Joyful in January

I simply cannot believe it's already January 28th!

Wasn't Christmas just yesterday?!

Lots has been going on...

Greg and I are LOVING our Sunday School class series that started last Sunday...we're doing a 7 week session based on the movie FIREPROOF. Our beloved assoc. pastor Dub Ambrose and his wife Cathy are leading it. THEY ROCK!

(I HIGHLY recommend that all couples...and I mean all...dating on up to golden years...go see the movie! It's at the Movies 8 dollar right now as well as came out on DVD on 1/27.)

___________________________________________

Healthwise, I am thankful to almost have a level thyroid...been on a roller coaster since last March! Was hypo, got on Synthroid, went hyper, weaned off, back on lower dose, now hypo again...hysterically enough I now take .75 of the lowest dose...that would be a half + a half of a half. No complaining though...the medicine is a GOD SEND to my life! There's nothing quite as bad as an underfunctioning thyroid while trying to take care of a family of 6. Tired, unfocused, melancholy, no energy, the list goes on and on...this medicine brings me back to life! This once refuse-to-take-medicine girl...is now a believer!

_______________________________________________

On a down note, I am very sad that my eBay business (what I do on the side to make $ to buy my little ninos new duds) is not doing so well. The recession has even hit the electronic world...and all my little pretties aren't bringing in the pretty penny I was hoping for. :(

__________________________________________________

Back on a high note, I am so thankful for everything else in my life...that my husband has a job, that we have a working heater and warm water at the turn of a faucet. Seriously, I thank God for heat daily...it means the world to me! I am thankful for food...as much as I dread going to the grocery store, I am always filled with such gratitude when I get there...I feel so overwhelmed with thankfulness that I can provide my family nutritious meals...our dinner time together as a family is such a precious time. A time to pray over other families (Christmas Card tradition), a time to share stories from our day, a time to giggle, a time to question (do I HAVE to finish my green beans?). A time to remember...I am such a believer in the Family Dinner. My Mom had all 7 of us at the table religiously every night...THANK YOU MOM for your example.

_______________________________________________

Here's what else has been going on at the Ruley abode:

XOXO Kisses XOXO

GOOD TIMES with one of our favorite neighbors! :)
Miss Macy's sweet Daddy brought the girls back coordinating outfits from his trip to China
"AHHHH SOOOO" (that's my version of Chinese!)




Do you other Momma's deal with this? DAILY?? I swear I feel like I am constantly asking my girls to PLEASE SHUT YOUR DRAWERS! It's amazing how much nicer a room looks with a made bed and a dresser with shut drawers!!

Will & Owen bonding over their TIES...
Thankful that brothers 7 1/2 years apart can still be close.
(They love to wear ties b/c Daddy sports one to work everyday)

One of Abby's besties...Loveable Lauragale!
Girlin' it up at LG's 8th B'day Party - A MANI/PEDI Party!!

My girls REALLY do love each other...so thankful for that!

Oooh, MOMMA LIKE...a clean playroom.

Too bad that was before I had to return ALL THE TOYS back to the room.

Alas, this is my life...at least for the next 16 years!

Owen TA DA-ing...or, was he about to dive down the stairs??

I LOVE that my girls still like to play dress up...when the day comes that they don't,

I will be so sad. :(

My youngest ninos REALLY do love each other too...but, they can turn on a dime at any second and start duking it out! Didn't know a 2 yr old could turn into an attack dog!

My sweet sweet niece Lauren doing some shoppin' w/ Abby Lou

(Yes, she's taller than me! She's 14 and is already like 5.8 in height! Of course, her Dad, my brother, is 6.4 so we shouldn't be surprised!)

The new pink polka dot PBK Pram made its Mall debut...

Oh, I love having GIRLS!!

Here's to Life...a wonderful, wonderful Life.

(sans the mega key swiping my hubby's car took while we were in the Mall...waddup w/ that anyway? I just don't get that kind of cruelness.)

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

I Thes 5: 16-18

Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.