We're Outa Here!!

Chad and I will be celebrating our 15th anniv. with a get-away trip this weekend to Amish Country in NE Ohio !!

I am SOOOOOOOOO looking forward to some R&R with my hubby!
Given that we leave in less than 12 hours, I better get packing, don't ya' think!!!!????

"Well, no wonder!!"

I realize that this post may reveal that I am slightly obsessive....but can I just linger on the Fried Green Tomato topic a little longer???

Today Chad was home for lunch, so I asked him to show me how he makes those FGT's taste soooooooooooooooo yummy. And here is what he showed me (Stacy, I think this technically counts as posting a recipe, doesn't it???):

1.) Slice the green tomatoes (the thinner, the better).
2.) Mix some flour with a little season salt, garlic salt and pepper on a plate.
3.) Coat the tomatoes in the flour mixture (the thicker the better).
4.) Fry them in a skillet with LOTS of butter.
5.) Keep frying them (the slower the better) until they are golden brown and just slightly crispy on the outside.

So, it was right there on step #4 that I had my "Well, no wonder they taste so good" moment! I mean, seriously, LOTS of butter!!!!

At some point in the "adding more butter" process, I asked Chad to never, ever, ever, EVER have me make these again....I liked them so much better before I knew how BAD they were for me!! (Aren't tomatoes loaded with anti-oxidants, though??) So from here on out, Chad will be making the FGT's ....and each time I am devouring them, I will just imagine that he probably made THIS batch with much less butter!

Ignorance is sometimes bliss.

Yummmmmy!! Fried Green Tomatoes!!

At long last!!

And can I just mention that Chad (who doesn't even like this yummy delicacy) is the ULTIMATE fried green tomato chef!?!? He makes them better than I have EVER been able to!!

Just one more reason to be thankful for my man!

=) Happy Weekend!

Fifteen years...and it gets better every day!!

This is my beloved, this is my friend...
Song of Solomon 5:16

Like father, like husband.

He is the most amazing dad.
He loves to laugh and tell stories.
He is one of the strongest men I know....physically and emotionally.
He loves his children deeply.
He sacrifices daily for his family.
He loves sports and bluegrass music.
He is a "fixer."
He has a servant's heart.
He is rich in true friendships.
He is a role model.
He is a protector.
He has a work ethic like I have never seen in another man.
He has my utmost respect.

They say that when a girl is looking for a husband, she looks for someone with the traits of her father.
My heart explodes with gratitude as I realize how this played out in my own life....the list above describes both my father and my husand....and that list is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg!!

Today is a day to celebrate dads.
Today I am thankful for a dad who I love very much.....and I am thankful for a husband who I love very much.

I am blessed beyond measure by both of these men.

Happy Father's Day, Chad. I love you.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.

To which she cried....

Cruising along this morning. Music up loud. Loving the "Glory Revealed" album (more on that later).
And then there was this...

Song #9. Restore to Me.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation
Restore to me the wonders of your love..."


Over and over again today it has been in my head.
Over and over again today it has been on my heart.
Psalm 51.

And my earnest, tearful prayer today is this....
Restore to me, Lord, the joy of your salvation. Restore to me the wonders of your love. Restore to me the passion for your Word. I want more of you, Lord. And less of everything else.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:12

It baffles me, really.

It is beyond my understanding.
When I think about sometimes, my brain gets "foggy."
I just can't fathom.

We are just so SMALL.....and yet we matter so much.

Seriously. Have you ever thought about it?? Have you ever trully thought about what a tiny tiny tiny speck in the universe we each are? Have you ever thought about how amazingly awesomely humongous and beautiful our entire universe is? Have you ever just considered how much is out there beyond the stars?

I mean, our planet is big and beautiful beyond words...and yet our planet is like a speck of dust in the bigger scheme.
It baffles me.
Go to the NASA website and check out some of the pictures. It will baffle you, too. Or better yet, check out this video....




There is so much out there. So many things that are bigger and more beautiful than I am.
God made them all.
And yet He likes me best. And of course YOU, TOO!
He likes us best.

Amazing.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
PSALM 8

Thanks, "sssssss" (Sis)

Be Still My Heart!!

Yesterday I noticed this in the garden.....



I gave serious thought to having my first FRIED GREEN TOMATO of the season....despite the fact that it is only about the size of a ping pong ball!!! I have heard that tomatoes actually turn red at some point...but I wouldn't know....I like to pick um' and fry them up GREEN!

Seriously, I can't wait!!! Despite the 40 mph winds yesterday, the tomato crop is looking good! I think there may be some other things growing out there, too (lettuce, beans, corn, watermelon...etc) but I couldn't even tell you.....because my eyes are on these babies!

