Sweet 16

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Mom of 4

Somebody turns sweet 16 today!

Happy Birthday, Sweet 16 is on the blog today.

Hugs, T

Www.rvoilers.com/blog

Happy 10th Birthday to Destiny!

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Mom of 4

Eeek! How is this little Punkin 10 already?! Destiny is growing up into such a young lady, and has blessed us this summer with her servants heart, and desire to learn the things of the kitchen. This foodie Momma is EXCITED about that part. 🙂

Here is my baby then:

And here is my baby now:

Happy 10th Birthday to my beautiful Destiny Joy!

Your smile lights up my heart and our home, and you are the BEST big sister any kid could ask for. We are blessed to have you in our family and I am so so excited to see the Lord shaping and molding you into the little lady He has called you to be!

Love you, Punkin!

~Momma

This year, instead of having a friend over to celebrate with, Destiny chose for her Daddy & I to take her on a big girl date. She didn’t want wrapped presents, but to shop for her own items. I have a big series coming up, so I am out of days to share this post with you.

Instead, I uploaded the photos of her special date night, complete with a BIG surprise she has been waiting a whole year for, to my personal Facebook page and shared it to the 4 little Ferguson’s wall. Check it out!

A Birthday Wish & Weekend Potluck #54

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Mom of 4

Hi there, and welcome to Weekend Potluck, where Friends & Foodies meet and eat, alllll weekend long!

Today instead of Flashback Friday, I want to take a moment to wish a very, very special boy a Happy Birthday!! Our anniversary baby was due on Valentine’s Day, but he wanted a day of his own, so he made me wait a whole NOTHER 24 hours before arriving. That means…..

Tylan turns 6 today!

Tylan Zachary was born after 4 miscarriages in 2 years. We were all but sure we’d never have another child on earth with us again.

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath granted me that which I asked of Him.”
I Samuel 1:27

God is so faithful, and He gave me my hearts greatest desire….another baby.

A BOY even! Now we had one of each!

Even though I had always wanted 4-6 kids, I knew we must be done, right? After all our troubles, I figured having one of each meant we should be thankful for what we had and be done.

Nope.

2 more babies in 2 years, THEN our family was complete.

Tylan,
You bless our home with sweet giggles, your mischievous grin, and such a tender heart. It blesses me so much when you come to me with a deep thought about being a Godly man, or a gentleman. I know you will make such a great Husband and Daddy someday, because you are already aware of the things that make a Godly man great. You are so special, and we are sooo blessed that God gave us YOU!

Happy 6th Birthday, Buddy! We love you SO much! Mommy & Daddy xoxo

Now, time for Weekend Potluck! Let’s take a quick peek back at last week…

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

”Fried” Ice Cream by Everyday Mom’s Meals

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Strawberry Lemonade Bars by Turnips to Tangerines

Mexican Lasagna by Julie’s Eats & Treats

And, a personal favorite ~

I am not a huge chocolate fan. I don’t crave Hershey’s bars or anything like that. HOWEVER, I WILL eat chocolate to get to the caramel in the center, make sense?

So when I saw this Chocolate Roulade, I was amazed at how delicious it looked, and how bad I wanted to make it.
You know what I like, right???

The CREAMY middle! Mmmmm!!!!!!

Chocolate Roulade by Comfy Cook

Your hostesses ~

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Keeping CHRIST in Christmas

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Mom of 4

{Re-posted every year from the 4 little Ferguson’s Christmas archives}

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and with it can come a sense of panic, a need to rush into town, push through the crowd towards near empty shelves, and snag those last few items on your Christmas shopping list. Standing in long lines, being told “Happy Holidays” by the greeter as you leave, rushing around to prepare for office parties & family get-togethers, addressing Christmas cards, wrapping gifts, and on the busy-ness goes……

Somewhere along the way, the peaceful, quiet days of Christmas past were lost. Somewhere along the way, Jolly Ol’ St. Nick, stole the limelight from baby Jesus, and the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, replaced the leisurely gift shopping of days gone by. Instead, it seems, we celebrate materialism, indulgence and the idea that we need more, more, more.

As a kid growing up, I recall knowing who Santa was, I think he even signed a couple of our packages under the tree a time or two, but I can’t EVER recall a time, that I didn’t know it was really my parents.

I have great memories of Christmas growing up, but you’d be surprised at the ones that stand out most.

I remember the year dad went back to college, and we couldn’t afford a Christmas tree, so we decorated the artificial fica tree that stood in our living room, instead. Tiny red apples, red velvet bows and empty mini raisin boxes hung from its branches….To my little girl eyes, it was beautiful!!!!!

There were very few presents under the tree that year, but I don’t remember thinking much of it. Mom kept us busy with special baking and craft projects, and dad kept us in hysterics on Christmas morning, sticking his new electric drill up his nose, stating it could also double as a nose hair trimmer.

