Happy New Year!

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Hope everyone had a wonderful

CHRISTmas!

I know I did! :)

When I take a look around, I cannot help but to say

that I am so blessed far beyond what I deserve! 

Not only did God send his only Son to die for MY sins...but

he gave me a wonderful husband and three healthy children.

That's something a lot of women do not have!

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me!

Atheist Inspired Billboards

This is terrible!

I saw this on the Yahoo home page-

Does anyone have them around where they live?

I haven't seen them around here...yet. 

Reasonable since 1963 they say??

Won't they be shocked when they close their

eyes in death and open them in hell?!

So sad!

Fall

 Okay!

Has anyone seen my fall??

I saw it about a week ago...it stuck around

for a few wonderful days and now it's gone!

AND I AM FREEZING!

If anyone happens to see it...

....send it back to Tennessee please!

:)

                               Pictures from our trip to Mountain View.

These pictures are from Blanchard Springs Cavern...

This is suppose to be 300 year old bat poop. I

knew you would enjot that. ;o)

These are from Blanchard Springs...where the

water from the cave emptys out.

See this pointed ledge on the upper left hand corner??

The one Ethan is looking up to??

This picture was taken just before he climbed up

onto it and proceeded to jump up and down to

see how sturdy it was!

Didn't get a picture of that! I was too

busy yelling at thim to get down.

I have to sneak up on this one to get any pictures...

he hates his picture taken.

Hmmm..wonder where he gets that from ;o)

You can't see Ethan in this picture...he blends in

with the trees...but he is at the very tip top of it.

He was trying to find a way into the cave...and

eventually did!

I didn't get a picture of that either...I was yelling
at him again. ;o) He scares me to death sometimes!

It's been a long time

Wow! Time sure has been flying by!

If anyone knows the secret to slowing it

down-please share ;o) Christmas is already

just around the corner!

I didn't realize that it had been so long since I

posted...I've even had a few emails from some very

sweet ladies that just wanted to check in on me and

make sure everything was doing ok-so, I thought I'd

let everyone know that I'm fine ;o)

Just extreeeeeeemely busy.

We just started Sunday School back last Sunday...for

the first time since the building has burnt. 

We had 175 for SS and around 250 for the morning

worship service.

That's awesome!

Even if I do say so myself ;o)

The Lord is Truly blessing Holy Hills Baptist Church.

I can't wait to see what all He has in store!

It's so exciting!

If you live close or just happen to be passing through

Dyersburg on the weekend-feel free to stop by and visit.

I will try to post more often ;o)

Thanks to everyone who emailed me-it's good to

know that I do have a few friends out there.

edentrace Originals

Well-I just ventured out into the Facebook realm.

I know...I know...Facebook is old news...and I actually had a

FB once...for about a week or two ;o)

I deleted it...too much drama!

My philosophy is....

If you're not comfortable enough to say something to

someone's face...then it probably shouldn't be said.

SO, DON'T POST IT ON FACEBOOK!

Anyway-I so didn't mean to get in to that. lol I just wanted to let

everyone know that I started a business page called

edentrace Originals. The  link is on the left of my blog.

Stop by and visit. ;o)

It's still under construction-'understatement' have more pictures

coming...when I get more than 10 minutes free time,

I will get them on there.

Lovin' this turkey applique!

My new turkey design is so

adorable I just had to share!

Here it is on a pillowcase dress...

Isn't it a cutie!!!

I also do this on shoulder tie A-line dresses and T-shirts.

The shirts can be done in ribbon colors for boys or girls.

Don't worry -

The ribbons aren't quite as girly on the boy shirts ;o) hehe

I think the pink and brown combo is my favorite..but I

just did a black & white one that was SO adorable!

I so wish I snapped a picture before I mailed it out!

Still ;o( workin' on my website! Dadgum

template just isn't cooperating with me!

Come to think of it- not much has been lately.

...but that's just part of it...

lol-you know what they say...

"what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"

If that's true...then I'm a shoe in

for the next tough (wo)man competition ;o)

Clothes for Kitty

Is it just me...or does Jr. look look a bit embarrassed?

