more pictures from spring break

samuel loved throwing rocks in the river (from the bridge my dad built!!)


sarah mae on the big kid bike


cousins, nora, gabriella & michael


riding on paw paw's "tractor"


getting her ears pierced!!!

Juice for Sale

Today we participated in the Community Yard Sale. We actually had a great time getting to know our neighbors and making a little money in the process. We set up a juice stand for the kids. They were so cute. It ended up being a great learning opportunity for them. Sarah Mae made the sign (she was so proud), took the money, poured the juice and let everybody know they could have free refills. Samuel was the salesman. He walked around asking people what flavor they wanted. They made $8.00!!!
So, when we were all done Paul and I tried to explain the tithing concept to them. I think they got it. We put the 80 cents in the tithe envelope and told them we would take it to church. Sarah Mae wants to take it straight to the pastor. How cute.
What started out as a simple activity to keep them busy ended up being a teachable moment.
We can learn something new everyday if we are teachable.
Have a fun weekend!

Divine Appointment

God is always at work in our lives. It is up to us to recognize Him and give Him the glory. Here's the story:
I have followed the Hostetter Family blog since December of last year. I first heard their story at FBC Jax in a testimony on Sunday morning. I was heartbroken at what they were going through but inspired by how they were handling it. I had never met them but got to know their family through reading their blog. What a neat family. I was challenged, convicted and encouraged reading their story. Their baby had Trisomy 18. They were not sure if he would be born alive and if he was born alive they did know how long he would live. I cannot even begin to understand how they have survived this journey. God's grace. What else is there. How else could they survive. They turned a tragedy into triumph, took the focus off themselves and glorifed God in the process.
The divine appointment is this, I saw them at Publix yesterday. I had never met them until then. I saw Yvette and introduced myself. She may have thought I was crazy. But, I had to meet her, give her a hug and let her know I admire her and her family. And what a cute family they are! It was a blessing to get to meet them.
If you want to read their story their is a link to their blog (Hostetter's Blog).
I know you will be blessed by their story.
God is everywhere. He wants to be a part of every area of our lives (even grocery shopping). It is up to us to recognize Him!

Happy 4th Birthday Samuel

Its hard to believe that Samuel is 4 today! Time goes by so fast. I have one year left before he heads off to school :(
What a sweet boy he is. He is his own little person. If I were to do a profile on Samuel it would read something like this:
Favorite Person: Paul (that child LOVES his daddy)
Favorite Food: Chips
Favorite Drink: Chocolate Milk (aka chaw)
Loves: The Wiggles, (I don't think there is a kid anywhere in the world who loves them more), Mickey Mouse, Music, Rainbows, and of course his big sister (Sawah Mae) and little brother (who he calls, Davey)
Likes to: go to the movie store (aka Blockbuster)
Did I mention he is smart! He has BIG brown eyes, beautiful curly hair and the cutest chubby hands. He is a blessing and we are so thankful for him.
We had a great birthday bash on Saturday. The party was a pirate theme, but Samuel loves rainbows. So, my running buddy Julie and I make a rainbow cake. I helped, but she did all the hard stuff. Great job Julie! It was a fun day and we are so thankful for great friends.
Enjoy the pictures.

he loved his cake


taking a break for some pink drink (aka fruit punch)


samuel loves anything that is wiggle colors


sarah mae with david jasper and emma ruth

Jesus is Alive!

Easter Morning

Family Picture taken at church (daddy was in his uniform)

Sarah Mae and Hannah in their matching dresses


It was a great Easter weekend for us. We started off the weekend on Friday spending time with my sister Angie and her two kids. Hannah and Nathan are 6 and 4. Angie and I took all 5 kids to the fine dining of Golden Corral. Sarah Mae loves this place. It was a site with children ages 6,5,4,3 and 7 months and two sisters. The "big kids" sat at a table by themselves and they actually behaved really well. We were proud of them. Hannah spent the night with Sarah Mae and Samuel spent the night with Nathan. This was Samuel's first sleep over. He has never spent the night away from us before. He did great. We were so proud!

Coloring Easter Eggs



Saturday morning we went to an Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood. It was fun. It was cute watching them take off in the big field in search of the perfect egg. Sarah Mae picked all pink eggs, while Samuel picked eggs that were Wiggle colors (of course).
Saturday afternoon after Paul woke up, we colored eggs. Paul worked all weekend but we were able to fit in some activities with daddy. Did I mention Paul is great dad? The kids loved coloring the eggs. A good time was had by all.
Saturday evening I cooked a bunch of food so we would have lunch ready when we got home from church. Sarah Mae and Samuel "helped" me cook. We fixed ham, green beans, squash, creamed corn, stuffing, deviled eggs, pineapple casserole, rolls and of course sweet tea. YUM! We love to eat.
Sunday morning we woke up to our Easter baskets and a beautiful day. The kids loved their baskets and ate pastel M&Ms for breakfast. Paul worked at church that day so he had to leave early. I got all the youngins dressed, took a quick photo on the front porch and we were out the door. Once we got in the car I asked the kids, "Ok, why do we celebrate Easter?" Sarah Mae shouted out, "Because Jesus is Alive!" Well, regardless of how the rest of the day goes at least they know the meaning of this special day.
Our church service was incredible. And as always Pastor Stovall did an awesome job. We are really enjoying our church. I asked Samuel what he learned at church today and he said "Mommy, Jesus roll the big rock away, He work real hard. And, Mommy, Jesus is Alive!"
What a blessing to know my sweet babies are learning about Jesus.
Jesus is Alive and He loves YOU very much!

7 Years

7 years ago today I entered into marital bliss with Paul Merrill Beasley. What a guy! I am blessed to have an awesome husband. He is a great dad and he is my best friend. God has blessed me with a godly man. As cheesy as it sounds, we were made for each other! I love you sweet husband!!

Magic Kingdom

After much planning and saving we made the trip to the Mouse House. Last Tuesday we took the youngins to Disney World. It was a great day. The kids had a blast. Thank you Nana and Papa for watching David Jasper. Sarah Mae rode her first roller coaster. Samuel was very impressed with the "cindawella" castle. Elizabeth enjoyed the rides and sending text messages every 3 seconds. (I am so not with it when it comes to teenagers). And, Paul and I enjoyed watching the kids have fun.
We stayed in a condo near Disney and the kids thought that was so cool. Sarah Mae called it the "Hoe tell", pronounced in a very southern accent. It does not take much to impress them. We make things so much more complicated.
I was a good aunt and rode Splash Mountain with Elizabeth. That was a first for me. I am not big on getting soaked when fully clothed. And of course I was completely drenched but a good sport. It was not so bad, I dried, eventually.
We are ready to plan the next trip. Maybe next time David Jasper can join us.
We also visited some friends while in O Town. Thank you Mrs. Lewis for the Mickey hats. And, we enjoyed seeing The Harrells, a.k.a. The Happy Harrells.
It was nice to get away as a family. God always knows what we need, thank you for a fun time!