Bountiful Blessings Day 10

Day 10...double digits already people!  This month is flying by.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."  -- John 15:13

Today, I am grateful for my girlfriends.  What would I do without these girls?  These Godly women who inspire me, lift me up when I'm dragging, let me be "real" (even though it's pretty ugly), be my Advisory Board, cry with me and laugh with me.  Wait...more often than not, they laugh at me! 

No need to name names, these girls know who they are.  More often than not, without even without saying a word, their witnesses shine and they make my day without even knowing it.  Many of us face different challenges in our day to day lives and even our personalities vary widely; but our friendship remains.  I need these girls to be different from me to show me things from an alternate angle.  How boring would my life be if every one of my friends acted, talked and walked just like me?  I need their variety as much as I need their loyalty.

It had already been on my mind that I was going to write about my friendships today and whatd'ya know??  The devotional I studied this morning was about friendship; specifically compared David and Jonathan's friendship with how we should interact in our intimate friendships. 

I love these girls and only hope I can be the friend in return to them that they are to me. 

You know who you are and I am beyond blessed to be your friend!

Bountiful Blessings Day 9

" 'Honor your father and mother'--which is the first commandment with a promise--that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 

--Ephesians 6:2-3

On day 7 (actually posted yesterday with day 8), I wrote that I am grateful for being raised in a Godly home with Godly parents.  Today, I'm grateful for my in-laws.  Who out there can actually say they're grateful for their in-laws??  Me! 

Back on day 4, I wrote how blessed I am for a Godly husband.  That Godly husband is a product of his Godly parents and I am truly blessed to know them.  Having had them in my life for 10+ years, they have seen me grow and mature into wifehood and motherhood (not that I'm fully blossoming there yet...work in progress) in all it's stages...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I'm not proud of the way I've always acted towards them over the years, but now that I have children of my own, I'm seeing little by little that living in peace is crucial and--more importantly--is what God has commanded.  (See Ephesians 6:2-3 above).

Though I haven't always agreed with everything my in-laws do, I am positive they haven't always agreed with things I've done.  And that's okay because but beyond that, I am still grateful for them.  They are so very good to me and really don't even have to be.  I can honestly say I love and cherish them the same way I do my very own flesh and blood and consider them my "family." 

Everyone knows that their parents turn to mush when those grandbabies come along.  I can honestly say my in-laws were good to me before I ever gave them grandsons (two of the cutest, sweet-souled boys I know!).  Beyond their goodness to me, they are good to my children.  What's better than Godly parents pouring themselves into their children?  Godly grandparents pouring themselves into their grandchildren!  AND my boys are blessed boys to have two sets of those!

Thank you, Mr. Randy & Ms. Joy, for your advice (whether we wanted it or not), goodness, and support over the years.  My hope is to honor you with the same love and respect. 

Photos courtesy of J. Higginbotham Photography

Bountiful Blessings Day 7 and 8

Playing catch-up today.  Yesterday was Sunday and I rarely even open my computer on a Sunday, so I'm catching yesterday's bountiful blessing today. 

Bountiful Blessings - Day 7

I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow up in a Godly home with two Godly parents.  Though our family structure has changed over time and all my growing years weren't blissful, the values and love I experienced as a child was invaluable and I attribute most of that to who I am today.  (Not that I'm perfect...work in progress.) 

I'm happy to provide a similar atmosphere with my family.  I just recently finished reading "Bringing Up Boys" by Dr. James Dobson and I would highly recommend it for any Mama of a boy or boys.  In the beginning of the book, Dr. Dobson lays out the alarming statistics in relationship to boys in today's world.  Most alarming to me were the statistics of boys that did not grow up in a stable home with two parents and the percentage of those boys who commit crime, fill our state prisons, and bring more children into this world under their same value system.  It is sad.  Though Christ layed the foundations for family long ago, these statistics show how greatly in need of a "rebirth" in American families. 

And day 8 works into this....

Bountiful Blessings - Day 8

I am grateful for a home.  Not a house, (though I am grateful for that) which is something you buy.  I'm grateful for a home.  "Home" is a feeling of love and joy and rest.  A place where you're wanted.  Though the structure that compiles our house has changed over recent years, I am happy that our home has remained the same.  Here is a sweet anecdote from my Harrison of just how much he loves home.  There truly is "no place like home." 

Bountiful Blessings - Day 6



Yesterday, I wrote that I am grateful for my children and devoted that day to my oldest.  BUT, today is all about Brig!  We refer to him as "the baby," but he probably won't always be the youngest.  For now, he's "the baby."

Whereas Harrison is my inquisitive and rambunctious child, Brigdon is my observer.  He's quiet and soft-spoken.  I tend to think as he gets older, he'll be my "Mama's boy" -- and that's quite all right by me!  Though he's just shy of 1-year-old and still has plenty of growing to do, I cherish his sweet spirit for the time being.  He's been lovingly nicknamed "Smiley" by so many people, because he is nearly always smiling.  No need to goof off making silly faces or funny noises for him to crack a smile; all you have to do is look at him and that gummy grin spreads ear-to-ear.  Speaking of ears, I adore those too.  They're not overly large, but they do protrude a bit and I think it bothers his Daddy more than anyone else.  Recently I was browsing through a box of old baby pictures of myself and came across a few in my bald-headed baby days and ya know what?  I had those same slightly protruding floppy ears... Even more reason to love Brig's!

