The Car God Gave Us........

There she is....

A 2001 Chevy Cavalier. Immacualte interior....not one single hole, burn, tear or stain! WOW.... how many times do you find that?????

OK, OK, OK..... she's is SSSSOOOOOO NOT a 2007 Kia Sedona! I know that! But she is the car God gave us! After driving 700+ miles and searching for 72+ hours SHE found us! $1000.00 + tt&l = $1350.00. Paid cash & drove her home last night! We are still on the look out for a 07/08 Kia Sedona w/stow&go. This is a temp fix til we find what we want. I know that God has the P~E~R~F~E~C~T car out there for us, we just gotta find it!

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ~Psalm 37:4~

Til next time..... Still Searching......

?????Our New Car?????

Just wanted to share the pics of the Van we are looking at & will hopefully be driving home this afternoon! She truely is a gift from God as this Kia Sedona is EXACTLY what I wanted! I am so EXCITED!!!!! Pray, Pray, Pray......

......You Can't Rush Fine Art.......

Well, I have come to my 3rd post now, and with thoughts floating through my mind, I have decided to blog about kiddos. Not just any ol kiddos, but 2 that I have spent alot of time with lately. Yes, of course, Hunter is one of them... & let me just start off with saying that this "homeschooling journey" that we are on, is very much a BLESSED one!!!! (Goes way beyond any expectations I had of what it might be like.... & btw I am sure there is a blog in the near future about it.)

The other kiddo in my blog tonight is Logan Bostic. He is a very special kiddo. One I have grown to love and loved to watch grow!!!!! He holds a very special place in my heart. I won't go into details on his life, just know.... HE IS VERY SPECIAL! Absolutely a gift from GOD!

I meet Logan when he was just a couple of days old. We go to church with him & his family. I have watched him grow into an AWESOME kid, or as Danny says "The coolest kid I know". Logan will be 6 (OMGosh, really! 6 already!!!!) in December. Over the summer I have gotten to really "know" Logan! He really is neat-o! :-)

Hunter & Logan have grown pretty close these past few months. Our families have started spending more time together & recently, after weeks of Logan begging his Momma, he stayed the night with us & this is when it all began!

Logan: Mrs. Tonya
Me: Yes, Logan
Logan: Sometimes, Puppy (his dog) gives me a wedgie in my ear.
Me: A wedgie in your ear?
Logan: Yeah, a wedgie in my ear!
Me: Uhh, don't you mean a wet willy?
Logan: No, a wedgie!

I would have to tell you guys.... this was the funniest conversation I have EVER had in my life! It was about 3 weeks ago and I still laugh every time I think about it!

Which leads me up to my blog.......You Can't Rush Fine Art.........

Famous words from our kiddos! (and our friends sometimes too)


You can still trade your boots in, if you want to!

Sometimes, Puppy gives me a wedgie in my ear!

If Dad has a seizure, just leave him on the ground. He'll wake up.

You can't rush fine art.

Mommy did you know when something looks like something that really isn't -- it is called an ovulation????

My Monkey has boobs!

Does the Elephant hurt when you take his butt off????


& last but def NOT least (cuz I am sure there will be a part 2 to this blog).....

Will you go check on my husband? He has been in the restroom a long time.... (When he hadn't been with us AT ALL that day!!!!!) ~ Anonymous, but you know who you are :-)


I have had many MANY interesting conversations with these 2 kiddos lately! I am sure there are many more to come.... I love my Hunter & my Logan.... (yes, I consider him MY Logan too.) I can not wait to watch these 2 to continue to grow in to God Loving, God Fearing Men!

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

It's true.... You really can't rush fine art! Kids are God's masterpiece and He is working on us ALL everyday! Some of us may be Dali's, Ansel Adam's or even Thomas Kincaid's.... but we are all truly God's fine art & He doesn't try to rush us into HIS masterpiece.....!

Kids really do say the darnedest things!

I'm out!

Life is a series of transitions....

Chapters are opened, read, and then closed for the next to begin. What chapter of your life are you in? Things will not always remain the same. Enjoy the moment you are in now to the fullest. God is with you and... knows exactly what you should be doing & exactly what you need.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

So, a chapter in our life ended this week. Danny's Aunt & Uncle, Billy & Junella Smith, were called to Pastor a church in Cross Plains, TX. This really is a good thing & I am so very excited for them... however, I am very selfish & part of me wants them to stay. I have to be honest! Life will def be TOTALLY different without those 2 precious people around.

