The Monday After

After Easter, that is.
Before Bruce and I went on our date Friday, we stopped and visited with both of our mothers for a while and took them some beautiful tulips. They opened up so pretty and there were several colors in them. I loved them. When they die, I might go get the plants and replant the bulbs. I wonder if they would come back next year. Anyone out there know?
Saturday, Bruce took the kids to the trade lot to walk around a little bit while I did some errands. For some reason my brain was malfunctioning all day. No sooner would I get home I would remember something I forgot and had to go back out for it. This happened, I know, four or five times. It was very frustrating. I made a couple of apple crisps. One for my sister in law and brother and one for us. They were really good. I'll share this easy recipe soon. You will love it, I promise!
It was a long Resurrection day, but it was sooo good! God showed up in both services and we had a time, let me tell ya!! After the morning service, we went to my mother in law's for dinner. It was good to see everyone. My niece Britt and her family wasn't able to make it and we missed them. But it was good to see everyone else and have some laughs together. Brother Johnathan preached the Sunday evening service and did a spectacular job. I love to hear that boy preach. He has been the acting youth Pastor for a while and has done a great job. We are so proud of him and Mrs. Jennifer and are so blessed. We love them bunches!
After the morning service I was asked to take some pictures of a couple of families outside. My friend, Missy, and her family was one of them. This was just so funny, I had to share it. See the goofball in the back? Yeah, that's "big Chad." He's such a dork. But Missy loves him, so we tolerate him. haha

And check out Faith's literal hair bow. Missy found a tutorial online on how to make a bow with your hair. It turned out really cute.

I do love this family. LOL

~~~

Today has been an extra long day, I think. Been busy doing school work, editing pictures, making CDs, meeting clients, working on picture orders, cooking lunch, cleaning a house, doing laundry.... I really don't need more hours in the day. Just more energy.

Just finished icing my knee and now I'm shutting it all down and going to bed!

Happy Easter

Well, here we are wrapping up the first week of April, can you believe it?? I can't!

I've had several photo shoots recently. One for the granddaughter of a friend who wanted to surprise her daughter with the pictures, one for some missionaries going out of our church, and one for a young nursing student that graduates soon. They all turned out beautiful and I'm excited for them to see their pictures.

I've done something to my knee. On one of the shoots I bent down and when I did I heard my knee pop. It didn't hurt or bruise, but ever since then it snaps and swells throughout the day. I've been icing it and taking ibuprofen when I need it, but I think I'm going to have to go to the doctor. I don't want to, but... you know how that goes. So pray that I'm better soon! We have a trip coming up with our youth soon and I sure don't want to have to put up with a bum knee on that trip.

Bruce has been studying to get his CDL so he can start helping drive the bus when they need another driver. He's been talking about it for a while and finally getting around to it. We've been trying to get Justin to do the same. I'm sure he will eventually.

So tomorrow is Easter. The day we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord. I am looking forward to being in church tomorrow and singing songs about Him raising from the dead and hearing the message that God has given my Pastor to give to us. It will be a beautiful day, for sure. After church we'll go to my mother in law's house for Sunday dinner with the family. Looking forward to some time with them, a little rest, and back for evening services.

What are your plans for Easter?

I hope you all have a good Easter and remember that, although bunnies and eggs make the day fun, it's all about an EMPTY TOMB! Praise God, He got up for me!!

SIGMA, Progressive Supper at OneTrueMedia.com

This is a video of pictures from our youth activity this past Friday night. We had a progressive supper. We had a good time. Enjoy!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Wow, What A Great Weekend!

We had a terrific weekend. Several of us have been busy recently, getting things ready for the twenty-fifth anniversary of our dear Pastor and his precious wife being at our church. It was a beautiful day, Sunday, and everything went great. The only thing Pastor asked for, is that we don't allow the special day to get in the way of old time worship. And that's exactly what happened. We had spectacular meetings, both services and it was a blessing to be a part of both of them.

One of the special things our church did, was to make a book of personal letters from the congregation to Pastor Goodman and Mrs. Ava. Along with those letters were pictures of some of the people that wrote letters. I tried to get everyone's pictures, but some of them just didn't make it in the book. We did, however, have a good many to add. We also had some that turned in old pictures, but I didn't add those to the video below. These are just the ones I took. You'll notice I titled the video "Koala Pictures." There's a story behind that.

We didn't want Pastor and Mrs. Ava to know what we were up to, so Brother Johnny asked the congregation to give him a code word, one Wednesday night when Pastor and Mrs. Ava were out of town. The word was "Koala" and given by one of our youth, Jordan L. Jordan's grandmother also came up with "Epistles." Both were great, but people loved using "Koala." So that one stuck.

We had Brother Preston Moore and his wife for the special services. I love hearing him preach. He is a good preacher! Brother Moore was the first Pastor that our own Pastor served under his first associate pastor's job. He learned a great deal about being an under-shepherd from Brother Moore and references him often when preaching. Pastor Goodman loves and respects Brother Moore very much.

I have more to tell and lots of pictures to share, that I'll post later. It was a busy and wonderful weekend! One I am trutly thankful to have taken part in.