As we got older and became teenagers, our finances changed, and my parents got more and more creative in their gift giving…..

One year we went on a family vacation to the Bahamas instead of getting gifts. Another time, Hawaii. One year, we got cash to spend after Christmas at the big sales, teaching us the value of the dollar, and that it could be stretched much further by waiting for a sale day after Christmas to shop. Another year, after my dad sold his trucking business, and things were incredibly tight, we did intangible gifts. We wrote letters of appreciation to each member of the family, and that Christmas morning was not spent under a pile of wrapping paper and boxes, but quietly seated around the fireplace, reading those letters of love & affirmation to each other.

But, the Christmas that stands out the most in my mind, was not the tropical vacations, not the new boom box or new car…..

No, it was the year we adopted a family in need, through a local church. We were given an address to deliver our goodies to them, in person. So we all loaded up, driving further and further into the oldest part of town, until we arrived in front of a very humble home. Arms loaded with boxes of goodies, we walked to the front door. Once we were done with our “good deed” for the day, we could go back home and have our own Christmas.

We knocked on the door, and were welcomed in broken English. Stepping inside, the first thing I noticed was the home was sparse in furniture. Mattresses serving as beds lay on the floor, and open cupboard doors revealed they were indeed, bare. My heart softened. My “good deed” for the day, suddenly turned into so much more.

Oh, the joy on their faces as we unloaded box after box of groceries, clothing, toys and necessities. I recall tears streaming down the mothers face, as she thanked us over and over in broken English. The father reached out his work-weary hands, silently grasping ours, tears in his eyes telling us how humbled and thankful he was for this, though no words were spoken. Their children ran circles around the old sofa, the language barrier not stopping our interpretation of their squeals of excitement and joy!

Tears filled my eyes, as I looked at the space around me….thinking of the home full of stuff we had left just 10 minutes ago, the gifts waiting under the tree, the food filling 2 fridges. This families Christmas blessing, was my every day life!

I didn’t know a day without food.
I didn’t go to school without a coat, because we didn’t have the money for one.
I never walked to a cupboard to find it bare. We had so much, and they had so little.

Why did I even need the few gifts waiting for me, under the tree at home?

It was then I knew what God was showing me…….

THIS is what Christmas is about.

Giving to others in need, showing them the love of Christ, not receiving! Why, when I had such an abundance, did I need anything? I became more convinced than ever that Christmas was going to be forever different at our house!

Fast forward 15 years, I now have 4 little ones of my own, and the huge responsibility of establishing my families traditions….

From the very beginning Christmas morning has been Jesus’ birthday, nothing else. We feel Santa “waters down” what we are trying to do with Christmas. Our goal is to keep it about Christ, and His birth, and in striving towards this goal, of keeping Christ in Christmas, we chose to exclude Santa from any of our celebrations.

Don’t get me wrong, the kids know who Santa is, and that he is part of the general season of year. In fact, the older two, were playing reindeer and Santa one night!

That doesn’t bother me a bit.

Neither does letting them watch the evening Christmas specials on tv, about Rudolph or Frosty. What a special treat! But there is one rule and requirement of evening TV watching……

Commercials MUST be muted.

I can’t stand how they try to grab my kids attention and stir up the “Greedy Gimmies” with the ads for the “coolest toy ever“!

But, when it actually comes to Christmas day, does Santa have a part?

Nope, not around here. We want Christmas Day to be sacred. It’s special. It’s a quiet, calm. A peaceful celebration of the birth of Jesus. It’s not wrapping paper piled knee-high on the floor. It’s not toy fire engine sirens, crying baby dolls and whirring helicopter toys, drowning out all other sounds of worship of our Lord and King, the whole reason we celebrate in the first place.

On Christmas morning, you won’t hear shouts of ”Santa came!” Instead, shouts of, “It’s Jesus birthday!” are heard. {Followed by arguments about who gets to blow out Jesus’ birthday candle after we sing Happy Birthday to Him!} 🙂

After reading the Christmas story, we give each child 3 gifts, representing the 3 gifts given to baby Jesus by the wise men. Buying only 3 gifts for each child, keeps Dale and I in check, as we are doing our Christmas shopping, and allows the focus to remain on Christ, not the need for more, more, more.

Later, as our children get older, we will deepen the significance of these gifts, by assigning a meaning to each one:

Frankincense: A gift for spiritual growth. (A new devotion book, Bible or Christian CD.)
Myrrh: A practical gift. (A new pair of jeans, a coat, a laptop for school, a car emergency kit.)
Gold: A gift that fulfills a want. (An ipad, shopping certificate, jewelry, bike, MP3 player etc.)

We celebrate Christmas based on God GIVING us His one and only son, who later GIVES His life as a living sacrifice for us! We want giving and not receiving to be the focus of Christmas. This is why we choose to adopt a family in need, or participate in filling individual shoe boxes, when our church adopts a local school.

