Story of the day....u ready for this?

we get up and get dressed. i put on baileys shirt and skirt. then later her socks and shoes. we went to eat and then to walmart. the whole time she was a little fussy....nothing out of the ordinary with bailey. then we come home for a few minutes and decide to go play tennis...which is in itself quite a story!....she began to get super fussy. like screaming and scratching...snot slingin everywhere. again, she can throw some fits, so we just distanced ourselves from her and let her wail it out. we get home and she is getting worse. her videos arent helping, holding her doesnt help, even food doesnt help. michael suggests we do a 'body search', but never did. later, i decide to take her shoes off cuz she was actin like her feet were hurting. Ah Ha, you wont believe this....a rubber bouncy ball comes rolling out of her shoe! i felt so horrible. how could i have missed this?!

poor thing. it just made me realize anew how much she depends on us. she is 'non verbal', she cant tell us what is going on with her. we never know if she has a headache, a toothache, an itch somewhere...anything. it is our job to be on top of everything, to know exactly what she needs when she needs it. my poor little girl was in pain for hours and had no way of letting us know! i remembered again how helpless she truly is withhout us!

after we got it out of her shoe her demeanor immediately changed. she was sweet and playful again! anyway, thought id share our adventure of the day!

btw- made some awesome shrimp & chicken gumbo today! mmmmm!!!

i am so thankful for all of the special people in my life. i have so many friends who are near and dear to me. but there are certain ones that the Lord places directly into our lives for a purpose! i have one of these kinds of friends! she was brought into my life and it seemed as tho i had known her forever and ever! like we had grown up in the same house and knew everythink about one another. we just immediately clicked. whats better is that we rnt just good friends, she lifts me up spiritually. its not just all about chit chatting and jokin; we talk about our faith and the Word of God and discuss questions we have about the Bible and our Christian walk. we pray together and share victories with one another. she understands me so well and knows when i need a little encouragement without me even saying a thing!

i just want to take a moment to thank her so much for being an uplifting person, for caring and loving me, for taking time to pray for me, for giving it to me straight when she needs to, for backing off when needed, for sharing humor on a daily basis...the list goes on and on. she really means the world to me and i never want to take her for granted!

so, before i write a novel, i will end by just saying a sincere thank you! I thank God every day for having such a wonderful person in my life!

i totally pride myself on this fact, 'i never get sick'. its for real. i never get a cold, flu, anything! and im a mom and everyone knows that even if a mom gets sick, the house still has to be run! nothing really ever gets me down....except a headache. michael lives with headaches all the time and just keeps going...me, no sir, if i get a headache im down for the count. well, i had a huge one today! i woke up and got bailey & brody dressed for school and then crawled in the bed beside michael and told him that i just couldn't make it today. i canceled ladies visitation...thats when you know its serious! and i didnt text all day....now that is super serious business! i stayed in bed ALL DAY. no, really, all day. and whats worse is that i slept for 95% of that time. my head just felt like it would explode at any given time. i got very nauseous and that wonderful super sonic breakfast burrito i ate came right back up! michael took such good care of me. he brought me some hot apple cider which was so warm and good! he got me some dayquil and cough drops. he went and got the kids from school and took care of them. he cooked supper, too. anyway, as of right now (8:35pm) i feel some better. my head is still hurting but its much better!
just thought id share!!!!!

i totally forgot to mention that my hubby and daughter both had birthdays recently. michael turned 33 november 29th and shelby grace turned the big 11 december 8th! just counting my blessings to have them both here with me. i love them so very much. both of them are such a help to me and have such sweet spirits!

so i have so terribly neglected my blogging obligations lately. i always have very good intentions of blogging, but everything else always gets in the way. so, lets see, what's been goin on in the wiggins household?

my inlaws came in for thanksgiving. really enjoyed having them here. we did an early christmas with them cuz we wont see them for christmas. michael was able to take peepaw hunting.

then the week after they left, i got a super big surprise:

i talk to my mom everyday, sometimes more than once a day. this particular day she said that she was in pcola doin some window shoppin. i talked to her seveal times that day. later that day i took brody to ball practice. when i got home around 730 michael tells me to call my mom. this was weird cuz why would she have called michael and not me? so i call her back. no answer. but i am hearing some strange music coming from inside the house somewhere. what is that noise? then michael tells me to go to baileys room and see what shes doing. so i open the door and there sits my mom and good friend michelle! she had totally surprised me by driving all the way from florida to my house! great! what a blessing. it was so wonderful to have her here with me for a week. we also had early christmas with her.

also, we experienced some plumbing issues that week, so for about 4 days we were washing dishes in the bathtub....not fun at all. chunky is not cut out for all that!

lets see, what else? mama got me and shelby a membership to curves. we started about a month ago. i have lost a little over 5 inches. i had lost 12 pounds, then thanksgiving came around. i gained 6 back, so i am at a loss of 6 pounds so far.

The last three words i said last nite was I LOVE YOU. the last fours words i heard last nite were I LOVE YOU TOO. as i laid there trying to go to sleep i thought back to the 1st time i ever heard michael say those words to me. i remember it well! that's rite, i take pride in remembering all of those little 'anniversaries'.

three weeks into 'dating', michael told me that he loved me. i was taken by surprise with this announcement. i was only 16 and he 17. i told him he didn't know what he was talking about and that there was no way he could already love me. but that didn't even bother him. he didnt miss a beat, just continued to inform me that he knew that he loved me and that one day would be married. he was so confident in that.

anyway, although i know those words meant a lot then, i dont think either of us knew what love REALLY meant or was at that time. love is so much more than those tingly feelings and sweaty palms. its more than spending every moment together and playing footsies! (although i am a fan of all those things!) love is an action. love is committment. love is communication. love is merciful. love forgives. love looks over those little flaws. love is when we can sit together in silence and say more than we ever could with words. love is knowing that we are together forever no matter what.

today, 15 years later, i love michael don wiggins with my whole heart. i love him on a level i never knew existed!

just thought i'd share!!!!

hi there everyone. we are all doing well. as i sit here contemplating ( whew, big words! go donya) what to write, or type actually; i got to thinking.....now that could be super seriously dangerous! hehehe. anyway, i browsed thru the other posts ive made and realized something. i use horrible grammar in these things! oh my! how awful. my english teachers would all be so upset with me!

now for those of you who do not know, i hate it when others use improper grammar...seriously, it makes my ears hurt to hear people use english the wrong way. but my justification is that its ok for me to use it wrong cause i know better! i know, that is just terrible of me!

then i saw that not only is my grammar bad on these things, but my punctuation and slang spelling is just as bad! geez, i have gotten so lazy. i dont capitalize or or anything!

so i just wanted all of my readers (all 2 of ya! ha) to know that i do know how to use proper grammar and absolutely love english! really, i love it! would take it all over if i could....but i just dont show it on here! oh well, confession is good for the soul right?!

pray more for my family. my aunt passed away on thursday. they are having the funeral services for her today. also pray for my mom and dad. they are traveling back to texas tomorrow. i know they are tired and weary. pray that the Lord gives them a little boost of energy and lots of protection on the roads! have a blessed Sunday worship service everyone!!!!!!

story time everyone!

