONE mile from school for Landry, and about 17 miles or so from work for Adam & me. We've been here for 4 months now & it most definitely feels like home...I still have plenty "touches" I'd like to add but that will come. We are SO blessed!

On a lighter note...

So the description of this blog says it may include some things from youth group. That being said let me tell you why. This year Adam & I, along with a couple who I grew up with in school, are leaders of our local church youth group this year. The Mooneys being in charge of fundraising & the Hudds being over activities. So far we've had a pretty good year. Praise God we've had no less than TWENTY kids in Wednesday night youth class since August which is great for a small area like here!! We recently attended MS State Youth Convention in Hattiesburg November 20-22 and took 19 young people along with 6 adult counselors. All in all it was a smooth riding "first rodeo" for us as new leaders without Bro. Jerry & Mrs. Carolyn. And...we'll just leave it at that. hehehe ;)

When we were "reporting" to Bro. Jerry about the weekend the Sunday night we returned home I admitted my frustration with a handful of our group who seem to be the most "hard-hearted" young people & what's worse those select few are those who have grown up in our church...which is so sad to me. After letting me vent my frustrations (to a small extent) Bro. Jerry then calmly asked me, "Now, as much you've complained about them have you prayed for them just as much?" My response...head down..."No sir." So now it is my mission (as it should have been all along) to pray for each & every one of those young people in our group because it won't be LeAnn that reaches them...right?

Well, over the past several weeks now I catch a thought coming into my mind that it may be time for me to share my "testimony" with these kids...maybe even with the adults in our church. When I think about those few especially that I spoke of earlier I think of myself. I grew up in this church and still made HUGE mistakes and walked a path that I KNEW was completely wrong! And now more than ever my desire is for these young people to SEEK to find what I know now before all that. Sadly, some of them have already gone farther than I ever did. But where do I begin to even tell them my "story"...my "testimony"...I've never really shared it before. Of course, I've talked with a few about bits & pieces of it all, but I've never gone through the guts & grime of the whole script with a group of people.

So whew! Really? Well, I'm not 100% sure it's time for that yet but evidently it's getting close. So please pray with me because it's my amazing Savior that I want them to see through it all...His amazing MERCIFUL GRACE & UNCONDITIONAL LOVE that I want them to know like I am just starting to catch a glimpse of now. It's an overwhelming thing to work with young people...even more overwhelming the feeling of a desire to "reach" them. I am still amazed at how God has changed the way I think...if you knew me before you would agree.

A dash of frustration, hint of annoyance & a whole bunch of the TRUTH!

Ok, so if you tend to wear your feelings out on your sleeves you might better click on someone else's blog today. But if you think you can take a little "hardness" on this particular day then please continue. Either way this is well overdue & unfortunately it seems the only way to get this all out. So roll up your sleeves, grab your work gloves, and get ready to crawl on your knees through the mud if you're in for some good ole venting because we're about to get dirty my friends.
Well, for those of you who actually follow my little blog you'll know that it's been well over a month since I've posted last. A LOT has happened since the last post...most of which you have probably already caught up with on my big sister's blog. The biggest thing being, of course, the passing of our amazing grandfather the end of October. As a PK (preacher's kid) I've seen so many go through similar situations, tried to "help" or encourage them through the "mourning process", etc... But this was the first time that our little family had to actually "go through" this ourselves. Our family of 5 was extremely close to my grandaddy...mess, he & gramma helped raise us 3 kids to an extent. And I was very blessed to have my children (his great-grandchildren) KNOW him & love him also which has been so fun & neat to watch. hehehe...& as I sit here typing this I think about just a couple secrets he let me in on that I'll keep to myself even now that make me giggle! :) So yeah, like I said this was a first for our family to lose someone so close, but each of us have "dealt" differently with the experience. And ya know...I think I'll just leave it at that. I miss him SO, but my heart is full when I think of him because I remember the "I sure do love you!" & kiss that only grandaddy could give...the way he would get a little emotional when he would tell me how proud he was of me & my little family and most of all how Andee & I were the very last that he actually spoke to the Monday before the Friday that he passed with a muffled, "I love you." Oh yes, I'll remember.
Now the holiday season has arrived...Thanksgiving quickly passed with grandaddy in Heaven, gramma in Dallas, lil Jerry in Iraq, and the rest of us at mom & dad's. The Union house was empty which is so weird & different ESPECIALLY during this time of year...it was yet another new experience. But like daddy always says because grandaddy ingrained it into him, "We're still in this thing together aint we?!" :)
Whew...man...I just can't get "dirty" today. I want to & really feel like I need to "clear the air" but publicly is not the best choice. Man...don't ya hate it sometimes when you really die to self & take "the high road"...well, not really hate it but makes you realize that you really have changed...ya know. But sister...we need to talk. You know, that thing we DON'T do at all any more. Hmmm....guess I'll take my turn one day.

I Know that I Know that I Know

"When you understand who you are in Christ, a rest enters your soul that cannot exist with striving and struggling. Just as darkness cannot coexist with light, striving for approval does not coexist with confidence in His grace. Who you are in Christ matters more than what you do. God accepts and loves you, just as you are, to demonstrate His Glory to all the world."

I am so grateful for this confidence...in who I am in Christ Jesus! I am so grateful for what He has done in the 27 years of my life...especially the last six of those. I find myself overwhelmed by His great love & His incredible grace & mercy that He continuously pours out on my worthless self. And while by no means have I fully reached His expectations for my life on this earth I find peace in knowing that I am walking in the path that He has set out for me. Get a little sidetracked at times...sure. Wonder why He's leading me this way and not that...of course. But as big as my dreams are I know that His dreams for me are even bigger! So how is one to stay motivated to keep on keeping on especially when you just cannot understand why in the world He would allow some things to happen to you/around you/inside you? Well, my motivation to stay the course is my love for my GREAT GOD!! Because even when I don't understand & I sure don't want to do what I know I've been "told" to do He always, in His way(s) for me, lets me know that I've done as He would have me do time and time again.

Yes, a rest has entered my soul...