Ultra cheap dinner for 6....

Well I have finally gotten the hang of this fabulous Publix coupon shopping thing! I am so happy to go to Publix and save by far more than i spend. The trick is to buy their buy one get one free items and double or triple stack the coupons...Just for example....my last week shoppig trip was GREAT! Out of pocket price for me....$96.59...total savings with my coupons were $145.00!!! Now thats a deal if i ever saw one.

So tonight we had a ULTRA cheap dinner and a whole other meal put in the freezer for only $3.25! You see that right.....$3.25!!!

They had their box pasta noodles on sale B1G1 free and their Prego pasta sauce B1G1 free. The cost for all 4 items was 5.57( remember though that is the half off price) however I was able to double stack my coupons and spend only 2.50 for all 4 items!! I cooked the ziti pasta and added the yummy parmassean pasta sauce to it....then on top of that they had their bag caesar salad kits for 1.25 ...so add that to our pasta meal and there ya go.....dinner for all 6 of us with left overs and a whole meal in the freezer for next week........

Cant beat that!!!!!

No orphan of God!

I totally love this song now playing on my blog.....

Orphan of God...


There are no orphan's of God! Thank you Jesus for loving all of us despite of who we are.....imperfect. Thank you so much for bringing us to you...showing us that you LOVE us for who we are ....and that you want us to be your hands, your feet, your voice and to let your light shine within us!

Thank you Lord!

Grand give away

Check this out. Grand give a way... Sounds awesome.

lazy Sunday afternoon playing games

Today has been a lazy afternoon. The girls have played babies, dress up clothes, kitchen, wrestled with Daddy, watched TV and now we are playing games at the table. It is so nice to have lazy days every now and then. Today was one of them. We ad a fantastic day at church and now we are enjoying one another.

Life is good!

MY dad

Well Mom just called and said her and my dad are on the way home!!!! He is in alot of pain but the Dr said he is doing very well. He has about 16 weeks ahead of him for healing and then some more probably. He is not wanting to take any pain medicine but mom is going to strongly encourage him to stay on top of it and keep it under control. He will be beyond miserable if he doesnt.

My brother built a wheelchair ramp on the front of the house (they have 8 steps going up to the house) so they can get him inside. He CAN NOT put any weight on his body for 6 weeks. PLEASE pray for him, his pain, his sanity and for Mom as this is going to be a LONG road of healing!

Mom also shared with me two ladies that she has been praying for and with while they were in the hospital. She asked me to spread the word and have as many people praying for each situation as possible..

Susan: she has her only son in the CCU from a massive drug overdose. He is 33 yrs old and when he was brought in he was not breathing. They have had to do 2 brain surgeries on him. He tested positive for every single drug imaginable. He will be taken off of life support on Monday. Susan (his mother) is devestated. Please lift her up in prayer and for her son.

Cindy: This is the second lady mom met. Her husband was brought to the CCU (critial care unit) with a RARE form of pneumonia. They gave him 48 hrs to live and well he has made it 25 days. He is in very bad condition and not expected to live. Lift him up in prayer that the Lord will do His will....She prays that it will be for God to heal him, bring him back to their family but knows if its God's will to take him that she will be able to say "good-bye...i will see you in heaven someday" I couldnt imagine having to go through this with my husband.

Both of these woman are with their families at Shands hospital in Pennsacola Fl.

Thanks for lifting my dad, Susan, Cindy and both of their family members up in prayer.

Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree

The picture you see is a large sheet of 175 children with Down Syndrome all across the world just waiting for your donation, so they too will spend the last Christmas alone without a family.
The word's in BOLD below are clickable links

Well the Reece's Rainbow angel tree is up and running.....and wow can you say awesome!!! So far since Nov 1, 16 children have found their FOREVER FAMILIES and we have alot of children with nice size grants. I encourage all of you to visit the Angel Tree and consider sponsoring a child this year and give the gift of FAMILY this holiday season. For just $35 you will receive a nice porcelain ornament with the Angel Tree logo on one side and the child's photo printed on the other.. they make a GREAT family/friend/teacher/therapy gift and a nice touch to your Christmas tree. I love to look at mine year around and pray for this special child...God has a plan for each one of them and to watch it all unfold is amazing. If you are currently unable to give $35, any amount is great. We take donations from $1 to $1M!! All monies go into the children's grant fund and when a family commits to the child and they are heading to the country to complete the adoption, this money is given to them for the "last leg of the journey" So many families want to adopt, can financially support a child but coming up with the large sum of money is difficult...BUT with your help, the financial burden of the international adoption process can be much lighter...and best of all it will JOIN a family TOGETHER FOREVER!


Last night was the second time since Nov 1st that we have assembled the ornaments. I recruited Shelley and Christy to come help....and wow does the time go by faster and the load alot lighter when you have help. The first shipment was about 75 and this shipment was about 60. Doing it in weekly batches makes life alot easier. This is so exciting and our passion that we all share for the children less fortunate shines through when we are all together.....we can talk about each of our experiences in the adoption journey, the transistion the children have had, the way the bonding has blossomed and share pics of our angels....Thanks Friends....I cherish you!


