What were we doing last Thanksgiving?

That is the question I asked Joe earlier today. Looking back at these photos made me smile...we went to Cleveland and Maw Maw felt good while we were there. Isn't God faithful!? He knew she would be home with Him this year and He made our last one together extra special.

Happy Thanksgiving...we have so much to be thankful for!!!

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Time spent with Maw Maw is time well spent

For the past month we have been spending as much time as we can with Maw Maw (practically living with her) and enjoying every moment. Not many people could say they would choose to live with their mother in law but that's not the case with me. God gave me a mother in law who happens to be my best friend. After receiving the news about her cancer spreading and just not really knowing what the coming days will hold....we are holding each other. Please continue to pray for her. God has been so faithful and I trust that He will continue. We can stand on His promises and cling to them in the very darkest of times.

A friend shared a scripture with me today that ministered greatly...
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
I sense that Maw Maw is groaning, so weary from this struggle but she has this hope to hold onto. And through it all, that peace that surpasses understanding continues to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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Celebrating our Savior

Christmas....has to be my favorite holiday. Time to be together with family and celebrate the awesome birth of our Savior - Emmanuel "God with us"

I should have posted these in December but we should celebrate Christmas every day of the year.

Here's to Christmas in July!

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Thankful....

Since Maw Maw is feeling so good we took a trip to Cleveland TN for Thanksgiving and have been having such a good time with her family. I was just looking through some photos of our last visit together and it makes me so thankful. Here we are in September -

the girls!! (Tonya, Aunt Dot, Aunt Fay, Maw Maw, Sherri,
Coley, Aunt Tammy, Lily and Mommy)

Maw Maw with her sisters

Lily teaching Jeff how to use his iPhone

he's just not getting it!

picking leaves for Aunt Dot

spending time with Sherri

Mommy's baby!

Tonya getting some Lily love

teaching her sign language

Happy Birthday Maw Maw!!

We have been celebrating all week this special event - the day God created a masterpiece - MAW MAW! She is an amazing woman and loved by so many people....and she happens to be my hero. I learn so much from her patient, gracious, kind, good, loving ways. I wish those qualities would some how just rub off on me from spending time with her but I know these are things that only grow from walking with, knowing and trusting our precious Savior Jesus. I have seen her endure so much over these past 4 years as she has battled cancer but as you can see from these pictures she is still SMILING! She has taught me that life is a gift and every day should been treasured. I have learned from watching her how to endure and look to the Lord for strength and joy. No matter how bad she is feeling she always has time and wants to be with her family. Through the pain and suffering she continues to sing His praise and my favorite one to hear her sing is "Great is Thy Faithfulness" I know her life has made an impact on each one of us but I especially like to see it in Lily. I see Maw Maw so often in her....as she cares, loves, and is so polite. God gave us an immeasurable gift when He chose Sue Raley to be our Maw Maw, Mom, and mother in law. For that we are eternally grateful. Happy Birthday to the one we love so very much. Hope your day is extra special!!! Here are some pictures from our birthday dinner/parties -

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in YOU.

Phil. 1:6 (amplified version)

To brighten her day...

Been praying for Maw Maw today and thought I would dedicate this blog post to brighten her day as she prepares for surgery (biopsy) on Wednesday. Family and friends, please join us in prayer that God will do a miraculous work and continue to show her grace and peace every step of the way. Pictures of Lily will brighten anyone's day :)

It's a good thing that lantana flourishes b/c Lily picks it every chance she gets!

2 peas in a pod!

Enjoying a visit with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Tammy

Mother's Day

Can she get any cuter?!

A musician in the  making

JOY

Loves spending time at Maw Maw's house (has even been spending the night with her a few times lately!!)

Relay for Life - Maw Maw celebrating her victory!

July 4th with Maw Maw and Papa

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6

We love you Maw Maw and we believe what God says!!

Keep your head up...looking to Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith!

Enjoying our Summer!

Last week we took a trip to Cleveland to visit our relatives on Maw Maw's side of the family and we had the BEST time. She/we wanted to squeeze in a trip before her radiation treatments started. Many of you know by now that she is battling melanoma again. They did surgery on her head and another skin graft and recommended that she follow it up with radiation just to make sure it was all gone. I believe the time we spent with family is just what she needed! And just what we needed. Lily loved every minute of it! She was spoiled by ALL :) Here's a slideshow of some of the sweet memories that we made along the way -

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Holidays with Maw Maw 2010

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Fall Festivals

Went to Maw Maw's Church on Halloween and she had a blast! I'm surprised we got any photos of her front side...she was so busy running around :)

 Played the games and got LOTS of candy

 sometimes she was so busy eating the candy that it was a challenge to play the game :)

 Maw Maw helping her to get candy from "Dorothy" from the Wizard of Oz booth

 I'm pretty sure all she had for dinner that night was candy and chips 

 And of course she found a few friends

 And on Saturday we went to a local country Church

The little princess got to bounce 

 ....and crawl through tunnels

 and go on a hayride

(and more candy!)

 thought it was funny.....Daddy was a scarecrow

 the angry scarecrow

 then we stopped by the fire station to see Smokey

She said "I love him....can I hug him?"

 And we went to see Maw Maw after the festival

 Daddy's Bama babe

 the Bama family

 LOVES her Maw Maw!