Sorry, that it has taken so long for me to update my blog. Between holidays, school, children, church, and family, I have been so busy. In addition, when I am not busy, I do not choose to spend my extra time on the computer.

I finished my final for my Hebrew Prophetic Literature class last night and today I choose to update my life, clean my house, and spend some time with the family.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and that your New Year is blessed richly!

Here are some pictures of the kids; they are growing up so fast. Every time I turn around, we have to buy new clothes and shoes, because they are getting so tall. Sometimes I find myself staring at them and memorizing what they look like so I will remember these beautiful babies as they are today. I know, before I turn around, they will be ten years old and then they will be teenagers. My only prayer is that they will love the Lord and live faithfully for him on purpose. God has blessed my life with my family and I only hope that all of you out there in blog land are blessed richly and loving life.

The picture with the kids in a chair is special because they love sitting in papaw's chair when we visit my mom. We went and spent a few days with mom and the family and enjoyed every minute. It is so cool right now, because Bonnie is just now understanding I have sisters and brothers and we are all best of friends. I love that she knows what a family is and that she pretends she has babies and a family of her own. Brennen however just wants dogs! I love my babies!!!

Happy Halloween

Today we have had a blast! Here are some pictures of B and B!!!

Here is Bonnie, I'm sorry, Princess Aurora, this moring at the house.

Brennen as a strong Spiderman, he would only pose without the face mask.

Here is Brennen and Bonnie with some of her classmates at our local grocery store.

Here are the kids at church sorting out their candy and munching just a little bit.

Here are the kids with Memaw, she came and spent the week with us. We have enjoyed her visit, when she returns home we will miss her!!

Hope everyone had a great day today!! Just a side note, we missed you DADDY!!!!

Remebering My Dad

On September 11th, my life changed forever. I will no longer be able to hug or make fun of my dad. E.W. Withrow died of a massive heart attack and as Bonnie understands, he gets to talk to Jesus now. I always knew that this would happen one day; however, I did not expect it so soon. My family is doing great however, knowing that dad is in heaven, loving every minute and receiving his reward for living a faithful life. Just thought I would spend some time sharing my dad with you. Thank you all for your prayers!!

Things I love about my dad,

1. His commitment to his family and God

2. How much he loved my mother

3. His humor, even though sometimes it got him in trouble

4. The way his face would light up every time my children would come into the room

5. How he knew everything about everything

6. He would give you any thing that you needed and never expect anything in return

7. He drove the JOY bus at Meadowview and love seeing the kids

8. Driving up to the house and seeing him sitting on the front porch

9. This last year waking up at mom and dad’s house and having him cooking in the kitchen

10. How my children still pray for him to this day

11. His overalls, they remind me of his dad and my granddad

12. Driving around where he grew up and telling us all the stories of old

13. Him walking me down the isle and giving me to Shannon, I looked at him and he had a tear running down his cheek

14. His compassion, he would always try to look tough, but you could melt him like ice

15. His retirement, I came to know a different man when dad retired, he was free to be himself and relax. He didn’t always have to be running around

16. That he became a computer nut in his retirement, he even took a computer course and we thought he had lost his mind.

17. He loved the game solitaire on the computer, he would stay up into early morning hours trying to win one game

18. I loved my dad because he was my daddy. I never had to worry about clothing or food or anything else when I was younger because I knew that dad was taking care of us. We never had a lot of money, however dad always made sure we had what we needed and sometimes we would have what we wanted. Dad was committed to his family until the end. Dad also was faithful to God until the end and he passed on that legacy with his children. He was active at church and was there every time the doors would open and he loved the Lord without a doubt.


My dad will be missed and things will be different, however I will share him with my children so they will know that their papaw was a wonderful man. I will cherish dad always and forever.

She is growing up!!

Here she is, her first day at school. She is attending at the Methodist church two days a week. She loves her teacher and wants to go everyday. Although I was hesitant the first day, she walked right in and sat down. I was excited to get a "bye mom".

