Post Cruise Hangover...

We had an amazing time on our cruise!! We flew to Miami, FL, Sunday, August 22nd. We arrived and hopped on a shuttle that wisked us away to the ship's port. After an hour of paperwork checks and getting our IDs, we were off to meet Chris and Ashley! We met at a buffet and I don't think the eating or the talking stopped all week. We had so much fun...being away from the kids...remember who Keith was...and getting to hang out with friends! We are all ready to schedule our next va-ca together!

This is my favorite pic that I took. This was on the beach in Roatan, Honduras.
Chris and Ashley O'Dell

So since we have gotten home, we have missed each other. So, we have both signed in to Skype and the kids have even met now! Skype = entertainment. The kids think it is "show and tell" time, and they parade past the webcam anything and everything they can find. Hilarious!

Well, we have an early morning tomorrow...going to see Austin!! The kids are so excited!
I'll write and post more pics later...

Feeling the need to journal my amazing life!

So again...here I sit, needing to journal my life so that one day I can remember all the crazy things that I survived!

Keith and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! I definitely love him more today, and in my opinion I love him better, than I did 10 years ago. And for that, I am grateful to God for constantly pushing me to grow, and to Keith for sticking with me through the ugly moments. We went to dinner at the Sun Dial Restaurant, where he proposed to me 10 years ago on April 21st. We worked together on an "accessory" to my engagement ring, and he gave it to me just like he gave me my other ring. So sweet and memorable. We are leaving next week to go on a cruise to continue the celebration. In fact, this time next week we will be eating dinner on a ship! Ashley and Chris O'dell will be traveling with us...I can't begin to describe how excited I am to spend time with them again. She is pregnant with her 5th child! Congrats to another crazy lady!

I am OFFICIALLY starting school tomorrow. I've written out everyone's schedule and posted it. Hopefully all will go well, but if not, I wrote the schedule in erasable marker :) Olivia will be doing 4th / 5th grade work this year. She loves to learn...just not to write. We will be working on that this year, too. Jude will be doing 2nd / 3rd grade work. Math comes very easily to both of them (their Dad's kids). Sophia is going to be doing 1st grade work. Keith and I feel she needs to be pushed a little more than we have been pushing her. When pushed it's amazing what she can do! Elijah and Elissa love to color and be read to. They are also loving "schoolwork", so I'm going to give them as much as they will do!

Well, to catch everyone up...
Austin is now attending Shepherd's Hill Farm. It is a theraputic boarding school. God led us to SHF in April of this year after much prayer and Godly counsel. He is progressing well there. We have seen improvements in his maturity and some of his biggest struggles. God is so faithful, and we are continuing to trust Him everyday for each of our kids.

We worked really hard this year (beginning in January) on a garden. We grew watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, eggplant, and some herbs. We grew everything organically, and quickly realized why most things aren't organic. Bugs kill! We have now prematurely lost our watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, and tomatoes due to bugs. Very frustrating, but the life lessons we have learned will stick with us. If people would stop comparing us to monkeys and start learning principles of life from plants instead, I think the result would be astounding!

I'm going to try to exercise 4 times this week...we'll see how that goes. Hopefully my shoulder will be completely better soon...as in tomorrow, would be nice. I feel old. To wake up from a great night's sleep and feel like someone dislocated my shoulder...makes me feel old.

We started a lifegroup a month or so ago and today we had 13 kids and 10 adults!! We laughed, ate, and just had fun hanging out. Westgaters are amazing! Westgate is gearing up for our "At the Movies" series. I pray that many people are reached for the Kingdom!

Well, I'm going to start waking up earlier to start school and keep to the schedule...7:20 am! Due to this change, I'm going to start going to bed earlier, too!

So.....goodnite :)

Family

Do you live near your family, your spouse's, both or neither?

~MINE LIVES 2 MILES AWAY

~HIS LIVES 1 HOUR AWAY
How often do you see your parents or siblings?

~MY PARENTS: EVERY SUNDAY

~MY SIBLINGS: ABOUT 3 TIMES A YEAR...AND WE ALL LIVE FAIRLY CLOSE TOGETHER...SAD :(
How does your spouse feel about that?

~HE GETS ALONG WITH MY FAM
How many nieces and nephews do you have?

~2 NEPHEWS

~ONE THAT WAS FORMERLY MY NEPHEW, BUT IS NOW MY SON
Who were you closest to as kids out of your immediate family?

~MY MOM
Who are you closest to now?

