HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACE!!

TODAY IS JACE'S (Joe's oldest little guy) BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU JACE!!

HUGS AND KISSES

Wish me and PaPa could celebrate with you. We couldn't be with you...so here are some pictures from some of the birthdays we have been able to shrare with you!

Love Grannie and Papa

BEING THANKFUL!

GOOD EVENING FROM THE FRONT PORCH!

I need to be doing a million other things, but decided to take a little time and visit on the front porch. I visit a farm from time to time Farmgirl Fare and absolutely love it! Visit her ‘farm’ sometime. Anyway, I saw a post where she and a friend made a commitment to e-mail each other 5 things they are thankful for each day. That got me to thinking…..I should be able to post 5 things I am thankful for at least once a week???? Hopefully, more often. So here goes……….

That is what life is really about….appreciating the small wonders, the surprises when God’s display of greatness, mercy and grace unfold and envelope us. So here’s the post for today with a picture of one of my favorite things: my little farm.

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

My God. I do love Him so..I fail Him over and over…but His grace and mercy wash over me and keep me safe in His arms.
My family: my husband, Glen, who has his moments, but is a dear loving man who still loves me after all these years and thinks I hung the moon!
My children….are they perfect??? No, pretty close and pretty great in spite of me.
My grandkids!! I LOVE THEM, I LOVE THEM, they are the neatest little Gabbards (Garzas, Cubbages) alive! They keep me on my toes, especially the ones living with me right now.
My little farm: brings me such joy and peace. Strange, I’ve NEVER worked harder-but enjoy every minute…even cleaning out the stalls. I love to see the beauty they bring, the different personalities, the wonders God has created. My favorite spot…under the pecan tree…it’s always shady…and always entertaining as two legged or four legged manages to capture my attention.

Thanks for stopping by and how about you too, stopping and be grateful for the treasures …as my son, Joe, said, the “gifts”, God has given us!

Stop again soon and we’ll chat again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RONNIN!

Greetings from the front porch!

Glad you stopped by. Busy day so I will have to say hello and get going...but you are welcome to stay and linger and enjoy the 'view'.

Today is my daughter-in-law, Ronnin's, birthday.

So RONNIN, Happy Birthday to you. I will do my usual “Happy Birthday” call later-but I want to begin a new tradition and feature the Birthday people in our family with a little tribute and walk down memory lane.

So, I do want to thank God for Ronnin. She is more than a daughter-in-law to us. She is family. She is Joe’s wife and mother of two of our wonderful grandsons, Jace and Justice. They spent a few days with us in July at “Grannie Camp’. It was not enough time but so thankful for them coming and visiting.

Joe and a friend are on their way back to Texas as we speak. He is going to be the guest speaker at our church this weekend and he is bringing a good friend to help with the praise and worship. It will be so good to see him!

To show you just how understanding and sweet Ronnin is…..even though today is her birthday…..she ‘released’ Joe and so he is on his way to Texas….that’s pretty great….


So once again Ronnin Happy Birthday to YOU!


Come back and visit soon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PREACHER!

Good Morning from the front porch!!!


Where have I been? Seems like around the world and back. I cannot begin to explain the situation the Gabbard family has been experiencing lately…well for a month now. It has been one roller coaster ride after another. Another twist or turn after another. It has been times of weeping, praying, fasting, more weeping, wringing of the hands (and wanting to wring a nose or two!) and just plain madness, mayhem, foolishness and chaos.


But, today is the day that the Lord has made. It is the Preacher’s birthday….another year older and wiser I’m sure. His birthday chair (Gabbard family tradition) is ready….presents are hidden and to be placed on the table in front of the birthday chair, mushy, gushy cards are signed, sealed and ready to be delivered. A birthday dinner (lunch) celebration is planned at Babe’s, the world’s best fried chicken house. Best of all he is happy that Julie has some peace in her life….for now. Thanks to everyone who has been praying! Please continue to pray…you know the enemy…he is sly, sneaky, slimy and sickening. However, he is defeated by the blood of the LAMB. He thinks he can destroy, damage and degrade God’s children. Nope, he is defeated and God does have the last say, the last word, and it is ….it is finished.

