Voice of Truth

This song is haunting me!

Actually, this song holds a great meaning very dear to my heart...

I was driving home from the doctor's office when I knew I was having a miscarriage and "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns comes on the radio.

I wept.

I knew.

I felt like the world was crashing down. But,

"But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth"

Today I am aimlessly reading Facebook. And I see this...

Rest In Peace Charlie Goode.

Charlie was my friend from High School. Yes, that was several years ago now and we have not really kept in touch, but he was a very special person. Charlie was battling cancer. Charlie was the light in a dear friend's darkest hour. Charlie was an inspiration. Charlie was a good man, a strong spirit and a celebration of life.

Charlie will be dearly missed.

As I was reading the sweet words that his many friends posted onto Facebook can you guess what song comes up on my playlist...

"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns.

The Lord works in wonderful and mysterious ways. You see, music can stop me in my tracks, of course God knows this, he probably did it on purpose.

Somehow this song linked the loss of my unborn baby to my friend's death. I don't know exactly how or even exactly why. But this feeling is love and longing and understanding.

Is it coincidence that I just finished my scrapbook page of my miscarriage when this connection occurred? Nothing is coincidence. God is up to something...

There is a reason for everything. Charlie touched the hearts of many people, including my own. Now Jesus is holding out his hand to welcome him home.

"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have

the kind of faith it takes 

To climb out of this boat I'm in 

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown 

Where Jesus is, 

And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name 

and they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times 

I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me 

time and time again

"Boy, you'll never win, 

You you'll never win

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story

the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"

and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do 

to have the kind of strength it takes

To stand before a giant 

with just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound 

of a thousand warriors 

shaking in their armor

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out 

my name and he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times 

I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me 

time and time again

"Boy you'll never win, 

you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"

and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size

to put the giant on the ground

and the waves they don't seem so high

from on top of them looking down

I will soar with the wings of eagles

when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus

singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story 

The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!" 

And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory" 

Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)

I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe

I will listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe 

'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth

And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

From Stephanie: "Rest in Peace Charlie, Heaven Got a Little Bit Brighter"

Everything Happens For a Reason

Tonight I am working on my scrapbook, as I often do. But my next page is of my miscarriage. Yes, I am scrapbooking my miscarriage. It is a sad time, but I don't want to forget it. Everything happens for a reason and life is filled with purpose. And I have no regrets.

My scrapbooking endeavor has spiraled into a God lead soul searching rollercoaster ride. This journey is not an emotional one, but one of understanding and purpose.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet of the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

Yes, God was speaking directly to Jeremiah in these versus, but He has two very important universal points.

1. "I knew you BEFORE I formed you in your mother's womb." This is universal. God knew us before we were conceived  before we were born and before we understood ourselves.
2. "Appointed" God appoints all of his children. Even before we are born we have talents. We may know them right away or spend our entire life finding them, but God knows what they are because He appointed them to us.

I truly believe there is a purpose to my miscarriage. If there wasn't I would not have gotten pregnant to begin with. I have a message to share. I have a shoulder to cry on. I have an Almighty God who cares for me even before I realize I need it. God prepared me for this miscarriage before I even knew I was pregnant. I am amazed at this. Our God is and AWESOME God!

Even though I was only pregnant with this child for 10 short weeks, he/she is still a child of God and I love him/her just as God does.

To my unborn child...

My Darling Baby,
I am sorry I never met you. However, God has bigger plans for both of us. I was never able to hold you in my arms, but I will never forget you.
I Love You!
Mommy

I want to share a few versus that gave me strength through my struggles...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look at him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:4-5

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and wills strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Find the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

God Bless!

Previously Written on the subject:
My Miscarriage
Overcoming the Curse

Lovin' Life!!! July 29, 2011

I am very blessed. I haven't had the best week, I'm going to be honest. It's been one thing after another and high emotions to go along with it. However, I am happy. At the core of my soul where it really matters, I am happy. No matter what goes on within and day or a week I know that I am blessed. I am cared for and truly loved.

