Three weeks from today....3.....weeks.

Oh just riding my horsey in my Winnie the Pooh (short) dress...not a care in the world.
Makes me wonder what kind of kid I was...I know where this pic was taken...in our dining room at 241 N. Anderson, Lake Orion, MI....to be a kid again...(this has nothing to do with this post, I just thought it was hilarious!)

Good rainy Saturday morning....

How are you?

doing well, I pray....

The rain is honestly so nice today. Especially because we actually might be able to chill out a bit today...not much, but some....I'll take it.

Somehow, over the course of yesterday, I managed to hurt my back. I do not know how but it's smack dab in the middle, radiating from my spine out, up by my ribs/lungs and it hurts to breathe. It should never hurt to breathe so I may die today, k?

Three weeks from today, Will and Joy will be married. We are all so excited!

It'd be fun to dissect how each member of this immediate group is handling this whole, new experience. Take the MOG (mother of the groom) for example...

She's been praying for this girl since the Groom was born. Maybe even before. (insert "Somewhere in the World" by Wayne Watson) That's a long time. The MOG is no spring chicken. So the adorable Bride comes along, sweeps us all off of our feet and we love her like our own (maybe a bit more, dunno ;) ) and they get engaged...how exciting.

The reality of it all begins to sink in...how 
beautiful it is and how exciting it is to imagine curly headed dark eyed 

grand-babes, and watching your kids experience the joy and travails that marriage brings.

But what it really means is that my first born son is ......

leaving our house, our home. Yeah, they'll be back for slumber parties and what not...but a new branch on our tree is springing forth....and Will will not be here all the time. :'( :'(

Such bittersweet moments for this MOG. I don't mean to make it about me either but since this is my blog and I can cry, rejoice, vent and what not here, I'm gonna do it. 

I am struggling with the aspect of Will not being here anymore. I'll get my living room back upstairs and I won't have to do his laundry anymore and make him coffee and and (insert "Watercolor Ponies" also by Wayne Watson. Songs I listened to when I met David and after...thinking of my future kids and such)

...We are passing the buck...why does it make me cry so? Isn't this what we raise them for? Yep...but it's still....hard. beautiful hard. I just needed to get these thoughts outta my fool head...Let it be known that David and I both are so excited for this transition coming to our family...we love Joy so much and all that good stuff...I just want the leaving part to be over cuz I know I'll be ok eventually...it's just challenging.

Here's to you, my firstborn boy, the boy who made me a momma, the boy who was an only child for 16 months, the boy who has unfailingly held me accountable, showed me the strength of Christ, and hugged me when I was unhuggable, unloveable....I love you so much. I am honored to be your mom. Can't wait to see the adventure that the Lord takes you and Joy on...maybe let me come be a VIP, side stage at one of your shows, huh?

I dig you. You are a gift. 

So, there ya have it...my blog may just become my best friend again here in the coming days...I feel that I can say more on here than on FB or Instagram. 

In other news, thanking the Lord for the opportunity to watch Him at work in each member of my family. From David all the way down to the smallest gal. We are such an unconventional family, it makes me giggle. Thankful for our fearless leader, who's only fearless because of the time spent in prayer, in God's Word and singing praise every chance he gets. To know David is to love him. He can come across aloof, intense, and occasionally clueless. but oh, the opposite is true. Please join me in praying for this guy...he faces challenges that normal people would run from. I thank my God for putting David into my life when He did...I always say that the Lord was taking such good care of me in August of 1992. That is the first time I can say I knew God was for me, not against me....(long story for another day, or not)....just want to put it out there, that I'm so glad I get to be that crazy man's wife.

Little blasts from the past...how cool that I got to experience birthing my baby boy, on my bedroom floor, with that bearded wonder, David Young?? And then that baby? what an amazing baby to make me a momma. God's loving hands of mercy and comfort. Man alive....

Otherwise, all else is magnificent! I'll be back, promise!

Note: These pics are not in order or placed in this post for any other reason than, well, some of them have Will in them and I know my blog readers like picture books. Trying to keep the interest. Maybe, just maybe, someday, the pics will make sense again.
Thanks for letting me rattle on and weep and moan and stuff.

