Snow! Snow! More Snow!/Vacationing in Williamsburg!

Call me crazy....but I LOVE SNOW!!!! I'm a kid at heart! I love to play in the snow~ no school,snow ball fights, building igloos and snowmen/snow women, homemade hot chocolate, a fire in the fire place and sledding...and if you don't have a sled handy~ well, use a knee board that has no handles, no protective sides, and be sure to fall off before you crash! We played with the kids in the snow, and Pop, Mike (son-in-love), Benj, and Carleigh built an igloo! Only one problem! Can you say "a silly 54-year old woman falling off a sled, whether deliberately or not, who now has bruises head to toe and can hardly move" is not "normal"?! Well, if you cannot say it, I will: "A silly 54-year old woman falling off a sled, whether deliberately or not, who now has bruises head to toe and can hardly move" is not "normal!" THERE! I said it! Perhaps flying into Williamsburg today for a weeks vacation with our dear friends, Linda and Ron, will make it feel all better! So, feast your eyes on these amateur photos, and dream of the beach!

Benj's Igloo and Carleigh and Macie's "Ice Castle"

Who is that cutie inside the igloo? It's Benj!
Carleigh inside her "Ice Castle" at Lolli and Pop's house
Carleigh scraping fresh snow off Lolli's 1977 VW Convertible Bug
Carleigh snow face/igloo in process in the background
"Who, me? I didn't do anything, Lolli!"
Doesn't my little bug look so cute in the snow?
Catching snowflakes on her tongue!
Our little snow angel!
"Come on in and 'set a spell'!"
Macie and her snowball she was having so much fun eating!
"You talkin' to me?!?!?!?"
Carleigh loves to pose for the camera!
"Aaawww look! We wrote 'Syler' on it!"
Of course, we must also honor our Tennessee Titans!
Pop reverting back to childhood, too!
Even George is having fun with us in the snow!
And may we not forget Zacky-boy, please!
Pop and Carleigh coming around the curve! FUN!
A view from down below the house~ see the water wheel

my husband made years ago, with a pond below it!

A view of our side yard and Benjamin's partially built fort!
Pop and Carleigh, again, with George & Zack!
A closer look at the water wheel off the porch!
"Come on in! I'll throw another cup of water in the beans!"
He IS cute, if he IS my son!
Isn't she the most beautiful Carleigh you've ever seen?
Another view of our house~ down in the valley!
The view looking up our steep driveway towards

my Mom's house, which you can see in the distance!

Such good buddies! Old man on the left; teenager on the right!
Playing together but George looks mean!
Oh, my! Look at George's teeth!
Sissy helping Macie ride the 4-wheeler!
Macie wanted her picture made with her "Ice Castle", too!

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles Stanley

In his newest book How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, Charles Stanley combines Scriptural lessons with personal experiences, helping the reader to effectively identify and apply God’s principles. Dr. Stanley acknowledges that each of us has likely settled for a life less than the potential that God designed and placed within us. When individuals see themselves as God sees them, loved and forgiven, their focus changes from mere head knowledge about God and His Word to a personal relationship with God. Dr. Stanley identifies hurdles that must be crossed in order to achieve God’s purpose in life. He also clarifies 7 “essentials” to help people accomplish their goals, including pursuing a clean heart, mind and healthy body; using personal gifts; establishing and maintaining right relationships; taking risks, and balancing a schedule. Charles Stanley writes with the wisdom of pastor, author and speaker. This book was not written to entertain but to give the reader pause for personal spiritual reflection and application.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friends/Haiti/Romanlo

Please watch Romano's story and please continue to pray for him and his family. (You can mute the background music at the bottom).



These photos are from my trip yesterday to Louisville, KY., to the GO Ministries headquarters and the warehouse they are using to collect Haiti relief items. These folks are my family, whom I love dearly....and am so proud to call friends.

Friends...

Video by our dear friend and brother, Romano...

This is where I want to be....

The bald gentleman, Brook Brotzman, is President of G.O. Ministries in Louisville, KY. I cannot possibly tell you how honored we have been for 7+ years to be serving alongside them in the Dominican Republic. PLEASE hear his heart; please make sacrifices and dig a little deeper in your pockets or purse; and above all else, PLEASE pray for God's mercy and love, and that out of the rubble a nation "after God's own heart" will be born in Haiti! I covet your prayers as I seek God's will for me/we going to Haiti to serve--for His perfect timing and for our discernment. Please stay tuned for other videos captured by our dear friend and brother, Romano, as he went into Haiti in search of his family, finding one brother dead.

Birthdays are good days!

Happy 76th to my mother-in-love, Maggie! We celebrated this weekend with 60+ family members and friends ~ just like one big family reunion! Some of these folks I haven't seen in 3 years or more...want to know what the heck of it is? Most of us live within Nashville or, at most, 90-miles apart! Glad it was a celebratory reunion as opposed to a sad occasion. I have been blessed to be a part of this family for 30 years...many of these folks have been born since I married into the Syler family. Hope you enjoy the photos, unprofessional though they are...and may I please ask you to continue praying for our Haitian friends and all those left inHaiti to try and determine a new "normal".

Many thanks, blessings and much love!


The birthday cake

The birthday lady/queen for a day, Maggie,
and her hubby Clay

Clay and his sis, Faye

Rodney and 1st cousins

Cousins watching DVD of Heather (the girl)
getting her 1000th career point in basketball

Justin--have you ever seen a happier face!

Rodney's oldest brother, Kerry, and his family
with Maggie and Clay

Steve and Joanne

Cousins with Maggie and Clay

Kurt

Rodney and his Mom

Aunt Dorothy and Sandra

Cousins--can you pick out Rodney's 4 siblings?

Cousins--the Suddarths

Megan and Kurt

Cute cousins!

Robin

Uncle Jake and his Family

Benj and his cousins

Rodney's brother, Rick, and his wife Sally

Rodney's brother, Craig, and his daughter, Shaynee

My husband and my son

Craig, Kurt and Justin (father and son)

Cousins again!