They aren’t just for patterns and sorting anymore…

I am really enjoying Pinterest  I  found this great idea for more handwriting practice via Kingdom First Homeschooling  All I did was write the alphabet on the chalkboard and then let Joey trace the letters with Q-Tips that he had dipped in water.  It kept him busy for a long time!

Here is and idea that I found on Pinterest for some handwriting practice for Joseph.  All it is is strips of handwriting practice paper (you can make your own from this site ) that I laminated and put on an index card rings.  He uses those new Crayola Dry Erase Crayons which are amazing!

Monday – Shepherd’s Pie  used this recipe for the Cream of Mushroom Soup

Tuesday- Volunteering for Boutique for a Week probably will have dinner at Sweetly Yours  

Wenesday - Macaroni and Beef w/ Cheese

Thursday – Chicken Taco Rice

Friday – Homemade Pizza

Saturday – Honey Glazed Chicken (if I buy a crockpot before then ~ if not it will have to be Bojangles )

Sunday – Meatball Subs

I’m grateful

for another year

another student

another opportunity

to love

to teach

to learn

to ask God to help us live out Colossians 3 in our home:

 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you:

compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.

Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.

Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.

And regardless of what else you put on, wear LOVE It’s your basic, all-purpose garment.

Never be without it.

 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other.

None of this going off and doing your own thing.

And cultivate thankfulness.

Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house.

Give it plenty of room in your lives.

Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.

And sing, sing your hearts out to God!

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus,

thanking God the Father every step of the way. – The Message

joy will come in the morning
riding on the wings of the dawn
i know
joy will come after mourning
as surely as You are God
joy will come

believe

joy will come

joy will come

joy will come like the harvest
reaping for tears that we sow
i know
joy will run to the farthest place
surely as You are God

joy will come

believe

joy will come

joy will come

what is this hope I feel
it’s helping
what is this peace beyond
understanding
you fix the broken heart
there’s healing in Your wings

what is this whisper small
i’m hearing
so far above it all
it’s speaking
you’re still the sovereign Lord
there’s healing in Your wings

-Desperation Band

]]> http://taraleighdavis.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/joy-will-come/feed/ 0 tdunc17 100_6255 http://taraleighdavis.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/making-melodye/ http://taraleighdavis.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/making-melodye/#comments Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:19:40 +0000 tdunc17 http://taraleighdavis.wordpress.com/?p=929 Continue reading →]]>

Making Melody

I’m making melody in my heart to you
pouring out your praise with everything within

I’m making melody in my heart to you
Yours will always be the song I love to sing

How can hearts not love your name?
How can souls not sing your praise?
Jesus you put music in my soul – Matt Redman

Those words are on the wall in your room, painted when you were teeny tiny in my tummy

How could we have known?

You are so many dreams come true for me, so many answered prayers

Mommy is praying that Jesus would put music in your soul…

To my baby girl with blue eyes, my dimple, & a heart to sing ~ Happy 8th Birthday. I can’t wait to celebrate with you ALL day tomorrow.

*Disclaimer ~ that adorable puppy in the picture is a friend’s. 

Chicken Burritos – Chicken is in the little crockpot now for this

Brown Bag Burritos

Kyle’s Favorite Baked Ziti

Becky Higgins’ Garlic Chicken Farfalle  – Cooked chicken for this last night ~ bacon is in the oven

Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken

Ranch Sliders

Carolina Pork – Already in CrockPot

Taco Meat – Done

Ground Beef for Tomato Sauce – Done

BBQ Beef Meat – Brianna did this for me.

Buffalo Chicken

Taco Chicken

Wish me luck!

“Come, let us return to the Lord;

for he has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down & he will bind us up.

After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him,

let us know; let us press on to know the Lord.”

Hos. 6:3

As I look back and recount all that has happened for the past few years in my life, there are many things that I now “know”. I’ve made alot of mistakes.  At times I’ve made it so much harder for myself.

But God…

He has been faithful to sustain and care for me no matter if the mess that I was in was my fault or not.

I still stand by the name of this blog.

The Lord has blessed me with a husband and children, but that is not what defines me. That isn’t where my identity lies.

I’m first and foremost a daughter of the King, bought with a price.

I am called, loved, kept.  This last season has solidified in my heart the loved and kept part.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Eph. 4:5-6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We made the trip up to North Carolina for Selah’s first Christmas.  I don’t know exactly what it was, but the Lord did something on that trip.

Only He knew that I had always dreamed of a white Christmas. I know its silly, but its true.  Ever since I was a little girl.  We saw some snow a few years ago the day after Christmas, but that was it.

A few days before Christmas it snowed just a tiny bit and I thought. “Well that’s nice. Too bad it’s not on Christmas.”

The afternoon of Christmas Eve we heard that it was going to snow.  It didn’t look like it really would be cold enough. I was excited though of the possibility.

We celebrated Christmas here, there, and everywhere and no snow.  After dinner we opened gifts with family and that is when it started to fall.

I went outside and just stood there. I love the “sound” of snow falling, its just beautiful.

There I was, with my husband and four children, and it was snowing, on Christmas.

Yeah, I still well up with tears just thinking about it.

I had a moment of gratefulness to God, a few pictures, then a huge snowball fight.

The next few days were filled with Carolina snowmen, snow angels, snow cream, snow ball fights, snow forts, and lots of laundry. I had never in my life (that I can remember) seen that much snow, especially in North Carolina.  It was unbelievable! There was so much snow Target and Walmart were closed!

I laughed and giggled and had so much fun.  I was smiling and I couldn’t stop.

It was the best Christmas ever.

Now I know that I will continue walk through trials and I’m not promised happiness tomorrow.

But I’m no longer living only for my happiness.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph. 4:10

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” II Corinthians 1:3-4

This isn’t’ the end, I’m still living, learning, loving, repenting, forgiving, pressing forward, hoping, dreaming, praying.

It feels good to dream again.

To my Birthday Girl today,

Selah, mommy just can’t stop thanking God for you.  He used you as an instrument of grace in my life that I will always be grateful for. You taught me about who God is and helped me see that my faith is real.

You are such a joy. God in His providence brought you at at time where that joy would heal and restore so much. I can’t help but smile when I look at you.

You are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I love you and I pray that you will love God, that you would press in to know him no matter what happens in your life.  I can’t wait to share with you someday how God changed mine.

Happy Birthday!