~I GUESS MY DAD.
Why?

~WELL, MY MOM IS GONE NOW...AND GOD HAS RESTORED MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAD!
Do you have any siblings who still have a little growing up to do?

~UMM...IF JUDGING BY BEHAVIOR...
If you could save your younger brothers and sisters from a mistake you made, what would it be?

~IT WOULD PROBABLY TO FOLLOW JESUS THROUGH RELATIONSHIP & COURTSHIP...NOT DO THINGS THE WORLD'S WAY!
Who in your family can you talk to about anything at all?

~BLOOD "FAMILY"...I DON'T...BUT THERE ARE FRIENDS THAT ARE CLOSER THAN SOME FAMILY...THAT I DO!

Friends

How many GOOD friends do you have?

~HMMM...5 OR SO...
Have you had any falling outs with anyone you thought was your good friend?

~NO
Do you have as many friends now as you had in High School?

~MORE ACTUALLY ;)
Do you still party with your friends?

~PARTY...I NEVER PARTIED...I'M TOM'S DAUGHTER!
What else do you do with them?

~WELL...I SEE THEM OCCASIONALLY...NOT MUCH. MAYBE A PLAYDATE.
Are you surprised at who your closest friends have turned out to be?

~NOT REALLY...I KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING...THEY WERE "KINDRED SPIRITS".
Which of your friends has the most high paying job?

~NONE...THEY ARE ALL IN MINISTRY :)
What about the coolest job?

~VAL OR CASSIE...THEY ARE BOTH MISSIONARIES :)
Whose life surprises you most?

~PROBABLY VAL...ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW HER THEN...HER UPBRINGING DOES NOT SCREAM...MISSIONARY...LITTLE COBB-BRAT...LOVE YA!
Which of your friends do you have the most in common with now?

~ALL OF THEM

In-Laws

Have you ever had a problem with your in-laws?

~YES...WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE!
Which in-laws?

~ALL!
Do you get along with all of them?

~SOMETIMES...I'M TRYING!
Who do you like the best?

~UHH...I DON'T WANT TO SHOW FAVORITISM.
Who dont you get along with?

~UHH...
Have you ever gotten into an argument with the one you don't get along with?

~CAN YOU DEFINE "ARGUMENT"?
Did you forgive and forget?

~FORGIVENESS IS A WALK NOT A ONE TIME DEAL...AND IF I HAD FORGOTTEN...WOULD I HAVE REMEMBERED TO TYPE IT ON THIS SURVEY?
Who is the quiet one?

~SHARON...QUIET IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD.
Who is the loud one?

~ANGIE...NOT NECESSARILY BAD :)
Who is the daredevil?

~I DON'T REALLY HAVE MANY TO CHOOSE FROM HERE!
Who is the most straightforward?

~ANGIE & DWAYNE
What do you like about your in-laws?

~THEY LOVE WHOEVER MADE THEM MY IN-LAWS
Whats one thing you don't ever want to see them do?

~ONE THING??? THERE ARE WAY TO MANY TO CHOSE JUST ONE!
Do they all get along with each other?

~THEY DON'T EVER GET TOGETHER!
When youre hanging out with them, what do they always seem to do?

~PLAY WITH MY KIDS :)
Do you join in?

~WELL...THAT'S KINDA MY JOB!
Where do they mostly hang out?

~AT FAMILY'S HOUSES
Have you ever been talked about by them?

~YEP!
Do you still like them?

~BIBLE SAYS I HAVE TO!

Bills

Have you accrued any debt since turning 18?

~I DID HAVE A STUDENT LOAN THAT I PAID OFF WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF GRADUATING :)
What is your least favorite bill to pay?

~NONE...THEY ALL GIVE ME WHAT IT IS I NEED.
How often are you supposed to pay it?

~WE PAY ALL OF OUR BILLS EACH MONTH...AND PAY THEM COMPLETELY...SO I DON'T THINK THIS APPLIES ??
How often DO you pay it?

~REFER TO ABOVE ANSWER~
What will your next major purchase be?

~HOPEFULLY NOTHING!! CURRICULUM FOR OLIVIA ;)
Had to buy a washer and dryer yet?

~NO...THANK YOU, JESUS!
What about a dishwasher or a stove/oven?

~OVEN: RIGHT AFTER WE MOVED IN TO THIS HOUSE.
If someone gave you money to improve your life, what would you want fixed first?

~THE NEW BATHROOM!!! GGggRRrrr!!
How many bills would you say you get every month?

