Laughter Lives Tuesday...

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.





This is my first time to participate in Laughter Lives! Tuesday...but I got a kick out of reading The Rigg's Family's post today and I couldn't resist.

So my mom has decided that she would like to breed Imperial Shih Tzu. They are similar to regulary Shih Tzu but are the miniature version. I also must say that my mom already has FOUR dogs of her own...two Brussles Griffon, a teacup Yorkie, and a Snorkie (snauzer/yorkie mix). My mom has six Shih Tzu to breed and one of her dogs just had her first litter of three puppies. AND my sister has a dog to boot! So we are talking FOURTEEN dogs people...under one roof.

Now what's different about my mom than other dog breeders, is that all these dogs are her BABIES!! She dresses them up, she puts bows in their hair, and needless to say...every single one is SPOILED rotten!!

So what is my laughter lives???? The DH and I are on vacation and are longing for some much needed rest and relaxation. But do you know what happens at 6:45 a.m. every single day? My dad goes to work and ALL the puppies "wake up" at that time...which means, FOURTEEN dogs barking at the same time. Needless to say, mom gave us a box fan to put in our room to help drown out the noise....all I can say about this is HA!!!! One box fan, FOURTEEN dogs barking, you do the math????

100th Post Giveaway...

I can't believe I have already reached my 100th post!! How time flies!! So to celebrate this milestone, I'm hosting a giveaway! I'd love to give away a set of my greeting cards. Just go to my website, Greeting Cards for Our Garden and my Etsy Store and let me know which set of cards you'd like if you win. If you would like an extra entry, post about my giveaway and leave me a comment and let me know that you did.

The last day to enter is April 3rd! Good luck!

Thankful Thursday (Times Three)...

Thursdays are when I post about the three things that I am MOST thankful for...here are my Thankful Thursday (Times Three)...

1. Spring Break!!!

My Spring Break officially starts TOMORROW!!! And the DH and I are traveling to Houston to spend the week with my parents. I am SO looking forward to this trip and so thankful that I work in education and have mini vacations built into my work schedule!

2. Surprises!!!

I am NOT good at keeping secrets from my DH...but I have been holding onto this one for quite some time now. I have a HUGE surprise planned for him and it's killing me to keep it under wraps...don't worry, I'll post about it next week. So stay tuned!!

3. Our yard!!!

Our yard is starting to get back into shape and will hopefully be back to normal before the spring time is in full force. Our grass is coming back in and I have all kinds of plans for planting gorgeous blooms in the flowerbeds.

What three things are you most thankful for this Thursday?

Pray for Me...Pray for Others

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.




Pray for me...

David and I are traveling to see my parents in Houston on Friday. Please pray that our travels are safe.

I received another comment on my Gigantic Giveaway that upset me. I have been praying about whether or not I was going to post about it or at least say my side of the story. I have decided to just pray, pray, pray.


Pray for others...

Please pray for Baby Stellan and a full recovery.

Maxine Monday...

Okay guys...it's Maxine Monday again. Let's see what Maxine's wisdom is for today...

I am normally a creature of habit...I HATE change!!! I always eat the same thing at restaurants, I follow my daily routine without fail, and hardly ever take risks. I think I was always worried about getting hurt...whether it was getting embarrassed or failing. But, I have really been trying to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. It's hard...but trying new things is always hard. But you never know what you are missing out on, until you try.

Tell me about something you have been worried about starting or trying...and WHEN you are going to take that leap of faith and go for it!

Rocking Babies...

My DH and I have recently joined a new church and I have been submerging myself in all they have to offer. I joined the Young Married Women's Group, I participate in the Esther Bible Study, and most recently volunteered to serve in the Children's Ministry.

I really wanted to give something back to our church family and to God for all the blessings that we have received...and I KNEW I would be great with children---afterall, I have been in education for over 13 years now. I filled out the paperwork through the church to be able to work with the children and anxiously awaited my assignment and dates to start working with the children. Well, I was NOT at ALL prepared for the assignment I received...0-12 month BABIES! Yes, you read that correctly...I was in shock and disbelief that God would put me in a situation surrounded by the ONE thing I long for more than anything...to have a baby of my own.

