Happy Birthday Little!!!!

Today is my sweet daughter-in-love's birthday!!!! Throwing confetti her way today. My laptop has gone crazy so I am having to post from baby girls computer and all my pics are on the other one. Technology - argh!
Laura,
You are loved so very much. I admire you and your comittment to stay home and raise Graham for these young years. It is a hard job and you do it so wonderfully. You NEVER complain or grumble. You are the epitome of grace. I am so proud of you. I admire your desire to be the woman God plans for you to be. We are nothing and He is everything. Not only are you a great momma but you are a wonderful wife to our boy. He too is a handful (I can say that :). I am excited for you to get some R & R with him and for us to get some with baby boy. Well there won't be any R&R but there will be LOTS of fun and giggles. I just hope PawPaw lets me play with him some :). I hope your day is just as special as you are and I love you!
M

SSMT #4 Isaiah 26:3

Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
"You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you. "
 
As I have stated earlier, I am in a study that has me camping out in Isaiah. These scriptures are such a comfort to me. Especially this one. God's word tells us that our battle is fought against the prince of this world- Satan. We are victorious in Christ however and the real battlefield is in our mind to claim that victory that those of us who are in Christ have been granted. It is a daily decision to keep our mind steadfast on the things of God - not the things that the world shows us. Satan is cunning and deceitful- if we do not daily surrender to God we leave ourselves open to attack. I can attest that I have allowed that to happen too many times. I want more than anything to be a steadfast believer who puts her trust and faith in God and His word when rough times come, and they certainly will this side of heaven. 
 
I am claiming this one loudly!
Michelle
 

God's Valentine

Saw this and loved it. We must always remember why we are able to love in the first place:

For God so loVed the world,
     that He gAve
          His onLy
          begottEn
                soN
                   That whosoever
      believeth In Him
         should Not perish,
      but have Everlasting life.
John 3:16
 
1 John 4:19 - "We love because He first loved us."
 
Love,
Michelle

Superbowl Sunday

Well it is the day football fans around the world dream of, wait for and celebrate with all manner of football traditions. Me, well I don't so much care for football. I know, I know what a terrible day to make that confession. But I don't. I love to watch my high school football team because I teach them. I like for LSU to win and last years Superbowl was a proud moment for us Louisianians. But overall - I could care less. There I said it. Say about me what you dare. There are many other things I would rather do with my Sunday afternoons. Like take a nap or read a book. However one thing does get me excited about Superbowl Sunday - it is a chance to have a party at my house and as much as I don't like football - I do like having a P-A-R-T-Y!!!!!! Why you ask - the food - duh! I love any reason to cook for my gathering of peeps. Last year I got entirely out of hand. Because it was our home state team I felt it necessary to cook all manner of things Cajun. I cooked so much food I was too tired when it was time to eat! Sweet man asked me to tone it down this year (he hardly ever does that - more is better is his motto usually!) so I could enjoy the game with him. Oh, okay.
He started asking me who my pick was for the game. Who was I going to root for? Well I said, Who is playing? Are you for real he asked. He told me and I told him I would study up on the stats and give him my very professional opinion. I have looked at the stats, examined each teams colors to see which I like better, studied their quarterbacks and made the following decision - I choose Green Bay. Great choice he said. Did you pick them because they are favored to win? No. I picked them cause Mandy, our niece is in Wisconsin and I want her to know her family supports her!!!! Therefore, I am officially a "cheesehead" for the next several hours.
Here is a sampling of our pregame fare:

Sweet man saw these on TV and thought they would be good. Tostito shells with taco meat and cheese. You can dress up with guacamole, sour cream.....endless possibilities.

Baby girl requested these. Kelly over at Kelly's Korner makes them and we love them. Here is a link to the recipe :

 http://kellyskornerrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/06/bunco-buns.html

Can't have a party without spinach dip and pita chips!!!! I usually make my spinach dip but I remembered Sweet Man said take it easy - Sam's. Doesn't get any easier than that.

Wings, Wings, Wings!

And more wings.