~HOUSE...DISCOVER...PHONE...TRASH...ELECTRIC...
How do you feel about credit cards?

~HAVE AS FEW AS POSSIBLE! AND PAY THEM OFF EACH MONTH!!

Locations

What is the first thing you look for in a place to settle down in?

~SPACE AND FLOOR PLAN
Are you planning on staying where you live now?

~UNLESS GOD TELLS US OTHERWISE :)
What do you like about where you live?

~JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING...THANKS AGAIN, JESUS!
What don't you like about it?

~IT'S TOO FAR AWAY FROM SOME OF MY FRIENDS! OH..AND THAT BACK BATHROOM HAS ISSUES :)
If you could have all of your family and your spouse's family in the same town, would you?

~IT WOULD BE INTERESTING :)
How small is your town?

~NOT VERY SMALL
What's the most fun thing to do there?

~ANYWHERE I AM IS FUN :)
Does everyone there know you?

~WHENEVER I GO TO WAL-MART..IT SEEMS THAT WAY!
Name another place you think you would like to live.

~ANYWHERE WITH VAL AND CASSIE!!
Any place you would never want to live?

~IN MY IN-LAWS' HOUSE

Random

Do you have a first aid kit?

~YEP...IN THE CAR!
Do you know how to give CPR/First Aid?

~WELL...I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY DONE IT...BUT I'VE HAD INSTRUCTIONS ON IT..SO I THINK SO?!!
Ever had to use it?

~CHECK ABOVE ANSWER
What medicines do you always try to keep stocked?

~BENADRYL, IBUPROFEN, TYLENOL, ASTHMA MEDS, AND CROUP MEDS!
Do you often get stress headaches?

~I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE STRESS PART...BUT HEADACHES...AT LEAST ONE PER MONTH...IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN :(
Do you carry jumper cables in your car?

~YEP!
Have you ever had to change a flat?

~NOT BY MYSELF...ESPECIALLY ON MY SUBURBAN..WHEW!
If not, could you if you had to?

~NOPE..THAT'S WHY I HAVE A CELL PHONE :)
Can you change the oil?

~ADD??? YES. CHANGE??? UH..NO!
What about the battery?

~NOPE....THAT'S ONE OF THE BONUSES OF MARRIAGE!
Do you work in an office or other setting?

~IN MY HOME :)
How long have you worked there?

~8 YRS AND COUNTING...
Do you like your co-workers?

~MOST OF THE TIME...YES!! THEY ARE MY KIDS:)
Do you hang out with them outside of work?

~IT'S SO WEIRD YOU ASK...THEY SEEM TO STALK ME AND FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE!
What do you think of your boss?

~GOD...HE'S ALRIGHT. KEITH?? HE'S OK, TOO!
What age are you dreading?

~NONE...I WILL ALWAYS BE WAAAAYYY YOUNGER THAN KEITH AND MY FRIENDS :)
Do you already feel old?

~NOPE...NEVER!
Do you still get carded for anything?

~I DON'T BUY ITEMS FOR WHICH I SHOULD GET CARDED!
How young does it make you feel completing online surveys?

~THAT'S NOT A FEELING THAT CROSSES MY MIND WHILE FILLING ONE OUT!?
Do you have arthritis in your old brittle fingers now?

~I JUST MIGHT...AND ARE YOUR EYES TIRED OF READING NOW???

God is Good even when Bad things are Happening!

God is really teaching me this concept. There are days that I absolutely think I am losing my mind...and it is in those moments...or maybe a few moments later...that He reminds me that He is working on me THROUGH these situations. Everytime another instance comes my way, I seem to forget that it is Him, and I end up remember about halfway through, and then I have to ask for forgiveness once again, and start again...this time doing things His way!

Ok...now that that is off my mind...on to lighter issues!

Christmas Time! The kids had an absolute BlaSt!! Shall I just do a photo blog, since a picture is way quicker than me typing a thousand words!

Olivia at her first piano recital. Luke Terry is her instructor and (L to R) Kelsie, Trevor, and Faith also are taking lessons.

Olivia performed "Ode to Joy"...such a beginner classic...and unbiasedly stated, she did a FaBuLouS job!!! Look...her feet are not even touching the floor :) How Cute!

Me and my baby...she's getting so big...~sniff~sniff~~

Elijah and Elissa went to Stephanie's and got haircuts. It was Elissa's FIRST haircut December 22, 2008. Elijah's on the other hand...just CrAzY and in desparate need of trimming!