so, yesterday was a good day...no catastrophies or uh-ohs....that is, until the early evening! brody and bailey come home from school, it had been rainy and cold. i take bailey to the pot and she goes pee and poo! woohoo! about 20 min later she walks up to me with that guilty look on her face....and i can smell the evidence rising from her panties! yep, she had pooped in her big girl panties. i will not go into detail describing that clean up, you can read my earlier post about that! ok, cleaned up and back to normal....or so i think! we had the back door open to let in some fresh air. shelby and brody are playing outside. shelby calls for me to hurry out there. i dont tho, b/c shelby always says to hurry even when its no big deal.

i look out the door and theres bailey, face first in a huge mud puddle! shes covered in mud from head to toe. so i go rescue her and strip her down at the back door. i give her a quick bath to clean things up....back to normal again...or so i think!

time passes.....shelby goes to the bathroom and bailey follows her in there. no big deal, she does that a lot....next thing i know, shelby is calling for me...again! "bailey peed!" so off i go again to clean up the mess. i put her back in the tub for another washing!

i put socks on her and then shes just got a pullup on. (after changing the 3 pairs of panties, i just give up and put a pullup on her!) daddy comes home and brought some drinks. 2 12 packs and a case of water. now its supper time. brody decides to push the case of water over so he can sit, not seeing the 2 12 packs on the other side and splash.....carbonated drink flies EVERYWHERE...no kidding...it was all over all four dining room walls, on my new computer, on the table, countertops, chloes food/water bowls, and the floor!

in all the commotion, bailey has gone back outside, nearly naked and is walking in the mud again with her socks on!

during all of this, i had been trying to wash dishes, but the pipes kept leaking. daddy had already tried fixin em once...but now they were leaking again and now the water wouldnt drain. so now both sinks were full of nasty water (garbage disposal backed into sink, too) and i still have dirty dishes to wash and a sticky floor to mop.

mop is broken, must go to dollar store and get another! mop at 9PM after kids go to bed.

so, all of that to say this.....earlier, michael bought a magnetic dry erase board for the fridge and put a scripture of the week on it. what was the one he decides to start with? 1 thess. 5:18, in every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

how funny is that? he had written it on there earlier in the day. boy, did i need that scripture by 9PM last night!

pray for my parents. they are flying to mobile alabama to be with my daddy's sister. after recently being diagnosed with cancer, she is now at the hospital with the family being 'called in'. i hate to not be there for them, but there was just no way i could make a trip to mobile right now. we have been reassured that she is saved. what a blessing. she says that she knows that she is saved. but please remember that whole family in prayer. most of my daddy's side of the family is lost. pray that the Holy Spirit will use my parents and brother to witness to them all.

so my dad says that i dont blog enough! well, just for him im bloggin today!!! so he'd better read this. today was the last day for him, my mom, michelle, and michael to be at church with us! boohoo! i shouldn't complain...i've had my mommy and daddy within a few hours of me for quite some time now. but that's just it, i've gotten used to seeing them a lot.

my daddy was so handsome today at church. i've always thought he was such a handsome man! my mama is a lucky lady. and he's lucky, too. my mama is the very best in the whole wide world!!!!!

we began mission conference today. what a blessing! bro ricky dunsford with the rock of ages prison ministry is the preacher for the conference. we've known bro ricky and mrs judy...well...i can't remember not ever knowing them! they are wonderful people. we also have two wonderful missionary families with us. the rackley family to madagascar and the mulkey family to the west indies. what a blessing it is to have missionaries in our services!

anyway, that's it for now. just a quick little update!

so as most of you know, we are in the process of potty training bailey. things generally go fairly smooth if we remember to take her often. but believe me, there are accidents, big ones. ya know, 8 year old pee & poo is just not the same as infant/toddler pee & poo! ha

well, i got busy cooking last night and forgot about her being in big girl panties. shelby hollers, "i think bailey is poopy". i tell her to check. next thing i hear is a sound of disgust from shelby, "eewww! it's coming out the top of her panties. hurry mama!" so i immediately drop the pork chops and race bailey to the bathroom.

here we go. she can't stand alone on one leg, she has to have support. so saying, "step out" is out of the question. so i have this 80 pound 8 year old holding on to me (while she's trying to hold her cards, for those of you who know her) while i am trying to take down her shorts. accomplished. now i go for the shoes and socks! after what feels like hours of balancing acts with her and my hair being pulled, glasses being squished up against my face....accomplished. now for the real task, getting poopy panties off w/o any huge disaster!

easier said than done. i try to ease it off one leg at a time, then plunk! what looks like a huge cow patty drops onto the ceramic tile floor! here comes bailey's foot down...it's seemed like slow motion....right into the middle of it....sending her slipping onto the floor, poop flyin everywhere! of course all of this happened within a matter of like 90 seconds, but seemed like an eternity.

long story short, a bath was very much needed and so given. floors were cleaned and panties were trashed.....to tired to worry with cleaning them!

another day in the life of donya wiggins. how funny! btw- no, i did not have a bad attitude throughout any of it! it's life, people....only ours gets a little hairy at times!! :)

"What about Jesus?" That was the sermon title for this morning. how convicting God's word is! michael preached Isaiah 53 to us. it was such a simple sermon, but boy did it ever pack a powerful punch! sometimes we get so busy in our lives....even me, being a preacher's wife and serving the Lord what seems like every second of every day.......that we leave Jesus out of what we are doing. even when we are 'serving Him', we somehow leave Jesus out.

i am so thankful that the Lord spoke to my heart this morning. i am thankful for the Holy Spirit convicting me and showing me how dirty and sinful i truly am. i am even more thankful that my heavenly Father is willing to forgive me at all times!

so brody had a football game saturday. we get up and start getting ready. we are racing around finding everything he needs: shoulder pads, helmet, cletes, jersey, pants....but where are the socks. we start looking EVERYWHERE for them. how hard can it be to lose bright green socks? immediately we begin to hound brody. you know the usual, "You should have never taken those socks" "why did you lose them" "you never take care of your thing" "if we cant find them, you will get a spanking" "you wont be able to play in the game if we cant find the socks"....on and on. he is arguing that it is not his fault. he begins to blame everyone else: me, chloe (the dog), shelby, bailey...you name it!

so michael leaves to scour burnet for green socks...yeah, good luck with that! i jump in the shower and it dawns on me....check under my bed. that's where chloe takes all of her 'findings'. BINGO! that is where they are. the dog had taken them hostage! she is quite the smuggler. so all of that fussing with brody and he was right all the time!

well, my husband and i celebrated 13 years of marriage on monday! it feels like it was yesterday that he was sending me letters thru other people in elementary school! he's such a cutie. i could go on forever...most of you know that already! but i will simply say that he is the best thing outside of my salvation that has ever happened to me. he truly is my best friend. we have so much fun together!

i am so glad the Lord allowed us to be together! of course, michael says he knew since he was in about 5th grade that we would be married one day...i, on the other hand, had to be convinced! ;) but he was right. in fact, the Lord placed him in my life as a 'boyfriend' in the right exact moment. i was surely headed down a path in my teenage life that truly could have led to disaster. i am so thankful to the Lord for giving me a husband who loves Him, his family, his church, and lost sinners.

God is so good! our church members surprised us with an overnight get away. what an unexpected blessing. we have been blessed with a church that is mindful of us and takes such good care of us. we do not deserve to have the wonderful people that we do, but are extremely thankful for them! so we left the kiddos with various sitters from church and off we went. we enjoyed the time to get away and focus just on one another. we were able to talk and laugh and relax.....it was great!

so thanks to all of the members of VBC for caring for us and loving us and being so thoughtful!
I love you michael don wiggins with all of my heart....i am forever yours!