Robbed of a Gallon of Gas

I am way too busy to be blogging right now, but something happened today that kind of blew my mind. And made me kind of upset too.

So, I'm in Shelby running errands and eating lunch with the kids and had a check to be cashed. The check was from the bank, 5th 3rd. I do not bank there, but since my bank was in the other direction and I was right there at the Shelby branch on East Dixon, I decided to get it cashed there.

I signed my check, put it in the canister with my picture ID and sent it through to the teller. She asked if I banked there and I told her no. Then she proceeds to tell me that since I want to cash that check there it will cost me $4.00. The check was barely $20 and they were taking $4. Seriously???

First of all, we live in an economy where $4 right now is the equivalent to a gallon of gas.
Secondly, I have never, EVER heard of a bank charging someone to cash a check from an account that bank holds.
And thirdly, did I mention it was a gallon of gas?

I had an account with 5th 3rd a few years ago and I am so glad I decided to close that account. They are a no good bank. Always coming up with some scheme to rip people off. And in these day and times, that is just the low of the low.

So now that I have vented on the Internet, I will copy and paste a link to this post in an email to 5th 3rd and get back to my busy life. See y'all later.

Date Night With My Super Hero

Tonight was date night. We went out to eat supper then dessert at Swooger's (a local ice cream shop), hung out at Books-a-Million, and walked around the new Target in Gastonia.
We found these awesome masks in their dollar isle. We didn't buy 'em, we just wanted to play with 'em for a little bit. lol
Bruce has always read comic books. Spider man was always his favorite. This is the closest he's come to being Spider Man. But he's the sweetest Super Hero I know.

While we were at Books-a-Million, I was finished looking around, so I sat down with a couple of ladies and was reading some things on my Kindle Fire. The other two ladies were talking and then I joined in. We were having a fun chat until another woman snipped, "Have y'all exhausted all subjects yet? I'm trying to read." She was so serious. But it was one of those moments where my brain was telling me to just be quiet and act normal, yet I suddenly heard myself burst into laughter. She, on the other hand, was not cracking a smile, which made my giggles grow a little larger.

Other than that little kerfuffle, which was still a high light of the evening, we had a great time together. I love date nights with my super hero. You just never know how they're going to turn out.

<3

Local Field Trip Day

Hannah has spent the week in Tennessee with my mom, visiting my Aunt Janice. They've had a really good time. They were able to visit Brother Tony Hutson's church, Middle Tennessee Baptist, Wednesday night. My Aunt loved it and is looking forward to visiting again on Sunday with mom and Hannah. They've decided to stay a couple of extra days and won't be home until sometime Monday evening. I'll be glad to see my baby girl again.

Harrison and I decided to take a field trip today to our local museum. We didn't know what the exhibit was until we got there. It was the Girl Scouts from the year they started to present date. It was interesting to see how the badges and uniforms have changed over the years. They had a table set up where you could make a paper pocket knife so we did that. I told Harrison it gave a whole new meaning to a paper cut.

Next we stopped at the Library. For some reason, both Harrison and I were not in the system and we ended up having to get new library cards. Which was fine. Harrison finally checked out two books he's been dying to get for months. Everytime we go, the entire series is checked out. So he was glad there were two there and has enjoyed reading them today.

After the library we met Bruce at Love's Fish Box for lunch. Love's is the BEST fish camp in our area, in our opinion. We had a great lunch together and then home for a little rest before Bruce had to leave for work.

A friend came over for a visit this afternoon and it was so nice to sit and chat for a while. I enjoyed it very much!

Now we're just waiting on Justin to get back from practicing with one of the groups at church. I know he'll be exhausted when he gets here. He's been up a long time today and I'm sure he'll be ready to hit the sack when he gets home.

I'm outta here. Y'all have a good night/morning/evening.... whatever. :D

Happy Valentine's Day II

Bruce's mom had gone to lunch with good friends on Valentine's Day, so Bruce ended up missing her. But he did go see her when he got off work that night.
But later in the afternoon, the kids and I went to see her to take her a card and some candy and visit a while.

My great niece was there. She is so beautiful and gives the sweetest little hugs. And obviously she enjoys her McDonald's ice cream sundaes.

My brother in law was dropping her off for my mother in law to sit for a few hours while he went back to work and his wife was busy at the florist shop. Valentine's Day is their busiest day, you know!

We had a good visit and before we left, my sister in law and her two sons showed up. It was good to see them too.

When we left my mother in law's house, we picked up some pizzas and went to mom's to deliver her card and candy. We watched some love stories from back in the prairie days while we ate our pizza and had a great time with her.

It was nice being able to spend some time with our moms and letting them know that we consider them to be our valentines.

Love you, Mom! Love you, Marie!

A Happy Valentine's Day!

When the children went to bed last night I put a pink table cloth on the table with a vase of flowers in the candy heart vase I found a few weeks ago, and put the kid's cards and chocolates on the table. I also left Bruce's gift bag and he left my gift box.


This morning I had a house to clean before meeting Bruce at the gym. We came home and while he got ready for work, I finished cooking lunch.


