Finally Friday

It's kinda sad how much I look forward to Friday each week.  I only work every other Friday which is super nice but the days leading up to Friday this week have been super busy and exhausting.  I mean I love my job but just the never-ending routine of day to day life can just wear me down sometimes.  There is just something I love about waking up on Friday knowing it's the end of the work week!  And I must say that I really really love when WDRM plays George Jones' Finally Friday song on my way home from work.  I turn it up loud and really jam along to it every single time.

Anyways....

We went with some of my family and their friends to the Outcry Tour in Nashville last night.  The tour was filled with some really great Christian music artists and speakers and were really uplifting and encouraging.  It is so moving to me to see over 13,000 people of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes all together in one room just worshiping God and praising him for all he has done!  

The speaker gave an invitation to everyone and asked those that prayed to follow Jesus or recommit their lives to wave their cell phone lights in the air.  This picture doesn't show near the number of lights that went up all over but I just thought it was a great moment to try and capture.  I pray that God can use this generation and be the ones to really stand up for Christ!

My aunt and uncle are two of the most caring and giving people I know and I am so blessed to have them in my life!  Thank you for inviting us to tag along!

We have yet another full weekend ahead of us this week full of cleaning out closets, prepping clothes for my favorite consignment sale coming up in a few weeks, back to school partying, and my high school reunion-- 10 years What?!?! 

  

 

Testimony Tuesday - Haley

I am so excited to be sharing my friend Haley's testimony with you today. I have known Haley for years but we didn't really become friends until the last few years when we began working together every day! It's funny how much we have in common to-- even the same maiden name! No wonder everyone always gets us mixed up-- for real they really do all the time! Haley is super crafty and always has the cutest stuff and is mommy to the cutest little boy ever. I am so thankful for Haley's friendship and can't wait to share her story with you....

I want to say up front this is something different for me to be typing up. I have always considered myself more of a reserved person and one that will open up once I know you but before that I tend to stay on the quiet side. Growing up I was always at church whenever the doors opened which included Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday evening. I was raised being taught the importance of church and surrounding myself around other Christians. Sure there were times when I only went because my parents made me but I still went out of obedience to them. I feel that this really laid the foundation for my life. I was baptized at the age of 13 along with my sister and brother. My sister was the one that stepped forward and wanted to be baptized so of course I went along with my family and that’s when I realized this was something I needed to do as well but I was so shy and needed someone to be there with me. Being a twin I have always had someone do everything with me so doing this together was so special. I was young and I continued to learn and to grow while continuing regularly in church. 

Once I graduated high school and junior college I began to really feel closer to God. Not that I didn’t in those other times but I think as I got older I realized how much more I needed to be talking with God and studying more. I began to pray that God would put a special guy in my life one that would help me and one that was a “good guy” to speak. It took me awhile to realize but he actually was working the whole time on me while I was attending Calhoun and playing softball. It was there that I met my soon to be husband and boy if you told me that then I would have laughed until I cried and I think he would have too. Anyways long story short he never gave up on me and I really feel this was one of those slap you in the face moments when God says “Hey I put him in your life now go for it”. I feel that as Matt and I began dating my spiritual life began to grow more. It wasn’t long after we had been dating we became serious and I realized this would be the guy I was going to marry. No things were not always perfect and I want to make that very clear. We aren’t perfect no one is but isn’t that part of the life. We learn to strive for perfection and when we fail we have comfort knowing we can be forgiven. 

Fast forward to our marriage. We both grew up at different churches so once we got married we had to pick which church was going to be our home. We made the decision we felt was best and this was so vital to our lives. We chose the church I grew up at but it was different now that we were married because I felt I became so much more involved and we began attending bible studies together and began to associate with the other church couples. I feel this really helped us especially just starting out. Our first year of marriage was great but it was eye opening to see our differences in the simple day to day things like how we load the dishwasher and where we put the toothpaste. We learned to compromise and what truly is important in our lives. Around our first anniversary we found out we were expecting and it was such an exciting time in our lives but it was also very scary. We would be first time parents and sure we have lots of cousins and we even had a nephew but it’s different knowing you are the two individuals that have sole responsibility over this living human! We prayed a lot and I began praying on my drive to work every morning. I drive 50 plus minutes to and from work every day so I have a lot of time to reflect on things and I decided to make this a priority and time to talk with God every morning to get my day started. The mornings that I do I feel so refreshed and so much better by the time I get to work. After having a child I spend so much more time in prayer. Praying daily for his health and for his life but I also praying for my marriage and that Matt and I are the parents we should be and teach him by our example.

