THANKFUL!

I wish I could crash like the waves and turn like the autumn breeze

In effort to praise You
I wish I could smell like the forest, the fragrance lifting a mighty chorus
In effort to praise You
In effort to praise You
But I'm such a limited creature
And my words can only paint so many pictures
But somewhere I think I read that I am treasured over all creation
So I know that I must try
I wish I could roll like the thunder, to leave the earth below in wonder
In effort to praise You
I wish I could fall like the summer rain and every drop would sing Your name
In effort to praise You
In effort to praise You
But I'm such a limited creature
And my words can only paint so many pictures
But somewhere I'm sure I read that I am treasured over all creation
So I know that I must try
Gloria, glory in the highest
Forever I will hide myself in Thee
Oh, gloria
Glory in the highest
Forever I will hide myself in Thee
Every breath that I breathe, every moment in my history
Is an effort to praise You

Gloria by Watermark

Here is just a bit of what i am thankful for this Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

May every breath that you breath, every moment in your history be an effort to Praise our Father God, who is SO GOOD, and worthy of our praise!

does your child give you "the look?"

bedtime conversation

me: i remember the first time you told me you loved me.

noah: you do?

me: yep! it was a thursday

noah: how old was i?

me: 4 days old.

noah: (laughs, sighs) mommy.

me: you did, you told me you loved me. i remember every detail.

noah: where were you?

me: at our old house in bass lake. i was sitting on the couch, holding you. i was looking at you, and thinking about how i loved you. then you looked at me, and i knew. you said it by the way you looked at me, "i love you!" and i looked at you, then said, "i know, i love you too!"

noah: i know what you mean, it was in the look. i know what look your talking about, the look.

me: yes, the look. You really know what look i'm talking about?

noah: yes, i really know! in the look i give you and the look you give me.

me: the i love you look.

noah: yes, that look.

me: just like the look your giving me now.

noah: yes.

conversation ends in hugs, kisses, and more of the look!


i don't know what it is, but this boy has taken hold of my heart, and melted me.
he just looks at me and i know that i am loved. how sweet it is to be loved by noah.

tell me, does your child give you the look?

lunge and lick

my mom and sister came for an overnight visit this weekend.

when they come, goodies always come with them!

when the kids were younger i complained as they brought in bags of foods i would never allow in the house. i had healthy diets to develop. now that the kids are older, and know they must eat daily from the major food groups, i don't worry. nope, now i wait with the kids, for- cookies, cake, gummy/chocolaty snacks, candy, ice cream, or what ever goodies they might bring. because even i get tired of the usual raisins and peanuts (this is our typical snack. self-control people, self-control).

look at what my mom brought this time!
and this people is the only way i can justify eating all that ben & jerry's!

a letter to me

the country singer brad paisley has a song called Letter to Me.
in the song he expresses all the things he would go back and say to his 17yr old self.

now that i am 35, the song has caused me to think of what a letter written to my younger (not just 17, but spanning the years) self would say.

you got your start on victory road for a reason.

sing and dance like you are on american bandstand.

don't hit your sister.

don't believe what he says.

don't feather your hair, you don't need to look like laurie allen.

eat vegetables.

friends who require you to wear reebox and guess jeans aren't friends worth having.

don't try to keep up with that jones girl.

get the oil drip fixed on your 65 ford falcon.

learn to play a musical instrument.

do your homework.

eat gilman's burgers now.

he's not the one God wrote for your life.

get rid of the bangs.

don't sell your falcon.

stay away from that 19.8% credit card.

don't move in with your best friend.

did you hear me, get rid of the bangs!

stop hiding behind baggy clothes, i'd give anything for that 20yr old figure.

your not a red head.

the man God wrote for you is a man beyond your wildest dreams!

that empty place that longs for family will not always be there, denise someday you'll have your "Emily." and you will be the blessed mommy of 3!

hold on, hold on tight! at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning
because the ladies in the grocery store are right
"enjoy them while they're young, because it does goes bye too fast."

hold tight to God. don't believe the lies.

go outside and play.

loose the poofy hair

forgive.

forgive yourself.

Jesus.


what would you say to your younger self?