For dessert, I gave everyone someone a friend of mine posted about. Heart-shaped Little Debbie cakes with strawberry swirl ice cream, topped with chocolate drizzles.

Obviously, they liked it.

After dessert we opened our gifts and this is what I got. Of course, we already knew what we were getting because when we went out Friday night, we each picked out our own gifts.
We had a very good day and there was more to it, but I'll share about that later. Right now it's late and this wife and mama is tuckered out.

Swinging With My Sweetie

The theme for our Valentine's Banquet was inspired by a greeting card. It was really cute and we had a great time in our new banquet room for our first Valentine Banquet there.
Here's a pic of me and my sweetie pie. This was the entrance to the banquet room.


This year's skits were so hilariously funny. Brother Johnny was a former boxer being interviewed by "Hambone." It was great.


He was also a former inventor. He showed us many of his inventions. The one below is a nice hat to wear in church when you need a tissue from crying or have a runny nose.

My Pastor and his wife also did a VERY FUNNY skit. I don't think I have ever seen them be so funny. It was great.

And here they are without his hat/hair. Aren't they sweet?

We had a good time. Several people worked hours on the meal. We had our choice of steak or chicken, salad, baked potatoes, drink, and dessert. It was all fabulous!!

And of course I had a great time with my sweetheart.

I love him. <3

A Little Better

I spent another day in bed, with the exception of putting a roast in the oven for lunch. I do feel better and hope that tomorrow I will feel even better than I did today.

When I heard on the news that the sickness going around is due highly in part to an early spring and unusually high levels of pollen in the air, I decided to try some allergy medication instead of taking the usual head cold meds. I started on a 24 hr allergy pill. I take it in the morning and a few hours later I start taking Musinex every four hours with a Vitamin C every four hours also. I think it's really helped. Tomorrow we'll know for sure.

Since I've been in bed the last few days I decided to update my picture blog and organize the sidebar. If you want to view the pics, just click here and choose which album you want from the sidebar. I still have a lot of albums to add but I'll have to get to those when I have more time.

So far, no one in my family has gotten sick from me. Keeping a close eye on that though. Looking forward to this weekend and hoping I get to go to the Valentine Banquet with my sweetheart.

Hope y'all have a great weekend too. :)

A Turn for the Worse

So my cold has taken a turn for the worse. I've been in bed since just after 2:00 yesterday. Bruce went to the gym by himself this morning and is bringing me back some orange juice and Cepacol. Nothing says *lunch* like medicine, right?

I had Harrison bring me some disinfectant wipes so I could wipe down my computer keys. As I was sitting here doing that my nose started running. No tissues, no toilet paper (nearby, anyway), so why not use a disinfectant wipe? As I told friends, the lemon scent is nice and my nose has never felt so clean. ha!

I've been doing my blog reading and that's been nice to pass time. OH! Have y'all discovered pinterest yet? I LOVE it! There are so many great ideas on that site. I don't know that I'm as addicted as some of my other friends, but I do like Pinterest. Sometimes I forget to pin things I find on the Internet and then later I think, "MAN! Should have pinned that!!" If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's a great way to find recipes, crafts, etc.

Our Valentine's Banquet is this weekend. This year we decided to do two nights of the banquet. So the Young Adults class, Newly Married class, and Still Married class will be Friday night. And Saturday will be for those that couldn't make it Friday and Brother Johnny's Sunday School class. We're in the Still Married class, but we'll be going Saturday because Bruce has to work Friday night. I've been able to help some on the decorations for the banquet. It is so cute! Mrs. Amy Leonard and Mrs. Ava have had some awesome ideas, all inspired by a greeting card. I'll have pictures to share, Lord willing, next week. I hope I'm feeling much better by then and we get to go.

I think I'll go back to reading some blogs now.

Here's something to look at for a minute. :)

Pork Alfredo and A Fun Family Shoot

I really don't know what to call this recipe, if you can call it a recipe, that is. LOL A friend of mine taught me how to do this a few years ago and as I was telling another friend about it, I thought maybe my blog readers would like to try it also.

Grab a pencil, because this recipe is quite long. Here's what you need:

Pork chops, boneless or bone-in, doesn't matter.
One jar of Alfredo sauce.

Ok, so you don't need a pencil. It really is that simple. Easy, easy!! Place your pork chops in a pan, cover with Alfredo sauce, and cook at 350 degrees until pork is done.
I like to serve mine with Angel Hair pasta and some kind of green. I prefer steamed broccoli. But I'm out of that today so we'll probably have a side salad. If you try it, let me know how you like it.
~~~~~
This weekend, I had the privilege of shooting the Vaughan family. They were such a fun group of people to be around. Mom and dad Vaughan were obviously use to the shenanigans of their daughters, because they pretty well let their playful ways roll right on without batting an eye. It was hilarious. Each daughter has such a different personality and they all just fold right into each other. I never had a sister, but if I did, I'd sure want that kind of relationship with them. It was very emotional for me at then end. We did a daddy/daughters shot with them and they were so playful with their dad that it was fun, but after all was said and done and I found myself missing my dad so much I couldn't fight back the tears.
They were a sweet family to shoot and I'll never forget this one!