In February Matt was approached by another church with the opportunity to come in and to work with this group and especially the younger crowd. I must admit this was one of the biggest decision we were going to have to make in a relatively short time frame. We spent much time in prayer and trusting God to give us guidance. There were lots of tears especially on my behalf because we had grown so close to our other church family and we were making a huge change for our family. After almost 5 months in, I can honestly say trusting God with this experience has been so worthwhile. We have grown to know so many new Christians that have become like family to us. We were worried or more like I was worried about the transition and how I would handle a new church and a small child especially since Matt was taking a much more involved role than ever before. I was and am still overwhelmed at the support I receive and those that love to help with Levi. This has shown me to trust God with the opportunities he gives to me and to be willing to step out of my comfort zone because you never know the impact you can have on others.

This is my story. I am human and I struggle with life and my roles at a wife and mother and a sister in Christ but I know that we all struggle and that is one of the reasons we have each other is to lean on and to get through this temporary life and to get to the true reward in the end.

Thank you for sharing your testimony with us Haley! I know lives will be touched! 

Weekend Wrap Up

We had a very busy but fun weekend celebrating lots of great things!

Saturday was my sweet MeeMee's 85th birthday so we went to her house for lunch! I just love my MeeMee. She really is the sweetest lady you will ever meet.

Saturday night, Jarrod kept the girls while I went to a baby shower for my friend Shea! I can't wait to meet little Miles in a few weeks. Shea and Ben are going to be such great parents. I have never seen a man more excited (and emotional) about being a Daddy than Ben!

Sunday afternoon, our Sunday Schoon class had a get together at the river! We always have such a fun time with this group! I am amazed we had over 40 people there.. A few years ago, we had maybe 4 on a good day in our Sunday School! The Lord is really doing great things with the young adults at FBC Tanner! I am so thankful for this wonderful group of friends! 

The girls loved it! Hunter Claire has absolutely no fear what so ever. She just jumps in and swims off to wherever she can get to before someone catches her. Hadley has to have a little encouragement and coaching (and bribing) but she finally got enough courage to jump in! Bless my little safe child.

Needless to say, when we got home, we all had some good baths (yucky river water) and crashed early! 

Kiddie Carnival and Singing in the Park

I know I've mentioned it before but I really love my little hometown... Especially in the summer! Our city offers so many unique and fun activities for the kids!

Thursday night, we finally got to go to the Kiddie Carnival! We went with my sister and friend and their babies and they all had a blast.

Everyone (except HC) were just giddy running from one ride to the next! And going in little circle on pretty much every single ride!

HC just waved from the sidelines as they passed by eating her cotton candy and dancing! 

Just about the time that we got ready to leave, Hunter Claire decided she would give it a try... And she loved it!! So then we had to start over and ride everything again!

Of course they all pouted when we had to leave! It really is the best little summer time fun!

Friday night, we went with our friends to "Singing in the Park" to listen to Matt Prater play and let the kids play. It was a super nice night weather wise and the park was shaded just enough to really be able to enjoy it! We picked up Whit's on the way and had a little family picnic.

And best of all, Hadley found one of her little friends from preschool and they had the very best time playing! Hadley has missed her school friends so much this summer.

We had a really fun time and I hope we can go again next month!

Needless to say, the girls crashed pretty quick when we got home! I just love all these fun events in Athens! 

Walmart Grocery Pickup

My friend Haley introduced me to the most wonderful discovery ever... Walmart Grocery Pickup!

You simply go online and load your shopping cart with all your groceries, select a pick up time, pull up to the door and let them load your groceries in your car!  The whole process takes a whopping like 5 minutes and best of all, it is FREE!!  The only down side is that only very few Walmarts offer the service at this time.  However, one that does it conveniently on my way home from work.  

It is fast, easy, and keeps me on my grocery budget!  I don't have to worry about forgetting something on my list or items jumping in my cart that are not on my list.  And a huge bonus is that I don't have to ever take my kids to the grocery store... ever!    

Seriously, if you are looking for a way to simplify your grocery shopping... and I mean REALLY simplify it.. I highly recommend this service!  This may be the only way I grocery shop from now on!

Just click on this link to sign up!  It's completely free! Plus you get $10 off the first time you try it!

https://refer.walmart.com/micro/friendshare?e=lacey.k.harrison%40gmail.com

Testimony Tuesday - Dana

Today, I would like to introduce you to my friend Dana.  Dana and I have worked together for several years and she has become one of my dearest friends over the years.  She is a beautiful woman inside and out and I am so thankful for her friendship.  She is definitely my "mommy sounding board" and I always get so tickled about how much we are alike in so many ways!  Dana is a wife and mother of two who enjoys blogging about hair, working out, singing in her church praise group, and dressing up her kids!  She has such a raw and honest testimony and I hope it touches someone who may have been or is in her same situation.      