Anyway, life is busy, girls and Julie are with me as most of my followers know. Never, never a dull moment. But, I feel this is part of my ministry at this time. To be here for the girls as I would for any of my children at any time.

So come back soon, gotta go and fix the Preacher a birthday breakfast.

WHAT A DECK!

Greetings from the Front Porch!

What did you think of the pictures? (opps for anyone wanting to know about the pictures...I finally loaded them...I had them saved on the desktop and they would not load...Plan B and I think you should see!)......I have a few words: WHAT A DECK! I must share with you this DECK story. We moved to the Farm over 3 years ago. We looked for months before we found something we thought we would like. Preacher accepted the pastorate at Proaper in August 2009-almost 4 years ago. We began looking for ‘just the right place’ in August. This was my opportunity to get a ‘little farm’.

That search went on and on. We just couldn’t find anything that we could afford or was a ‘farm’ or was too far from the church and my school. So Fall came and went….Christmas came and went…Spring came. Meanwhile, we were driving back and forth to Prosper from Seagoville-70-80 miles one way…3-4 times a week.

Well, one day in late March the Preacher called and said he had found a pretty neat looking place and had us scheduled to look at it the next day (Saturday). It was a little rainy…but we walked the property and when I walked in the house …I knew this was the one. Is it perfect???…no has some things I would change if I could. But overall a good fit. EXCEPT for this old in-ground pool-it was huge-deep and scary. Me and the Preacher don’t swim…someone made the comment…”that’s just an old hole in the ground you will throw money into”. That was an understatement. Money and work…money and work. More money. We put thousands into this old money pit to keep it up and running, replacing items, running the pump, adding water. The kiddos and grandkiddos LOVED it. Friends LOVED it. Me and the Preacher…maybe got in it 3-4 times tops.

So after last year, the pool guy quoted a price of several thousand more $$$$ needed to repair it. I said nope…no way…

Now what to do with this huge hole in the ground.

We decided to build a deck over it. So what you see is what we got. It started out with just some boards over the pool and a nice little deck. We got a huge deck….I call it “Noah’s Ark” because part of the shape looks like a boat that is about to launch.

Anyway, when you see it I’m sure you will also think “WOW! WHAT A DECK”. And it is. So now you can sit on the front porch (metaphorically speaking) or sit on the DECK-literally!

We just had a DECK PARTY..had about 50 of our church folks over to celebrate the completion of the deck. We provided all the food and fun...Preacher even gave out some deck awards to the men folk from the church who built the deck.

Until next time……….join me on the front porch or the deck...your choice!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM! From a front porch in Texas!

ENJOY THESE PICTURES.....3 of them are from past birthdays...including Tim celebrating with a baby back rib dinner and Tim helping the Preacher and Potamic District break ground in Yorktown, Virgina.


29 years…seems so long ago…yet really time slips by so quickly. May 19, 1980 a few minutes after 8:00 in the evening…Timothy James Gabbard joined the Gabbard family. Tim’s arrival in of itself is a story. We found out we would be blessed with baby number 4 AFTER we had sold everything-including all baby stuff and decided to evangelize. We came to a defining point in our lives and knew God had more for us….after much soul searching we felt God directing us to sell house, furniture and everything we didn’t need or could put into a 28 foot travel trailer and GO out in faith. At the time we never worried or wondered what the outcome would be. We just knew that we knew God would take care of us. We had only been out on the ‘field’ a few short weeks when I knew that I knew we would be having another little Gabbard. I remember panic wanting to come and set up residence in my heart and life-but somehow overcame it and put every ounce of trust in God. We barely had room for the other 3 kiddos in this little travel home….no job…just going where God opened a door and receive whatever the church deemed we were worthy of. Some churches couldn’t give much of an offering-so they us food…an old fashioned ‘pounding’ it was called. In other words each family brought us a pound…..of whatever…which leads to a tuna story I’ll share another day…….