Bailey's Birthday

bailey turned 8 on monday, the 31st. time really flies doesn't it?! we have been on a home video kick lately. we watched several of bailey...when she was around 2 & 3. we were really amazed because she does the exact same things now as she did back then. there are certain movements that she does with her hands & fingers (called stimming or self stimulation); flapping her arms all the time; same sounds; same words; same everything almost. it's comical on the one side, but also disheartening on the other. to think that in 5 years, she has not really changed much developmentally. granted, she did begin to walk when she was 3, so that is one huge milestone!! woo hoo!

she is such a blessing to us, though. she is so lovable and can be so sweet! (notice the 'can be') she started back to school this year. hopefully we will get her potty trained soon. she will go willingly when taken, but makes no effort to let us know when she needs to go. we are working hard to get her out of those pull ups!

she has had no seizures in nearly 8 months! praise the Lord! so there are always good things going on with her and i am so very thankful for that. we do worry though, because she certainly isn't getting younger, but older each year. this brings new difficulties for us. she is heavier and bigger. and this is not an advantage when trying to manipulate her body into the bathtub or into the van. she's very 'stiff', doesn't like to bend at all. i think michael and i need back braces! :) she's also getting stronger...much stronger...much like an ox! ok, i think you've got the picture! so she can 'fight' us off easier now. like when brushing her hair or brushing her teeth or changing her pullup or giving her a bath and so on and so on. everything gets a little harder.

then there's the part that we really don't want to think about, puberty. not sure how to handle this situation AT ALL. i am just praying about it now because it could happen in just a few years. i don't know what we will do. please pray with us that we are able to handle this situation.

anyway, bailey dyan is growing up and is becoming a big girl! she's so special to us, as are all of our children. she brings light and joy to our lives and we love her dearly!

Outside my window...
beautiful morning! the day is sure to be hot.

I am thinking...
that my house is not quite clean enough for when nana gets here.

I am thankful for...
so many things. salvation, husband, children, church

From the learning rooms...
shelby begins school monday. she's not motivated at all!

From the kitchen...
not a whole lot. got some cooking to do today to prepare for dinner tomorrow

I am wearing...
jean skirt, last year's youth camp t-shirt, flip flops, and a pony tail

I am going...
to splash day at church

I am reading...
just my Bible currently. a friend and i are reading a chapter a day together (Genesis) and for personal devotion, I am in Acts

I am hoping (praying)...
for a hallelujah, devil kicking, Christ honoring, soul saving, sin forgiving, conviction filled service tomorrow!

I am hearing...
chloe, our doggie, run through the house. the tags on her collar are a dead give away of where she is

Around the house...
planted some bushes out back, about to purchase new carpet for the living room

One of my favorite things...
watching home videos from the 80s....did that last nite, what a hoot!

so last sunday night we had one of those services that leave your heart overwhelmed! we had one of those family fireside discussions, boy was it amazing. the Holy Spirit was so evident in our services. one of our ladies described it as a snot slinger! ha. another man said that it was the best comin together service ever! i agree. the Bible speaks of the pastor's work like this, 'that they may do it with joy'.

well a new fire was lit beneath my husband and joy was seen all over his face. thank you victory baptist church for loving us and caring for us. thank you for standing for the Lord and choosing to serve the Lord; not man, not a building; and certainly not ourselves.

i am looking forward to seeing what the Lord is gonna do here this sunday. we are trusting Christ to once again fill the building with His Holy Spirit!!!

i know, i know....it's been a while. geez, it seems as tho there's always something to do and never enough time to blog! anyway, there's prolly a thousand stories to tell since my last entry, but i just can't think of em all.

i think i will just take time to praise God. He' been so good to me. I thank Him for my husband, my children, my family, my church, and for all the trials. Without the trials we would never grow. We would not mature.

undoubtedly, He felt that we (my husband & I) needed lots of maturing lately!! HA. One storm after another. but they were nothing He couldn't handle. and they did what they were designed to do, redirect all focus back on to Him. all that matters is serving Christ. everything else is vapor. everything else is selfishness. i am learning it the hard way.

with each trial comes a renewed faith in my Creator and with each storm a new peace to fill my soul. i also realize that if the devil isn't bothering you then you aren't doin something right. after all, why bother a Christian who isn't trying?

in the end, regardless of what happens: gossip, betrayal, sickness, heartache, or a thousand other things....Truth Stands. Period. when all is said and done, Truth (the Word of God) stands strong with its promises along side it. AMEN. what a blessing to know my God is in control!

hi there everyone! i know, it has been a while since my last post. things have been super crazy here in burnet, tx. we have had a week of super soul winning, vbs, and now youth conference. love it! absolute chaos. Thriving in it all.

anyway, i know that i usually have a crazy story to tell, but not this time. i am writing to let everyone know of the great work the Lord has wrought in my heart. I have been saved for 7 1/2 years, and this is the first time i have truly had revival in my heart. that's right, although i have been saved and serving for all those years; it has been just recently that the Lord has dealt with me in a way like never before....actually, it's not so much that he finally dealt with me, but that i finally yielded to Him.

recently i have vowed to Christ that i would give him my whole heart. (what?! but she's the pastor's wife, doesn't that come along with the package?) i know you are all thinking that. and that's fine, cause you're right. and up until now i thought that i had done that. but boy did He open my eyes to the truth. there have been hidden places in my heart that i was guarding...not anymore...i have turned it all over to Him.

honestly, i was just tired of living a mediocre Christian life. i don't want to be an average pastor's wife. i want to be extraordinary. i want to have that 'happy glow' about me. my burden for others is greater, my prayer life has exploded, my personal Bible reading has become so vivid and alive, my heart has become soul conscious again. it's almost like being born again....again!

i am on fire people! watch out!!! i have said that before in the past, but this time it's for real. my heart is just so full, there are no words to explain it. anyway, i am just so excited about what the Lord has done for me and through me and i wanted to share my excitement with all of you!

ladies conference

hi there all. i am in hot springs, arkansas for a ladies conference. what a blessing. 6 of our ladies, my mom, and friend went with me. we've had a great time. it's been nice to get away a couple of days. i have been praying bout this and asking the Lord to speak to me. And you know what? he has! (amazing how that happens ;)

so much good music and the speakers have been wonderful, godly, spirit filled women. i love how the Lord always has exactly what i need when i need it. it's as if they were given a specific list of things to talk about that would hit me!

i had lots to repent of...and feel so much better now. there's always room for improvement! i've asked Him for forgiveness, now i need to ask a few others for forgiveness! can't wait either.

anyway, thought i would share this with you all:
i am so thankful that my mommy came along with me. we are very close...always have been. more like sisters at times. we joke and carry on with one another....it's so much fun havin her around.

i got to thinkin while on this trip....i have so many women who i look up and admire...but my mama is #1. if she were reading this she'd say, 'whatever' b/c i've never really told her that. but it is so true. there were many sessions today. one was on finances. the whole time i thought of how my mama has always handled finances so well. she has looked well to the matters of her home. she is efficient and frugal. she is wise with her spending, making sure the Lord is given their 1st fruits. then there was a session on submission to husbands. man, she is the best example of that i've ever seen. she has always submitted and honored my dad no matter what. she has shown me how to obey and love my husband through her example. no matter what, daddy was her (earthly) king. she shows him reverence and takes care of him. she is a help to him above measure. there was also talk about our mouths....yeah, that one hits us all. but i couldn't help but think of is how she never speaks harsh words. is she perfect, no. but it's amazing how sweet and kind she is.

i have never met anyone else like her. she never meets a stranger. upon first meeting, you become 'sweety' or 'honey' and 'baby'. she's just that way. she can make anyone feel special and worth something. she has a huge heart and is the most giving person ever. she does things for people she doesn't know or even has just met. if she sees a need, she wants to meet it....and without the applause of man. she's rather just sit quietly in the background and make sure everyone is taken care of. she genuinely wants people to be happy, even at her own expense.

she has (and still does) done things for me that i surely do not deserve. i am so unworthy of her love to me. but i am surely grateful. i am prould to call her my mom, my friend.

in fact, i can't even find the right words to describe her. all i know is that i pray to have just a fraction of her heart, her spirit, her generosity, her forgiveness, her compassion, her long suffering.