"It's my party, i can t.p a house and fork a lawn if i want to"

i am 35! (well tomorrow nov. 16th i will be)
what did i do to celebrate?
a SLUMBER PARTY!

friday p.m. to saturday a.m. was spent with these FABULOUS girls, at mama holly's house.
(l-r , couch- mama holly, kathy, michelle, shirin, ruth, julie, cari, christie, barb. floor- sylvia, kelli, mary, me, and traci)

thank you lindsey for this great decorating idea.i made this banner which says, "CELEBRATE."
as you can see i went with an M.E. theme.
slippers were party favors for my guests.

we ate nachos (no diane, i did not share), played "i never," sang karaoke, danced, played speed scrabble, 4 on a couch, and we T.P.'d HOUSES!!
there was one rule at my party- NO ADULTING ALOUD!
there was even a time-out chair for anyone caught behaving like an adult.

saturday a.m. chef michael, and his crew- noah, emilie, and josie, came over and treated us all to a delicious breakfast of; blueberry/apple waffles, french toast, bacon, and omelets with all our favorite fixings! (i know my husband is awesome).
in my opinion, it was the BEST 35th birthday EVER!

i am blessed with friendship. each lady is so UNIQUELY WONDERFUL!! and adds to my life in ways that refresh, stir, move, inspire me.

i am blessed with a loving husband, and beautiful children. everyday with them i am living my wildest dreams.

MY HEART IS GLAD. could you think of a better birthday gift than that!


name that tune, karaoke, and t.p fun!

live passionately!

What are you passionate about?
i am passionate about my children living in God's love and truth. i am also passionate about worship and community.

i am desperate for my kids to KNOW God. when scripture comes alive to them i am thrilled! when they experience his tangible love i am overjoyed! God has been my rescue and love, i want nothing more than for them to KNOW Him.

my inmost being soars when i praise God. i am known, restored, loved, and where "i was blind i can now see" when i am in the presence of our holy God. i long for the body to enter into worship.

i HEART community, and people. i love to hear your stories. i look forward to heaven, and for time to sit and listen to every detail of all your stories written by God. don't leave anything out! i want to hear how He redeemed, loved, provided, came near! i believe God desires for us to be intimate with each other, to share in His body, with each other. i believe this brings Him great joy and blessing! i believe it brings God our Father great joy to see his children; dance, sing, share, laugh, and embrace each other.

i am passionate about making this happen, glorifying my Father in this way.
one way God has allowed me to do this is through the Harvest Celebration at our church (another is the Feast of Tents).

Here is a video highlighting this years Harvest Celebration.


i encourage you to be passionate people! don't let satan blow out your passion, or hide it under a bushel, shine it out! that light inside you for the world to see. BE A CITY ON A HILL! do what it is you were created to do. the body needs you to be the arms and legs, hands, feet, eyes, ears... you were designed to be.
now go be passionate! if you don't we'll come after you!

and a big, yee haw, yip yip yip, THANK YOU to the do-si-do'n, awesome ladies who helped put this event together! AND thank you to all the workers who served. what are you doing next november :-)

broken happy people

“The people who love God most enjoy God most, cling to him most, hug him most are the most broken people. They’re the ones who have felt most deeply how desperate they are. So let’s be a broken happy people.” John piper

i read this over at my friend Shirin's blog, today. She has some beautiful words to share. give her a visit, and tell her denise sent you!

the one thing i don't question

"I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please."
 Isaiah 46:9-10


Here I am
In a river of questions
Can I pour my heart out to a listening ear?
I see this life
Its valley's and mountains
And I think of all the roads that brought me here

I've questioned my reasons
The life I'm living
I've questioned my ability 
To judge wrong from right
I've questioned all the things that I've ever called certain
My race, my religion, my country, my mind

But the one thing I don't question is you
You really love me like you say you do
You really love me like you say you do
Hold me
Hold me

I've questioned significance
Meaning and relevance 
Does the work I'm doing really matter at all?
Well I've questioned my friendships
Alliance, dependence
Who will still be here when I fall?

Only one thing doesn't change
Only one thing stays the same
All I know at the end of the day is your love remains

by Paul Coleman

michael and denise wannabe's

THANK YOU Sheffie and Julie for having us at your hAlLOweEn PaRTy!
here are some fun halloween pics.
a teeny bopper, american sailor, and michael in 1992 (uh huh sheffie and julie went dressed as michael and i in high school!)
lucy and next years ethel! (julie is dressed up as me in high school. i never looked that good. she is missing my terribly high bangs, but oh how i loved her pleated pants, and these plastic bracelets!)
lucy in paris with "marie"
a hippy chic and a referee
karim abdul jabar, the tin man, a rubix cube, and a teeny bopper.
josie is "the fairest of them all"
michael and emilie are "gonna rock around the clock to night"
dorothy, lucy, ricky, and the tin manlucy, with "that 70's show," a busy robot, and a denise teodosio wannabe :-)
when we got home, i made michael take pics of me by the piano.. because I LOVE LUCY!
and because it will be a very long time before i get to wear false eyelashes and red lipstick again.

i love ricky!

i will post more pix from the fun halloween party we went to at casa de hilliard!
but i could not wait to post this pic. of this lucy with her ricky!