Okay. I cannot tell you how delicious this cinnamon-chocolate fudge is. Yes that is salt on top but oh it is sooooooo yummmmmyyyyyy!. Giada made it the other night. I thought if I could eat fudge and look like Giada it was worth a shot. Here is this super easy recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cinnamon-chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html

And this is the meal!!! My gumbo. Easy, simple and delicious. So I think I may enjoy rooting on my team of Packers this evening. I will have lots to eat, lots of fun fellowship and Mandy  - Aunt Michelle supports you!!!! 

Hope everyone enjoys their day and football game. Have a great weekend.

Cheesehead Blessings!
Michelle

Snow Southern Style

Well it finally happened!!! We got a snow day that actually brought snow! YIPPEE!!! We have gotten out for icy weather but I have seen no snow until this morning! My sweet grandpeep Connor called me this morning hollering in the phone."GiGi, is it snowing at your house? It's snowing at mine!!" That is the one bad thing about the snow- he was supposed to come to GiGi and PawPaw's this weekend but couldn't because of the roads. I hope he had a blast playing in it. I think they got more coverage than us but we were still happy to see it. Here are some pics. I want my northern friends to see snow southern style. I know they are laughing. My computer is messed up so these were uploaded straight from the camera and not edited.

My tropical oasis looks anything but!! Just looking at the water makes my skin draw up!



We here in the South aren't very skilled drivers when icy conditions abound. My husband grew up in Michigan so he thinks it is crazy everything shuts down when there is a little ice and snow. As I heard the announcement last night that school was out for today I told him to hush his mouth!!!! My students and I worked really hard perfecting our snow dance yesterday and I would not have him make me feel one bit guilty for it. He loves when we get snow days too!

Somehow baby girls trail along the river where she runs wasn't so easy today. :) This picture is for her coach to see how dedicated she is. The river looked beautiful.

A picture of one of the public boat launches. Looks icy.

This bench looks so sad. No one to keep it company. My niece just went through a blizzard that brought about 16 inches of snow and I wanted her to see ours. Look Mance!

We have enjoyed our day and are about to snuggle in with some homemade chili and a movie. Hope everyone had a great day off and is gearing up for Superbowl Sunday. What will you do and what kind of snacks will you make? I will share some recipes tomorrow.

Blessings from Snowville!,

Michelle

SSMT #3!

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
"Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Time for memory verse #3. I am doing a bible study in Isaiah right now and this verse is so touching to me. The world I live in is crazy. Every day things I counted on are removed and other things are shaken and many things certainly fail. Each day holds its own crazy mess. Anybody know what I'm talkimg about? This verse reminds me that no matter what - Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Nothing can shake or remove His promises for my life. His love and promises never fail. And some days...... well lets just say I need this verse to cling to.

Child of a steadfast God whose love for me is UNFAILING!
Michelle

Crazy Love

I finished Crazy Love.  Right now all I know to say is "Wow." I keep thinking over and over about all Francis Chan said and I am certain I will have to re-read. It was amazing and heart wrenching. And eye-opening and soul-searching. I would love to tell you what was my favorite part but I don't know. It is not a book that I can say,"Oh I loved it when Chan said......." Because rather than being a book that I read that I will tell everyone how much I loved it, I think maybe that I will tell others I read it and was reminded how much God loves me and how challenged I am to ask,"How do I show God I love Him?" Do I look at my life and say,"God is so good and has blessed me so much. Thank you God for all you do for me." Or will I look at it and say, "WHO am I Lord, that you love me so? WHO am I telling about You? WHO can see You in me? WHO am I loving in Your Son's name?"
It was a preaching book if you get what  I am saying. Chan quotes Annie Dillard, "How you spend your days is how you are living your life."  Preaching book. I will read it again.

On to the new book! Sometimes I teach some precious ones that love to read and discuss with me what they are reading long after they have left my classroom. I love when they make book recommendations and feel it only fair that since they read what I made them read, that in turn I follow their lead. I taught a brilliant young lady who is attending Stanford and she is always emailing me her papers, wanting my opinion on what her professors have shared, and passing on books she thinks I might like. So I am finally getting around to one of her recommendations - The Unforgiving Minute. It is a soldiers account of his time spent in defending our freedoms. So far I am riveted by it. The author writes in such a way as to draw you in immediately to his story. While school is going on I don't get through my books as quickly as normal, but I will let you know my final thoughts when I am done. Anyone else read this?

Have a great rest of the weekend!
Blessings,
Michelle