Anyway, we traveled on…..and we had a meeting in the Virginia Beach area. We felt very good about the area…no we loved the area…we decided to find a little park and set up camp. This we did in Hampton, Virginia. God opened up and we ALWAYS had something to eat…we ALWAYS had enough food for gas and park fees. Looking back-it was not only a walk of faith…but everyday a miracle. Precious times, sweet times, while baby Tim grew strong in my tummy.

We felt God’s blessing to settle in this area. Just in time, we found a little rent house to live in (opps no furniture) but we slowly and surely somehow got everything we would need for baby Tim and the other three as well.

Now keep in mind-we did not have a ‘church family’ that we could call on…family was far, far away-therefore we knew every blessing came straight from the Hand of God…from the Throne of Heaven. To God’s glory we never missed a meal or really lacked in anything.

Glen found a little job which turned into one of the biggest blessings we every had. That job eventually bought us everything we needed-clothes, cars, a home, we used money to start a home missions work in Yorktown, Virginia. We sent our kids to a private Christian school, went on a vacation to Disney World, Glen finished his degree from Southwestern Assembly of God University. I could go on and on..God blessed above and beyond our expectations! That’s the kind of God He is!

Tim came out of this kind of faith. I believe that is one reason he is where he is right now. He was conceived and born with the Preacher and me believing God for every morsel of bread, every single ounce of strength, every step in front of the other-holding to God’s unchanging hand!

So many might call Tim our ‘tribulation child’…No he represents to the Preacher and me our “Victory child”. He was sent from God (Preacher and I still wonder just how…well excuse my frankness, we know how he was conceived BUT really was not on the agenda and just happened.


Anyway, what a blessing he was as a baby. The sweetest little round faced Gabbard that I could have asked for. Rarely cried, slept (like a baby! really) most of the time. Never fussed…slept all night after a few short weeks, never was fussy or high maintenance. Did he have his moments? Yep…he took a spell when about 6 or 7 and decided to try out some very colorful 4 letter words (well this is what his siblings told on him….hard to believe isn’t it???!!!)


Anyway, a few bumps here and there…after all he was a “ Gabbard”. Did he cause me and the Preacher to pray a lot????…Yep…but look at what he has turned into. I would not change anything about that time….Tim’s arrival…It grew me and the Preacher into who we are today.

Who is Tim??


A young man (still young at 29…Tim one more year before the big ONE)…who loves his God, his wife and family …his church ..his country…So Tim HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…ENJOY, your day and know that you are loved.

Come visit us on the front porch soon! And bring that lovely family of yours!

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

Good evening from the Front Porch,

A beautiful spring day and equally great evening.

Just finished feeding the critters at Grannie’s Barnyard. The latest additions are doing very well. Camryn KIKI is back! He came meowing up the pasture like he was so glad to be home! I picked him up and welcomed him back scolded him for being gone so long and not telling us goodbye! He seemed a little thin. However, Winston does not like KIKI at all. He started barking, Kiki jumped out of my arms and he was off. Winston continued barking, KIKI hissing. I finished feeding everyone including the ducks and then coaxed KIKI back, scooped him up and took him up to the garage for a good meal. He was starving. However, Destiny aka Bushy hissed and tried to attack him. Poor KIKI ! He seems so tuff but he doesn’t like being barked at or hissed at. I don’t blame him.


Great Mother’s Day! Perhaps the very best! Talked to all the kiddos, had a couple visit, one stayed over for a few days and is still here. Very thoughtful gifts, touching cards and good phone calls.

Best of all is to have the grandkids around…sorry big kids you had your day! Camryn and Kaden accompanied me to the barnyard for egg gathering, critter feeding and walking the dogs around the pond. I am attaching some pictures.

I should have more kiddos visit Memorial Day weekend! Lori and the Garza guys will be coming in, Tim and Gabbard Gaggle will come in to celebrate Kaylin’s 5th birthday and Memorial Day. Julz and the Cubbage Crew will be here in some form and Joe and his J’s won’t be able to come but we are planning a Big July Gathering…so that will be something to look forward to.


Anyway, need to go check on a sleeping Karson….feed him and have some fun, fun, fun!

Well, overall there are many challenges..but the bottom line.....It is well with my soul....from the front porch!