Happy Birthday, Scott!

Several years ago :-)...God brought someone very special into this world...someone I'm extremely thankful for.
Scott, the kids and I celebrate you today! I thank you for being my best friend, my husband, and THE BEST Dad any kid could wish for. We are so thankful to have you...what a gift you are!
Thank you for being so hardworking, both at church and at home; for being such an amazing provider.
Heather, Lindsay, Caleb and I wish you the Happiest of Birthdays!
I love you with all my heart!!!!

He's Been Faithful...

The song you are hearing right now is one of my favorites. I'm so very thankful that regardless of what I've done, who I am, He remains faithful to me...

When my heart looked away, though many times I could not pray,
Still my God He was faithful to me.
The days I spent so selfishly, reaching out for what pleased me,
Even then God was faithful to me.
And everytime I come back to Him,
oh I see Him waiting with open arms,
and I know again.

He's been faithful, faithful to me.

Thank you, Lord, for never leaving me nor forsaking me.

Lamentations 3:22-23 "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness".

Snowed in....

...Well, for a few hours anyway. What a beautiful morning to wake up to yesterday! Charlotte ended up with about 4" of snow. Fortunately, the roads weren't too bad so after lunch, we loaded up in the car, took our sleds and headed to the hills...well, I guess you could call it "hills". Anyway, we spent an hour or so sledding and had a blast! Schools are on normal schedule today and life is back to normal...yuck!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Well, according to the Charlotte weather man, we can expect at least 4" snow when we awake in the morning. That called for a mad dash to the grocery store this afternoon (along with everybody else in the city of Charlotte)...and not for toilet paper, milk and bread. Oh no, chili ingredients and homemade chicken-vegetable soup ingredients were purchased, along with the makings for some of the best chocolate chip/peanut butter chip cookies you've ever tasted. I've never understood why people purchase just those 3 items listed above when there's the possibility of being snowed in. Scott sits back and laughs as he listens to the hysterics of people with just the thought of a snowflake. You see, he's from Rochester, NY, and nothing closed down unless there was at least a foot of snow on the ground... (1/20/09 update: he said nothing closed down period...unless there were 40 mile winds and a blizzard with zero visibility - that's why people up North are grumpy...that's my own personal comment :-)
Well, it's time to do some cooking and baking and settle down for a long winter's nap. Before I go, I'll share the cookie recipe with you...Enjoy!

Peanut Blossoms:
1/2 cup crisco shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag peanut butter chips
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together and roll dough into balls. Roll in white sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

Changes....

On January 1st, I posted several changes that had occurred around the Vail household in 2008. Well, beginning in 2009, changes continue. I just arrived back home after a long day to and from Liberty University. Over the course of the Christmas holiday, Heather let us know that she really desired to continue her college education, but much closer to home. She also said that she wanted to attend a smaller college this fall. This past Sunday, she headed back to Liberty hoping to complete her semester. That wasn't the case. After much prayer on her part, she has decided to finish this semester online from home. Scott and I have spent a lot of time in prayer this past week for discernment and His leading. He graciously answered our prayers and took care of each and every detail.
Heather was able to switch from a resident student to a distance learning student with no problem at all. She had an amazing first semester as far as grades, so it was very easy to get everything switched over.
She's excited to be back home and looking forward to searching for colleges.
Welcome home, Heather!

All good things must come to an end...

Well, in about 2 hours, Heather will arrive back at Liberty. What an awesome 5 weeks it's been to have her home. On one hand, the time flew by. On the other, it seems like she was home for months...which was great! What a joy it was to have her at home. We definitely made the most of the time while she was here.
She wasn't ready to leave today either, which made it somewhat difficult for me. Now don't get me wrong, she knew it was time to get back to start her second semester, but she just wasn't ready for this nice long break to end. I didn't want to make it more difficult on her, so while the tears were flowing, there was much laughter!
She's already made us promise that we'll come up for her Dad's birthday, so we're planning a trip to Liberty at the end of this month.
Scott and I have already seen such amazing changes in her since she's been away...maturing and growth in her walk with the Lord. It's wonderful to see that! We're so thankful for the closeness that God has given our family, especially since our move here to Charlotte.
I'm sure I'll get to see her in the next few days. Santa left us webcams under the Christmas tree this year!

Thankful...

Our church has been celebrating this week our debt retirement. We've had services each evening that will conclude tonight. Many, many years ago Calvary's church debt was 22.4 million dollars. Skeptics said we would never pay it off. Through God's faithfulness and the faithfulness of His people, the final payment was made this past December. Each evening, the microphones have been open to people who want to praise Him for His faithfulness and share what Calvary has meant to them.
I didn't go forward but as I sat in my pew with my family, I couldn't help but being so thankful for God's graciousness these past 18 months during our transition to Charlotte. The church has loved us, embraced us and made us a part of their family.
I am also so thankful for our kids. We uprooted them from the only church, school, and friends that they've known and not once have they rebelled, been angry, or questioned our move. It was much tougher for me than it was for them and I know that was the Lord answering so many prayers.
I'm so thankful that they've trusted us enough because they know that we've trusted in Him!

Happy Birthday, Heather!

19 years ago God gave us a wonderful gift. Her name is Heather! She was born January 3, 1990. What a precious gift she is. From day one, she has been such a joy. She loves to laugh and she loves life! We have been amazed as we've watched her grow into a young lady who loves the Lord and her family. Her greatest joy comes from doing for others.
Her birthday celebration Friday night consisted of 13 friends, 1 of whom traveled all the way from Wilson, celebrating her BIG day. They played games, ate dinner, watched movies, and as I type, continue to play games. Today, her family will celebrate her. She continues to remind us that this is "her day" :-)
You are such a blessing, Heather.
We thank God for you and we love you.
Happy Birthday!

Happy 2009!

Another year...actually just another day! I'm not a fan of new year's resolutions. Why should it take a new year to get myself straight? Why am I not already there?
Scott and I spent last night with friends, but only until about 10:30...we're getting too old to sit and watch a ball drop. We had already decided to come home early and spend some time alone, watching a movie and eating popcorn. The kids were at friend's houses and we knew it would give us a couple hours of uninterrupted time. It was quite nice.
One of the things we discussed yesterday was our relationship with the Lord...did we feel closer to him now than we did this time last year. My answer was a resounding "yes". Thankfully, I can say that! God continues to do a work in my heart. He continues refining me through His Word, through trials, and allowing me to see myself for who I really am. Some days, it's just not pretty!
The year of 2008 brought about many changes; Heather going off to college, Lindsay entering into her senior year, Caleb entering into high school, and finally feeling settled here in Charlotte.
I'm so thankful for another day, another day closer when He will call us all home. I can't wait for that day!