Father's Day

well, happy father's day to all who are in my family. 1st i think of my hubby....not my daddy of course, but the father to my children. he's such a wonderful man. i am sure every woman says the same of her husband and father, but it's so true in my case. i am so blessed to have a preacher of the Gospel as my husband. he takes such good care of the children and i could not ask for any better.

my dad. where do i begin? i will say, (and i'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind) that he was not always a Christian man. and he did not always live a Christian life. but i also know that he loves me and my brother. his love for us has always been evident, no matter what. of all the hard working people in the world, my daddy is #1 in my book. he has worked years on power lines doing dangerous work in crazy weather at ridiculous hours. he has never had a 'past time', no hobbies or leisure time, no vacation time (& if he did take off, it was w/out pay). he is dependable, he is strong, he is a man of his word, he is a natural leader, he is a rock. and i will proudly say that i am an A Class daddy's girl. that's righte, i do not hesitate to say it. he is so precious to me. he's my daddy and i love him dearly.

also, my father in law. now although the odds are stacked against me (i am his in-law, and a step one at that) for 15 years he has treated me like i was his own daughter. there has never been a time that i haven't felt that he was just as close to me as a biological father. he took me in from day one and to this day treats me as his own. i am thankful that he has always gone over and above to be that father figure to me!

....so we knew that going on a vacation was would be a little tricky with bailey. everything is, though. when one is physically and mentally challenged, the easy things are not.......easy. we knew there would be lots of walking (up & down hill), it would be hot and sunny (not good for someone who burns easily), the days would be long, crowds would abound, no naptime would be available, and so on. but we have lived with these challenges everyday for the past 7 1/2 years...vacation only multiplies them.

thanks to grandparents, we were able to go on rides with shelby & brody...had we been alone, one parent would have had to sit out with bailey while the other went on ride patrol. it was such a blessing to have them with us to help out with bailey. we decided to rent a double stroller to wheel her around in. (not meant for a 7 yr old, but we had to improvise) just getting her into it was a sight to see. it took me and michael picking her up on either side while nana held the stroller still. even then, she doesn't understand 'bend your legs' or 'scoot back some', everything has to be done by us.

she is so helpless at times. as i was watching her the last day....(nana & peepaw were already gone...therefore i was that parent on watching bailey while michael was on ride patrol)....i couldn't help but notice how in her own world she was. here we are in an amazing amusement park. there are rides everywhere, junkfood galore, kids running around having the time of their lives.....and here sits bailey in the double stroller with her deck of cards and a piece of juicy fruit. she is content to shuffle the numbers right off those cards, never batting an eye at the laughter of others or the screams from the children on the rides. she sits there all alone, it seems, in her own little world. who knows what she is thinking or how she really feels or if she even comprehends where we are.

how i long for her to talk to me. if i could have one wish, it would be to hear bailey speak. not just mumble in 'baby talk' consonant sounds, but to really speak with words. i would be so excited to hear her tell me what she wants to drink....ya know, i thought about that, too. she never gets to decide what she wants us to order her at a restaurant or to give her at home. i mean, we always order sprite for her, but what if she really wanted sweet tea or just water...the poor thing cannot even tell me that. she just accepts what is given to her.

i really do just sit around sometimes and wonder what's going on in that mind of hers. i cannot wait for her to get to heaven....she will be given a new mind, a perfect mind...and i have no idea (and if you'll be honest, neither do you) what heaven will really be like, but i cannot help but to get excited about the thought of her running up to me and talking up a storm. i want to just sit and talk to her for a while. yes, i am fully aware that once in heaven we will be praising God, but i sure hope that He gives me just 5 minutes alone with my daughter to hear her talk to her mom!

hi there folks....so very sorry it's been so long since i've posted. it seems as tho there has been quite a bit going on around here. anyway, i'll try to catch ya up on everything over the next couple of days!

so last week we went on vacation. it was our first real family vacation. we went to branson, mo. michael's parents met us there and we spent the week spending money we didn't have! ha, that's the way it always goes, right?!

well, where to begin with the stories? i think i'll start here:
we always cringe at the thought of vacation because as most of you know, the hotter it gets, the more clothes that come off!!!! it seems as tho girls just walk around in panties and bras and the men go around shirtless. it's insane. shelby is 10 now and we have certain standards in our home. her wardrobe consists of dresses/skirts and culottes. she has always been very obedient and has a good attitude about it. we have explained to her why we do the things we do....which i think is something a lot of "independent fundamental baptist" parents have lacked doing...explaining. i think lots of times orders are barked and no reasoning is given. well, we have always told shelby why we wear the things we wear.

needless to say, although we have done this, there are times that shelby looks around and sees that she's different. ya know, it's hard sometimes being the only one doing something. and she is at the age that being different isn't always so much fun. you get funny looks and people ask questions and sometimes even treat you different. anyway, to our surprise, we were thrilled when we got to branson.

i think i saw more skirts and culottes than i ever have! we went to silver dollar city (an amusement park) there were females of all ages there looking modest and having the time of their lives. i was so happy because shelby was able to see that she is not the only one who has the same convictions as we. there are those out there who are likeminded in the wardrobe area. it was just a real blessing for her to see that you can look modest and still have a good time. seeing others made her feel not so alone and strange. she does look different all the time, but you know, she should.

well, we started out for texas (home) on monday night at 8PM. we were so ready to get home! but in the back of our minds was the fact that this week begins the IBFI fellowship meeting, which we have attended since 1997. we hated to miss, but since we had been gone from our own church for so long, we had decided not to attend this year. what a bummer. we always look forward to seeing our very best friends, mark and tracy, along with all of our other friends. plus michael is alumni president and this is the 25th anniversary for ibfi. anyway, we were torn, but knew we had to get home.

an hour and a half into the trip a decision was radically made, we would change courses and drive to fort worth, attend the alumni luncheon, attend graduation/preaching; then drive back to burnet...we must be insane with some of the things we do at times! but i am so glad we did it! i have been able to fellowship with great friends and enjoy their company! the kids got to see their favorite cousins.

we still have a long night ahead of us because it's still a 3.5 hour drive home tonight and we probably won't leave here until 11PM. boy, the price we pay for good food and fellowship! but it's once a year deal and i'm so glad we didn't have to miss it all. we won't be there for all of the fellowship meeting, but what we are here for is great!

hi there all! have you ever had one of those days???? well, we've had one of those MONTHS! it seems like chaos at every turn! thanks to all who have prayed for michael's family. everyone is doing well and the funeral service was one of the best i've ever attended. there were more amens at the funeral than there usually are in a sunday service! how appropriate, though, when you attend the 'graduation' of a loved one.