Growing up, I witnessed my mom go through a lot of hurt with my Dad and my first Step-Dad. My Dad was always in my life, so as a young girl I would have to rotate holidays and my summer to spend time with him.  I would cry often because I always wanted my family together. It made me nervous to get married because I didn’t want to experience the same thing. I knew in my heart that I didn’t want to go through the same pain my Mom went through. I gave my life to Christ when I was 12 years old. I could tell that I was a new creature and could start this journey talking to God about my fears and knowing that he would comfort me.

Through my teenage and college years, I was far from perfect, but strived to live for God. In 2002, I met my future husband. The first thing he said to me was that he was trying to live for God, and I knew right then he was the guy for me. In our relationship, even though we believed in God and tried to live right, we still struggled with abstaining from sex. That was the hardest sin I had to deal with. We didn’t care to drink alcohol, party, and curse, but our addiction was having premarital sex.  We knew it was wrong and would ask for forgiveness each time. My biggest fear was that God would come on that day and I would go to Hell. I knew I was blocking a blessing and finally said enough is enough.  I went to God in prayer and asked him to remove my boyfriend out of my life if he wasn’t my husband. I knew that was the only way I could abstain from sex.  I was tired of disappointing God and I knew I couldn’t live like this any longer.  Two weeks later, he proposed to me and within a month we were married. I knew God was dealing with him as well and so thankful that he was obedient to hearing the Holy Spirit speak to him.

Marriage was beautiful and now we could have all the sex we wanted, but I was still afraid of not being the best wife due to my past. I had to have faith and believe that I don’t have to be a statistic and that God would blessed my marriage.

During our first year of marriage, we were delighted that we were having our first baby. I couldn’t believe I was pregnant, but 5 weeks later the doctor told me that I would have a miscarriage. That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with, but God spoke to me and told me to read the book of Job. The book inspired me to the fullest and I became stronger, because I knew he was going to restore everything back to me.  Months later, I was pregnant again with a healthy baby boy. I was overjoyed with love and knew that he was a special gift from God.

A year later, I was pregnant again, but had another miscarriage at 5 weeks. I was very hurt, but had to remind myself that God doesn’t make mistakes and just like he blessed me with a full term baby, he can do the same with this one. My God never fails and that’s exactly what he did. Months later, I was pregnant with a baby girl.  

I thank God for his many blessings and for the wisdom he has bestowed upon my life. My husband tells me every week that I’m an awesome wife and I have a beautiful boy and girl that has made my family complete. Always trust God’s word, because if he can do it for me, he will certainly do it for you. 

Thank you Dana for sharing and being so open and honest with your testimony!  I know lives are being touched through your story!   

You can check out Dana's blog at www.domesticnaturalista.blogspot.com

Go Serve!

Our church has been doing various things on Sunday nights during the summer instead of the usual worship service. One of the things is what we call "Go Serve" nights where we go out and do small mission projects in the local community. 

Last night, Hadley and I participated in making and delivering cookies and treats to our local police and firemen. She thought she was such a big girl helping put the stickers on the bags and said she had a tough job. Bless her little heart, she really did work so hard labeling the little bags as fast as she could. 

She even wanted to write a few labels herself. I'm sure some policeman or fire fighter somewhere in town couldn't help but smile when he saw this. 

Makes my heart smile! I am really trying to teach my girls to help and care for others and pray they grow up with a servants heart!

You are a good mom...

I ran across this little post and just had to share! It's so true! As mothers we spend a lot of time sizing ourselves up against other moms who just seem to have it all and that is just so frustrating! It's super hard not to judge and compare! 

http://www.foreverymom.com/an-open-letter-to-the-tired-young-mamas-trying-so-hard-to-get-it-right/#.VawHGsr3JCq.facebook

I write this as I sit on my tail listening to my kids fuss over one of the thousands of toys they have seemed to strew out after I have picked them up for the 110th time today, trying to convince myself that I really am a good mom 😊

I've had the best day with you today...

Hadley told me she had the best day of her whole life yesterday! We had so much fun celebrating her 5th birthday! I still can't believe that she is five but she made sure to inform me and everyone she saw that she was five now.

We ventured up to Cool Springs mall in Franklin, TN to the new American Girl Store and it was a huge hit! We took her friend Kate (and their dolls) and her mom with us and the girls just started cheering and running around crazy as soon as we got there.  They were so excited!!

The store was completely overwhelming with little girls and dolls everywhere all running around super excitedly!

We had to get the dolls' hair done at the salon. 

Hadley got to pick out a new Julie doll for her birthday! Both girls got some pets to which I'm pretty sure they cared more about than anything.

After we did some shopping, we headed to the bistro for a birthday lunch. I have to admit that I was really surprised by how good the food was. It was seriously delicious! They had little seats for the dolls and even gave them their own little cup and saucer. 

And what's a birthday lunch without little ice cream cones with sprinkles for dessert?  

After we got home, some family and friends came over for a pizza party to celebrate the birthday girl some more! 

Hadley informed me several times that this was the best day she had ever had and loved being five!