A little summa-time updating

so these kids are in the midst of setting up a crib together. Aren't they cute?? They get married in 30 days.
whoa.

Greenwood Freedom Fest friends...June 24, 2016

We had no clue what we were in for...but we love adventure!

Scott, Andy and Beck..Jinger was here somewhere too.

'twas simply a lovely day

My hubby with Nora and Molly.

Tom and Levi...buddies for life!

These bus pics were taken on the ride back up the road, after a full day out in the sun, in dirty river water. But we had such a blast. I'd recommend this adventure to mostly anyone.

Ok, so the pictures loaded out of order again and I'm too lazy to put them in the right order...Shoes were highly recommended in this river...I don't even know the name of the river we traveled down...but I did hear banjos.

Mel found a little butterfly friend.

Handsome Duncan, who got really sunburned on this outing

Charlie, contemplating life and handsomeness.

Phebe, Sylvia and Molly and Jinger's hand....the rest of our gang had to wait for the next bus. 

Piper and Levi, dolls.

Mel and Nora, beauties

The ride back to Indy was quiet...everyone crashed pretty quickly. aww.

So things and activities are picking up around here...in 30 short days, as posted above, our firstborn child, Will Franklin Young, will marry Joylily B. I don't know if any of us realize how much work is at hand but the pressure is on...in a good way. The kids sat here and planned some honeymoon adventures this evening while I gathered paper for coffee bar stars and pretended not to be melancholy about it all. We are honestly so excited for this and Joy couldn't be a more precious addition to our family (and not just because her name is Joy, you know??) 

The above pics are just some tidbits from June and July...I've got so much updating to do but for now, I'll give you a small list of what's happening. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up on my dear blog over the next few months....

~David is working on a porch project that we've been putting off for about 5 years. We paid someone good money to tie in some soffits and roofing and it was never done properly so he's taking that on this week, with work being slow. Most of his work is head work, phone work so he's enjoying the challenge of carpentry again! Pics soon, I hope!

~Ethan is working lots up at Purdue University! The best kinda college education, if you ask me....He's doing our coating system on some restrooms/locker rooms at the Rec Center there. He is such a good guy. As I posted on FB and Instagram, he got me flowers last night. Refer to Relient K song "Marigold". love that dear guy. He's looking forward to being one of two of Will's best men.

~Will is obviously still song writing and leading worship when he can. He actually got to be a part of the worship team at our church last weekend, and it was otherworldly. The song he sang is called "Clear the Stage". YouTube it. We are thankful that he, Mel and Joy are able to partake in worship leading and thankful that our new worship pastor, Paul, has allowed that. Woo-eeeee! In other news, you know, Will will be marrying Joy in 30 days. what?

~Melanie is loving being a graduate...she's been working more with YFF and enjoys getting a paycheck. Her ability to lead in worship knocks my socks off and I love her close walk with the Lord. She inspires and encourages me daily. Super proud of her 50 lb (to date) weight loss too. More pics to follow, for sure.

~Levi, oh Levi. You know how they say, occasionally, you may have a kid that has a lot of your traits and sins? Welp, this is my kid. The issues and struggles I face are the same ones that Levi faces and I am praying daily and fighting the fight to help him overcome his weaknesses before he leaves our house. It is NO easy feat and I covet your prayers. On top of that, he will be having spine surgery in October. We postponed it because our MAT guy, Rich, wants to work on Levi's weak right hip before the surgery. Please pray for this guy...he faces so many challenges and I pray he makes it through. His surgery is scheduled for Oct 17. Levi is also one of Will's groomsmen, Junior G-man I suppose it's called??

~Molly is zesty. Y'all know this. She gets zestier by the day. She LOVES Twenty One Pilots music. She still won't sleep in her room (so we let Joy use it when she spends the night), and she still struggles with choosing joy when it comes to schooling. Shoot, both of my youngest kids do...Moo is excited to be the flower dame at the upcoming wedding. 

~David's lawsuit ended at the end of June. Praise the Lord.
~We've lost a handful of chickens this summer. We've extinguished a few raccoons. (who knew they would kill chickens???)
~I'm four pounds away from my goal weight with Ideal Health/Protein. Thankful to the Lord for this amazing program. 