After a LOT of prayer, I decided to take my assignment and just SEE how I would feel rocking babies. Two weeks ago I walked into the nursery and couldn't wait to get my hands on the two little cuties crawling around the play area. Both babies were 5-6 months and were just like little ants...EVERYWHERE! As the second service got closer to starting, more and more babies were brought into the nursery. We maxed out on 14 babies (remember, all the babies are 0-12 months) and 4 adults!!! I spent the enter hour and half, going from one baby to another...rocking this one to sleep, feeding another one, playing with blocks with this one, changing dirty diapers, etc. I literally walked out of the nursery and thought...this is what those parents with multiples must feel like (and I only cared for these babies for an hour and half). I seriously came home and took a two hour nap!!!

Last Sunday, I served again in the nursery and we had just as many babies and just as many adults...but this time, I knew what to expect and enjoyed EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of it! At one point, I was sitting Indian-style on the floor with one baby asleep in my lap, I was holding another baby in my arms, and rocking another baby with my foot in a rocker. One of the parents came in to pick up their baby and she said to me..."Wow Lianna...you are GOOD at this!" I can't tell you what an AWESOME compliment that was to me and how much it truly touched me.

This entire experience brings me to this verse...

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." ~ Proverbs 16:3

I am always asking myself, "Is what I am doing moving me towards God's plan for me?" or "Is this my purpose in life?" Well, I must admit...I was questioning the reasoning behind why He put me in a situation with 14 babies...and I think I know my answer now. I am committing myself to the Lord and He will help me succeed. I know that He is preparing me for the day when I will become a parent.

Thankful Thursday (Times Three)...

Thursdays are when I post about three things that I am MOST thankful for that week. Here they are:

1. My JOB!!

With the economy taking this downward turn, I am SO thankful to have a good, steady job. I appreciate more and more every single day the job security I have.

2. SPRING BREAK!!

I am SO looking forward to spring break next week. I will be spending the entire week in Houston with my family and friends. There will be GOOD times happening this week :)

3. My Greeting Cards Website!!

I kicked off my greeting cards website a few weeks ago...Greeting Cards for Our Garden...and I got my first custom order yesterday....invitations for a sweet little 2 years old birthday party. I have NO idea why I didn't think of creating invitations before, but I bought some cute stamps and will be adding that section to my site shortly.

What three things that are you most thankful for on this Thankful Thursday (Times Three)???

Pray for Me...Pray for Others

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.

Pray for me...

I received a couple of anonymous comments on my last two giveaways that have caused me a little grief. I ask that you pray for the Lord to lead me to the path that He has set before me...to not let comments like these upset me or persuade me to take a detour on the path of becoming a parent. I ask that He show me the road that He wants us to take and gives us the patience to wait for His direction.

"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." ~Isaiah 40:31


Pray for others...

Please pray for the person that is leaving these comments for me. If their intentions are to witness to me, please give them the words to do so with love and understanding.

A family friend recently discovered that his 18 year old daughter is pregnant. Please pray for him, his family, and his daughter as they move forward with this gift of life.

My sister-in-law was laid off a few weeks ago. Please pray that she is able to find a job that will enable her to provide for her family and my sweet nephew.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." ~Psalm 91.1

Maxine Monday...

Mondays are when I post a Maxine cartoon and reflect on her wisdom. Let's see what Maxine has to say on this Monday...

It is just about that time...SPRING!! The weather here in Florida has been absolutely beautiful. Yesterday the temperature was in the low 80's and I couldn't have asked for a nicer day. The DH and I are starting to work in our yard...it really looks pitiful right now because of the harsh winter we had this year. I know our winter was no where NEAR what some of you experienced, but to this Southern girl, it was pretty cold.

Our pool looks...how should I say this...like a swamp?!?!? But the DH is working on making it presentable and swim-ready. We had a few broken parts on our pool pump and on our pool cleaner, but he worked all day Sunday on getting everything back like it used to be. So, I expect our pool to be back to normal VERY soon.

What is the next step...buying plants. I absolutely LOVE pretty flowers and greenery. A lot of our blooms froze this year because I didn't cover them like I should have. But, what better excuse to go out and purchase some new blooms for the spring.

Although I am looking forward to spring-cleaning...I vow NOT to lose my mind this year, like Maxine!!!

Are you ready for spring cleaning???

Greeting Cards for Our Garden...