What fun it is to stroll through the store, with each of my children clutching a paper in their sweet little hands, with a name. A name of a special boy or girl, about their age, who we can be a blessing to.

I love to see their faces as they figure out that no, these new toys aren’t for them to keep, they have enough toys at home. These gifts are for a little boy or girl, who might otherwise have nothing new at Christmas! Granted, sometimes its hard to pack that giant bouncy ball, or sparkly nail polish in the box, for the other child. But, it doesn’t take long for them to grasp, at their level of understanding, the kindness and love they are showing to another child. To understand that Christmas is about giving to others, not asking, begging and pleading for the latest and greatest new toys.

It is my hearts desire for our Christmases to be SO focused on Jesus Christ, from my children’s first memory of Christmas on, that they don’t know it ANY other way!

Keeping Christ in Christmas goes much farther than a “Merry Christmas” greeting to a cashier, only allowed to say “Happy Holidays”. No, it comes from you, Momma, as you set the tone of your home for each and every holiday tradition to come!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

It’s all about finding a happy balance in YOUR home, for YOUR family. This is what works for us!

This post shared with:

Mercy Ink Heart & Home

Happy Birthday, Avery!

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Mom of 4

Today is Avery’s Birthday, and guess what, it’s mine too! She was the very best Birthday present I could ever ask for!

Here she is:

10 pounds 3 1/2 oz.

3 days old in this photo!

Hard to believe this is our lil’ bitty Peanut, isn’t it!?

Avery has always been sunshiney with the occasional storm clouds.

She has such a heart for the Lord, loves to raise her hands in worship, and asks Him almost nightly to help her future husband be a Godly man and a Mr. Fix It like her daddy.

She beams when praised, and gets tearful when she can’t get it done the way she has imagined it should be accomplished. But she has drive and stubborness that we are asking God to use for HIS glory!

She’ll being going to Preschool 3 days a week this year! I will miss her terribly!

Oh my little one, you are growing up so so fast, you make Mommy’s heart ache to keep you a baby, but I know my job is to give you wings and prepare you for the day you will use them.

Happy 4th Birthday, sweet Avery!

You’ll always be my baby girl!

I love you to the moon and back!

~Mommy xoxo

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Mom of 4

Happy Birthday to my precious, Tylan!

I can’t believe you are 5 today!

How awesome, that our 1st miracle baby, after 4 miscarriages, was conceived on our anniversary and due on Valentines Day!

But, you wanted your own Birthday and God had a special one picked out for you:

February 15th at 7:11 pm

The same time to the MINUTE, that your big sister was born, what are the odds?!?!!

You fill our home with such joy! (and mischief) 🙂

Your little giggle can always make me grin. I love when you come up to me and tug my sleeve so I will bend down for a kiss.

I love your tender heart and desire to be a gentleman at such a young age. I pray for you to be a Godly man, full of honor and integrity, I pray you have a covenant with your eyes to not look upon anything impure. I pray you will hide God’s word in your heart and be the Godly leader of your home one day. I pray for Jesus to be real to you, so that you would never stray from the teachings of the Bible, the church or this home.

Tylan, you are our special gift from God, and I will NEVER forget the moment I held you in my arms and thanked my Heavenly Father for the gift of life after so many losses, the gift of YOU!!!!! He knew we needed you.

Tylan Zachary means “God remembered”, but you know what?

He never forgot your momma. He just needed me to learn to let go of my own hopes and dreams, so He could bless our family far beyond anything we had imagined.

I love you, buddy! Happy 5th Birthday!

~Mommy xoxo

Happy 30th Birthday!

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Mom of 4

Today is Dale’s 30th Birthday!

In honor of this special occasion, I am listing 30 reasons why I looooove him so.

1. He is a hottie pa-toddy.

2. Well, he still makes my heart flutter!!

3. He is very level-headed.

4. He helps me to process things clearly, without my emotions getting in the way.

5. He is an awesome daddy to our 4 blessed children!

6. He loves our kids so much and shows it every day.

7. He does breakfast duty every morning so I can nurse Paxton his first feeding of the day, all snuggled in bed, in peace and quiet.

8. He doesn’t complain about it, not even when 3 out of 3 kids spill something that morning.

9. He turns on the electric blanket in the winter, hours before bed and stacks pillows on my side, so it’ll be warmer for me. Plus, as a bonus? He lets me put my cold feet and hands under his warm body until they thaw out. 🙂

10. His feet hang off the end of our bed, but he doesn’t complain.

11. Did I mention there’s never a dull moment when he’s around?

{Dale was letting me practice my camera settings on him in these photos. I was preparing for my first ever Senior Portrait session for a family member. Little did he know, I’d be using them this week for this post! hee-hee}