It is great for Bonnie, however Brennen is having a hard time. He has never been alone before, this is new territory. He missed her all day, however when I brought Bonnie home they ran to each other and embraced and both said at the same time that they missed each other. My heart leaped at that very moment. I saw my children loving each other as brother and sister. It was so fulfilling as a mother. Well, thanks for listening, it was just as much of an ajustment for me as it was for her.

I know, I know, I know

It has been forever since I have blogged. We have had problems with our blogger account so Shannon had to do major work before we could even get into the system. Just so everyone will know, Shannon had to create a new blog account so here is his new blog site.

shannonssquiggles.blogspot.com

Okay, tons of things have happened this summer, however I will just hit the highlights. Some news in our family hit us in March that my father had colon cancer. He had a surgery in June and it seems that all was removed so he does not have to have chemo. God answered our prayers. Then four days later my sister-in-law had surgery and thankfully she is doing well. Then other medical issues that we found out in July is that my sister had uterine cancer. She had surgery in August and all was removed also and does not have to have chemo treatments so far. Now after saying all this, I am thankful that through all the medical issues my family has had this summer, God has blessed us richly and answered many prayers. God has been so good to us. Thank you for all of you prayers.

Now on a fun and crazy note. We had birthdays!!!!! Bonnie is now four years old and Brennen is now three years old. They are getting so big, sometimes I just have to sit and watch them because they are growing up so fast.

Wow, they look older. Once birthdays were done, we then had camp. So in July Shannon and I went to camp in Oklahoma for a week of rain. We had so much fun, and so many issues all in the same week. The kids were bored because in one day it rained over 24 hours. Then it stop for half a day and started again. You can only play in the rain for so long before your tired of it. Oh well, we had a blast and the week was over before we knew it.

Then, we came home and between classes for both of us, cars breaking down, and working, it has been a world wind. I will say that one wonderful thing is that our congregation is growing and with young couples with children. One couple has two little ones that love my little ones so we have become great friends. She has encouraged me to get out of the house and do things, so we are having a blast. Well so much for this week.

Bonnie starts day school next week, I will try to update then.

Stiches and All

Well, here he is stiches and all. Even with the cut and now scar, he is so stinking cute!!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. If you read Shannon's blog you should know why. I hate that I can not blog half the time. I will let Shannon post the picture of George Forman. It was so cool to meet him.

Also, just to let every one know that my father is doing well and is at home. The surgery went well and all the test have come back negative of any cancer cells. God has answered our prayers and we are very thankful for his quick recovery.

Well, between school and dad's surgery and Brennen's stiches and graduation parties and school programs, I have been extremely busy. Here are some pictures of the kids, just to let you see what we have been up to.

These two pictures are of Bonnie and Brennen making birthday cupcakes. Since the kids and I were in Mesquite on Brennen's birthday, we celebrated today.

Here is Bonnie playing dress up, as always!!!

This is Bonnie and her cousin Caleb. She loves him and loves to be close to him. It is so cute. We all laugh at them and Caleb of course just lives through it.

Here is my sweet baby before the big accident and scar. However he did have a knot on his head.

Here are my sweet babies a few months ago. I will take new pictures soon and update again.

Hope everyone is doing well!!! Love ya!!

Blessed

Well, here are the little munchkins, sitting in a pile of cut greenery. For the last 2 months Shannon and I have been working on the yard together and the kids help us. I love it. It is so much fun spending the time together. The yard work is hard and hot, however teaching Bonnie and Brennen and watching Shannon and the kids play, it is so heartwarming.

Thank you Lord for my sweet and precious family!! I am blessed richly!!

Easter 2007

This year we spent Easter with the Odle family. We had so much fun and the kids did also. The had so much candy and then Grandmama and Grandpa gave them backpacks filled with all sorts of goodies. Brennen's backpack was a teddybear and Bonnie's was a hippo. They are so cute. Here is a picture with all of them.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!! We sure did.

Facing the Giants

I know many of you are thinking, Danna has blogged two times in the past week. It is true. Close you mouth and read on.