~~~~~
After the shoot I had a date with my main squeeze. :) We decided to go to Don's Italian in Shelby. Bruce loves their turkey subs. They have awesome burgers so I had the bacon cheeseburgers with their homemade chips and ranch dip. I could make a meal just off the chips and dip. lol Anyway, I started not feeling well and by the time I got up Sunday morning I was REALLY feeling bad.
My eyes were swollen and with each blink the water would just flow from them like the Hoover Dam busted. As a matter of fact. I was oozing from every hole in my head. Gross, I know. Sorry. So I stayed home from church. We were having a family get together at my mother-in-law's after morning service. I met my family there after church and by the afternoon I was feeling some better and knew I could make it to church. Come to find out, we had over a hundred people out with this crud. They said the choir was puny Sunday morning and I believe it, because it was puny Sunday night. LOL But it was still good. And the service was excellent. Better than ANY Super Bowl. The Holy Spirit was in our midst and the alters were full. Three people were saved and seven were baptized. I was so glad I made it!
~~~~~
As for the Super Bowl, we made it home as New England was leading the second half. We were pulling for the Giants. It was a crazy game but in the end, the Giants won. And there you have it! YAY.
~~~~~
Other than being sick, I had a really terrific weekend and hope you did too.

Do I Care?

While we were working out at the gym today, I noticed someone's t-shirt that read

I used to care. But now I take a pill for that.

On a t-shirt or a bumper sticker that little saying makes us smile. After all, I did make a silent chuckle when I read it. Obviously there is not really a pill that keeps us from caring. But what does keep us from caring?

As I was treading away on the treadmill and thinking about what I read, the thought did occur to me that many of us.... Christians, that is.... have stopped caring.

We've stopped caring about what Bible we carry.
We've stopped caring about how we dress.
We've stopped caring about the language we use.
We've stopped caring about what we put in front of our eyes.
We've stopped caring about the music we listen to.
We've stopped caring about whether or not our children are involved in their youth activities.
We've stopped caring about whether or not our families are in Sunday school and church services.
We've stopped caring about whether or not the alters are full.
We've stopped caring about souls being saved.
We've. stopped. caring.

Sometimes I think we become oblivious to our carelessness. But we need to be aware of it because it damages the cause of Christ.
It chokes the Word of God, gluts the soul, obstructs the Gospel, hinders the work of Christ, and manifests unbelief.

I have been guilty of carelessness in my Christian walk. And as I pondered these things, I was overwhelmed with guilt at the thought of causing others to fall because of it.

Referring to the "pill" mentioned on the t-shirt, I guess you could say that spiritually, the pill of carelessness is a poison. But there is an antidote for that poison, if we are sure to care about the things of God.

First of all, we have God's protection. Psalm 37: 4-11 tells us to delight ourselves in Him, commit our ways, trust in Him, rest in Him, and when we do these things, He will bring to pass the promises of those things He only gives his children. Such as the desires of our hearts, righteousness and judgment, inheritance of the earth, and peace.

Secondly, we have God's provision. Matthew 6:25-34, we hear it straight from the LORD, that He will take care of our needs. We don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or whether or not we'll be clothed. We are compared to "...the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. ARE YE NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THEY?" Again, we are compared to the lilies, "...how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And in verse 33 we are told, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." When we stop caring about His kingdom and His righteousness, we begin to forfeit the gifts He has in store for us.

And thirdly, when we care about the things of God, we have God's promises. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Everything we do should be entered into with earnest prayer. Christians that do not care do not have much of a prayer life, if any at all. Much less an earnest one. Christians that care, pray. When we are earnest in prayer life, we'll be earnest in our daily life. And when we are earnest in those things, we are Christians, caring for the things of God, resting in the assurance of His promises.

I don't want to stand before the Lord, guilty of not caring. So I have to ask myself...

"Do I Care?"

Our First Love

As I was waiting for Bruce to come out of the men's locker room today, I glanced up at the many tvs hanging from the ceiling. One of them was showing the Jerry Springer show, which was just coming on. Why anyone in their right mind would watch that absolute garbage and filth is beyond me. Although I could not hear without headphones, the title of the episode popped up on the screen and my first thoughts when I saw it were of being thankful. My next thought was of this verse:
Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."

When I think of this verse, I immediately think of my relationship with Jesus Christ. The flesh of the Saint is prone to leave our First Love. We deny Him the thing He desires most from us and that is our praise, our worship, and our loyalty. He never betrays us, but we betray Him often. Daily.

It is easy to betray Him when we become so down and tired in our Christian walk. When things don't go our way, or when we feel everything around us is falling apart. Maybe you've become burned out in your service or weary in your well doing. Maybe you're discouraged from someone's gossip. Or you feel you have been working in your ministry all alone, for far too long.

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

There are many things that tempt us into betraying our First Love. Being tired, weary, and discouraged can be a temptation to laying everything down and walking away. But hang in there! Your First Love will be your strength, He will lift you up, and He will encourage you in His Word. And at the end of your journey, you will receive that crown of life!

And what girl doesn't desire her own crown?