Ok, Molly and I need to go treat the pool water but hopefully this update will keep you until the next one....

Until then...good-bye!!

This funny gal

In less than two weeks, we will be hosting Mel's graduation open house! I'm a nostalgic gal...hard not to get wrapped up in the nostalgia, every single day of my cotton pickin' life, ya know?

Going thru this girl's scrapbooks and oodles and oodles of pics makes me misty-eyed and sentimental.

She was always such a little momma to me and anyone that she came in contact with. She's very observant to other's needs and comfort. She holds us accountable and is held accountable. She's downright hilarious too and now that she's an adult (gasp! what?), I can safely say that she's probably one of my dearest friends. She is working more for our family company and plans to begin the certification process to become a doula. I personally feel she'd be a magnificent midwife or nurse but she says NO.

adamantly.

I know, ultimately, she wants to get married and have children. But she's in no (real) rush and I believe that most guys are scared of us...I mean, look at her two big brothers....nuff said.

So, if you're reading this and you know Mel at all, and you want to join us on Saturday, July 16, 2016 for a graduation celebration, we'd love to see you! From 3-6 pm...lotsa nostalgia, dessert, sub sammiches and riveting fellowship.

Love you much, Melanie Kate...you are one of my favoritest people EVER!

We share this as a standard good-bye

Fuller House and stuff

I feel the need to blog about this...for some reason.

I'm going about a very much needed day in my home...a day where my first three kids are hanging out in Orange Beach with their friends and Grandparents...

A day where my hubby is on a job at a local church, doing what he loves...and after the desk stuff we both endured yesterday, I'm super thankful for this little break.

I watched episode 3 of Fuller House on Netflix last night. Bugged the crap out of me....I can't get over what a sellout Candace Cameron Bure seems to be. I will admit, I was a little excited to see that there may possibly be a family friendly show on Netflix...we don't watch much TV at all but we like to find a clean series and watch it occasionally.

We will not be watching this. It is far from clean and the innuendos are more than I can take. It is pure cheese and skank. Maybe the original series was the same way and I just don't remember...I'm sure there were innuendos on that too....

Blah.

People ask us how we raised such nice, thoughtful kids...I can tell you one thing is CERTAIN...it is NOT because we let them sit and watch TV. (e.g. I'm not saying, at all, that we didn't make mistakes and still will make mistakes or never watched the Simpsons, because we did. But when we stopped watching it, we told our kids WHY we weren't watching it anymore!) Limited television time was just one of the things we did to point our kids to Christ and invest in the short time we have with them.

We did the thing where you let the TV babysit your kids...I still do occasionally, let them watch a stupid Liv & Maddie episode or 4...sometimes. (that show has remained family friendly)

The Busy Mom on Facebook posted an article last week or so about how, if the kids can't watch, what are we doing watching it, as parents or adults? That is such a double standard.

If my kids can't watch Deadpool or Moulin Rouge, what the heck am I doing watching it?

So, I just wanted to share these thoughts with you...let me encourage you as a parent, grandparent, believer in Christ or not a believer in Christ, young man or woman...

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU LET INTO YOUR SOUL.
Movies I watched as a child at "harmless" slumber parties are still with me to this day.
Just seems so wrong. I'm in no way "judging" you if you do watch this kind of stuff...I hope you know that...I just urge you to choose wisely.

And to you, Candace Bure....I am super sorry you feel it's ok to be a part of this. I had higher hopes in you...which just reminds me that you are a human, chock full of free will and you must stand before the Lord for this ninny crap...and that my hope is not in man but in Christ. It's just been somewhat encouraging to see her stand for Christ in the midst of the Ravens, the Whoopi's, the Joy Behars of the word....

ok. have a happy Thursday....

Has it really been that long?

Joan and Jim, lookin' all dapper n such

My brother, Tommy, with all of his nieces and nephews

Christmas Day photo shenanigans. Charlie makes the best goofy faces. Love that guy!

Will and E

My parents entire set of offspring and such

So, this is the pic that I used on our New Year's card, which, if you normally get one from us, it IS coming. I'm just frozen, so getting them licked and stamped, sent and all that has proven to be very challenging for me this year. I apologize. They are coming...envelopes are even addressed. sheesh.

