AMERICAN GIRLS!

Mom, the girls and I went to Atlanta to help Aunt Jayne move into her new cabin in Cherry Log, Ga. She will drive up there from Atlanta on the weekends to relax with her friends. Saturday morning, on the way up to the cabin we stopped in Alpharetta so the girls could go to the American Girl store. We had such a great time! Hannah loves Kit - and was getting ready for the movie to come out. She got to see Kit and Ruthie's tree house and get Kit's hair done. It was a really fun time for all of us!

Here are some picture of Aunt Jayne's new cabin on Cherry Log mountain. It was so beautiful up there. The Ocoee River, where Doug and I went whitewater rafting for his 40th birthday is just miles away. We can't wait to take the girls rafting. They will love it.

Oh, and we can't forget the girls MOST favorite part of the trip - Aunt Jayne's dachshund, Ruby Tuesday.

We took Doug to Destin for Father's Day. After all we have been through these past few months with Daddy's death and my traveling, he deserved a special day just for him! We went Deep Sea Fishing, just the two of us! We had a blast and caught our limit on fish - they even had to throw many of our back. We hated that as they were already dead. Mom and Aunt Rita came with us, which made it extra special. We are lots of seafood and played on the beach. Mom and Aunt Rita shopped until they dropped at the outlet mall. What a shocker!

The girls got to have their hair braided down on the docks - and get to keep it in until school starts. They love it!!

Our little mermaids!! We have had such a great summer so far. School is coming way too soon!

My baby graduated from kindergarten this year. We really don't know where the time went.....

This is my favorite place in the whole world - Lake Eufaula. It is between Georgia and Alabama. It is a HUGE lake. My family has always camped - since we were little girls. So I passed on the tradition to our family. And they love it now too! Whenever we go on a trip other than the lake - we always say "We should have gone to the lake!" It is so fun and relaxing. We tube (well actually, since Doug whipped me off last summer and lost my favorite sunglasses, I have refrained from tubing! - he felt really bad...) and Hannah has learned to kneeboard. The girls like to make "pottery" out of the red clay at the island that we park the boat at to swim.

MUDDY BUDDY 2008

Well, Doug and one of his best friend's and workout partner decided to enter their first "race". Thanks to the prompting of Lloyd Thurber who was doing it with another guy they got the "bug" from him. The race was an adventure race - they ran and biked then had to crawl through the mud at the end! Hannah and Lloyd's daughter Briallen did the "Mini" Muddy Buddy. They had a blast!! I had a conference in Orlando that week and into the weekend, so I missed it all. But Leo took lots of pictures for me!!

Well, Grammy is doing pretty well. She has her good days and bad days without Daddy. The girls really love doing fun things with her!

Well, I haven't had much time to post in the Spring. My Daddy found out he had cancer on his 65th birthday - February 7. He started radiation immediately but it was too far along. He was a real trooper through it all and we really had a precious time together. I sat with him in the hospital (he had to have surgery to mend a broken arm from the radiation on February 26) and we really had some great talks. I spent more time talking with him from February 7 to April 6 than I have my whole life. I would not trade it for anything.

Most importantly, we talked about when he began his relationship with the Lord and what pulled him away from him all these years. So many people were praying for him and all our prayers were answered.

We miss you Daddy, but I know that you would not trade places with us for anything in the world.

It is now January 8, 2008! Happy Hew Year!

I know that I missed the Holiday Season in my blogging, but on to the New Year. I have been kind of discouraged lately - can't put my finger on why really (besides family members that aren't well and trying to lose weight - ugh!)

But I wanted to share this awesome devotion that I got this morning - put me in perspective!

In 1914 Thomas Edison’s laboratory caught fire and burned to the ground while eight fire companies watched helplessly? The next morning as he looked at the remaining rubble, Edison said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” What an incredible attitude! This man was able to see beyond the disaster before his very eyes to the potential ahead.

Thomas Edison’s statement sums up the truth about spiritual growth perfectly: trials are the foundation of joy for spiritual maturity. We grow spiritually only from and through the trials that arrive on our doorstep.

If you’re feeling frustrated, defeated and discouraged by the trials in your life today, I want to encourage you to look beyond the rubble to what lies ahead. It can be difficult to face our trials with the kind of spirit that sees great value in disaster, but that’s what the Lord expects from us if we are to be women who walk on their foundation of joy. Here is a poem that reflects this attitude so well. While the author is unknown, the poet obviously knows the formula for the foundation of joy.

