Addiction

I just needed to fill you in on a little addiction I have...it's called FaceBook. There must be a 12 step program...I'm waiting for it...Seriously though, Lindsey and I have just gotten into facebook and it allows you to connect with people you literally haven't seen in years and helps you keep up with those you may see every day. So, if you have a facebook account, please look us up. We have our own accounts so you'll have to ask both of us to be your friend...please? I have said it's like being thrown back to the worst time in your life...Middle School...you ask people to be your friend and HOPE they accept you. I will tell you this, it has renewed and reminded me of how many people are hurting and just need to be loved. I see their picture pop up and I am able to pray for them or send them some encouragement. I love how the Lord can use technology to glorify Him while meeting the needs of His people. I'd encourage you, if you are a FB user, you know who you are, to use this as a ministry tool. Not that you HAVE to tell people you are praying for them, but you could. It is such a visual reminder that we have so much work to do here on earth. God's people, whether they are His children or His creation, are hurting and in need of love. Lifting them up in prayer, lovin' on them as needed, and caring about them just might be what it takes to bring them Home. Anyway...I'm addicted...and I'm not ashamed.

New News

I have some new news...no, we are NOT expecting, but thanks for asking! I have another show! Yup! I got a call from my producer who said, "Would you like to co-host another show?" I think my answer was profound. It was something like, "um...duh.." I was asked to host a gospel show called Singing Southern Style. Now, I'm not a big fan of southern Gospel, but I AM a big fan of Christ and this music points right to Him...and THAT'S what I want to be a part of. This show will be airing on ION Television starting in mid February. Just to let you know, ION is also the station that our home improvement show, Remodeling: Case by Case, will be airing on hopefully mid April or so. I asked my producer if it was a conflict of interest to have two shows on the same TV network. He said, "It doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you." It doesn't bother me. My co-host is a man named Don Elrod and he has been in the radio, music, and tv industry for 40 years. He is amazing and I have so much to learn from him. My role is to help introduce music videos...a VJ if you will...It was really neat to sit down with my producer and Don and pin point my exact role for the show. My job is to connect the viewer at home with the music being played. I do that by bringing the spiritual nature of the song in connection with their own life. I get to be on tv AND talk about the Lord...yipee! This is really a rich environment for me to be in and I can't wait to see how God uses it. It will be airing on Sunday's at 5;30 pm. I'll let you know the start date and you can tune it...even if you are not crazy about southern gospel, He's crazy about you!

Goodness Alive, Josey's Five!

Yup, Jo's in a Monster Truck...she liked it waaayyy too much!

Daddy thought it would be fun for Garrison to ride the jet ski...Garrison did not.


Garrison is FINALLY walking. We thought he'd go to Kindergarten crawling...

Josey LOVED all her presents!

Josey and Ms. Betsy...by the way, she gives the BEST birthday presents!

It's hard to believe that it's been five years since Josey has been in our lives...sometimes it feels like it's been longer... :) We had a wonderful time celebrating her life during her birthday celebrations! She had a party at our house on Saturday the 17th and then we celebrated her birth DAY on Monday, the 19th. Everyone was off for MLK day and we enjoyed the day together! We surprised her with a trip to Chic-Fil-A and Chuck E. Cheese. We really hoped she felt as special as she truly is! For all of you who are in Josey's life that are investing in her character, thank you so much and we pray that you will continue to pour into her qualities and characteristics that will make her as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. So, you only turn FIVE once...Happy Birthday Josey...We love you!

Christmas 2008

The sights ,the sounds and the lessons of Christmas 2008...

The Sights: Christmas at Aunt Joanne's, Christmas at MawMaw & Big's ,Christmas at Aunt Bonnie's, Christmas at Home, Christmas at Grammy and PawPaw's. Lot's of presents, presents, and more presents!

The Sounds: Squealing with delight, wrapping paper being torn to shreds, toys that make loud sounds that need to stay at the grandparents house, cardboard being cut to get the toys out, mom folding the tissue paper for next year, rudolph the red-nosed reindeer lyrics being botched and made-up by the girls...

The Lessons: On Christmas day we took the girls to "Sharing the Blessing". This was located at a local middle school where all those in our community who are in need could come and get a hot meal, a bag of food, clothes, and toys for the children. This is the second year Lindsey and I went but the first year we took the girls. It was good for the girls to see all the people who are in need and that they were able to help them. The lesson every Christmas is that we celebrate Jesus' birthday and that we receive abundantly because He gave freely. This year as well as many to follow, we hope that another lesson is learned, it really is more blessed to give then to receive.

Dressin' Up!

What do a Ballerina, A Bride, and A Giraffe all have in common? Their last name is Allen! Halloween was a fun time to dress up and get some teeth-rotting candy! Ryleigh knew she wanted to be a ballerina for months. We bought her outfit and she had it all planned out! On the other hand, Josey change her mind EVERYDAY! It wasn't until she came down the stairs before we were ready to leave that I knew what she would be. A bride...A bride??? I almost threw up. She might as well have actually gotten married to a real boy that day - it was too much for Lindsey and I! Then there was our precious giraffe. He cracked me up and was way too cute for words! I never thought I'd have room enough in my heart for a Ballerina, a Bride AND a giraffe, but I do!

A WHOLE YEAR ALREADY?

I can't believe it has been a whole year since Garrison arrived! His birthday was October 30th! We celebrated on November 1st which was exactly one year to the day we brought him home from the hospital. His birthday party was fun - I made him a baseball cake and he had his own cupcake to tear into. I've never made a round cake before and I will tell you that "round" was relative when it came to my cake. Good thing is that Garrison didn't care. I was anxious to see what he did to the cupcake. He has a little of his mom in him and he picked that cupcake right up and put it to his face. It's hard to believe that his birthday came and went and I'll never be able to sing "Happy first birthday" again. Where did the time go? Oh yeah, just look at the wrinkles around my eyes and the gray in my hair and you'll see where the time went!

So, my baby is a year old. Hmmm...kind of bittersweet.

SHOW BIZ UPDATE

Here's the latest on the show biz scene. The meeting in Bethesda went well. I have to say that I just might get used to the "star" treatment. We were picked up in a limo at the D.C. airport with our production company "Seven Star Media" on it. We ate lunch at a fancy French restaurant - I'm not sure what I ordered, even more disturbing is that I don't know exactly what I ate. We met with all the folks and pitched our show and our ideas. Then, we flew back home that evening. Jimmy Carter was on our flight home and shook every one's hand on the plane. I have to say that I felt mighty safe with all of his secret service guys with their earpieces in. They were probably listening to music, but whatever. After several weeks of them meeting with their alliance partners (Home Depot to name one) and then just last week they received their numbers for the last quarter and had the worst quarter in their history, money has become a huge factor as the economic crisis is not bias on who it destroys. With that said, CASE has offered us all their resources but no monthly financial support. They want us to proceed into the Atlanta Market with ION which reaches 2.3 million homes. We are going forward with that and in doing so, hopefully CASE will see the benefits for them. We'll see what God has in store. In the beginning of this, our vision was set on the Atlanta market and that is exactly where we are headed. Our goal is by March 1, 2009, you will see our show, Remodeling: Case by Case on at 9:00 am on ION network for those of you in the surrounding area. Wherever God takes us is exactly where we want to go... Please continue to pray for His best!