looks like we're headed back home tonight. traveling in the night is much easier than in the day...especially with children. we will be tired, though. our days have been all messed up. we don't know which way is up and which way is down.

by the way, while i am thinking of it, i wanted to say thanks to all the ladies at fbbc for taking such good care of the family during both funerals. the food was wonderful and i do not take lightly all of your hard work in the kitchen. a special thanks to elizabeth for watching all the kiddos with her little pregnant self! she's great...thanks girlie! ;)

please pray for our pitiful little motorhome. sometimes in life a bad decision is made, in our case, this was it....although it did help out a missionary family. we paid $14,000 for it 2 years ago and it has never worked since the day we got it. we've put so much time and money into that thing. it just sits there rotting while we make monthly payments and still owe $9000 on it! hey, if anyone out there wants it for parts, please be my guest! we would love to sell it and at this point are willing to make any deal. it would be wonderful to be out from under this particular financial strain.

anyhoo, i miss my church family and can't wait until wednesday night to get to see everyone! i am terribly homesick.

Hey there everyone! it's been forever since i've been on here....sorry to those faithful few who check often!! anyway, we had a wonderful mommy's day banquet and services on sunday. we went a different route and got all the mom's a gift bag from bath and body works.....i think they were "bookmark"ed to death! the banquet went well. we have a couple of ladies in the church who are super at decorating! my mom and i did all the food. she came in for a few days to visit and help out.

well, no other news as of now, take care everyone!

Decently and in Order

well, that is true for the house of God. exactly how things should be done....i just cannot say it is true of the wiggins household. decently, for the majority; but in order...never! we moved to the little town of burnet last may from a big city in columbus, ga. and we are busier now than ever before.

right when i think things are settling down, chaos comes in. it's not always bad chaos, either. actually, i think in thrive in chaos! seriously, i like it when there's always something going on. anyway, this past week has been a chaotic week, to say the least. but again, good chaotic. let's see, last sunday we had a wonderful missionary family. their van needed a brake job, so pastor (my husband) volunteered him and a church member to fix it for them!....between services on sunday. now those of you with a pastor husband know that sundays are crazy! but my husband felt to blessed just by being a blessing to this family. then we had another preacher friend come in on monday....his poor RV messed up....so, of course, our church also volunteered to help him out!

needless to say, my husband is a very kind man and always wants to be a blessing if possible. that's what we're here for, right? to serve God thru serving others?! so we had that preacher, his wife, daughter, and son-in-law over for supper tuesday night. (insert: michael's grandmother has been hospitalized the day before, not doing well at all at the time...more pressure!) after supper he gets a call. his aunt has passed away. (daughter of the grandmother, sister to his mom) (insert...again...they all live in florida.....12 hours away!)

so, among all of this is daily life....i supervise at our church school; we withdrew bailey from school, so now she is with us all day at the church school (another story in itself), so that's a LOT of pressure during the day, michael has all the regular duties of the pastorate, and I have all the duties as church secretary! but again...here i am thriving on all of this! :)

so the preacher friend preaches on wednesday night, a huge blessing! and we leave immediately after services and drive all the way to florida. yes, that means i had less than 24 hours to pack for 4 people (michael packs his own these days)!

so here i am in florida right now at my mother/father-in-law's home. thank God for them. even with all the stress of death in the family and sickness in the family, they are always willing to help out with the kids. (secretly, it was probably a stress reliever for nana to have her grandbabies here....that's the area where nana thrives!!!)

anyway, thought i'd share some of our circus events with all of you! and in all of it, God is Good All the Time!!! AMEN

When Death Comes

How often have we all heard messages on death. And we have all been taught and do believe that death for a saint is precious. This is so true and is such a comfort during these times. But I think that we sometimes forget that we are still human and that the Lord designed man with emotions.
My husband got a phone call last night informing him that his aunt passed away. Tears are always an immediate response. And this is perfectly fine. In fact, I would be worried if there were no tears.
We are also dealing with the fact that his grandmother is terribly ill. She is the cornerstone of the family. Like an unchanging rock that has held the family together for decades. But this certain rock has been one of prayer and devotion to God. She has uplifted her family to God and interceded on their behalf daily. She is a godly woman.
I ask that you all pray for her as she is in the hospital. Her daughter is the one who passed away last night. I ask for prayer for all of the family in the death of this precious loved one. My real prayer is that the Lord will use all of these circumstances to draw the family closer to Him; to save those who are lost; and to glorify His name through it all.

Easter Pics!

got a new camera yesterday. so i practiced on shelby grace!

The Story of Us

If you had in your hands a 1970 yearbook from Century High School you would see that my mom and Michael's mom were in the same school. That's right, grew up together in the same town. In fact, an embarrassing fact for my mom...michael's dad was my mom's first kiss. how crazy is that?! You know, people ask me all the time, "how long have you known bro. michael?" well, i can't remember not knowing him! i guess from the time i can remember he's been there.

We both grew up on McDavid Hill in McDavid, FL on Cox Rd. We lived about 5 houses down from one another. Our childhoods were similar and we saw one another often at school; and always around the neighborhood. I guess really it wasn't a neighborhood; we lived out in the country where it was ok to play in the street and where you stay outside or down the road all day without mom worrying about abductions or things like that.

Here are a few of my fondest memories of ours:

Michael always 'liked' me. but i didn't 'like' him...not that way. he would send me THE letters...you know, the circle yes or no ones! I kept them for many years, but i guess they were misplaced during one of our moves. the bus always dropped him off first. by the time i would get off the bus, run inside and say, "tell him no!", there he would be in my yard. he'd ride his bike to my house, knock on the door, and ask if i were home. of course, mama was sweet and let him in. jeez, he would bother me the rest of the afternoon! it was that way all through 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

I remember that he would want to sit with me on the bus...so i would let him....if he would sing for me. (those of you who know michael know that this is what he loves) but not just any song...it had to be......"Eye of the Tiger". i know it's crazy, but i loved to hear him sing that song. so he would sing it and i would let him sit with me. i'm cracked up right now just thinking about those days!

One more instance was when I was about 13 and he was 14. another neighborhood friend knocks on my door and says she has something for me. it was a cassette tape from michael. i put it in and hear "If me and donya were married, here's what i'd sing to her". the music begins and then you hear him singing karaoke to vince gill's song, "look at us". it was as if he knew that one day we would be together.

Well, time went on and although we stayed in touch (it's a small town), we no longer really socialized together. i didn't like him because i thought he was arrogant. he didn't like me because i thought i was ms. popular. (although deep down i think we both felt a connection) Well, in 1994 i was a junior and he was a senior. we began the school year as normal....only something was different...he had 'changed'! man was he cute!! he had a girlfriend though. but you know how it is, we would smile at one another and my heart would just about beat out of my chest. i remember one day asking him, "who are you all dressed up for?" he said, "you, of course". humorous to some, but he really meant it!

Needless to say, he and the girl broke up and i moved right in! November 1, 1994 was our first date....the day i was given his class ring to wear! to this day, he makes fun of me remembering dates like these. i remember he told me that he loved me after just 2 weeks. i couldn't reply the same. i told him that he didn't know what he was talking about. but he insisted that he did and that even if i wouldn't say it back, he knew for a fact that one day we would be married.