I look forward to seeing each of your names on the list for ornaments....and remember....what better gift this holiday season than the GIFT OF A FAMILY FOR A CHILD!


May God richly bless each and everyone of you!

my dad is still in the hospital. He had surgery on Tuesday night for his foot. He now has pins in the ankle and was told he could NOT bare any weight on his body for 6 weeks. His lungs are doing better and the chest tube is out...the tubes in his back are still in place along with the cath. He doesnt like that one bit. My brother went over to the house and built a wheelchair ramp over the stairs so they can get inside. My mom is still at the hospital as well with my Dad.

The head trauma Dr come in this morning and told Mom that my dad was doing great for what he went through just a week ago. He said that once the cath is out, pain is controlled, and his physical therapy was all alligning up that they would talk about going home. Well we dont know when that will happen. We pray for the first of the week but dont know yet.

Thanks for asking...and please continue to pray for him and Mom. We are planning on heading down there next week for Thanksgiving (if all the girls stay well...dont want my Dad catching anything from them so his lungs can heal)

Also, please add Giovanna to yall's prayers...I had to pick her up early this morning from school as she was just totally not herself. Her and Gabby were at the Dr's on Monday and both have nasty ear infections and sinusitus, This morning she was just as chipper as she could be...but by the time she got to school they said she was not herself. By 930 they were calling me to tell me and by 1015 they called again and said she was burning up...when I got there she was being rocked by her Aide and was just totally lathargic. She is currently on antibiotics for her ear infection so Im just gonna wait it out today and watch her to make sure it is nothing more thatn the ear infection....

Thanks

Today was Isabella's school Thanksgiving lunch. They sang two songs for the parents and then we headed to the fellowship hall for lunch. It was like dinner on the grounds at church, food food and more food. She was so happy that Momma come to eat with her. I can not believe that this is her LAST Thanksgiving lunch as a PRESCHOOLER! Where did the time go?? She started going to her preschool/MDO when she was 18 mths old (because Giovanna went there and she wanted to stay every time I took G) and loves it. I am so thankful that she is at a place where they love her and she loves going!

Today I am thankful for Christian preschools and for the teachers/staff they have working in them. They are able to really instill christian values in the children just like at home!

Good morning all. Mom called last night and said my dad had finally had surgery. He did well but is still in alot of pain. The Dr told mom that my dad has to stay COMPLETELY off his foot for six weeks. He has pins in the ankle and with all the broken ribs, he is in for a rough time. Thank you all for your continued prayers for him. THis is probably one of the hardest things he has gone through. totally not like him to be in the bed more than a few hours to sleep. Today makes one week ago that he was in his accident. WOW, how quickly your life changes.


I have so much to blog about, I just havent had the time. Just a recap...

This past weekend William and I had a chance to share at our church for Orphan Sunday. We were asked to share "our story" and also our passion for orphans...it was amazing..not a dry eye in the church. I will share about that in my next post and a video.


Today I am thankful for the amazing life God has so graciously given me.
What about you??

My mom just called to say she is sitting in the pre op room with my dad waiting on them to come get him...he is already doozy sleeping. They will be taking the cast off his right leg. During surgery the will be putting pins in his ankle and fixing the bones. He has been in alot of pain today.

PLEASE continue to pray for my Dad and that he will start to feel better SOON! WE dont have any idea yet of when he will get to go home. Mom said that hasnt even been brought up yet. They moved him out of CCU/ICU and he is in a room now with nurses constantly in there. His lungs are trying to reinflate with his exercies. Mom says when he is totally alert/awake he tells her they need a plan for him to get out of there....but then he quickly relizes how much pain he is in and is in no way ready to head home. My dad is a very active man who loves the outdoors and running his construction business in Rose Mary FL so being cooped up in this bed....is totally NOT going over very well with him.

My mom sure could use your prayers too. She is tired and not getting much sleep as well as she hasnt left the hospital since last Wed night but maybe twice to walk next door to the store to get something. I so hate that Im 5 hours away and am not able to just rush down there...having 4 little ones does not make it easy to jump in the car to just "sit" at the hospital.

Thanks for thinking of him tonight during his surgery and for the following Weeks as he heels!

The lung/chest tube is now out. PTL ...he does still however have the two tubes in his back. Having 19 broken ribs, broke leg/foot, messed up hand, and punctured lungs doesnt do well on a 64 yr old body!

UPDATE as of 11am cst:
Just talked to mom. she said the DR has come in and confirmed that my dad has 19 broken ribs, punctured lung and broken right foot. They do have the chest tube in and draining the blood. They can not do surgery to repair any of it because he has been on plavix since his heart surgery and he could bleed to death mom said. So the foot is in a cast and they have him doing the blowing exercies to help his lungs and to help prevent pnuemonia. If he gets pnuemonia they will have to put a breathing tube in so they are trying to stay away from that!!! The tube in his chest is draining the blood to help relieve the lungs. He is in alot of pain so they have him on some hefty pain meds. He is awake and then falls asleep.