I wanted to share with all of you how much I enjoyed watching the movie "Facing the Giants". It is a WONDERFUL movie. Shannon and I bought it and have watched it 4-5 times in the past few days. I thought it was a movie all about football, however it hit on a subject that I once had to work through and face my giants. If you haven't seen the movie please go and watch it. The acting is some what lacking, however the point that the movie makes is life changing. I don't want to give away the movie so I will stop there, however it is a great movie with a powerful meaning.

Well, Mindy and her family of 5 came to visit today and I was so happy they did. I have missed talking to her in person and seeing the family. Travis played with Bonnie and Brennen and Katrina and Karissa sat at the adult table and talked with me and Mindy. Of course Shannon and Gary sat in the living room watching sports and talking in between. I have really missed them. Thank you God for making everything work out to let my family visit.

Well until next time. I will be back from Tulsa Workshop then so I will have tons to talk about.

What's new!

So much has gone on here at the Jackson home. I'm sure you read about some of it on Shannnon's blog, however, here's more.

A few weeks ago while Shannon was in Lubbock for a class, I spent the week with my parents. We shopped 4 out of 5 days, I only had to cook one meal that week, and my mom and dad loved spending time with the kids. We came home and I had to start cooking and cleaning and all the things I love to do around the house.

Since then, we have relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful weather we are having here in Texas. I have to say that now, because soon it will be to hot. Bonnie and Brennen are playing outside and really learning to love each other and play well together. Bonnie has always been the outgoing and "bossy" big sister, however Brennen is coming into his own personality and now they have to learn to get along peacefully. They both take turns to be the "boss".

The church is doing well, I know this year is going to be a big one. God is doing wonderful things here for our congregation. We have hurt together and we have loved together and we are growing stronger together as a family.

Have a great spring everyone!!!!

I know it's time!

First of all, I am sorry that I have not blogged in several months. Now that the apology is over here is the good stuff.

Thanksgiving was excellent!!!
Christmas was excellent!!!!
New Years was excellent!!!!!

Now we are enjoying the cold weather. Shannon and I finally put together the swingset in our backyard so Bonnie and Brennen can play. They love it. This is the first time Brennen can hang on and swing by himself. They were so cute. Here are some pictures.

They are growing up so fast. My babies are becoming kids. I love every minute of it. Bonnie will start Pre-K or Dayschool in September. Brennen has started talking and everyday is learning more and more. Both kids are potty trained, which is WONDERFUL. Also, since Brennen has started talking, both kids can say prayers and they are so sweet.

Okay, enough about the kids.

Well, I finally did it, I started college last night. I was so nervous. However, it was easier than I thought. I was not the oldest one in the class and I have computer skills that others do not. So I am feeling a little better about reading and studing. Shannon watched the kids and I missed the family so much. However, once homework kicks in and I'm in school every week it should become normal. I am excited about school and one day becoming a Pre-K or Kindergarden teacher and I am so thankful that God has blessed my life and led me down this path. I am ready for the journey. Thanks for reading and I will update soon.

Just thought I would share some pictures of my babies. I have been reminded how much they mean to me lately. Bonnie is growing up to be a little lady. She is so sweet and thinking of everyone around her. She is always asking if we are felling okay, or if she can so something for us, or wanting big hugs. She is so compassionate. I love who she is growing up to be.

Brennen on the other hand is now 2 and he is completely the opposite from Bonnie. He has come into his own attitude and he lets everyone know it. He is so sweet when he wants to be, however we are waiting for the 2 year old phase to fade out. Some moments he is sweet and funny, and then 2 minutes later he is mister mean. I tell him all the time that I love him and want him to be sweet and he gives me his mean look. He pushes out his lips and dips his eyebrows and scrunches up his nose. We see this look alot. I just keep remembering that this phase will pass and I will get my sweet boy back.