His first name, Brigdon, is a name that Justin and I sort of came up with on our own.  Funny thing is, we don't even think he knows that's what his name is because of the dozen or so nicknames we call him instead.  Brig, Briggy, Brigster, Booney, Booney-Bear, Brig-A-Boo, Stinky and/or Stink (courtesy of big brother), Boon-Dawg, B-Rig, Brig-Doe.  And even funnier is that he responds to every single nickname, but call him by his true name -- Brigdon -- no response.  He seriously doesn't even realize that's his name. 

On a more serious note, his middle name, David, is in memory of my dad -- a Papa my little Brig will never meet this side of heaven.  I see many, many traits of my dad in both my children and am proud that Brig carries Daddy's name.  David was also God's most beloved; "a man after God's own heart."  My prayer is that as my sweet boy grows into a (hopefully still sweet) man, he'll still be seeking God's heart. 

Brigdon, meet your Mama

So tiny

First Easter

Briggy & Bubs

First beach day

Sweet sugar

This boy l.o.v.e.s. the water!

Neither of them look too happy here...salt water + sun in the eyes = no smiles

Mama loves you Sweet Briggy Boo!

Bountiful Blessings - Day 5

Day 5:  I am beyond blessed by my children, both of them. 

But, for the sake of 30 days, I'm devoting this day to Harrison Reid, my firstborn.

I distinctly remember that muggy morning, June 21, 2010 just before 10:00 a.m., when God made me a Mama.  My, oh my, how my life changed the very second I layed eyes on him.  (Just so you know, I'm already blinking back tears...)

He is a true "boy's boy" if there ever was one -- adoring all things trucks, dirt, tractors, and especially mud.  This little blog is filled (and will continue to be filled) with silly anecdotes he says and the crazy things he does.  He brings so much laughter and joy to our home; we couldn't imagine our lives without him in it.  The day he was born, he made us "family." 

His name -- Harrison Reid -- explains him so well.  "Harrison" is a spinoff of my surname, Harris, and "Reid" is Justin's middle name as well as many generations before him.  This totally sums him up because he is such a mix of both Justin and I. 

His looks and personality and livelihood are completely Justin (and anyone who has ever saw the 2 of them would agree 100%), while his go-getter attitude and his mannerisms and his OCD compulsiveness are completely me.  I could devote an entire post to our OCD-ness and probably should one day just for fun... We thrive off of the same routine day after day; we eat our food one thing at a time; if our clothes/items for the next day aren't arranged beforehand, the whole day is off-kilter; we cannot function without breakfast and that breakfast is the first thing on our minds when our feet hit the floor; on and on it goes.

Above all, My Harrison loves the Lord - even at his young age.  I pray he never loses sight of Him in his life and am excited for what God has in store for him. 

Mama loves you Boog-A-Loo!

The first time he held his baby brother Brig...so proud he is!

Our heart

He is an amazing Big Brother - and Brig adores him!

Chewing on his tongue, another trait from his Daddy.  They say it helps them concentrate...hmmm.

First United Methodist Preschool school picture - September 2010

 

Adores dirt in all it's forms, but most especially MUD!

Jolly, spunky boy with the cutest cowlick, creamy skin, bright blue eyes, and a splattering of freckles.  (Minus the burn on his chin in this pic...someone got a little too close to the stove which shows all that sweetness comes with a good dose of mischief as well)

That smile totally makes my day...every day!

The cast comes off!

Finally after what seems like an insane amount of time in our broken arm adventure (in all actuality it was only 2+ months), Harrison got his cast off today! I don't know who was more excited, him or me. Mama was ready to see that smelly thing go! Harrison knew we'd be picking him up early from school today for his appointment at the "bone doctor." When I got there to pick him up, he had already informed the entire class where he was going and he'd have his arm "good as new" tomorrow. He did super at the orthopedist and the bone looked great. We even had lunch at "Walkin' Moe's" to celebrate. It really is "good as new!"



Sent from my iPhone

Bountiful Blessings Day 4

^"Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of His body."

-- Ephesians 5:25-30

Day 4 of Bountiful Blessings...

I am indescribably grateful for my husband, Justin.  Grateful that God set him out for me before I was ever even conceived.  He saw my future and he was me building a life with this man.  He is a man who loves to hunt and to fish and to mudbog, but rarely gets time to because he's busy being a Dad.  He is a man who put himself on a ridiculous night shift and works so very hard to better provide for his family.  He is a man who wakes up most weekday afternoons exhausted from that night shift to care for his boys so that I can work.  He is a man who has put up with his difficult wife much more than he should have to.  He is man who gives and gives to his friends, whether or not those friends only call him when they need something.  Above all, he is a Godly man and I can think of no one better to head our household and partner with me in raising our children.