Tips For A Brighter Day

I borrowed this from Mrs. Carolyn, our youth choir director. She carries it in her Bible. She is one of the SWEETEST ladies you will ever have the privilege of knowing. She has a genuine Christian character and I love her so much. I am continually blessed by her. Anyway, on our way to the youth rally tonight, she handed this to me to read and said for me to post it. As I read it, it sure did step on my toes a few times and it's definitely worth sharing.

Tips For a Brighter Day

*TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:

I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

*TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:

I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip.

*TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:

I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

*TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:

If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I will not respond in like manner.

*TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE I DISCOURAGED:

My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling life.

*TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":

If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker, or a stranger.

*TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:

I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

*TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:

I will practice the golden rule-"Do unto others as I would have them do unto me" -with everyone I encounter.

*TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:

I will eat less; i will eat only healthy foods. I will thank God for my body.

*TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:

I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place and listen to God's voice!

I Ain't Gonna Leave My Pea Patch!

Our Pastor was asked to preach a chapel service at Hyles-Anderson College last week. He and Mrs. Ava flew up there and had a great time being with the students and staff.

If you'd like to listen to his sermon, please click here. The title of his sermon is I Ain't Gonna Leave My Pea Patch Anymore! from the January 20th chapel service.

Enjoy!

Sigma All-Nighter

This past Friday night we spent with our Sigma group having an all-nighter. It was a lot of fun and the kids were great to be with.

We met in our new facility at 6:00 pm and headed to a local mall to play some courses at the Lunar Mini Golf and do some window shopping.

Our junior sponsors (Justin, Jeremy, and Ashley) were able to make it and help us through the night. I love it when they're able to be there.

The hearts on Nicole's socks were shining brightly!

And they say that pregnant women have a glow about them. That was so true of Mrs. Jennifer. :)

Bruce had to work Friday night, but showed up sometime after we got back from mini golf. There was plenty of coffee and caffeine filled sodas to help keep him awake.

I'm so thankful for our gym and I know our boys are too, because they played hours and hours and hours of basketball. You'd think they'd get tired of it, but nope, no way!

We also divided all the kids up and played some kickball.

We popped popcorn and watched a Christian film that had us laughing and crying too. It was very good!

As the night progressed, we noticed the teenagers beginning to drop like flies and finding anywhere to lay down.

I found Brandon stretched out on the bottom of this table. I have to admit that at 4:30am, I liked his idea and wished I had thought of it first. haha

Gary planned ahead and brought a blow up mattress. Now that was some pretty smart thinkin'.

Christa plopped down in the floor. At least she didn't try laying on the tile.

And Dustin was totally passed out on the floor. The caffeine in that Dr. Pepper behind his head did not do its job for him.

Just a few of them went to sleep. For the most part, they were all awake through the night. Here they are just waiting for 6:00 am to roll around so we could go to breakfast.

We had several board games and video games that were played through the night also. Here I found Bruce and Brother Johnathan playing baseball, I think?

And if basketball in the gym wasn't enough for these guys, they played it some more on this little hoop in the banquet room.

Six o'clock did finally roll around so we loaded the vans and took them all to Ken and Mary's for breakfast. Ken and Mary's is a local establishment with down home cooking.

Brother Johnathan was the only one drinking tea at our table so he just drank straight from pitcher. lol

Some of them waited sleepy-eyed for their hot breakfast, while others dozed off on the table.

And this is the kind of behavior you get from the adults when they've stayed up all night.

Bruce loves breakfast, so he was more than happy to order all the breakfast food on the list. He got all of his favorite breakfast foods of eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy, and perfectly fried livermush. Boy did he enjoy it all!

I had two of their buttermilk pancakes with a glass of chocolate milk. They were very good.

We got home and in bed by 8:30, slept until just after 2:00, and finished the day off on a date to Northlake Mall in Charlotte and back home to our little town. I gotta admit that I did great Saturday, but Sunday morning I thought my body was ready to shut down. I made it though.

And that was our weekend with the youth group. We'll be going with them this Friday to hear them sing in a revival meeting at Brother Chris Emory's church. I haven't heard who is preaching there yet, but I'm looking forward to the meeting.

Click here to listen to them singing Redeemed.

*Blink* YAWN *Blink*

So tonight we're having an all-nighter with our Sigma youth. We'll be playing some indoor putt-putt and then making our way back to the church for a lot of gym games and other activities. Hopefully we'll have plenty of caffeine and snacks to keep them up all night. Then again.... maybe we should have no caffeine and they'll all pass out no later than 3:00. That would be great, but I remember being a teenager, and I really don't think that will happen. We'll go to breakfast in the morning and then they'll all go home and crash. Well. WE'LL all go home and crash.

We're taking Harry's iPod back tomorrow and hopefully they'll exchange it for another one if it can't be fixed. He's missed it so much. He'll be spending the weekend with his Grandmother and he's looking forward to it.

I haven't been feeling well the last few days. Kind of sick on my stomach. Nothing happening, just nauseated all the time. I almost WISH something would happen just to relieve the nauseousness. Hopefully it will pass soon.

God is so good and He is perfect in all His ways. I have several prayer requests on my heart and would appreciate your prayers with me.