You see, they are the reason we are at Liberty. We have been there for 8+ years now. In 2001, Danny & I moved back to Cedar Creek Lake. We church "hopped" for weeks, if not months! We just couldn't seem to agree on the right church home for our family. He liked the church his Mom & Dad were going to & I liked the church my Mom was going to. I remember one morning Danny saying to me, "You can just go to church with your Mom & I will go with mine". Well, God never intended for it to be that way! Billy & Junella invited us to go to church with them at Liberty. I knew the moment we walked it that it was supposed to be our church home. Danny.... not so much! It took a little while for him to come around, but it was all in God's plan.

Billy & Junella became a HUGE part of what Liberty is today. They really allowed God to work in their lives & lead them to where they need to be. They have gone from Young Adult Sunday School Teachers to the Senior Citizen Sunday School Teachers. Billy was ordained to be a Preacher, Junella taught a Young Ladies Class (which btw was AWESOME), and together have just grown so much in the Lord.

Over the years there have been many laughs, tears shed and hugs given....

Walking in to church this coming Sunday morning will be a hard one! I, myself, have been very much in denial! If I talk about it it becomes true, if I cry about it its reality, if I think about it..... well...... the list could just go on. Junella told me Wednesday night, "You can only be in denial for so long". It's true.... but seriously this is the first time I have really allowed myself to process it!!!! Tears roll down my cheeks as I type.... WOW! What a difference life can be because of the LOVE that people show you. Life is different because of what they have done for me & my family.

Pioneer Baptist Church could not be getting a better Preacher & Preacher's Wife than the one's that will be there Sunday morning. Liberty will never be the same, but neither will Pioneer.

He healeth the broken in heart & bindeth up their wounds! ~ Psalm 147:3

Perfect scripture for today as Billy & Junella head out on their new journey! Not having them here is gonna be hard, BUT NOT TO HARD! (I will NEVER forget Junella teaching us that in the Young Ladies Class)

We just have to remember that God is willing & waiting to carry each of us through the tough times!

Life is a series of transitions — chapters that are opened, read, and then closed for the next to begin. What chapter of your life are you in? Things will not always remain the same. Enjoy the moment you are in now to the fullest. God is with you and... knows exactly what you should be doing & exactly what you need.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

We will miss you dearly!

Thanks for allowing God to be your Leader!

We Love You Billy & Junella

With all our LOVE, Liberty

There's a 1st Time for Everything

Ok, it's looks like I am gonna be a Blogger now... I have never done this before and I don't really know where to start.

I guess the obviously would be a good place...

My name is Tonya Smith. I am 30, married to Danny Smith and we have 1 son, Hunter Rose, who is 11. Danny I will celebrate our 10th anniversary on July 27th.

I am 1st and foremost, a child of God. Jesus Christ died for us all and I live for HIM!!! I pray that each and everyone of you have that personal relationship with Jesus. If not, I pray that Jesus will send someone into your life to teach/show you the true reason to live! He is above all... MY FAITH. Without Him I can do nothing. My fave scripture is Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is everything to me.

I love my family to no end... Danny & I meet in high school. We actually went to the Senior Prom together. However, directly out of high school, he joined the Marine Corps. For almost 3 years we kinda were distant. We did keep in touch every now and then but not enough for a relationship. He travel everywhere.... all over the US, Japan & Thailand. In early 1999 I found out that he was moving back to the US and he was to be stationed at Camp Lejune, North Carolina. About this time in my life I was ready for something different, so I decided to move to North Carolina. After being up there for about a month, Danny proposed! Of course, I said "yes". I always knew he was the love of my life.... Isn't it funny sometimes how things just work out. ;-)

We were married at the JP on July 27, 1999. And my life changed forever! Every day is a new smile... He keeps me young. He is the crazies person I know, and therefore makes me crazy too. In Feb. 2001 he was discharged from the Marines and we moved back home to Texas. We currently live in Hidden Hills Harbor in the same house he grew up in. About 1/2 mile from his parents and about 1 mile from my Mom. (That can be a challenge sometimes.)