And as always, there have been some little moments that make me feel wonderful. Even in on the bad days, I am still Lovin' Life!

I love how well our garden is doing. I am honestly surprised, but excited. We have tons of jalapenos and I am trying to find new ways to use them. We had jalapeno poppers last night and they were okay. My husband liked them a lot, but they were still a little too spicy for me. I can't wait to make some more pico de gallo with all of the fresh tomatoes, jalapenos and onions!

I love how much Zoey loves to read. She doesn't really have the patience to sit still long enough for me to read her an entire book yet. But she loves to flip through books and look at the pictures. She has gotten to wear she will point to words for me to say, they are just not in any kind of order.

I love how Zoey loves to help. She loves to be in the kitchen with me and is becoming a pretty awesome little cook. So this week, she helped me with the dishes. She would rinse them off and put them in the drainer. She actually did a pretty good job, and yes I was keeping an eye out for leftover soap. I have a feeling it won't be long until she takes over my kitchen and I become the Sous Chef.

Zoey surrounds herself with creativity. She loves to color, write, draw, do puzzles and use stickers. I love that she enjoys all the creative outlets. We even upgraded to harder puzzles. She is doing really well with them.

My two most favorite people in the world. I could not have wished a better husband and daughter, they are simply awesome! I love this picture of Daddy's bear hug. It is so sweet. 

I am very excited that we have met some new friends who have lots of kids for Zoey to play with. 

I love how much Zoey wants to learn. I wrote out the Alphabet in her notebook and she was trying to copy the letters. It was too cool! She can actually write a very impressive "o." She will hand me the marker and tell me what to write. 

It really is the little things that make life worth living. I hope you have a great weekend!

Memories Erased

I have learned over the years why I love photography so much. It is more than enjoying pretty pictures, it is more than the natural knack I have for it, and it is so much more than making money, which I would love to do. It is about the memories.

I have a bad memory. I have a hard time remembering moments that happened days ago, let alone years ago. So I have come to carry a camera constantly in my hand and record my memories as I go. I remember through moments and pictures. This is also why I love scrapbooking so much. I want to remember and I want to share these memories with my family and friends, and especially Zoey.

However, I have become slack on backing these up. So today I made it my project to back up all my photos for the last (not quite) year. I got about halfway and my stomach started bugging me. So I laid down, with my computer still up and running, and went to sleep. When I woke up my cat was on top of the keyboard and all the pictures out of my main folder were gone.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I am panicked! I am angry! I am heartbroken.

I try all I know what to do. Stephen tries all that he knows to do. But they are gone. We saved a few, but I later realize it was mostly the "fuzzy" ones that I was deleting to begin with and the ones I had already backed up.

I am lost.

I still don't know what to do.

I do have most of the occasions either on Facebook or a special folder that I use for scrapbooking. But still, they are only part of the collection of photos.

The worse part is that I had all of the Family Reunion pictures in the folder that was erased. I was going to copy all of them and give them to family members. I do still have a good number of them from my scrapbook folder, but it is only part of what I took. Of over 700 plus that I took there are only a little over 300 left. I am sad and I feel horrible because even though most of the ones lost were different shots of the same ones I have, I wanted to share the ENTIRE collection. I'll still send what I have though it is less than 300 of the actual reunion because I took pictures during our travel too.

So I will recover as much as I can, but I still feel heartbroken that I lost my pictures. I feel like part of my memory has been erased. I know this is an overstatement and for sure a first world problem, but I am taking it hard. This on top of my already emotional state this past week or so that I have no idea why I am having it has been a rough day.

I don't like talking about things that are downers, but I needed to share this. And my Lovin Life post will mean a lot more this week I think.