One year later on September 7, 1995, he proposed to me. One year later on the same date, we were married. 12 1/2 years and three children later, it's still the best thing in the world. my heart still skips beats when he sings, when i see him walk into a room, when he calls me on the phone. i'll tell you what, i'm still in love with him to this day. he's the greatest husband in the world. i certainly do not deserve such love and i am so thankful that he is mine!

p.s. i think i'm gonna try to scan some old photos and post them next week! the photo shown with the story is about 3 years old.

Hi there everyone! My mother-in-law told me I needed to hurry up and post....so here it is. Well, we have made the decision to turn off the TV in our home. Granted, we never watch bad or inappropriate things. But sometimes we little those 'little foxes' in. So, we have gone back to watching the best things ever....HOME VIDEOS!!! Talk about fun...ok, maybe not fun...maybe embarrassing!
There were videos from our middle school years. It was before I had braces....whew...thank the Lord for braces. It was before Michael had lost all of his baby fat and before I had baby fat. I had great tall, teased bangs and a bad perm. Michael was sporting kinda of a mini mullet! How funny!!
Then I got to thinking about how at the time Michael and I were friends, but not close friends. I mean, we saw one another every day and talked, but we weren't best buds. And look at us now! All married and in love! How sweet! In fact, I think in tomorrow's blog I'll tell the story of us. Of how Michael and I met, fell in love and remain in that same state (in love) today! Yep, that's exactly what I'll do. I know there's got to be some romantics out there who want to hear about it....aren't there?

I Hate Satan!

...but then again, every Christian does....eventhough at times we live as though he is our best friend and confidant. Anyway, I'm just feeling the need to vocalize my hatred for him. He seems to really be in the works around here these days; trying in every way possible to cause mischief. Our church is doing well: faithful members, good servants of the Lord, visitors nearly every service, growing in SS & bus ministry. You name it, the Lord is working in it. But just as He is working, the enemy is working as well. I want all of the church members who may read this to know that your pastor and his family is praying for the members of Victory Baptist Church and that we will not sit idly by and watch Satan try to destroy, discourage or dismay. Let's join forces and get a hold of God. Let's make Him preeminent. Let's give Him His due honor. Let's love Him with all that we have!

What A Man!

Just have to brag on my sweet hubby for a minute. Yesterday I woke with a horrible headache...you know the kind...that make you sick to your stomach. so i woke him to get bailey dressed for school b/c i felt so horrible. he then insisted that i stay home and rest; he would take care of school. of course i told him that i was fine and could go to school, but i declined after he said, "If you don't stay home i'm not talking to you the rest of the day!" how funny. we sounded like little kids bickering about this. so, i stayed home all day and finally got rid of the headache.
I know it sounds small, but just knowing that i didn't have to worry with any work at school for the whole day was such a blessing. I know that he had many other things that he could have been doing, but he put me first. i fail so often to recognize his love for me and the love that he SHOWS me. he's an awesome husband, father & pastor. thank God for such a man. i surely do not deserve to have married someone like him!

O, Rejoice in the Lord

Living with a special needs child can be quite challenging. There are things that we deal with that no one else can understand or relate to. And then again, I realize that we are blessed; there are many who cannot have children or have children who have far worse problems than Bailey. And believe me, I am a happy mom. I love my children with all of my heart. But I do find that by sharing here I am able to get things off of my chest. Also, I really do hope to be a help to someone out there who is struggling with the same issues.

Having said all of that, I must share with you my Sunday morning. I generally get up before everyone else so I can shower, iron and pray before church. And don't you know that Satan saw me kneeling before the Lord, asking Him to forgive me, speak to my heart, be with the pastor, etc. Therefore, he immediately began causing mischief in the Wiggins household.
I get Bailey up; only she's not ready to get up. So I have to grab her by the ankles and drag her to the end of the bed so that I can then grab her under the arms like you would an infant and sit her up. She's limp....on purpose....doesn't help me at all. Once I have stood her up (& I'm out of breath) I turn to walk out the door. Two steps away, I turn around and she's standing against the wall; her face flat on the wall. "Come on Bailey, let's get dressed for church" I continue walking to the living room. And she begins her usual, "Maaa Maaaaa". This is chanted repeatedly to no avail and gets louder and louder. I finally get her to the living room.
She's already wet, so I get a pull up and wet wipes and rip the side of the pull up. As soon as she's free, she walks off to the TV (to listen to music) She refuses to come to me. I grab her arm and pull her over to me. "Step in", I tell her. She lets her body go limp again....in total rebellion. (she may not know much, but she knows defiance!) I try to lift her leg myself and she's hollering at me and trying to scratch me. It looks like a cat & dog fighting...seriously! Once again, I am out of breath.
Next comes clothes. After another bout in what seems like the WWF, she's dressed. Now the hard part (as if all the rest of this hasn't been crazy hard) brushing of the teeth and hair. While she is involved in her DVD, I slip up behind her...very quiet like...easy now...easy..........& 'pounce', like a leopard I charge! I'm in....brush quickly...get in...get out. There's toothpaste everywhere (she doesn't know how to spit) she's grabbing my hands and stomping my feet with her shoes. And of course....limp again. Oh My Soul! This child is out to get me today.
One thing left, hair. Once she has settled down and is once again into the music, I make a second approach...my freshly washed/dried hair is now damp around the edges from me sweating up a storm....ok, I can do it....and 'attack'! Here I go. Her hair is down to her butt, so it's like brushing Rapunzel's hair! She absolutely hates for her hair to be washed or brushed. The whole time I'm brushing, she's taking her hands and pulling down what I've put up. She's spitting at me, screaming, stomping my feet, going limp, & scratching. Now we're really going at it. It takes every ounce of strength to get this hair of hers in a simple ponytail.
By the time I'm done, I'm just that....done! I have let Satan get the upper hand, again. Now I'm in a bad mood, Bailey is in a bad mood...and it's gonna spread if I don't stop it soon! But jeez, I am so tired. Tired of the same fight and battle that I have fought every day for nearly eight years. Tired of being tired. Tired of always having to do everything for her. Tired of letting Satan steal my joy and giving in to him every time. It was then that I thought of the song, 'O, rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistakes; He knoweth the end of each path that I take; and when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold'. What conviction. I repented immediately for the horrible thoughts that I had had toward Bailey and not only Bailey; but toward the life that the Lord has given me.
And you know what, the Lord does forgive and renews that right spirit within me. The Lord made no mistake in creating Bailey or in placing her in the Wiggins family. Again, like I've said before...don't think that because I am a preacher's wife that I do not have heartaches, bad days, hard times....if fact, sometimes I think Satan works overtime at our house!

We've had revival services this week. Notice the wording 'revival services', not 'revival'. Why, because no one can make you have 'revival'. Revival is a personal matter and begins in the heart of a person. One person could have revival or the whole church could have revival. Our prayer was that these special services would be a way for the Lord to really speak to hearts and change hearts.
I have mentioned before that Dr. Jerry Siler of Cornerstone Baptist Temple in Dayton, OH was preaching. I have really enjoyed his preaching this week. He has such a passion for souls. His tears are real; you can see the power of God all over him. Although I have appreciated all of his preaching, to me, what really makes a good preacher/pastor is who he is when not behind the pulpit. And believe me, he is truly a man of God. He took the time to learn my children's names and show them attention, always calling each by name and spending a few moments with each. Moms notice things like that. He was sure to converse with everyone at church. I admire a man of God who is just as full of the Spirit in day to day life as he is in the pulpit.