During all the mix, I did have a son, Hunter. He is the my JOY... (well, when he decides to be). He's not much of a lover.... more of a fighter. Literally!!! He would rather be hitting on you (in a playful and loving way) than giving you a hug or kiss. He loves to wrestle and pick, pick, pick. He can hang with the most annoying person in the world and still seem to annoy them. (Is that a good thing???? ) He definitely is his own person. One minute he wants a mullet and then next a mohawk.... We went with the mohawk. He can be the best of the best or the worst of the worst. Which ever he chooses for that day. He is so very bright... but has decided he like the laziness better, for some reason. We are trying to break that habit, though. He is going into 6th grade and we have decided to try and home school him. What a challenge that might be.... I think it really will be good for him though. He is so smart, but he is not challenged enough to use his intelligence because of his behavior. I just hope I can keep up with him!!!!

Danny & I have tried to have another baby.... I have had 3 miscarriages and 1 tubal pregnancy. It was tough but we grew threw it. We have decided that if it's God's will we will have a baby, and if it's not then we wont. (It took years to come to terms with that.) I believe God has something magnificent in store for us... whether it be our testimony or our faith. I know He will work it out for His good!

In 2001 things were chaotic for a while, but we knew Jesus was knocking at our door. We joined Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Gun Barrel City sometime in late 2001. Our journey there has been a great one. Def been a roller coaster sometimes, but God knows what He is doing, and I trust Him w/my life. I have come to terms w/the fact that ALL people are just HUMAN!!! Whether they are teachers, preachers, famous, lost, saved.... no matter what the situation! I have been knocked down, stepped on, picked up and loved all at the same time!

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Through God's plan, we have been Blessed MANY times!!! Danny has had the opportunity to travel to Haiti 2 times and I got to go 1 time. My heart is there.... I absolutely FELL IN LOVE all over again. The country is BEAUTIFUL.... the people are so generous, and in my opinion, it's life the way God intended it to be. Haiti is the poorest country in the world. 98% of the country doesn't have electricity, running water or even roads. The whole country is a rock, so to make paved roads going up threw the mountains is just about impossible. It can be done, but will take YEARS and lots of money. Most of the families (whether it be 2 or 12 people) live in a 1 room shack about the size of an American bedroom. The "houses" are made out of anything they can get their hands on, from sicks, to rock, to leaves.... its humbling to see what little they have and how truly HAPPY they are!

In 2001, we started sponsoring a little girl in Haiti, Chede'lene De'lixious. For $15.00 a month it sends her to school, pays for all her supplies, including a uniform and 1 meal a day. Chede'lene was 3 when we 1st sponsored her. She is now 11 years old. While on our mission trip we were able to meet her and her whole family. She is 1 of 7 kids. The oldest is 33 and the youngest is 2. Her dad is not in the picture anymore and her mom's health isn't the best. Her mom was in the hospital for a good part of the time we were there. Since meeting the family, we decided to sponsor her brother, Jone'ber (who is 9) too. There has been discussions of adopting them both. Not that they don't have a happy home, or that they are in any kind of danger, but for the education. There is very very few opportunities for employment over there and only the very well educated people get the jobs. We have tried to bring them over here on a foreign exchange program, but the Haitian government will not allow it. And if you don't get a visa and leave the country before you are 18 then they won't let you leave at all until you are over 65. The laws there are totally different from here. And since there really isn't any regulations, the President just about makes his own laws up. Even after we get all the paper work finished and turned in and paid all the fees, the President can still decide not to let them come here. It's a hard and tough road... but one we are willing to travel down!

As of tonight, Wednesday, July 1st.... we will be helping out with the Youth at our church. Something God has been laying on our hearts for a while, I think. Youth Leaders????? REALLY???? But if that what is in God's Plan... then that's what we will do. I'm excited... It will be different but I think it's really where we are supposed to be. For a couple of years now we have heard the call.

I can't wait to see where this Blog leads me... the next chapter in my life! It will be fun and interesting to see it in black and white. Thanks to everyone who reads this.

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Live life to the fullest.... you only have 1 chance so do it to the best of your ability and ALWAYS have FUN with it.... Don't forget to be a kid sometime... forget the worries and just LIVE!