"If I am put on trial and accused of being a Christian, I pray that there will be enough evidence to convict me."


I posted this today and it has profoundly affected me! All day I have thought about everything I have done, what I have said, and how I looked to others. Now at the end of the day I must admit I am innocent. And I am horribly disappointed in myself.

The lack of Christ like behavior I have displayed is shameful. Sure, I did all the typical Christian behavior. I said Grace before I ate. I prayed for me and my family. I even prayed for friends who are sick. But where were any of the things that witness to the world around me? Not once did I stop to help someone in need. Not once did I give to the poor. Not once did I visit the elderly or the shut-in. I spent the afternoon at the mall, passed by hundreds of people, yet never shared the gospel with one person.

Thank you God that You are so forgiving. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You that tomorrow is yet another opportunity to go on trial. Maybe tomorrow I will be guilty of being the the child of God you have called me to be.

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men...

We set out this morning to do a little letterboxing. Like most of our days the plans get lost somewhere along the way. What's the saying? "Life is what happens while your busing making plans." We came up empty on the letterboxing endeavor and somehow ended up town. I absolutely love that part of Knoxville. And completely enjoyed sharing part of it with my kids. We parked and walked up the sidewalk to the square. We couldn't resist using our summer reading coupon books to enjoy a wonderful summer treat. Rita’s Water Ice is located on Market square. Rita's offer freshly made Italian ice and awesome old fashioned custard! If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do so soon. Today I had the Pineapple and it was amazing!

Getting our monies worth.

We went to Dollywood again this week. We are trying to make sure we get our monies worth out of our season passes this year. Last weeks bubble show was so good we decided to try this weeks show. We were so very disappointed. The "Star Trek Live" show was horrible. Even my kids were bored and disappointed. Oh well, they can't ALL be great, I guess. Still had a wonderful time with great friends. So glad to see the Monday's again. It has been way to long since our last visit.

Ceder Lane as We Had Never Seen it Before!

We headed to Fountain City for our most recent letterbox adventure. The clues took us down Cedar Lane. Here is a photo of how the road looked 1820. It doesn't take much to figure out how it got its name. If you would like more information on this area of Knoxville here is a very short but informative link: http://www.fountaincitytnhistory.info/People45-McMilllanJames.htm.




It didn't take long to fine the box. The clues were very clever and the historical section of the graveyard was so interesting.

It is amazing how much one can learn, even when they aren't trying.

This Weekends Horse Show

We spent the weekend in Alabama and Georgia. I had a great time spending time with my family and watching my children compete in the horse show. They are improving so much with each and every show. They took home 2 first place, 1 second place, 2 third place, 4 fourth place ribbons. And a little too boot!



This is Grace with Bridgett, and Elijah with Jet showing in Sportsman Ship.

Aaron showing Flash in leadline, as the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. He won fourth place. This was his very first show.

Zion and Todd showing Jet in leadline. They won second place. Zion did an amazing job. It was his first show as well.

Elijah posing for the judge in halter.

Grace took home two first place ribbons. I was so proud of her. She looked absolutely beautiful.

Way down yonder on the Chattahoochi

Not much compares to an East Tennessee day on the lake. I enjoy the beach, the Caribbean, California and the Bahamas, but give me a day on the lake and I am a happy girl.


So glad all my little Durham's enjoy the water and the boat!

Fred is trying to knock Elijah and Isaac off the tube. It didnt take long!

My man and my little guy.

Grace, posing as usual. lol

Throw in a little watermelon and you have perfect East Tennessee afternoon.

Bazillion Bubbles

What an amazing day to spend at Dollywood! Cool temperatures (comparatively speaking), small crowd, short lines, and lots of fun. We planned on going for a few hours and ended up closing the place down. We ate, road rides, and saw a few shows.

It's Kids Fest right now and there are so many shows geared for kids and the family. This weekend was the last chance to see the bubble show. We decided to make it a priority and I am so glad we did. It was pretty darn cool. I have never seen so many bubbles in one place at one time. The picture above is one of the specific acts he does to represent snow. Zion was totally enamored with the entire show. Toward the end he looked up and ask me what all those bubbles were made of. I told him they were soap, just like the ones he uses at home. The finally was a complete shower of bubbles that rained down on the entire theater. Everyone was covered! Zion leaned over to Grace and proudly announced that no one would need to worry about bathing when we get home. I LOVE MY KIDS!!