My brother, Andy, and his adorable brood of kiddos

My sis, Becky, her hubby Scott and their beautiful daughters.

The 2nd annual Parents take all of their kids/grandkids to Vito Provolone's restaurant. Good memories made here!
This was the night before they headed back to Gulf Shores (joiks)

Andy and Pheebs

Pops and Mom again...they had just gotten the bill....oy!

honestly, the night wouldn't be complete without a ridiculous selfie of Beck and I.  We're dumb.

This was New Year's Eve...What a fun night that was!

At our parties, we line it up for you to get a head massage.  You should come! We are having a Kung Fu Panda Party tonight...in honor of next week's release of KFP 3.

And last but not least, these were my nine most liked pictures on Instagram. aww. 

I can't believe how fast time flies....and how much I DON'T BLOG anymore. so sad....

So many fun updates on the horizon....so I'll just go ahead and number them all so I don't forget...

1.)  David, Molly, Levi and I are heading down to Gulf Shores to spend some time at the beach with my parents soon....We would've been there already but....Young Final Finish got a pretty good sized job at St. Francis Hospital, for which we PRAISE THE LORD, because we were at an impasse in the lawsuit, getting paid ourselves and upcoming bills....such a cool answer to prayer and I continue to be amazed at how the Lord not only keeps us hopping but how much it draws us, as a family and individually, closer to HIM. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

2.)  Don't be surprised if we add a new member to our family this year...no...this is not a pregnancy announcement (whew...even typing that freaked me right out!!)...but my eldest son and his lil friend, Joy are moving forward to this big life event and any and all prayers in this direction are much appreciated...I know they covet your prayers. I'd pray also that David and I would know how to encourage and help them, as it isn't like it was even 22 years ago when we got married...people need to get back to the family...living expenses are so much more expensive than they used to be...heck, going to the grocery store takes 95% of my monetary resources each week alone...so we want to encourage them to, of course, follow the Lord's lead, but allow us to help and encourage them. We are (secretly) excited and (more than a little bit) scared at this big change...thankful for their openness and how they allow us to be involved. It's really pretty cool and amazing. (by the way, David and I really just not old enough to be mother and father in law...)

Will also copyrighted his songs recently and that is a big, cool, very grown up situation. We love his desire to worship the Lord and share his gifts. Mel too but I'll get to her in a bit.

3.) E turns 20 in less than one month....We are having a party for him and the theme is Kung Fu Panda. His organization of how this goes and such has been pretty impressive, though when we talk about it, he tells me I'm vicious...what? then he changed it to "relentless"...

I like to think of it as "involved"...anyways...hope you can come...he is pretty excited about this upcoming right of passage in his life...MANHOOD!! Please pray for him...he is nervous about being a legit man. He's one of my favorite people!

4.) Melanie...on the last leg of her senior year, though she will definitely take a gap year (or two). I'm kinda blown away by the recording of her song that she wrote, plays piano on, sings.....where did these kids come from? The way that girl holds this old lady accountable is (hard but) cool!!
Mel's own song was copyrighted along with Will's...it's pretty magical to hear her sing and play the piano...she has a clear, deep voice and her passion for the Lord is very obvious. So thankful for her on so many levels.

5.) Levi and Molly...sorry to lump them together but I'm already at #5 so...they are plugging right along...Molly auditioned for Wizard of Oz and ended up being casted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat...we are gonna go ahead and choose joy on this...thankful for the experience but....

Levi is doing really well with his bi weekly chiropractic care...he now has his own phone, with which he is reasonably responsible. He FaceTimes with his uncle Tom (a new iPhone user too) regularly! He continues to keep us on our toes...well, and Molly does too...they are at the stage where they bicker regularly. urgh.

6.) We continue on in the midst of a lawsuit...coming face to face with agreements that you've paid to protect you and then having to pay to enforce them, use them, get legal help is more than a little bit mind boggling but God has us here for a reason so our hope remains fixed on His plan. Prayers for David to remain fastidious!

Well, it's now 4 days later and I failed to post this. Loser.

Hope to have another update for you soon. God bless you!