I feel like there is some big lesson to learn from this. Maybe live in the moment or make you own memories. But those feel so hollow. Like I said photos are my moments and they act as my memories. Then again, maybe I am being told something...it wasn't too long ago that my camera broke and I was without and feeling a similar way. But I love my pictures. I don't think I will be slacking on backing them up any time soon, that is for sure.

Wordless Wednesday: Jungle Cat

Jungle Cat

For other awesome Wordless Wednesday pictures visit: 5 Minutes for Mom, Create with Joy, Living at the Whitehead's Zoo, Carrie with Children, Angelica's Awesome Adventures, The Life of Rylie and Bryce, Project Alicia, Mom Start, Mama to 4 Blessings, Heartfelt Balance Handmade Life, and Mom Vantage.

When to Wash the Towels?

I have actually managed to keep a fairly doable cleaning schedule. It's taken me a while, but I have found something that works for me. Every Monday I wash our clothes (my husband's, mine and Zoey's). I can get this done and usually at least one if not both sets put up by the end of the day. The rest of the week I maintain everything else (dishes, cleaning up toys, etc.)

But even with this wonderful cleaning routine, I don't know when to wash the towels. I don't do them every week so it throws off my schedule the week it's due. I try to do three loads on Monday, but the towels usually end end up left in the washer to get good and mildewy over night--gross right? Then I have to wash them again the next day and hope they don't end up with the same fate. If I'm really on the ball the towels will at least make it to the dryer to stay there until the next Monday when I remember them again. If I don't get the laundry done on Monday or finished up the next day, I completely forget about it because the laundry is by then checked off my list of things to do.

So the point of this run on thought is to ask this question...When do you wash the towels? Or I can better ask...When do you do all those projects or extra tasks that aren't a part of your already tight, busy normal routine?

Somehow, it always gets done. But for me at least often some "normal" task suffers for it. I don't have an answer. I am just posing the question. Does anyone have all the extras down to a science yet? If you do, please share your wisdom so I stop feeling like I'm forgetting to do something.

I don't stress about like I once would have. I know it will all get done. Somehow the priorities rearrange to make it possible. Sometimes I just get on a "kick" and super Mommy my way to getting it all done. Though I'm really feeling lately that I'm can't do anything right because I feel like I can't get it all done before it piles up.

So anyway, there is my thought. Now I'm going to stop writing this and go wash some towels...

Lovin' Life: One More Look at WV

This episode of Lovin' Life will be devoted to taking one more look at our adventures in the mountains of WV and the wonderful people I am proud to call family.

My sweet, adventurous Zoey-bug

I love how Zoey is so ready to tackle any adventure. The car ride didn't phase her, being away from home was no big deal and meeting many brand new people delighted her. I am so thankful that Zoey took this whole adventure in stride and ended up having a blast along the way! There were so many wonderful memories made and I am so proud to call Zoey my daughter.

I love that Zoey is a fish. When we were swimming up here with her cousins (mostly older and swimming independently), Zoey didn't want me to even be near her while she was swimming. Of course I or someone else stayed within an arm's reach of her, but I let her push off of me and go one her own. I have to admit, I love that about her and it reminds me of me.

I love that Zoey took interest in the pamphlets. I know she doesn't really understand that they are places to go yet, but this is one of my favorite things to do when we go places. If you had any doubt if there was anything to do in the mountains of WV, let me assure you, there are. 

Zoey really did go to all of her relatives and cousins very easily. This is her Granny, which is the only person besides me that she knew. But she did so good all weekend and had a blast with all of her new friends. I really like this picture of Zoey and Granny from the reunion.

Zoey is climbing a mountain. Well, not the actual mountain, this is just the hill between the lower stairs and the Lodge, but she had a lot of fun climbing it. When we stopped at rest areas on the way up and back she loved running down the big hills and even laughed when she fell down towards the bottom. I think she really enjoys the different places we visit.

I love this picture of Zoey and (my) Uncle Gerry. She gravitated to him immediately. He took her under his wing and on an adventure while I was getting some group shots. She had such a great time.