I think I'm going to take a wee nap before I'm up all night with a bunch of crazy teenagers. Maybe we should have signed up our junior sponsors for tonight. LOL Looking forward to being with them and hopefully some of their youth will rub off on me and I'll manage to make it through the night!

My Mirror

My Aunt gave me a secretary (desk/table) and it is so beautiful. It's at my mom's house right now. I wanted a mirror to hang over it and this one is perfect.

Bruce made this one. He saved us lots of money on it too. Let me tell ya how, 'cause you know how I LOVE to pinch my pennies. The mirror, itself, had no frame around it and was hanging in the children's bathroom. Bruce made the frame using the chair railing we pulled off the wall when we were painting before Christmas. I think the only thing we bought to make the mirror was paint. It's so heavy I can't lift it and he had to make a brace to hang it on the wall. It was really brilliant how he did it, I must say. He's quite creative when it comes to things like this. Anyway, pricing these mirrors, one this size and this heavy would go for around $300. I'm happy at how pretty it turned out and I'm proud of my hubby for doing such a great job!

Love you, hon!

His next project is working on my windows. See the curtains in the mirror? He's making me a wooden box (valance) to go around the top. I'm very excited about it. I'll tell you why I'm excited about it when he gets it finished.

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I think I told you our youth choir was singing at a revival next weekend. Click here to hear them singing Redeemed. Hope it's a blessing.

Monday Meanderings

Why call this post Monday Meanderings? Because it's Monday and I'm wandering all over the place with this post. So....

I'll be hanging out with my mom tonight at her house. Eating supper and whatever else. I'm looking forward to it. Love my mom!! She's the best. A few other ladies will be there too, so we'll be sure to have a great time, I know.

Remember when I blogged about Harrison's iPod Touch he was saving up for and bought? Then a few weeks ago (sometime before Christmas) it stopped working. So we finally got around to calling Apple today and they are sending us to their Apple store in Charlotte. They'll run a few tests on it and if they can't get it to run, they'll replace it for him. That's good to know. I'm glad I bought that warranty! Harry will be happy to get his iPod back and start playing the games he had on there.

I bought Bruce the Kindle Fire for Christmas. I'm beginning to think I should have asked him for one, myself. I really like his. I haven't messed with it much, but I love all the features he's been showing me. Maybe if I'm good between now and my birthday, he'll get me one. That's a long time for me to be good, though. So we'll have to wait and see. LOL

Justin is off on Mondays, so when Bruce and I got back home from the gym, I started cooking lunch. Since Bruce works second shift, I try to cook a hot lunch so we have a sit down meal together as a family. Monday is about the only day we get to do this, unless you count Sunday, which I really don't, because my two older ones don't always come home with us after the morning service. I enjoyed having my whole family at the table, laughing and talking together. I live for those moments! :)

I took some videos of our youth choir singing last night. Lord willing I'll be able to get those uploaded to Youtube soon. When I do, I'll post them here. They were asked to sing at a service next weekend for Brother Chris Emory. We're looking forward to it. We love Brother Emory and his family, and the people there at his church.

This weekend we have our all nighter with the youth. It's been a while since I've pulled an all nighter and I'm not sure I'll make it. But we'll see. I'm looking forward to it, nonetheless. Lunar golf, bowling, and then games and snacks at our church's gym. Should be a good time.

And that's it for today. Trying to get back into this whole blogging thing is a killer sometimes. But I have to admit that I am finding it easier to write about things the more I do blog. Hope y'all have a great evening. I know I'm going to!

Chili Recipe

As we were leaving the gym today, I had to stop at the store and pick up a couple items for supper. I thought a pot of chili would be good tonight. Not to mention it would be there tomorrow night, which means NO COOKING tomorrow! :) And since date night is Saturday evenings now, that's two days in a row. I loooooooove cooking, don't get me wrong. But come on... even Martha Stewart would like this plan. Anyway, I shared my recipe for Taco Pie with you yesterday and thought I'd share this recipe also. It's really not a recipe. Just more an "add a little bit-o-this and a little-bit-o that" kind of thing.
I use the large bag of pinto beans when making my pot of chili. Especially if I want it to go a couple of days. You can add a jar of kidney beans and/or stewed tomatoes too. I love those, but my family, not so much.
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1 bag pinto beans
2 lbs of ground beef (try ground turkey or even shredded chicken if your family isn't opposed those)
1 jar of medium to hot salsa
1 medium jar of vegetable juice. V8 Spicy is good if you want a little more spice and today I used the low sodium.
Hot Mexican chili powder, to taste
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Cook pintos to tender
drain most, if not all, of the water out of the beans
Add cooked meat, salsa, vegetable juice, and chili powder to taste
Simmer for about thirty minutes to an hour
Top with chopped onions, saltines, a blend of Mexican cheese, and sour cream.
Makes a hearty meal for all!
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And for those of you who have trouble getting your family to eat leftovers, a tip I read in Women's Day magazine a long time ago said to spray muffin pans with cooking spray, spoon in the chili, and freeze. Then pop 'em out, place them in a gallon zip lock baggie and put them back in the freezer for a cup of chili anytime you want, during the upcoming winter days. I've done this before and it worked great. Bruce would grab a couple of them from the freezer, place them in a tupperware bowl and take them to work. By lunch time, all he had to do was heat it up and chow down. Of course this works for any soup. So enjoy!