Thanks, Ms. Stephanie...for removing the mullet and giving me a big o peppermint...so Elissa would stop crying !

Happy Birthday, Sophia! It was all about Chuck E. Cheese and Strawberry Shortcake...interesting combo!

Ride 'em, Cowgirl Sophia!!

Sophia and Tonya...her best buddy, Preston's, Mom!Yummy cake!! Side note of frustration...We ordered 3 pizzas and tons of tokens. We desired our kids to drink water, but they told us we had to buy bottled waters or sodas...they would not give us cups for tap water!! Ridiculous...knowing darn well we more than paid for those paper cups with all we had already purchased!! Anyway...that's over!

Strawberry Shortcake for the "Little Sniffer" girl. She loves smelly things...so here...smell this!

Jude drug out all these empty diaper boxes and created "Robot Man" with a special robotic arm.These are all the Buchanan cousins' kids at our Christmas Eve meal!

This is Christmas at Grandmother Noles' house.

Elissa was the cutest thing to watch open gifts...she was so excited once she figured out what it was!This was the suit Jude got from Keith's parents...he loved it and didn't ever want to take it off!

Christmas at my Dad's house. The kids were all decorating cakes that were cut into shapes that told the Christmas story...it was really a cute idea!

We got the kids a Wii!! I don't think they really understood what they had until we played it! NOW...they L-O-V-E it!

As stressful as it is to get everybody ready and there on time...for the most part...it is worth it!

I just pray that every Christmas only gets better and less stressful!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Fun Times with Friends!!

The Blasczyks came over for a full family visit last Monday, Dec. 1st. The kids struggled to have fun...can't you tell??


















So the boys...Shiloh, as Batman, and Jude, as Spiderman...and Elijah as Mr. Cool who had to be a part of this photo!

















Elissa enjoying not being the baby in the house...but the "BIG GIRL"!! Izzy doesn't look very happy! Probably didn't get the next bite served to him quick enough!
















The Girls (Elissa, Abi, and Sophia) and again...Mr. Cool (Elijah) who needs to be in EVERY group shot! We just could not get over the pose...arm over the person's shoulder! HiLaRiOuS!!




We love our friends!! We cherish our time with them.

Thought I would do this to enlighten you on Sarah Noles by filling out this survey...I haven't read through this so it may not be very enlightening at ALL!! Guess we will see!


Do you drink lots of water?
No, but I really should...it would take some of the pressure off of my kidneys in the long run!

Is it easy for someone to make you smile/laugh?
I would say YES! Like Elissa's giggle is making me laugh right now :)

Would you rather go camping or to a five star hotel?
Definitely a 5-star Hotel!!

Who was the last girl you had a conversation with?
Elissa...told her to stop throwing her cracker snack on the floor for Lola to eat!!

Do you plan on moving out in the next year?
Nope, not unless God calls us to Mexico!!

Are you missing someone?
Not at this particular moment...but I always miss my Momma if I stop long enough to think about it.

Would you like to put last night on repeat and live it forever?
Heck NO!! Between an all evening Dinner Theater practice and not being super happy with my Hubs...NO WAY!!

What was on your mind mostly today?
Having fun with the Godfreys!

Do you think you can last in a relationship for three months?
I think I have proven I can!

Do you think before you speak?
Most of the time, but even if I think I still should not say some of the things I say!

Would you rather be called hot, cute, or beautiful?
Seeing as I am too old to be "cute", and do not qualify as "hot"...I guess I will settle for "beautiful".

Do you like to wear flip-flops?
All summer long...but I am not one of those crazy folks that wears them in the winter!!

How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
19?? I only remember it was for emergencies only and it was a "bag phone"!!

Have you ever made anyone laugh when they were crying?
It's my specialty...with my kids anyway:)

Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced?
Ewww! No!

Is anyone interested in you right now?
I can think of one that can't seem to get enough of me!

What color are your eyes?
Green.

Did you have a good birthday last year?
It wasn't bad...but it wasn't the most memorable.

What are you doing for your next birthday?
I don't know but it will be my 30th...don't get any CrAzY ideas!!

How late did you stay up last night?
Not late at all...I fell asleep within 5 minutes of being in the bed...which is extremely RARE..especially at 10:30pm!!

What were you doing?
Obviously...filling out this survey, while listening to "Green Eggs and Ham" being read to the twins by Keith and the listening to the 11 o' clock news!

Do you get scared when your home alone and hear weird noises?
Sometimes..but I mostly watch the dog to see if she hears anything...she has good hearing!