Kayla has been playing around with my sewing machine

again. She's been making cat toys and....yep, you

guessed it...cat clothes.

This Christmas ensemble comes with a little elf hat---

'with ear holes' ofcourse and a shirt.

Funny thing is...people actually spend alot of money on

clothes for their animals...Who knows...she may make

a fortune some day!

Memory Lane

I love this picture of the boys!

I ran across it the other

day and just wanted to share ;o)

Aren't they cute!

Dalton was 4 & Ethan was 3...

See Ethan's adorable 'toothless' grin?

When he was 2-he decided he was gonna be a basketball

star. ;o) He jumped off of the little tike picnic table to

make a slam dunk into the little ball goal...but he slipped

and hit the tricycle seat with his mouth. He broke off his

4 front teeth. He was without them until they grew

back around age 8...but he was so cute!

I've been feeling a little sentimental lately ;o) Maybe

it's because my kiddos are growing up too fast!

So-you may be in for some more

trips down memory lane!

Family Tree and Funny Names

I have always been very sentimental. I love to see old pictures and hear stories about the 'old days'...I ran across this site . AND I have been on it for the past 2 days looking at old pictures and tracing the lineage of the Laman family. I have found a few mistakes (hehehe)... and am trying to clear those up with my long lost relative.

ANYWAY

This is my 4th or 5th great grandfather

John Calvin Cook in his Civil War uniform.

This is my grandaddy.

Eldon Laman in his US Army WWII uniform.

He was drafted when he was 17 or 18.

The Laman men have always been Military men---

and always will be ;o) 

I caught myself laughing at some of the names in

the Laman family lineage...some of them are pretty are wierd!

Just to give a few examples:

Ladies' names:

Tennessee Laman

Lovie Lewis

Cenia Laman

Vandera Laman

Cordie May Laman

Jarmie Laman

Men's names:

Byron Coop Laman

Lilburn Laman

Hix Laman

Osborne Laman

Ewell Laman

Olgor Laman

Leasle Laman

Obie Lawrence Laman

Finis Garrett Laman

Men? Women? Who knows?

Lurlie Laman

Tollie Laman

Dixie Laman

Not to mention the 3 men named 'George Washington Laman'...;o)

So, if any of you ladies are in the market for a baby name...

maybe one of these will catch your eye. lol

Congrats Hubby!

CONGRATULATIONS

Constable Ballinger!

Last Thursday was election day!

Hubby was running for Constable.We arrived at the polls

about 6:45 A.M. I got the best spot there was! Well-as close

as they would let me get...which just happened to be right across

from the front door. ;o)

Since we have been having RECORD high 

temperatures...it was scorching hot!

Here the boys are trying to be funny-they were holding their signs

up-side down and cheering for our competition ;o)

(This was right after we got there, doesn't it look like they are having fun??)

Jeremy & Kayla spent the first few hours at the other location...

which didn't have much of a turn-out...so they came to help us.

There were people lined up and down both sides of the road...

in the scorching heat and blazing sun---crazy huh?!

BUT-I guess it was worth it.

Hubby won!

Maybe next time it will be cooler!

It's too hot!

Is anyone else ready for fall?

I'm so tired of this heat!

The hot pink on the radar stands for 'extreme heat warning'!

 Right now the temp is 97 with the

heat index at 111 -

and it's 5 p.m.!

It's been super hot for weeks now and I'm ready

for fall. Some cool, breezy weather!

 

Not cold, bone chilling weather ;o) but 70

sounds awesome right now!

~Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say~

Unless we are in for some bad weather...I rarely watch the news. So, unless it's made the Yahoo front page...I more than likely never see it.

Seriously? Who would want to? It's so depressing. Murders-robberies-kidnappings-

This morning there was a story of a celebrity who was in the spotlight---It seems this person said some very damaging things during a heated disagreement and someone got it on tape. Apparently is wasn’t the first time this person had hurled a verbal grenade that made the media rounds. The reporter didn’t hold out much hope for a bright future in the entertainment business for this one.

