(click on all images to zoom them)

Thought I would start this post off with my handsome man, since a lot of the post after will be Butterfly.  And it isn't because I enjoy taking more pictures of Morgan, but simply because he isn't home all day with me and so Morgan is mommy's 'ginny pig' for photo taking.

Hunter turns 8 years old next Thursday on Thanksgiving Day (27th). I can't believe it.  We are having his Live Outdoor Laser Battle Field Game Birthday Party, this Saturday.  Its going to be fun and I will have tons more pics to share.

This picture is to show you that my handsome boy had his braces taken off.  Isn't he so cute!!

My friend Carolyn, who is the owner and maker of "It's a 10" hair products, recently purchased this really cute beach house up in Boca.  They did some amazing remodeling in the home and just have turned it into the perfect little beach house.  We went there this weekend (the girls) and had a really fun time.  Although that was the day we really got our cold front, we took the girls for a walk to the beach, it was a fun time.  Then after that we took a ride over the Mizner Park and ate at Max's Grille.  It was such a treat to spend the day with just the girls, go to the beac, beach house and then finish it off with some delicious food for lunch.   

By the way, if you have never tried out her hair product, YOU MUST!  This stuff works wonders, smells fabulous and to be really honest here.... IT WORKS, simple as that!!!  

It has been mentioned by some really cool famous people in their interviews who swear by it, and you have many big name company's that want to buy her out and take over her product.  This stuff is becoming BIG TIME!! So try it out if you haven't and I'd love to hear your feed back and spread the word over to my friend.  

A wordless picture!!!  But look at her tooth! 

Just some cute little pictures of baby girl not really feeling that good, so doesn't really want to give mommy a smile, but after awhile couldn't really hold back that serious face for too long.  

This little outfit was from Aunt Whitney and Uncle Brian.  She got so many compliments in it.

Thanks Uncle Bri and Aunt Whit!!! 

Okay, I like making the little collage things, but I am not liking how small they appear on the post.  Ugh!!  Now sure what to do that about.  

Well in the collage below you have a few different days and situations with baby butterfly.  

1. First Pictures she actually started out her day feeling pretty good. I got some smiles out of her. Then as the day went on she started to feel really bad. She became cranky and ran fever.  But I like this shot because you can really see her bottom tooth.  Click image to zoom!

2. This was the day before when she really began to feel bad, but the fever had yet to kick in.  She wanted to sleep a lot and I thought she looked adorable sleeping with her arm up by her head.

3. Third picture is baby girl after just waking up, on our way to take big brother to school.  If you really look close, you can see that she doesn't feel good at all and her hair...her hair, looks as though she took a bite out of a lamp wire (as daddy said it).  Pretty funny stuff! 

4.  We were going out to run some errands, getting things for big brothers birthday party coming up this Saturday.  To end up taking her to the doctor because she wouldn't eat for almost 7 hours. When I got her to the doctors she had 101.9 temp, on top of the Tylenol I had already given her.  Doctor says she has a virus and to not be surprised if she breaks out in any type of rash in the next day or so.  I finally got her to eat some last night, and she ran fever most of the night, but today being day #3, she has broken the fever and seems to be in a much better mood.  No rash yet!!! 

Resolve Anger Quickly -

Not doing an extra devotional, although I guess it wouldn't matter if I did.  I just felt that this was short, brief, to the point and very powerful in it's meaning.  I know I am guilty of not remembering this very stuff myself.  I need help and prayer to make me a better person at forgiving faster and not staying angry.  Maybe, someone else like me needs to read this today too!!! 

If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry – don’t give the devil that sort of foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 (PH)

*** *** *** ***

It’s okay to be angry, but anger becomes wrong when it’s not resolved quickly. The apostle Paul teaches, if you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin and do not stay angry all day.

The Phillips translation says, “Never go to bed angry.” That would keep a few of us up all night! If you said, “In our marriage, we’ll never go to bed angry,” you might work toward resolving problems a lot faster.

When anger is not dealt with quickly, it can turn to resentment and, then into bitterness. Bitterness is always sin; resentment is always sin; those emotions are always wrong.

But that doesn’t mean anger is always wrong. When you care about people, sometimes anger is the correct response. I get angry when I see people blowing their lives on things that don’t matter. I get angry when I see people walking right into the middle of something they know is wrong.

Regardless, we’re to resolve our anger quickly, or else we’re giving the devil a chance push us into bitterness and resentment.

By: Rick Warren (winking to those of you, that matters to! LOL) 

Week Four Devotional -- ON TIME THIS WEEK!!!

We are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:5 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***

Your choices control your calendar and, as a result, your lifestyle. Your choices are far more powerful than your circumstances. You may not like how complicated your life has become yet, with very few exceptions, no one is forcing you to keep your life complicated.

You have the power to simplify your life.