So, every preacher's wife knows the saying "living in the fishbowl". This is so true, though. A preacher's family definitely lives in the fishbowl...everyone watching and no where to hide. Our life is on display for all to critique to judge. But that's okay with me. I'm quite used to it and it doesn't bother me at all.
So I have changed the name of my blog to 'swimmin in the fishbowl'. I want everyone to know that my life is no different than any other Christian's life is (or should be). I struggle with sin just like everyone else. I mess up. I have to repent each day for things done or not done. I have worries and do not always have trust in Christ like I should. The devil works overtime to keep me from reading my Bible and praying each day. I get aggravated, disappointed, I lose my temper, I think evil thoughts.....that's right people, I'm a normal person.
The only difference is that God has called us into the ministry. We bowed to the will of God for our lives. We surrendered to his calling. And I am grateful to be in the ministry and to serve God to the best of my ability. Is there a distinction? Sure, I believe that the Lord wants the Wiggins family to live a holy, blameless, edifying, sanctified, soul-winning, compassionate life...but you know what? He calls each Christian to live a separated life, not just the preacher and his family. Each Christian should try their hardest (through the Holy Spirit) to live a life pleasing to the Father.
Having said this, which has probably confused everyone b/c I tend to not express things very well at times, I just want to welcome everyone to my fishbowl. Come in, make yourself at home, look around!

well, i ended up in the nursery tonight b/c bailey won't sit through services. she's crackin me up tonight. don't know if you know many children in the autism spectrum, but sometimes they do the strangest things. like right now, she's standing about 6 inches from a blank wall, looking up at it....she's totally spaced out. she's glaring at that wall like there is something there only she can see. once in a while she will call out "mama" which is not to call me, but is the one word she knows best. she'll do this at home as well, but with other things....like doorknobs, the rug, a single playing card. she'll be unaware that anyone else is around....in baileyland. while she stares, she is also stimming.....flapping her arms or touching her fingers together repetitively or shaking her head or doing this crazy lip thing she does. anyway, thought i'd share yet another baileyism with all of you.

Brody's prayer

another blog friend of mine was sharing a prayer made by her little girl. so i thought i would also share the things our son prays for. we always have family devotion at 6PM. we share a Bible story and then do sword drills, maybe sing a little then each family member prays. brody always wants to go first. here's a sample of a brody prayer, "Dear Lord, please help all the people to be saved; and help me to do right things, Lord; and help us to brush our teeth; and help bailey to walk better and grow; and help shelby to grow and do the right things, Lord; and...and...and...just save us Lord" Well, it's the sweetest thing to hear, but if you know brody, then you know that all of this prayer is very animated and he puts real feeling into it. the rest of us are sitting there with bowed heads and we are giving it all we have not to laugh. he's only four, but he always makes sure to pray for the same 3 teenagers each night. i don't know why he has chosen these 3 to take on; but every night he calls them out by name and prays specifically for them. oh how that blesses my soul.....and also convicts it. i begin to think of how often i do not call certain ones out by name. what a shame. i sure do learn a lot of lessons from my children.

ok, so i just posted a pic of me with my glasses....i guess it's been so long since i've posted that i forgot that i had already done that.  

    Hi there everyone!  I know, I have totally deprived all of you of the stories of my life....j/k.  There's been so much going on lately, I hardly know where to start.   Let's see, each year our church holds a Kindred Sisters Gathering which is an all day event for just the ladies at our church.  We have devotion, testimonies, prayer time and food.  What a blessing this day was for me.  

    Then we had Bro. JC House to preach all Sunday (the 15th)  Enough said there!

    Then I also had the opportunity to visit with my mother in law and mother.  They each came in for a visit!  I really enjoy spending time with both of them.

    Then this Sunday we began revival with Dr. Jerry Siler.  He has such a huge heart.  (figuratively, of course)

    Anyway, ladies in my circle, have you ever been in service and the preaching is great, the Spirit is moving, the Lord is working and you just have this urge to stand up and shout?  I know, I'm the only one who wonders, "What would happen if I stood up with a hearty hand raised,  'AMEN BROTHER!' "  One day I just know I'm gonna forget that I am in church and just have a little fit right there in my pew!  Man, I love church.  

Donya's Specs!

 

So, Bailey is 7 and we are working on potty training. easier said than done. she does well as long as we take her about once an hour. i'll tell you what, we're going through way too many pull ups. Anyway, i put her in the tub last night....being sure to put her on the pot first. she just sits there with her big cheesy grin and does.....nothing. no poop or pee. so i feel confident that i can put her into the tub. so i fill it with lots of water and bubbles.
shelby passes by and says, i'll get in with her to keep her happy. so shelby gets in and they play for a bit. so i leave and go do some laundry. then i hear the infamous words, "Mama, bailey pooped in the tub!" Shelby goes running from that bathroom to ours and jumps in the shower.....groaning and moaning about being pooped on.
i walk into the bathroom and there sits bailey in the tub surrounded by 'floaters'....ok, i won't go into details....you all know the scene. this was cuter when she was an infant, but when you're dealing with a 7 year old autistic child who is a little chunky, it's not so cute any more.
you know, the words, "stand up" "sit down" "bend over" "lift your leg" etc. are to no effect with her. by the time i finish cleaning her and the tub, i am soaking wet, with more soap and bubbles on me than on her or the tub.
so i thought i'd share another adventure in bailey land with all of you. have a great day!

I can see

That's right people.....i got my new glasses yesterday! woo hoo. i can see again!!!! this isn't the best pic ever....ok, none of them ever are. anyway, thought i'd let everyone see my specs!

We had a ladies meeting tuesday night. we had about 25 ladies attend. AMEN!!! as i was listening to the speaker for the night i began to just think (and listen at the same time) of how great our ladies are. i looked around at the faces and thought, "I am so blessed) These ladies are ones who you can count on, depend on, trust to give devotions, trust to head up things and organize things, call on in a pinch, trust to really pray when asked. They have become my best friends. Each one has a special talent; each one is dear to me for different reasons. We have some who came in and looked so tired; i am sure that they worked hard all day, but still made it to the meeting. that says so much about them and their love for the Lord and for the church. I don't know, i could brag for hours, but i just wanted to give them a little thank you for cyber world!

Hi there everyone! Well, I have no special stories to tell today so I'll just give everyone an update with on the Wiggins crew. Well, i woke in the middle of the night with this crazy sick headache. (i never get sick, so when i even get a headache it's like the end of the world to me) it was still there when i awoke. i felt so bad that i didn't even blowdry my hair; just went to church with it wet. luckily, wednesdays are days that another dear church lady comes in to help in the school while i do office work. since she was there, i paraded on down to my husband's office and crashed on his couch. i know it sounds terrible, but i left my poor little four year old in my office (which is joined to my husband's) playing with toys. i figured if he needed help he'd either come get me or figure it out himself. so there i was out like a light, yet very much aware of what was going on around me. (I hate that kind of sleeping, it makes for crazy dreams) i even remember shelby coming in and putting a blanket over me and saying, "You just sleep" how sweet and concerned she was. so i awoke 5 hours later...still with a headache. it makes me so mad to have one. it's eased off a little now, though.

Brody- he's doing well. cut his own hair the other night.....so the following morning, he got a real haircut. he's so funny.

Bailey- goodness, i guess i have a new story to tell on her everyday. i just don't always post them for sake of it being all about her all the time. she's such a joy. the other day she realized she could make the "mmm". needless to say, she did that for over an hour and at a very high volume.