I thought about how foolish it all was. If that celebrity had just taken a moment to take a deep breath and think about the consequences of her words, the outcome might have been very different. Words are very powerful things and once spoken we can never get them back.
It reminds me of a song my Aunt Bernice use to sing to the kids at church.

“Be careful little mouth what you say.
  Be careful little mouth what you say.
  For the Father up above is looking down in love,
  So be careful little mouth what you say.”

A Father up above – One who not only hears every word we speak but knows what they will be before we utter one syllable. Every word of anger, hatred, gossip, criticism, lies– He hears them all. He even knows our  intentions when we speak them-whether we mean them in anger, hatred, gossip, criticism or lies-You may fool others...but not Him.

Jesus spoke about words:
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement."
Matthew 12:36

As humiliating as it would be to have foolish words we have spoken broadcast over the internet, how would it be to stand before the Lord to give an account of those same words? It makes me want to guard my tongue very carefully.

We cannot be perfect in all that we say, but we can ask for help to speak in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. He is gracious and merciful and understands our weakness. He readily forgives us when we fail. When our hearts are right before Him, we will speak words that edify and glorify. Jesus also said:

“...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
Matt. 12:34

Like hubby says-What's on the inside always comes out.

Dear Lord---“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer .”
Psalm 19:14

TOOT!

I'm usually not one to 'toot' my own horn ;o)

but today...I think I'm gonna!

My dryer has been making a loud,

extremely high pitched, screeching noise..

..It was so loud that it could be heard

from the mailbox!

Call me stubborn...but I wasn't about to call a

repair man like I did when the washer was messing

up...just to have him work on it for 5 minutes and

then charge me $125 bucks to do something

I could have done myself...well, atleast

not without giving it a good try!

Well~to make a long, boring story short ;o) I

googled it, found the piece and fixed it!

BUT...I didn't realize that the part that needed

fixing was in the very back of the dryer and I

would have to take the entire dryer apart~I

mean the whole dadgum thing!...who

designs these things??

This is how I remember how things go back

together...I snap a quick picture to remind me 

(I would have never remembered how to put

it back together if I hadn't)

AND can you believe that horrible noise that was

coming from the dryer was from a tiny metal

ball smaller than a green pea!

And it only cost me $14 to fix it!

So~TOOT TOOT!

My hubby better appreciate it!

~Camp Bethel~

We survived church camp! 

That first night, as I was trying to sleep...a thought crossed

my mind....Do I even like church camp?!

The homemade wooden, squeaky bunkbeds with the foam
mattresses---not to mention the plastic liners...~just incase
I wet the bed (*wink)

It's hard enough to get any sleep as it is...but then my mind
wonders...what if the person above me wets the bed...is it
going to run down the sides and drip into my bed? Onto me...
while I'm asleep?!? How early do I have to get up to get a
hot or even luke warm shower? Why are these people in the
bunk next to me up at 3 a.m. playing cards?! Why is Mindy
this lady in the bunk next to me snoring?!~lol Would the
man selling earplugs in the men's dorn 'just happen' to be
outside right now??

But--by the end of the week I was reminded why I go to
church camp...and why I'm already looking forrward to next
year!

I guess-It's sortof a LOVE/HATE relationship---

I love the worship services in the tabernacle! A few nights, the
presence of God was so thick you could barely breathe! Words 
could never describe it...

I love to see the youth praise God and not care who
is watching!

I love to see folks run the aisles and praise God!

I love the 'old time' camp meeting feeling.

I love the atmosphere.

It's awesome how God blesses! Especially inspite of us!

So...I guess I really do love church camp...(most of it anyway)  ;o)

If your church is looking for a good Independent Baptist, King
James only church camp to go to...look-up Arbanna Baptist
Church in Mountain View Arkansas-

We had 3 saved from our youth group~Praise God for that!

Well~Just wanted to share a few dozen pictures with ya!

Enjoy!

I took about 350pictures during the week...aren't you glad I

didn't share them all? ;o)

Go HERE to see pictures from last year's church camp!