The Bible teaches, “We are each responsible for our own conduct” (Galatians 6:5 NLT). To me, that means God expects us to assume responsibility for our lives and to carefully choose how we spend our time.

That’s why I’ve spent years teaching people to discover why God placed them on this planet: What is your purpose for being here?

Ultimately, it will be the donation of your life that will count far more than the duration.

In other words, it’s not how long you live – or even how much you cram into how long you live – it’s really about how you live.

Here are three essential steps to simplify your life:

· First, figure out your purpose, and then let your purpose guide the goals of your life.

· Second, organize your activities based upon your purpose.

· Finally, harmonize your schedule with your purpose; that is, bring your activities into agreement with your goals.

You have just enough time to do God's will while you’re here on earth. You’ve been given just enough time to fulfill your purpose. When you try to do more than God planned for you, it’s only natural that you’ll find yourself constantly out of time or stressed over your schedule.

If it doesn’t fit the purpose of your life, God doesn’t want you doing it. In fact, he may be overjoyed that you finally got the message and stopped doing meaningless activities. He may even want you to add “rest” or “have fun” to your to-do list.

My prayer for you is that you will find relief from stress and a new sense of satisfaction as you do only the things God created you to do.

PS:  For those that it seems to bother and hide under anonymous, this devotional was done By: Rick Warren.

But as Rick Warren would normally like to say, "he doesn't want the credit, he doesn't care that I posted that devotional on my blog and didn't add his name to it. He would rather see it said "BY GOD".  

I am not writing my own devotional each week, never claimed to do that.  Which tells me that you must not read the books by Beth Moore or you may have known that my first two devotionals were by her.  :) 

However, lets all be adults and stick to the point.  The point is letting Gods word, no matter if I wrote it, post it, or if Beth Moore or Rick Warren wrote it.  Just as my daily quotes, I never put who said them. That is not the important part and I am not trying to take claim for anything I didn't do.  I am simply sharing and spreading the "GOOD NEWS" as God has called his children to do. So lets stick to just that please.  In the future, comments like I have received from "no namers".....will never be posted or seen by any other than me, and I will just delete them and be on with my day.

For everyone else..... I am glad you are enjoying these devotionals and I am sure that you were not victimized because you didn't know that devotional was written by Rick Warren.  

Today's Quote 

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

Six Feet Deep?

This weekend turned out to be so shocking in many ways here in Broward Florida.  Two teens where killed by another peer by a shooting and a stabbing.  One a female and one a male.  The male, a 17 year old, attends my sons school.  His younger brother actually plays with my son often in hockey.  The energy in the last two days at the school have been uneasy.  You can sense a sadness or uneasiness around the campus.  The school has taken extra steps to provide security for the kids from the media, as well as provide support groups and counsel. They have allowed for kids to attend the funeral today, with permission from their parents.  

I personally didn't know the teen, but I also feel a sense of sadness.  As I talk with my son about it on the way to school.  Its sad that his friend he plays hockey with lost his big brother forever.  Its sad that these parents have lost their son forever.  Its sad that these kids have lost a friend forever. And for some it will be their first time to experience a loss of this kind in their lives.  It will be very painful and confusing to them.

My heart aches that these two families have lost a child.  I also hurt for the two families who still have their children who are responsible for the killings (one female and one male).  No matter the outcome or the punishment, these are still kids who made big mistakes and their lives will forever be different from this situation.  I hurt for all of them.  It also adds more fear in me as a parent for my own children.  To think that all because of a disagreement or hurt feelings that someone that may or may not be a friend of theirs, could take such actions to end their lives.  

If you haven't read yet the 7x7 prayers on this blog, please do so.  We always talk about praying for this or praying for that.....but WE as parents need to always remember to not let a day go by that we don't pray for the protection and safety of our children.  Don't take them for granted.  We need to listen to our children, talk to our children and teach our children the right way and the wrong ways to handle themselves in any situation, no matter how they feel (angry, hurt, embarrassed etc).  They need to realize the seriousness and the frailness of life to never want to end their own or an other's. Please don't take the easy way out because you don't want to deal with the emotions or question to not talk to your children.  By avoiding the emotions you don't want to deal with, you in return could most likely be hurting your own child even more. If they can't hear it from or talk to you, their parents, their safety nets... they will only rely on themselves and or their peers influences.  Don't let your child be a victim on the living end or the lost end in their lives, all because you didn't want to get into a deep and serious conversation with them to avoid having to deal with your own emotions.  Be real and honest with your kids.  They know when you are being anything but!!! 

So I ask that you keep these families and kids in your prayers.  As a lot of them attend their first funeral today here in Sunny Florida, it will be a very dark day and time in many of their lives for days, weeks and months to come.  Please talk with your kids and share these stories, help them to open up and talk and work things out in positive ways.

I hope everyone is having a blessed week so far.

God Bless your families!!!