This is the sweetest thing. Zoey and Joanna exchanging a hug as the reunion began to disperse. I don't know who had fun over the weekend, Zoey or Joanna, but I know they really enjoyed playing together.

I don't really know why, but I just love this picture of us. Zoey is trying to get away of course, but I held her long enough for this one picture. She really is always ready to go off on an adventure. She is such a wonderful little girl.

A woman was wearing this on her shirt and I just fell in love with it. My Papa was a West Virginia Coalminer, not very far from where we were at the state park actually. I have a great respect for the field and the hardship that it entails. My grandparents moved to NC when my mom was a kid, but there are still very deep roots in the mountains of West Virginia for my family.

Okay, so I realize that you are probably tired of hearing about this trip of mine to West Virginia, so I promise (I think) that this will be my last post about it. However, I'm still working on the scrapbook (happy dance!) I hope you all have a great weekend! I'd love to hear about your adventures what makes you Lovin' Life!

Related Topics:
Four Generations (Ingram Family Reunion)
Welcome to Hawks Nest State Park
Wordless Wednesday: Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, WV
Remembering Papa

Is This Really a Phone?

I have to share this because it is too cute...

Zoey's reactions to a "real" phone:

Shock: This is a phone?

Pretend: Let my doll try it first.

Buttons!?! It has buttons, okay it's cool.

My Turn! "Hello?"

"Goodbye" and the fun is done.

In the hotel room at the Lodge they have "real" phones. You remember them right? They are the ones with the dock to hold the receiver and the really long curly cord to play with while you talk. I was really surprised Zoey knew what it was, but she did. She picked it right up and started talking. I actually unhooked the telephone line so she could play with it a little, I mean how often do you get to see a phone like this these days?

I also realized that this was the first time that she had seen a phone like this, besides her Fisher Price play phone. We don't even have a home phone and they don't sell any phones that I know of that are not cordless. This is sort of sad because I have fond memories of playing with the cord while I talk, then again, I suppose it was pretty annoying, thus why it phased out.

I say this about Zoey and the phone, but I have to admit that I did not even once think about calling room to room with that ancient phone when our cell phones had no service inside. My mom actually pointed that out to me. I was a little surprised at myself. It is amazing how fast things can change.

Welcome To Hawks Nest State Park

For our family reunion we went to Ansted, WV and Hawks Nest State Park. I had no idea when we set out how wonderful our entire trip would be. The park is absolutely beautiful and so are the mountains!

Welcome to Hawks Nest State Park

I must first interject that Hawks Nest State Park holds a very special place in my family's heart. My Grandparents are from Ansted, WV and my mom has many memories of visits and get-togethers long after they moved away. As magical as the park is on it's own, it really came alive for me as my mom told of events that happened there decades before. I was very happy to participate in my own memories at the park since our reunion was held in the Conference Room at the Lodge!

Ansted, WV

The restaurant at the Lodge did such a great job catering to our reunion. Everything went incredibly smooth and all the staff were really nice and helpful. Even the conference room has a beautiful view of the river. And if you step right outside of it you are at the best lookout spot and steps away from the tram and the gift shop. Our event was wonderful and I'm glad we chose Hawks Nest State Park to have it.

This is the view from the resturant. You can see the river too,
but I was trying to get the bridge on the horizon.

We stayed in the Lodge at Hawks Nest State Park and found it very pleasing. Many of my family were staying in the Lodge with us, so we were able to swim together, eat breakfast together, and have late night chats on this particular bench we seemed to gather around the entire weekend. As accommodations go, it was wonderful. All the people we worked with were incredibly nice and the room was clean, spacious, and restful (when my two year old would let me rest that is.) There is also a great view from the balcony. Even though our room didn't face the river, you could still see much of the beautiful view. Also, the continental breakfast was delicious! We wouldn't leave our last morning without partaking in it one more time.

