Weekend Recap, New arrivals and a Coupon Monday!

as I start to type this I realize there is potential for this to be a long post.... so sit back..

grab a cup of this....

and don't say I didn't warn you......

Once again, we took our annual trip this weekend to the Blue Ridge Mountains......

We have stayed in the same cabin each year......

And we will continue too as long as the Lord continues to bless us with the opportunity. It has E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. you could possibly want and need there......

We arrived later then expected, after spending 4 unexpected hours in Atlanta at the Ford Dealership Service Department getting our car fixed and running again... the Lord truly blessed us with peace and harmony in the family during that time. What I mean by that....I just might, just a little, might have learned to give my time to the Lord :) I say that because I normally, would be a little perturbed about 1.) the delay 2.) the less amount of time in the beautiful mountains and 3.) the extra unexpected $$ that came out of our pockets.

The delay did give us time to enjoy going to a few place we all enjoy as a family......

**photo images compliments of google images**

and a few we don't all enjoy as a family......

**photo compliments of google images**

While at Barnes and Noble we picked up a few books, including this one......

I read aloud to everyone and it is something I have not done in quite awhile and it was so.much.fun!

On Friday, I spent a lot of the day doing this......

And yes, this picture was probably NOT taken in the early morning when we just awoke, but rather hours into the day. In fact, I didn't even get out of my pajama's that day :) hey, it's vacation right?? On vacation you are entitled to ONE completely lazy day in the Pilcher household. Tim believes the others are not to be wasted.....who said I was wasting the day in the first place.....

the kiddos ventured most of the day in the woods behind the cabin....

We are outdoor people but at some points during the day it was just too cold to stay out too long....

On Saturday The Davenports came to play..................

MK, WHY DIDN'T WE GET A GROUP SHOT????

Do you see how many girls????

Five of theirs + 3 of ours....

I didn't play the Paparazzi like I normally would this weekend and so it is what it is......

Mary Katharine and I met in the blogging world and but feel like there has never been a day we didn't know each other.

We were heading towards their neck of the woods (well, closer then here) and decided a meeting was a must!

Honestly, I knew MK and I could just sit and talk forever, but I wondered how the hubby's and the girls would do?? Would they look at me as I spoke to them like "I don't really know you so please don't touch me!".

As you can see from the pics , it was nothing like that and a couple of times we would find Olivia like this......

The girls have made new friends (I hope for life!)....

and Kate, oh, Miss Kate.......

I wanted to just put her in my pocket and take her home with me.......

Of course they are all precious and I have nicknamed MK "Superwoman" and you can see why when you read all about them here! Thank you MK for agreeing to spend the day with us, and Richard for taking MK's word for it and believing her when she said we were not some crazy lunatics (as I had to convince Tim about you all :), and to the girls for making my girls smile and warming their hearts with new friendships. Love to all!

We drove home Sunday and our phones were a blowing up to the warnings by friends and family of the Winter Weather we were going to have???? I feared as I would return to Dothan, and needed to make a grocery run, that all of the necessities would be gone. We Dothanites let Jim Cantore get the best of us some times. I just needed some groceries because I had been gone for four days!!

We did manage to swing by here on the way home and I picked up a few goodies....

I awoke this morning to what appeared to be just a raining cold day and decided, despite the warnings the day before and the school closings, we would be opened for the 3 or so people that might come in today. I hate weather decisions like this??? Close or stay open??

I was however, glad to arrive this morning to some pink.........

and blue.....

Sunshine and Spring is starting to shine in Bellamia.... use the Coupon Monday below to enjoy it a little! Thanks for letting me ramble! See you soon!

Thanks for hanging on 'til the end!

One more thing................... WAR EAGLE!!!

Surprise Saturday!!

Tomorrow and tomorrow only.......

Even NEW Spring 2011!!

Just to give you an example.........

Of course there is SO much more, and lots of matching Brother/Sister to the picture above!

See you tomorrow!

Filled.....

Have you met my family?



Let me introduce.......






If you click on the photo they are all tagged so you can know each one!

When looking at this picture it doesn't look near as big as it feels when we are all together.



This of course is just my immediate family (on my side) and does not include all the aunts, uncles and cousins I have as well.




There is never a dull moment....












N.E.V.E.R.












E.V.E.R.











This picture was taken this past weekend. We all gathered together to send off Matt and his crew of 10 to Africa for a couple of years.

Matt works with Persecution Project which I would invite you to click on over and read about; and if you feel led, get involved. It's very simple.




*photo compliments of Persecution Project.org

At the girls school there is a giant empty water jug placed near the water fountains. This reminds the children that when they take a drink of clean cool refreshing water the children of Sudan can only drink the same with their help. They drop their change in that jug every day, one by one. Just to raise money for water.




We are very blessed.




There was something else that was very heavy on my heart this past
weekend.........the absence of my Father.





Father's play an important role. Father's are the protector of the family, the leader, the strong hold, the comforter, the guide, the piece of the puzzle that does not need to be missing, with out that piece, there is a hole. An incomplete piece to a beautiful picture by a beautiful artist.











There is a beauty though. The Hole that human hands made will forever be a hole. Yet the grace, mercy and love that flows down from our Heavenly Father because of our Lord and Savior continues to fill it to overflowing. There and only there is the beauty.

May my hole never be empty. May yours always be filled to overflowing.



Praying God's Mercy, Love and Grace will continue to flow down on my very large family. That He may continue to draw us closer to Him until we unite at the Heavenly Gates and that Satan be far from this good thing. This thing called Family.

Twenty-Eleven

I stood in the hallway of our church waiting on Tim and the girls to meet me. I stood listening. I heard the doors open. One by one I listened.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Good morning, how are you?"

"Happy New Years, How are you?"

Over and over again I heard this question to me and others as they went down the hallway.

Most every response was the typical, "fine, how are you?". "oh better now that it's stopped raining." "Yes, well we needed it.", "Yes, indeed we did." and so forth.

Sometimes I wonder if that conversation ever stuck in that person's head. If you were asked if you talked to so and so that day, would you even remember that conversation?

I have sadly found myself in this same boat and as I look back at Twenty-Ten, I search deep in the corners of my mind and heart to remember real, meaningful conversations in the hallways of my life and honestly and sadly Twenty-Ten was emptier then hoped.

I am not blaming, for I am the only one to be blamed. I have chosen to hold back, to be reserved and to make the small talk. I had become weary and therefore I had chosen to not be intentional.

When, Tim asked me what are some things I would like to do and see in Twenty-Eleven, without hesitation my heart cried out for change. I want to do more. I want to accomplish great things. I want to grow. I want to love. I want to be intentional.

Twenty-Eleven-

I have new fire under my feet.

Changes are going to be made. Creativity is going to blossom. Life is going to grow.

With God's Help, by His Grace and Wisdom, I am going to seek to be Intentional in ALL things.

I humbly ask for prayers as I seek to not grow weary in being intentional in Twenty-Eleven.

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14

Ever have.....

a picture you just love!

This, is my Emily..... freckled face and all :)

Ringing in the New Year with a......

special coupon or you!

Happy 2011!