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And last but not least.... Today's workout was the thirty minute circuit plus thirty minute cardio. The thirty minute circuit is thirty minutes of alternating between step aerobics and weight machines. There's a green light/red light you watch on this one. You begin with step aerobics when the light turns green. When it turns red, you move back to a weight machine and begin working it when the light turns green again. When it turns red, you quickly clean the machine and move back to the step again. It's fast paced and works both upper and lower body muscles. We like it. And then we followed it up with thirty minutes on the bicycle and treadmill.

And there ya have it!
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Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with
salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Recipes, This and That, and Such

In yesterday's post, I mentioned we had a young man from our church over for supper Monday night and that he liked my Taco Pie, which by the way, I found in our church cookbook a few years ago. It became a family favorite and I haven't fixed it in forever. So when I knew he was coming over, I decided to fix it. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it.

1 tube of original crescent rolls
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 packs of taco seasoning
16 oz sour cream
1 1/2 bags of Mexican cheese
1/2 bag of Doritos
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Layer the bottom of a 9x13 pan with crescents and roll edge to edge
Brown ground beef, drain, and add taco seasoning and water according to seasoning pack. Cook for several minutes. Drain. Pour taco meat on top of crescent rolls.
Spread sour cream on top of meat
Spread cheese on top of sour cream
Crumble 1/2 bag of Doritos and sprinkle on top of cheese for top layer
Cover with tin foil
Bake until Crescent rolls are done
If you find yourself without tin foil, like I did last night, just bake until the crescent rolls are done and cheese is thoroughly melted. Then crumble your Doritos on top and bake just a few minutes for the Doritos to set in the cheese.
Add a green salad mix with fresh tomatoes on the side. Yumm-o-licious!
I haven't tried this yet, but I'd like to do a fajita variation with shredded chicken.
This stuff gets gone fast. So.... ENJOY!
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Today we had one hour of cardio on our schedule. I did thirty on the bicycle and thirty on treadmill. Bruce did his full hour on the treadmill. It was a nice break from weight machines considering the muscles in my arms are aching from yesterday's workout. LOL Gotta tear 'em down to build 'em up, right?
I did discover that icy/hot is great for when my ankle is hurting. It felt fantabulous this afternoon. So that's a good thing.
When Bruce's doctor told him that his cholesterol and triglycerides were high, I googled some ways to lower them naturally and was reading where a handful of nuts a day can play a role in lowering your cholesterol. Yes, there are some bad nuts out there, but even they have some good nutritional values. Right now he takes high doses of behind the counter Fish Oil and it has helped a LOT. But I thought we could incorporate the nuts too. So everyday after our workout, I give us each a handful of mixed nuts. I'm nutty, but not really a nut person. Bruce loves nuts, so he loves his after-workout snack.
Tomorrow is thirty minutes cardio with the thirty minute circuit.
You're probably wondering why I'm posting about our schedule. I post those who, for whatever reason, can't make it to the gym and want a routine. It kind of gives them an idea of what they can do each day on their own. I learned something about working out, too. You can't have just a target area. You need to work everything! You also need to give your muscles a day or two to rest between weight machines or you cancel out what you did the day before. I haven't asked this yet, but I'm not sure if that's just for beginners or for everyone.
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A friend of mine is making halo headbands for when I take pictures of baby girls. I saw one they made the other day and it was adorable. She was able to get a little crafty so that I could have just a few headbands with interchangeable flowers, feathers, etc. I can't wait to see them all! In turn, I'll give her family a photo shoot.
Bruce bought me some new photo editing software and I think I'm going to love it. It was a little difficult to figure out at first, but I did eventually figure it out and have played with a couple of pictures. In two words I would have to say, "me likey."
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Tonight is SIGMA night. I'm glad we were able to keep a SIGMA night on Wednesdays and the youth still be in the church service. I love having them in there. I need to start getting ready. Hope you have a great evening!

Gym and Homeschooling

Today we worked on the upper body. Can I just say ow? When I got up this morning my sides were feeling the abs workout from yesterday. I'm sure I'll be feeling today's workout in my triceps and biceps tomorrow.

The trainer gave us a chart to show us exactly what machines to work and what days we're to use them. It lists the machine and you fill in the pounds and reps you do. So next time we work those machines we'll be able to look back and know what we did last time. Also, we'll be able to watch our progress.

We eat lunch shortly after we get home, so today I had thrown some chicken tenders in the crock pot with a bottle of BBQ sauce. We had that with stewed potatoes, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and a dinner roll. For Bruce and me, I sliced a piece of tomato and laid it on top of the roll with a little garlic and parsley sprinkled on top. It was pretty tasty. It gave the bread a really good flavor.

The kids are getting back into the groove of school after being off for a long Christmas break. They should have their next tests by the end of this week and/or middle of next, providing they stay on schedule. I may need to push them a little harder since end of grade testing will be upon us before we know it.