Hawks Nest Lodge

The park itself is absolutely beautiful! It is very well kept and all the Park Rangers we talked to were fantastic and really nice. There are many overlooks and trails to go on. There is a tram to get to the bottom of the river. We didn't really get to go on any trails since we were busy with the reunion, but I hear they are very nice as well. There is also a great big playground, which looked like lots of fun. Again, we were a little too distracted to make it over there. But we did try out the pool (only available to Lodge guests) and it was lovely.

Zoey loved this view. I believe she would
have stayed here all weekend if she could.

The tram and a gorgeous view of the river

I did make it to the Overlook right down the road from the Lodge, still part of the State Park. It was AMAZING! That is where I took my Wordless Wednesday picture as well as many others. It was such a gorgeous view! You could see up the river, the railroad bridge, and the dam. The whole scene was just breathtaking and so peaceful. For this particular moment, I left Zoey at the Lodge with her Granny and came to soak it all in. Even though Zoey would have been just fine on the Overlook, I'm glad I took a minute for myself and just enjoyed the view. The West Virginia mountains really are spectacular!

The most beautiful scene.

The dam from the Overlook

Quaint gift shop/refreshment stand at the Overlook

Stairs leading to one of the trails

The entire trip was amazing! I'm so glad we could all go together and create such wonderful memories. Our family reunion was unforgettable and we all had so much fun! I know Zoey had a great time hanging out with her cousins and climbing any "mountain" she could find. (She really just climbed big hills, but we are from the beach so any incline feels like a mountain.) I could continue gushing about my weekend for quite a while, so instead I will stop myself here. But I will say, if you are ever looking for an adventure in the mountains (I didn't even mention there are great White Water Rafting spots there), I would recommend Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted, WV.

Wordless Wednesday: Hawk's Nest State Park, Ansted, WV

Hawk's Nest State Park

Ansted, WV

The breathtaking location of our Ingram Family Reunion.

Share your Wordless Wednesday Adventures...

For other awesome Wordless Wednesday pictures visit: 5 Minutes for Mom, Create with Joy, Living at the Whitehead's Zoo, Carrie with Children, Angelica's Awesome Adventures, The Life of Rylie and Bryce, Project Alicia, Mom Start, Mama to 4 Blessings, Heartfelt Balance Handmade Life, and Mom Vantage.

Four Generations

This weekend was a very special weekend. This weekend was our family reunion. There were four generations in attendance. Wow, it was awesome!

The reunion was held in Ansted, WV (southeast of Charleston, WV). Zoey and I traveled with my mom and my Aunt Betty. It was SO worth the trip! Not only is the countryside absolutely beautiful, but the reunion was amazing!

The reunion honored the Ingram family, which is my great grandparents on my mother's mother's side. All the decedents of my great grandparent's 10 kids that were alive and could make the trip attended. I saw people that I haven't seen in years. I even met people that I forgot I knew.

My favorite part of the whole trip was being immersed in family. We do not live close to any of our family, so it was very special to see them all for the weekend. Ansted, where the reunion was held,  was where my great grandparents lived their entire life. My grandparents met and lived there for many years as well. I loved seeing the history of the place. We stayed at Hawk's Nest State Park where my mom shared many memories of her youth. I got to see the house that my Papa built himself. I heard stories from all of my Aunts and Uncles about how life was living in the mountains.

I realized on this trip, more so than I have before, how important family and heritage is. I have always been extremely interested in history, especially my own, but I realize now a lot of what I learned when I was younger faded. I remember some things and I remember some places, but the extent of the history feels much more important this time around. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am now raising the next generation. I want to know where my family came from so I can pass of the heritage and the stories to my children.