The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
Psalm 85:12

Flurry

flurry |ˈflərē; ˈflə-rē| noun ( pl. -ries) a small swirling mass of something, esp. snow or leaves, moved by sudden gusts of wind : a flurry of snow. • a sudden short period of commotion or excitement : there was a brief flurry of activity in the hall. • a number of things arriving or happening during the same period : a flurry of editorials hostile to the administration.


That's it....a number of things arriving during the same period.
The following 5 posts would certainly fit the definition of a "flurry"...things that happened over the past week or two...that are now appearing as a "Timmons Family Blog Update Flurry"....I guess I have been too busy to post?!?

Puddle Play --- June 4

We are so thankful for the rain....our yard, and flowers, and garden all need it so badly!

And Micah has obviously overcome his aversion to raindrops!!!

Cousins!! --- June 2

It was so fun to watch Micah and Faith play together this weekend. As I look at this photo, I can't help but remember the number of prayers and tears that paved the roads that brought these cuties home!!

A Belated Birthday Party --- June 1

Swimming in the pond.
Pizza.
More swimming in the pond.
4 HOURS of swimming in the pond!!!!
Ice cream and cookies.
Flicka.
Pancakes and sausage in the morning.

Erica's 10th birthday party was great fun....even for mom and dad - who were very thankful for 6 polite, respectful, sweet, funny, giggly girls!!!!

Last Day of School 2007!!! - May 31

Summer vacation is here!!!! The "Last Day of School Cake" was a big hit.....a family tradition!

Sparkles!!! --- May 22

You will be seeing more of this girl in the future! Erica says, "She is the best horse we have ever had!!!" (Sparkles is, of course, the ONLY horse we have ever had). We are hoping to bring Sparkles home soon!

We Remember....

On this Memorial Day weekend...we are reminded to honor those who have given their lives for our country... and pray for those who have lost loved ones.
Our family is so proud of those who are defending our freedom today! We are thankful for their service!!
It is such a blessing to live in America...thanks to the many men and women who have sacrificed!!

We also remember the ultimate sacrifice that was made for freedom....the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to free us from sin and bondage! ....It is for freedom that He set us free......

We are a blessed people!!!!

Favoritism

Favoritism \Fa"vor*it*ism\, n. [Cf. F. favoritisme.]
The disposition to favor and promote the interest of one
person or family, or of one class of men, to the neglect of
others having equal claims; partiality.


I can't say that I had previously thought much about this. Didn't think I was guilty of it. Promoting one person or family...to the neglect of others having equal claims?? Partiality?? Hmmmmmm.

So I started thinking...after that quote from my pastor about being nice to one person, but not to another....could I be guilty? In my personal life? In my professional walk?

It is human nature, after all, to extend extra favor to those we "like". It is human nature....but it is not God's nature. And I am so thankful for that fact.

I am trying to be more mindful. I want to be sure that I am not....consciously or subconsciously....showing favoritism. I want to see others the way Christ did, the way our heavenly Father does. I want to have the type of love for others that is independent of how they act, how they think, what they value, how demanding they are....a love that is based soley on the fact that my perfect Father loves imperfect me.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
James 2:8-9

A Quotable Quote

Yesterday in his sermon, our pastor quoted someone (I can't remember who) as having said this:

"A person who is nice to you, but not nice to the waiter, is not a nice person."

I have thought about that many times since yesterday.
And I have been thinking about what it means to show favoritism....and what the Bible has to say about it.
God doesn't show favoritism, and He doesn't want us to, either.

I will have to share more over the next couple of days....including the great big object lesson God gave me right in the middle of my day today!! But for now, just think on it.....

"A person who is nice to you, but not nice to the waiter, is not a nice person."

Happy Birthday, ERICA!!!

10.
Ten.
X.
Diez.
halfway to 20.
double digits.

gasp.

Unbelievable!!!

Happy Birthday, Sis.
You continue to bring unspeakable joy to our family. You are turning into a young woman and we could not be more proud. You are compassionate, witty, smart, joyful, and determined. You seek God. As you get older, you continue to get more and more servant-hearted. You bless our family with your laughter (not to mention all your yummy cooking!) You have always been such a thoughtful sister to Brock, and now we LOVE the way you nurture Micah.

We love you, "goat-loving girl"!!!

"Photos by Julie"

Last weekend one of Erica's sweet friends had a birthday party. Seven girls dressed up in their pioneer dresses and went to Conner Prairie. Julie (the birthday girl's mom) snapped this photo. When I first saw it last night, I just fell in love with it!!! I "antiqued it" a bit......



Is it just me.....or is this one of the coolest pictures you have ever seen?? Thanks to Syd for the great party idea, and thanks to Julie for the great party pictures!!!! oh, here....I just have to post a few more....