UPDATE:
All I know currently is my dad is in ICU in Pennsacola right now. I do believe he is in good stable condition. He did break his foot along with the ribs. I dont know if they will do surgery for the bleeding internally from the lung or if they are hoping for it to clot up and stop...

My sister in law said he will be in the hospital for a few weeks. Currently at Shands but they will transfer him back to Panama City when his lung is in a more stable condition.

Thank you all for your prayers, I know that they were a comfort to him. My mom, sister and a brother and my son are back at the hospital this morning. Im waiting to hear from them early this morning for any further update.

Urgent prayer request.... This is my dad John. Tonight my son called me to tell me he had been in a motorcycle accident. He was driving home and was literally down the street getting ready to turn in the road he lives on. A elderly couple missed their turn and well kept turning...heading straight towards my dad. He seen the car heading towards him and he layed his motorcycle down so he wouldnt hit the car. Well he is in pretty bad shape. The ambulance got there, took him to the local hospital in Ft Walton. They did the xrays and mri and then said they needed to life flight him to Sacred Heart in Pennsacola. He has broken all his ribs, and they have punctured his lungs. He has internal bleeding and in alot of pain. They have inserted a chest tube, I assume to releave the bleeding and have him on IV and pain meds. My mom, sister and Michael (my son) are driving there now. I dont know anything else right now other than that. I am also assuming that they will fix his lungs/bleeding rather quickly upon arrival.

I beg all of you to please lift him up in prayer and ask for complete healing and comfort. I know he will be fine, BUT Im freaking out being 4 hours away. If I dont hear anything we may head to FL tomorrow. I will update as I hear some more.

House full of Turkey's

The girls ( G&G) had to make a turkey for school. They had to disguise the turkey so he would not get eaten on Thanksgiving....Well we had fun with it. I had several things on the table for them to use and they both had fun (well as you can see Momma did too!)

Giovanna has a Florida Gator turkey and Gabby has a bunny rabbit turkey...I dont think either one will be eaten..do you?

Well I have had several emails about lyndsey and the Ft Hood shootings...

Lyndsey is currently in Ft Sam Houston TX, this is just north of Ft Hood. She is in the mental health field as well. She has friends who are at Ft Hood but everyone is ok. Thanks so much for keeping our daughter in your prayers...this means so much to me that you all would think of her in this terrible time thinking she could be in harms way!

William come home the other night to tell me that several of our Alabama guardsmen were in FT Hood doing their deployment paperwork and a few of them were ones that were shot. Everyone is ok but still in the hospital. This is such a terrible thing to happen right here in America on our own military base by our own soldier. PLEASE continue to pray for all of those involoved and for their quick recovery.

Lyndsey will be coming home Dec 18th for Christmas and will fly back Jan 2. She grauates from her school I think on Jan 11 or 18. She will then have to report to Ft Riley Kansas by Feb 6. She is worried about the whole transition and would also appreciate prayers during this upcoming confusion.

Blessings to you all.

I have tons of pictures to upload but I cant find the cord for the camera. UG!

Today is Orphan Sunday....(Our church is doing this next Sun though)

Here is a orphan prayer.


On this Orphan Sunday, we join with Your people across our country and beyond to
pray for orphans.

We know that love for these precious children begins not with us, but with You. You
pursued us when we were wayward and alone. You adopted us as your children. You
invite us to address you as Daddy and to live as Your sons and daughters. Truly, we
love because You first loved us.

You tell us also that You are near to the downtrodden and destitute. Your heart aches
for children that face the world alone. You champion the cause of those who have no
one else to take their side. And You call us to do the same.

So we pray that You would rouse us to share your heart. We ask that You would stir
Your people to passion and vision and action on behalf of children that have no family.

We lift up to You the millions of children in the world who have lost their parents to
disease, to war, to addiction, to poverty, to abandonment. As You promise to do, place
the lonely in families. Be their defender, their provider, their hope and peace. Help us
to do the same.

We pray also for the five hundred thousand children in our foster system in America.
So often, they are bounced from home to home, knowing little love, consistency or true
nurture. Please be their love, their consistency, their nurture. Help us to do the
same.

We confess that we have often lived with little regard for these precious lives. Please
forgive us. Lead us to take up their cause, not in guilt or obligation, but as a joyful
response to Your great love for us.

As we do, we pray that You would use our humble response to transform. To
transform the lives of countless orphans both physically and spiritually. To transform
us as we encounter You in them. To transform Your Church as we lift our eyes
beyond our own comfort and self-focused religion to live out the painful beauty of the
Gospel. And finally, to transform a watching world as it catches glimpses of Your love
made visible through the actions of Your people.

We commit all this to You, the One who is both our Father and a Father to the
fatherless, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.