Ever told your parents you hated them?
I don't think so...definitely not to their face!...I would not have had a face after I did!

What movie is in your DVD player?
"White Christmas" I just watched it with the kids...Jude enjoyed it the most!

Have you told anybody you love them today?
Yeah!! Lots of people!

Do you think too much or too little?
I think I am a "well-balanced" thinker!

What brand of shirt are you wearing?
Take a wild guess...Yep...Old Navy!

Do you wash your hair in the shower?
Yeah?? Who actually writes these things???

What is your fear?
Not going to Heaven! I would really have some issues if I lost Keith, too!

How are you feeling right now?
Tired...I kinda have a slight headache!

What was your last argument about?
The same ol' stuff...family issues!

Last nap?
Obviously too long ago seeing as I can't remember...NOTE TO SELF: take nap tomorrow!!

Have you ever liked anyone that treated you like crap?
Nope!!

Where would you like to be right now?
In my bed, sleeping!

What were you doing at 9:07 pm last night?
In the car waiting for Keith to stop talking to Pastor Dwayne...yeah, I was in the car with 6 exhausted kids for an HOUR while he was talking!! Grrr!!

Besides this, what are you doing right now?
Did we not just ask this, People?? Are we a little ADD??

Will you be up before 7 am tomorrow?
Hope not!

Are you afraid to grow up?
Not really...I think I'm past the "growing up" part...I've moved to the "growing old" part! That scares me a little :)

What do you do when you're sad?
Depends...usually call Valarie or Cassie.

Do you have a secret that you've never told ANYONE?
Probably...but I can't seem to think of anything at the present!

Last place you took a plane to?
Guadalajara, MX to see my Bestie:)

Three words to explain why you last threw up?
Virus, thanks kids!

What are your plans for the weekend?
Dinner Theater, Dinner Theater, Dinner Theater!

How many children do you plan on having?
Ummm...I think...uhhhh...6!

Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Again...who write these kinds of questions?? What kind of response were you really expecting??

How do you feel about public displays of affection?
For married couples: Keep it Rated G...any others: Save it for marriage!

Last movie you saw in theaters, with who?
"Four Christmases" with Keith, Derrick and my Val!..Pastor Phil.................

How many pills do you take a day?
ONE...No more Babies:)

Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not really.

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coke...it's my wake up choice in the AM!

Favorite place to be?
Somewhere having fun!

Do you love where you live?
Love IT!!

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
That was a very interesting sequence of dreams...all about puppies and kittens running everywhere...IDK!!

Have you ever intentionally made someone jealous?
I don't think so!

What's something you're excited about right now?
This weekend...an opportunity to be used by God to plant seeds of salvation!

Any plans for tomorrow?
Go get some new jazz shoes for me and Tony for Dinner Theater this weekend!

Have you ever dated someone older than yourself?
I think I could definitely say, "Yeah...a little older!"



Well, I hope you learned something new about me through this...off to bed!

God is Still in the Prayer Answering Business!

Well, life has been interesting this past year. December 25th will mark the one year anniversary of inheriting our 6th child. Austin came to us after his mother, Tina, passed away from a short 2-month battle with Leukemia. Tina, Keith's sister, received Austin from the state of Alabama to foster him. She continued to not know the final decision on his living situation for 2 1/2 years. Finally, she was able to adopt him, and he officially became a "Noles". He continues to be a Noles in our home, too. We have brought him in our family and called him our "son".

As I said...maybe "interesting" isn't the most descriptive word to use in this situation. Things have gradually been getting tougher. He has been required to live his life to a totally different standard...and it has caused many issues to be revealed...not only in his life, but in mine and Keith's, also. We have prayed, read Scriptures, refered to life stories...and then prayed MORE. It seemed the more we tried to do what we thought God wanted us to do...the harder he would fight against us.

For whatever reason, God decided to peel back the scales on his spiritual eyes and ears, and He allowed him to hear our heart's desires for him and his future. This past Wednesday, Keith and I had a conversation with him that really contained nothing we hadn't said to him at some point...but because of God's life-changing power, it seemed to make sense this time. His heart appears to have begun to change. We continue to pray that his relationship will only grow deeper. We explained to him that if his relationship with God wasn't strong...then when he and I's relationship became difficult, there would not really be any motivation to work on it. We told him it's because we want to please God that we work on relationships when times get tough.

So for the past 2 days not only has he finished all of his schoolwork, he has asked me to help him and asked me to pray that he will not be distracted.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!