Lost and Found

Luke 15:8-10 (from the Message) "Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."

This passage was on my mind all day. I know how this woman feels losing something precious and scouring everywhere looking for it. I have felt her heartache. After Taylor's birthday party,

we our lost camera. We have not had many posts lately because of this problem, so last week we bought a new one. I was still very upset becuase in the bag of the old camera were all the tapes and CDs of Taylor's first two years and even our wedding video! Talk about heartbreak. I have this terrible problem, when I get upset many times I speak before I think. The Lord has really been convicting me of this and I have been working hard on trying to bite my tongue and not speak out in anger. I said some things that I never ever meant when Jackie and I were looking for the camera. Thank God, I have a very paitent and understanding husband. Once the words left my mouth, I immediately apologized and he knew by the look on my face I was sorry and didn't mean a word of what I said.

Last week, I finally gave up the month long search and we purchased a new camera. We had scoured everywhere. In our house, in the cars, everywhere. I began to pray because I was so upset and was blaming Jackie. I didn't want that feeling in my heart towards the man I love more than any other. One day in the shower, the verse "and Mary stored these things in her heart and treasured them" came to me. I realized that Mary was experiencing miracles through the birth of Jesus and didn't need photos to pass those memories down. I had accepted the fact that the memories were in my heart and I had printed most of them so they were in Taylor's scrapbook. We like our new camera and I was so happy to have one.

Friday right before lunch, Jackie found our old camera!! It was in a back room of the church where we had Taylor's party! When I told me, I felt joy and then I felt frustration because we had spent so much money on a new camera. I have been trying very hard to not say anything negative to or about my husband so I tried very hard to keep it positive and focus on the joy of finding what was lost and not on the money we just spent needlessly. Jackie met me for a celebratory lunch. On the way home, the passage I posted on the top of the page came to me. Funny, how the holy spirit works, no not funny amazing. I'm so thankful we serve a God who never gives up on us. No matter how bleak it looks, He is always there looking for us and waiting with open arms. He will always rejoice in finding us, no matter what the cost!! That's the attitude I want to have!

The last month has been a month of frustrating times but many more joyous occassions. We bought a house!! I never dreamed it was possible, but Jackie and I have been praying for it for many months, and the Lord made it possible! It's actually ours, well, once we pay it off! Taylor's room is adorable! She loves it, she calls it her "kala room." She loves to play in there and she has been sleeping in her big girl bed! We have been there two weeks and she has only slept with us two nights and part of another. Jackie built it for her and she loves it! She loves the "bufflies." We play "i-pie" ( I-spy) with all the colors. The other day we were playing while Jackie was fixing her window and Taylor said "I pie Dackie (that's what she calls Jackie, that or Daddy Jackie)" It was so funny. I thought I was going to fall down laughing so hard!! Here are the pics of her room . . .I can't figure out how to turn the last one around, it's what the butterflies and border look like where her light switch is. She even has two purple flower night lights that she really likes, and a very cool pink lamp!

Here's the big girl bed that Jackie built, it's awesome! He's so handy!




The living room is a great family room, I love it because other than the few boxes left it really looks like we live there! Everything is coming together so great! Taylor is helping Jackie hammer a bookcase backing. She is so helpful and always wants to be doing what we are doing. It makes for really great memories.

The kitchen is taking the longest to do because I did not realize how many dishes and stuff we have. There is a lot of cabinet space, so we just have to decide where everything goes. Jackie has been grilling out a lot, something he couldn't do in our apartment. The little table used to be my scrapbook table in the apartment, but Jackie is building me a new one for this house! Mom and Dad helped us paint Taylor's bed, the table and the endtables in the living room. It was so helpful to have them! Taylor loves to play in the boxes after we unpack them. Here she is in the TV box! She kept hiding in it and folding the flaps over her head!!

So, life is great in the Smith House! School is going good, just a lot of stuff to do. I'm so blessed to have a husband who doesn't mind picking up the slack so I can try to do it all! Here's some really great pictures from Emma and Cole's party. We all had such a great time at the party and getting beat at Farkle! We love that game and so do Josh and Cindy!

Emma and Cole opening their presents!


"Are these Cheetos all for me? I'm not sharing, even if they aren't!"




All the kids listening to the rules before the party starts! She looks so grown-up sitting there with all those other big kids!

We all had so much fun at pump-it-up. Jackie and Taylor were being silly. We all jumped on every thing that was there. It was a blast, boy were we tired after it all. After the party, we all went to eat and we had a great visit with Don and Leah. It was a great trip.

Here's Taylor's 2nd birthday party:

Of course we had an Elmo cake!

Sneaking Tootsie Rolls when she thought no one was looking! She had about three in her mouth at one time!

Trying to get Emma's party hat! Taylor actually wore hers this year. Emma and Cole were great sports and humored her and wore theirs too!

She had already blown out the candle once. We were trying to get her to do it again so we could get a picture because I was videotaping it.

Today Jackie and Taylor built her a swing. Jackie is such a great Daddy. Taylor really wanted the swing so he climbed up in the tree during 50 mile an hour wind gusts to hang it in the tree. She loves it! He let her pick the rope and she wanted green because, "green means go!"

She was saying higher, and cheeseburger once she saw I had the camera!!

We stopped at family dollar and got some outside toys for her. She has two twirly flowers (pinwheels). She loved watching how fast they blew today in the big wind gusts.
The "GrillMaster" making us some steak for lunch! It was so yummy! He was so excited to finally be able to do this! He's grilled for us four times since we moved in. Every meal is better than the one before! We even had my parents over and he grilled for them too!

Taylor is such a ham! She loves to play cards too. Her shirt has Abby-Cadabby on it. This was on her actual birthday. I can not believe how fast she has grown over the last two years.