Happy Thanksgiving from the Noe Family!

Doesn't that sound awesome? The Noe family.....Matthew, Ashlee, Kari and Malachi. All 4 of us together for the holidays.

Honestly, I know all of you that read this aren't Pentecostal Holiness and won't understand this statement but it makes me wanna shout!!!

We're so thankful for what God has done for us this year. God has been so amazing to our family and me and Matthew sit and marvel that we're back together and happier than we've ever been. Ephesians 3:20 has never meant so much to us.

The laughter that's in our home, the Bible reading and praying that we do together everyday, the long talks and Scrabble games me and Matthew have each night after the kids go to bed...how blessed can we be? I know that doesn't sound very exciting to everyone but the love, the peace, the contentment, the joy...no words can describe how it makes me feel. God has truly done exceedingly and abundantly above anything I could have prayed for.

Lord, thank you that my family is back together. Thank you for the mercy and love that you freely pour out to us. Thank you for our family and friends that mean so much to us. Thank you for just being God....the one true God that is mighty to save.

:)

The Last Days of TN

Well, I can't believe we go home tomorrow! But I'll be honest and say that I'm ready. I'm ready to go home and put all my stuff away and rest and relax the remainder of the weekend.


One more piece of good exciting news is that I'm putting my Christmas tree up next weekend!! The past two holiday seasons have been really tough and I'm starting early to be sure we all enjoy it to the fullest! 7 weeks until Christmas for those of you that haven't been keeping count.





Matthew has to leave around 6:00 in the morning for his job so the kids and I will probably leave out pretty early too. We may have to make a pit stop at Memaw and Sissy's to surprise them. (unless they read this tonight and then it won't be a surprise)

You all know how it works when I try to make promises to update my blog so I'm not making anymore of those. To be honest, I'm going to focus on my family for a while and I'll update here and there when I can. Obviously that's what I've been doing is just updating here and there. But you know what I mean.

Love y'all and please keep our family in your prayers!!!
:)

More Pictures (Day 4)

I have one question: Why is it that we must go to Cade's Cove EVERY time we visit TN? I mean, seriously. If you've seen one deer, you've definitely seen them all. I'll admit that the last time I was at Cade's Cove we saw 3 bears but that's so rare that it's just not worth it to me.




So, THREE HOURS found us at Cade's Cove. It rained. It sleeted. But still, we trucked on to see the 10 deer that were out in the rain. We also saw about 10 turkeys which made me anxious for Thanksgiving.


And I just have to add this in here: why do people set up tripods and have all these fancy cameras to take pictures of a deer? I'm thinking: I have these things scampering across my yard and one of them destroyed my headlight and scarred my child for life. Why do you want so many pictures of the same animal? Oh, well. I guess I'm just different.

I also have to add this: in answer to some of the comments, no I didn't ride the helicopter or the sky lift. I don't pay $30 for 1 minute of being in the air and I don't relish the thoughts of being in the air anyway. The sky lift is something I have NEVER ridden (rode?) without Matthew and it was either somebody keep the kids and me and Matthew ride or him take each of the kids on a ride. I sacrificially gave up my ride for my babies. I know....I'm such a good mother. LOL. Actually, I'm just not very brave.

Daddy and Kari also rode the go-carts together and Kari commented when I asked her if it was fun "Well, it was sun (fun) but I pwayed (prayed)." HAHAHAHAHA!!! I thought that was hilarious. Bless her heart...she has a lot of her mommy in her. She makes herself be brave.

Thank y'all for all the sweet comments you left on my post from this morning. Matthew and I both read them and it just made the day all the more sweet because we know we have people praying for us and rooting us on!!!

Love y'all!
:)

THE BIG NEWS!!!

Okay....the post you all have been waiting for. The big news. I'm not sure if this will be lengthy or not but here goes.

October 6, 2010 my husband got saved. I don't want to dip into the past and say things that I shouldn't but Matthew has been away from the Lord for two years and we've been separated for almost two. The Lord has gloriously saved Matthew and He's working miracles in our home, our marriage and in Matthew's life.



(Matthew asked me not to post these pictures because he hadn't had a haircut or shaved and he had a straw behind his ear but I wanted to post ASAP)

Matthew surprised me on Tuesday night by coming to Tennessee and knocking on the door. It was the best surprise.

But I'll have to say that the best surprise of all is God's mercy and grace. His forgiveness and his love towards us. And his willingness to answer our prayers when we least expect it.

I ask that you all please keep us in your prayers as God continues to move for our family. We all know that when God is doing something wonderful in our lives that the devil will fight with everything in him to destroy the child of God. Especially when God's doing something in the home. The devil hates a home being put back together. Please keep us in your prayers and pray for Matthew as God moves for him.
I'll try to post more pictures later today!

:)

Days I & II Tennessee Vacation!!!

Well, I guess y'all think I'm the biggest liar EVER. It certainly appears that way, I know. I won't make any excuses except to say that our entire lives have been flip flopped this past month. I know I promised two big pieces of news but I would like to support the news with pictures so it will have to wait a few more days.

So, anyway. We're in Tennessee this week with Pappy, Gammy, Chris and Lacey. The kids are loving it! They've been on the helicopter:




The skylift:



We've walked through Gatlinburg:




But we're pretty much just taking it easy and relaxing. I heard a rumor of snow flurries at the end of the week!! Wow!!
Am I making you jealous yet? Before you get too jealous, just think of me in the Old Mill Restaurant with both kids. It was truly a disaster. There were some other people that met us for supper and when Kari started going backwards out of her chair, just about everybody at the table screamed. Yes, the entire restaurant turned to stare. That, among other disasters at supper, should keep you from being too jealous.

:)