Zoey did very good the whole trip! Even the 7 hour drive went fairly smooth. We stayed in the lodge, basically a hotel room, on the property of the state park that the reunion was held. That worked out really well I thought. Zoey loved the views and the mountains. We couldn't leave until she said goodbye to the river. It was so cute to watch her waving and saying "bye bye, river, bye bye." She did really well with all of the "strange" family. This was the first time she had met any of the family, except my mom of course. And they all knew all about her. But Zoey would just go up to anyone who gave her any interest. She especially loved my immediate Aunt and Uncle and several of my age cousins. Then her 6 year old cousin, Joanna (her generation) fell in love with Zoey and they were playmates all weekend. I'm really glad Zoey was able to come and enjoy weekend. Even though she probably won't remember it, there were many memories made. I know I will remember it. It was such a great weekend all around.

And now I leave you with a few pictures...

Zoey meeting the view of the river. She loved this spot and came to it frequently during our stay. This is also where she said goodbye to the river. By the way, river was a word she learned this weekend. 

Zoey with her cousin and newest playmate, Joanna. They were so cute all weekend.

Three Generations: Me, Zoey and my Mom (Granny)

This is my Mom's branch of the family. There are actually many more of us in my and Zoey's generations, but they were not able to make the trip. This is my (left to right) Uncle Gerry, Aunt A'dria, Aunt Betty, Me, Zoey, and Dee (my Mom).

First Generation...my grandparent's generation

Second Generation...My parent's generation

Third Generation...my generation.

(minus Zoey of course, but she was loving on her Mommy because it was past naptime)

Fourth Generation...Zoey's generation.

I also want to note that Papa, who I have talked about several times, was part of this family. He is my Mom's Dad who married into the Ingram family who was honored at the reunion this weekend.

Lovin' Life: July 15

I am replacing "Weekly Gratitude" with "Lovin' Life." The principle is the same, but I am feeling that Weekly Gratitude is becoming...boring. I want to be able to do more with the idea. Simply, it is to take a moment at the end of the week and remember all the things you are grateful for. For me I tend to look back on the week and remember all the little moments that don't warrant its own post. It is more about Lovin' Life and being grateful for all the little moments together. So that is what I am calling it...Lovin' Life. And boy do I ever love my life!

I love my family. I love that we play together and run around in the back yard. I also love that I caught this awesome picture just after Stephen and Zoey ran around with Eli (the dog).

I love that we grow our own veggies, herbs and strawberries. Zoey is making the funniest face while trying to get the strawberry in her mouth. Those tasted so good too, they just melt in your mouth.

I love that we are always doing something creative. Zoey loves this huge Cars posters that we color together. She lays out in the floor and goes to town on them. I used to be able to color about half of it with her and now I'm lucky if I even get a chance at a corner.

I love my husband. He went golfing last weekend and looked really spiffy in his polo. He took a couple cool pictures, but I like this one best because he is trying really hard not to laugh at me taking pictures of him like it's a formal event.

I LOVE Little People! I had a ton as a kid and I'm glad Zoey enjoys them too. While Stephen was playing golf, we got the whole set out and pretended together. It was so much fun!

We were watching the storm together. I love that Zoey isn't afraid. I really enjoy watching storms (especially when I am dry) and I'm glad that is something we can do together.

I love how much Zoey loves music. The guitar that Stephen is playing is actually Zoey's guitar. It is a real guitar about half size (maybe smaller). She loves picking it up and strumming it. She even gets some of the same strum patterns that Stephen uses. 

This is Zoey's cat, Creampuff. She is hiding in the pile of stuffed animals. Zoey went to find her and just started laughing. Creampuff actually nestled down into the pile when Zoey came like she was playing hide and seek with her. It was too cute. They just love playing together.

I love playing outside and so does Zoey. She had a blast in this bucket of rain water. As a side note, Zoey also picked out her own clothes today and tried, somewhat successfully, to put them on herself. She LOVES Minnie and didn't want to wear anything else today. She is getting so big!

I hope you have had a great week and continue to have a wonderful weekend. Remember to take a minute and appreciate all the little things that bring so much joy to life!