This next year is going to be a big one. Bonnie will be 4 and we have started to look into the pre-school here in Van Alstyne. They have a really good program and I hope that she gets to go. If not we will start her in the Dayschool here. Also, Brennen is learning so much right now. He has finally started talking and now we are working on multi-words and trying sentences. He did not start talking like Bonnie did, so I have to work with him in a different way. However he is doing so good. Also, I am very excited about potty training. I am working with Brennen and pretty soon, both of my children will be potty trained. How WONDERFUL!!!! Life without diapers will be so nice. I told Shannon we will be getting a raise without the purchasing of diapers and pull ups.

Well, I better go and take care of the kids. Morning time is my favorite time of the day. They are both so sweet when they wake up. All the hugs and kisses and sweetness, Oh they are such sweet blessings.

As the Days go by.....

Sorry, I haven't blogged lately. I'm trying to get everything settled and the kids back on a schedule and that is hard to do.

Just to let everyone out there know, I love living here in Van Alstyne and I love this congregation. I feel like I have grown up in this family and that is such a blessing. I haven't felt this peaceful in a long time. God is blessing me everyday with this family.

Update on the kids.... Bonnie and Brennen are growing up in front of my eyes. Bonnie is learning how to spell her name and she wants so badly to spell it by herself, however she still needs a little help with that. She is growing taller everyday. She is looking so much older, like a big kid instead of a my baby. I like it, however when I really start to think about it, it makes me sad.

Brennen is growing taller and more independent than ever. He is starting to talk and if he has something he wants you to hear, he makes sure you hear him. He is developing a personality that is so sweet on one side and then you get a hint of the other side and he is sooooo serious. We are learning to be sweet at all times and life will be much easier. That is another thing that Brennen is showing is his stubbornness. However, all the sweet times and learning times outway the bad.

Shannon and I are getting in the swing of living in a small town. We really like it. We went to a Fall Festival here two weeks ago and had so much fun. Just being involved with the community is really fun and cool. Our house is coming along. I finally have had some time to organize my pictures for scrapbooking. I am so excited. I can't wait to get a few pages done.

Well I better go. Love everyone and hope to talk to you or see you soon.

We are richly blessed

Well, I finally have the time to sit down and play on the computer. We found a job in Van Alstyne, Texas and moved in on August 28th. I have no other words than, I LOVE IT!!! The family here is wonderful, I love the small town feel of knowing everyone. Even around town I will mention that we just moved here and my husband is a preacher and they remember seeing his picture in the paper. It is so cool that everyone knows everyone else. I'm almost finished setting up the house and things can get back to a normal routine. The kids are now calling here home and they love that daddy works across the street.

I don't know why I always question my security when I'm always reminded that God will take care of us. He has opened this door to a beautiful family and sheltered us in His arms again. Thank you God for reminding me daily that you know what is best for your children.

Well...we're on the move

Most of you know that Shannon and I have been searching for a job over the last 2-3 months and finally we have a home. We have accepted an offer from the VanAlstyne Church of Christ in Texas. It's right between McKinney and Sherman. We will start September 1 and we are planning on moving into the house on the 29th of August. Shannon and I are looking forward to getting to know new friends and being a part of a new family.

Thank you all for keeping our family in your prayers and please continue to pray for us while we transition the kids into the house and new life, and our transition as well. Better get back to packing. We love all of you and will have more information later. Thanks again!!!!

Life on the Road

Well, where do I begin? Over the last few months I cleaned out my room at the Preschool... I have packed half of my house up in boxes.... my babies turned 2 and 3... I went to St. Louis to visit the Wigintons... I went to camp with Shannon in Oklahoma for a week and left my babies with my sister here in Mesquite(alot harder than I thought it would be).... and I pack up the family every weekend to go to different congregations for Shannon and I to inerview for a preaching job.

As you can see, I have been sooooooo busy that I never think to get on the computer and tell everyone whats going on. I know I need to do it more, because Melanie and Liz tell me I need to. So here I go telling you about my wonderful family and how much God is blessing us everyday.

Bonnie is now 3 and showing all the signs of independence. She wants to do everything on her own and most the time it drives me crazy. However, I love it when she learns something new, her face lights up and she looks so beautiful. Her hair is growing and I can finally put it in pigtails. She is so beautiful.