It’s sometimes very difficultfor us to understandthe wisdom and the love behindthe things that God has planned.But we wouldn’t have the rainbowIf we didn’t have the rain;We wouldn’t know the pleasureIf we never tasted pain.We wouldn’t love the sunriseIf we hadn’t felt the night;And we wouldn’t know our weaknessIf we hadn’t sensed God’s might.We couldn’t have the springtimeor the yellow daffodilif we hadn’t experiencedthe winter’s frosty chill.And though the brilliant sunshineis something God has made.He knew too much could parch our soulsso He created shade.So God’s given us a balance:Enough joys to keep us glad,Enough tears to keep us humble,Enough good to balance bad.And if you’ll trust in Him you’ll seeThough yesterday brought sorrow,The clouds will part and dawn will bringA happier tomorrow.

The Washing Machine Sisters!

We had family come in from Michigan that we haven't seen in 5 years! It was so great to see them and the girls were especially excited to meet them! We used to spend every Spring Break together and really miss seeing them. After a few glasses of wine, mom and Aunt R really kicked their heels up! Aunt R keeps her beautiful grandbabies - so she was taking advantage of a much needed break to practice scooter tricks to take home to them! We haven't laughed that hard in months!

The girls have moved to a new school this year and they had a Frontier Festival last Friday for Hannah's grade. They had a fun filled day and were able to dress up. They had a blast!

Blessing our Children
A model for how to bless our children was shown to us when Isaac blessed Esau (Jacob in disguise). This tradition is continued by Orthodox Jews today and should not be overlooked by those of us who believe. Genesis chapter 27:26-37 outlines four steps to use when blessing our children.
1. The TouchIsaac shows us that every blessing should begin with a touch.Gen 27:26 - Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." 27And he came near and kissed him… Even Jesus shows us that touch is necessary when blessing our children.Mar 10:13 they brought young children to him, that he should touch them.Mar 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put [his] hands upon them, and blessed them.It is through touch that we receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit.Act 8:17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

2. Acknowledge your Children's Strengths - Gen 27:27(b) and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:"Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed.Isaac knew that Esau was a hunter, a man of the field, and he acknowledges this to his son. It is imperative that we know the strengths that the Lord has given our children. You may see a musical talent in your child or a willingness to help. Your child may be a natural peacemaker or a nature lover. These qualities must be acknowledged, for they are the qualities with which the Lord has already blessed your child.

3. Know God's Destination for your Child - Isaac knew God's destination for Jacob.Gen 27:28 - Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine.Gen 27:29 - Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down to you.Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!" How can we know God's destination for our children? We know through prayer, constant communion with the Lord, and the reading of the Word. As you pray for your child, as you lay your hands on your child, as you acknowledge your child's strengths and the gifts God has already given him, He will show you what your child is destined to become. Speak this destination and blessing to your child as Isaac did to Jacob.

4. Commit to the Blessing - When Isaac realized that he had been tricked by his youngest son Jacob, he did not take back the blessing.Gen 27:35 - But he said, "Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing." 36And Esau said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!" And he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?" 37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him…The Lord had given Isaac the "fat of the land" and he was committed to giving all he had to Jacob to ensure that his blessing was fulfilled.

Commit to the blessing you have given your child. If you see your child as a doctor, commit to his schooling and understanding of the human body. If you see your child as a musician, commit to those music lessons. If you see your child as a family man or woman, commit to being a role model of respect and surround him or her with those who value the family. And remember that the blessing, and our commitment to it, needs continued prayer and guidance from our heavenly Father who blessed his own Son with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Oh, and let's not forget the latest and greatest pics of Sallie! She has grown alot since the beginning of summer, too.

Stay tuned for more Banks family adventures!

Here are the girls today! They have grown alot since the beginning of summer -- Hannah got her first pair of roller blades yesterday while on our first mother/daughter garage sale outing! Needless to say, I did not get any of the items on my list that we were looking for, but we had ltos of fun :)

Well - here we go - I am going to start posting regularly. I hope to send the link to my friends and family that live all over the US to keep up to date.

This picture is the girls - Hannah (L) and Sarah (R) with their new puppy, Sallie. This was taken in May when we first got her. She was such a sweet puppy!

Ok - I am completely new at this blogging thing - it started with my curiosity at reading Pastor Erik's blogs on our church website - then to a friend posting a comment and I wanted to comment to her. Soooo I had to set up a blog to do so. That takes me to now. Don't know what to do next. If anyone has a blogging for dummies - I need it.