Most of you know that I have an Etsy Store that I started a few months ago where I sell the greeting cards that I create. The DH convinced me to look into purchasing a domain name and get my website out there...on Google, Yahoo, etc. He is the "salesman" in our family, so I took his advice.

Please check out my new website, Greeting Cards for Our Garden and let me know what you think.

Here are some sample cards that you'll find on my site...

I also had Faith create a button for my site too...

<br /><center><a href="http://greetingcardsforourgarden.com"><img src="http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr278/liannap1/lianna4-150.png" /></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

So please feel free to snag this button and help me advertise my new website! I do plan to keep my Etsy Store up and running...that is, unless my website gets CRAZY busy.

I'm Listed and Giving Away!!!

I wanted you to know about this publication I’m a part of called Serious.Life Magazine. They just published the March issue today, and my blog, Be Thou a Knight, is in their Featured Blog Directory. It’s a very high quality magazine… you’ll really like it.

The magazine includes a lot of great content from bloggers you’ll appreciate, as well as great features, photos and other content. The magazine is owned and published by a family who have seven kids, three adopted and one who has Leukemia. The magazine gives away a bunch of ads to charities and ministries. Besides great articles on interesting people, there is a lot about family, adoption, personal finance, spiritual life, humor… all sorts of “life” topics.

They also have a family blog where they have so many great participation posts like "Pray for Me...Pray for Others" and "Hi/Lo Thursday." You will definitely want to check out their blog and join in the fun!

Again, the subscription for the magazine is FREE, and I know you’ll enjoy the magazine, so take a minute to check it out by clicking on this link and sign up to get future issues.
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If you haven't jumped over to my other blog, Be Thou a Knight, you better get going!! I have an awesome giveaway taking place. FOUR prize packages will be awarded to FOUR luck winners!! You do not want to miss out!

Thankful Thursday (Times Three)...

Here are my Thankful Thursday (Times Three) blessings....

1. Another healthy baby...

I have been overwhelmed with all the praises happening in the lives of mothers and babies over the past month. From Harper to Brayden to my little cousin's baby, Jordyn. All of these precious little ones are doing great. I'd like to add Gavin to this group of healthy babies too! Gavin was born a few days ago to one of my close friends, Laura. Go over to her blog and check out the new addition to the Frazier Family.

2. Multi-tasking...

I must say that one of my best traits is that I am a Multi-tasking QUEEN!! Although I feel as if I could use another 10 hours added to each day, I can't imagine my life any other way. Whether it is attending a function a school, going to my weekly Bible Study Meeting, getting pumped up at my Mary Kay weekly meetings, making greeting cards, blogging, or visiting with some friends...my calendar is always packed and I LOVE it :)

3. My Etsy Store...

My Etsy Store is really doing well this week. I think because Easter is just around the corner and I have put up some really cute cards. I am hoping to squeeze in another card making session this weekend and add a few more. Please check it out and see if you like a few...you don't want to miss out on the Greeting Cards for our Garden FRENZY!!!

What three things are you MOST thankful for this Thursday???

Show me the Path...

I have been dealing with a personal struggle these past few days...but I'm not sure why. I have job security, a nice home, food to eat, a healthy body, a husband that loves me, a family that cares for me....so why this struggle? Why the emptiness? Why am I questioning everything?

I missed my Bible Study on Monday for a concert and I although we had a BLAST at the concert, I think I really need my Bible Study to help me get a jump-start on the week that lies ahead of me.

Overall, I think I just feel LOST.

"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves, me all day long I put my hope in You."~ Psalm 25:4-5

Maxine Monday...

Can you believe it is MONDAY already????

Here is Maxine's wisdom for this first Monday of March.

I am definitely feeling the MADNESS myself. I have so many things going on in my life, that I seriously amaze myself sometimes. I've always been great at multi-tasking, but I think I've bitten off a little more than I can chew this go around.

How do I know? Because I can NOT sleep!!! And I LOVE sleep!!! My mind is just going and going and I either can't get to sleep at night or I wake up early thinking about what I need to do next. All of this thinking, planning, and worrying is really making me crazy. I've tried laying in bed and just praying...thanking God for all the blessings in my life, I've tried counting my breathing---inhale for 1 seconds, exhale for 1 seconds, inhale for 2, exhale for 2, and so on until I reach 10 seconds. I am just at a loss at what to do...I need to get to sleep and then STAY asleep.

Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of this March Madness?