Brennen is now 2 and is trying everything that is possible to do what he wants to do. He is so much like Shannon, which is a good thing. He is compassionate and caring, even when he gets in trouble and falls to the floor like I have wounded his heart. He is talking more and understanding so much. It is so cool to watch him grow and learn so much everyday. OOOH he is so adorable.

Shannon and I are doing well. We have been on several interviews and it is kindof crazy, however I do love spending the time with the family. The kids are learning to travel and Shannon and I are learning how to travel with children. This is not an easy task, however I do love that we are a family.

Well, dinner is calling so I better go. Love all of you!!

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. Everything is going by so fast. Can you believe that it is already February 14th. This year is flying by and I'm trying to absorb everything.

Just a little update on the kids. Bonnie is potty training and growing into a beautiful little lady. She is talking so much you can barely keep up with her. She is so polite, we are finally hearing and seeing what we have been teaching over the past 2 years. She is so smart. She knows exactly what Shannon and I are talking about and she asks questions all the time. I can't imagine life without hearing her sweet little voice saying momma or daddy and I love it when she is talking to her bubba. Brennen is getting so big. He is starting to talk and have cute little expressions. He is also getting an attitude so we are starting the whole process over in teaching when he can and when he can't get what he wants. He is running everywhere he goes and he loves his big sister. Both babies are sweet and wonderful blessings.

Now, on to STREAM. We just got back from a weekend in Midland. We had a blast. I sang with all my heart to the Lord and cried most of the time. I love singing with no limits. If I wanted to lift my hands, I did. If I wanted to clap, I did. If I wanted to cry, I did. The singing was awesome!!! Terry Rush was the speaker and he did a wonderful job talking about how we should be still and see the people around us. We live life in the fast lane and we just need to slow down and see people. We went with family and friends and had a wonderful time sharing with eachother. The kids did such a great job in service and at night, they just were great all around. Now I can't wait until next year.

Well, I better go. Brennen just woke up and is crying.

Blessings from God

Thought I would share this with everyone. They are so cute. It took forever to get this picture however it was very worth it. Everyday they are changing and growing. They sing all the time, talk constantly, and they love to laugh. Some moments they can be HARD, however they are sweet at heart. Bonnie, is counting, asking questions, playing mommy, and teaching her little brother all kinds of things. Brennen is starting to talk, becoming independent, playing with cars and crashing them, and looks up to Bonnie and loves her. They are so sweet to each other. They play well together and fight well together, but all in all, they love being brother and sister. I must admit I love being their mother. God has shown me in my two babies how giving and loving HE is. I pray everyday that I can be the example and influence that God expects me to be for my children. Thank you God for your gifts of love. Hope everyone is doing well and God Bless each of your families!

Sweet Reminders

Over the past few days I have read some things related to children that have reminded me of how much I am blessed for having my two lovely babies. We waited so long to have children and lost a few during the wait, and in the mix of everyday life I sometimes forget through the disobedience, crying, tempers, selfishness and just plain moodiness, that these babies that God gave to me are the sweetest, cutiest, and all around best kids. I know that so many couples struggle with getting pregnant and I know how much babies are longed for and wanted and also needed. I just want anyone that reads this blog to now that God knows what is needed for you and your family. He blessed me and I know he will bless you too. My husband and I are so excited that we now have children that we just sit and laugh sometimes. There are no words to express the happiness they bring to our lives. God, you are a good God and I thank you and give my life to you and promise to raise these children in your light.

Thankful for the Day

Yesterday was a wonderful day with the family. We ate tons of food, watched football, laughed all day, and shared moments together that we will remember for a long time. I love spending time with my family. My dad, brother-in-law and husband, (the only men in the house) held their ground well. The women in the house cooked, cleaned, talked loudly, and laughed loudly. The kids played hard and slept just long enough to regain energy to continue the day. I'm looking forward to Christmas so we can do it all over again. I hope that everyone had a Great Thanksgiving day and all is well with your family.