Shelby- just trucking along in her schoolwork. she's my helper & friend.

Michael- the busiest man on earth. just kidding! but you preacher's wives know what i mean. but you know what, we wouldn't have it any other way. when it's what God calls you to do (shepherd a flock) then you enjoy doing it! he's great. the best man in the world.

so that's it. update....complete; headache....still there; church tonight....can't wait; sleep tonight....AMEN!

sorry for the neglect

i love to get to the church early in the morning, log onto blogger and read NEW posts from my friends. and i get so terribly disappointed when they haven't updated their blogs lately. well, i must apologize because i have become one of those people. it's been a while since my last post. guilty, guilty, guilty. so i'm posting today....the problem is, i don't have time to do a 'real' post. but this counts, right?! hope so.

told ya i'd add the pics

so, i finally got some pics of my husband's haircut! ENJOY!!!

Church Family

Today we took the Sunday School teaching shopping ($50 each) at Mardel Christian Bookstore! It was great being able to let the teachers go through and pick out things for their classes! They had a ball. It was like Christmas for them.
But I just have to say how much I enjoyed being with church family. We always have such a great time together. Fellowship is sweet! Anyway, nothing else to report. Just want to brag on wonderful teachers whose hearts are for the Lord!

REPRINT from June 8, 2008 "MY UNCLE RONNIE

Ring, Ring.....Michael answers the phone, "Donya, it's for you."
"Hello?" (It's my brother, Marcus)
"Hey, I have bad news...Uncle Ronnie's been killed."

I am aware that most of you will become bored with my story and quit reading...but for me, this is therapeutic...so whether or not anyone reads it, I'll feel better for doing it.

Also, let me take a moment to say to all the family, but especially his immediate family (Peggy, Ronald, Chris, Denise, Doug, Doyle, Alesia, Derek, Jane & the girls) I am praying for each of you and hope that through this tragedy Christ would be glorified. God's timing is not our own. And we know that God was not sitting up in Heaven going, "Oh, No, What happened?!" God knows His sheep and He knew exactly where Uncle Ronnie was and what would take place. Be thankful that he knew the Lord as his Savior and that you can rest in knowing that Heaven has already become is permanent home!

After I hung up the phone with Marcus, a terrible grief and agony filled my heart. It was a feeling that I haven't had in long time & it took me quite by surprise. You see, I am not very open with my emotions. Don't know why...I'm not hard hearted, quite the opposite, I just try to keep my emotions in check.
I don't remember ever crying at the passing of my granddaddy, granny Godwin, or Granny Holley...but at this loss, I wept bitterly. I couldn't stop, it was a release of emotion that even surprised me. I think some of it was because I'm in Texas & couldn't be there for the services.
You see, My Uncle Ronnie was like a second father to me. When other kids wanted to spend weekends and summers with friends, I wanted to go to Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Peggy's house. Was there some great water park or exciting fun there? No, they were in the country...in Chumuckla, FL where nothing ever happened. Join me if you want into some of my fondest memories, not just of my time with Uncle Ronnie...but these are even some of the fondest memories of my life.

I remember on Friday afternoons, mama would pick me up from school, I'd hop into the truck and see my little worn out green suitcase...my begging has earned me a weekend at Uncle Ronni & Aunt Peggy's house! WOO HOO!!! We'd make the all the way to where the paved road turned to dirt, drive on down and there I could see my cousin, Chris, squatting down with arms wide open. I would ump out before the truck even stopped, run into his arms and give him the biggest hug ever! It felt just as good as home there. Inside, I wold ask the question that I already knew the answer to, "When will Uncle Ronnie get home?" I just couldn't wait for him to get there.

Here are some tings that my mind often drifts back to:
His Hands. They were short and stubby, rough & gentle all at the same time. He was a brick layer by trade...and the best one at that. He worked hard out in the sun and heat all day, no complaints. I even 'helped' when I was allowed to go to work with him. He would pick me up and set me on his lap with those hands, and there we would stay for hours watching old westerns (with the volume way too high)

His Belly Button....I know that's weird, but I was always amazed at how his belly button was off to one side. And in the country the men went around with no shirts on a lot of times. This was the case with Uncle Ronnie. he would often be shirtless and that was the most comfortable spot for a nap as a child, right on his gut!

His Hair...or the lack thereof. But that didn't stop me from trying my hardest to fix it with my hairbrush.

Going Swimming at the Creek...the drive there on the back of the truck...the watermelons we would stick in the creek to get good and cold...Uncle Ronnie teaching me to swim by laying on my belly across his arms in the water.

The Tom Thumb Store...There we would go get him a DP and me a carton of chocolate milk. We would rent movies (& in the early days even the VCR)...get some candy and go back home to eat Aunt Peggy's homemade pizza.
I was the apple of his eye as a child...he spent a small fortune on my little indulgences. he would do nearly anything to keep me happy.

Now this one is more for my Aunt Peggy....having my own special bed sheets...the ones with the roses on them.

Going 4 wheeling in the woods.

Fresh veggies. he always had the best garden. I would help pick butter beans & field peas and then do my best to shell them.

Worms....Fishermen from all around would show up early in the morning to buy a couple hundred.

Going fishing.

Running around bare foot, not brushing my hair all day, eating a big breakfast every morning.

The day Derek, his first grandson, was born; the joy that being called "Paw Paw" brought to him.

The simplicity of their lives.


Although life has now taken me down different roads and I am not a little girl anymore, I have always kept that whole family near my heart. I love each of you, even if we rarely see one another.

So now the question becomes.....
Will I ever see Uncle Ronnie again? Please take that question seriously. You see, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will. He accepted Christ as his Savior, just as I have. Therefore, we both have a home in heaven. Do you? There's only one way you'll ever see him, hug his neck, or tell him you love him ever again. And that's by the blood of Jesus.
Please take time to read these verses if you are not sure if you'll see him again.
Romans 3:10
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:8
Romans 10:9-13

Sleep depravation (sp?)

Oh my soul!!!! We must live on the busiest street in America. OK, I may be exaggerating, but it must be in the top ten! We live on the corner of a 4 way stop right in the middle of a huge neighborhood. It's the main strip. What were we thinking?

There is constant noise: diesel trucks everywhere, garbage trucks, fire trucks (with sirens), cop cars (also with sirens), ambulances (that's right...with sirens), and on and on.

What's the problem? Nothing if we didn't have an autistic child who already never sleeps. And once she does fall asleep, we walk on egg shells. (ok, not really. i mean how crazy would it be to have eggs all over the floor?! ha ha ha) Anyway, case in point, she goes to be without any problems last night (Praise the Lord) and 30 minutes later.....sirens and lots of them. Effect? Bailey begins screaming! Well, again, this is no normal child. You can't just say, "OK, honey, go back to bed, it's okay." Our only resolve is to shut her door all the way and let her cry it out! Or scream it out in her case. (we're horrible parents, I know....well, you're more than welcome to walk a day in my shoes) This fit could last as long as an hour........and has often times lasted longer.

Praise the Lord, she only cried a few minutes and off to sleep she went! The moral of the story? OK, there isn't one. Just had to complain about living in a location that we chose for ourselves...........so I guess there's no one to blame but me! how funny. try to come on here and vent about aggravations and then end up realizing it's my fault to begin with. i just crack myself up sometimes. Oh well, have a great day everyone! I will.