We had a young man in our church over for supper last night. He likes my Taco Pie, so that's what I made for him. Then we watched a movie with him, played a little bit on the Wii, and laughed at his craziness. We had a good time and it was fun to have him here. We'll have to do that again soon.

I think a nap is on the agenda today. Yes. A nap. On the agenda. Sounds about right to me.
:)

WHEW!

We had a good first day on the routine the trainer gave us. Today it was lower body and abs plus thirty minutes of cardio.

I didn't realize this, but he said it's always better to start your routine with a five minute cardio, then do your weights, and end with the cardio. So that's what we did today. I'm glad Bruce was with me today because figuring out these machines and which ones do what is a little confusing. But we figured them out and I did enjoy the workout. I'll admit that there are a couple of machines I wouldn't miss if they decided to do away with them. LOL But, all in all, a good workout and I do like going in with a plan for each day. And the great news from today is, I lost three pounds since last week. YAY!
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We had two great services yesterday. There was a woman saved last Sunday morning. Her parents have been coming to our church for several years. Her daddy had gone to the alter to pray for her and a minute later she had followed him there, knelt down, and just got right under his arm and repented. It was precious. On the other side of the alter was a man doing the same thing. It was so sweet. He had such a humble spirit when he stood up. His sweet wife was saved Wednesday night, and one of the foster children in our church accepted Christ yesterday morning. It's been so good seeing all these new converts and witnessing their baptisms and their growth in Christ. What a blessing! Praying for many more this year!

Brother John O'Malley preached the evening service last night. I love to hear him preach. He always brings out things in his sermons that make me think, "Man, how come I never thought about that before?" We love the O' Family.

Brother O' and Pastor Goodman will be leaving for Burma here soon. Pastor is really excited about this mission trip. He has been to the Philippines several times and has a great heart for the people there and for missions, in general. I'm sure when he gets back from Burma he will leave another piece of his heart there with them. I'm looking forward to seeing his pictures and hearing about his trip and the experiences that God will allow him to have there.

Reese's Cups, Captain America, and Valentine Vases

Bruce has always loved comic book heroes so when I found this shirt at Wal Mart a few weeks ago I bought it for him for his birthday. He was so happy.
He is also a great lover of Reese's cups. So when Justin found this GIANT pack of 1/2 pound Reese's cups he got them for his dad. Again...he was so happy.

When he took the first bite he said, "They finally made it the way I always knew they should." LOL By the way, this picture was taken before we joined the gym, just in case you were wondering.

Speaking of the gym, we met with the personal trainer today to set up a routine for us. I'm excited about getting started on that Monday. I do best when I have a plan and I think this will work out great.
So we're sitting at the table with the trainer and three other gym members when the trainer asks us what our goals are. He makes his way around the table and gets to Bruce who answers, "Well, I've always believed that underneath this exterior is a Captain America. And THAT is my goal."
He's so crazy. I don't know what I'm going to do with him sometimes.
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Now that New Year's is over and we're beginning our flight into 2012, I'm ready for the next holiday. VALENTINE'S DAY! I love that day. I guess because I have the sweetest Valentine, EVER.
After some encouraging prods from a couple of friends I decided to go ahead and put out a few Valentine decorations. I have a heart wreath I'll hang on the door this weekend. I found a cute foam "I LOVE YOU" at a store tonight that I'll go back and get later. I'm going to place it in the middle of the wreath. I think it'll be cute.
And I found this candy heart vase at a thrift store this week. I thought it was so cute. I didn't buy it when I saw it and then decided to go back for it the next day. I'm glad I did because I really like it. :)

Sitting Next To Dad

There's really not a day that goes by where my dad doesn't cross my mind several times throughout the day. There are many things that trigger my thoughts of him, but today was just a funny experience I had with an elderly man and something that would have happened between my dad and me. Remember "Mr. Happy Fingers"?

Today was our third day working out at the gym. I did the 30 minute express with Bruce and then we each moved on to different activities. After working on some of the upper body machines I moved over to the bicycles. The way they have things set up is several bicycles all in a row with tv's up above for all to view, each one on different stations. You plug in your earphones, set your box to the station you want and you can enjoy a little tv or even radio while you work out. While I pedaled my little feet away, I watched all the political mambo-jumbo on FOX News. In my own little world, I was taken off guard by an elderly gentleman that had taken the bicycle next to mine and gently tapped me on the shoulder. Our experience went like this:
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Him: My tv won't work.
Me: You have to keep your machine going or it'll cut off.
Him: Oh. (tries vigorously to get both feet in the foot straps.)
Me: (Stops pedaling to help.)
Him: Thank you.
Me: You're very welcome! (Pedaling....pedaling.... resets tv settings.... feels tap on my shoulder.)
Him: (pedaling) The tv still isn't working.
Me: (noticing his earphones in his hand...) You have to plug your earphones into the box.
Him: OH! (plugs in earphones, still pedaling)
Me: (Pedaling....pedaling.... feels another tap on my shoulder.)
Him: I think there's something wrong with it.
Me: Did you push the power button? It's that one right there.
Him: (Stops pedaling to look...pushes button) No, it's still not coming on.
Me: You have to be pedaling.
Him (Pedals... pushes button...) There it is!
Me: All right!
We pedal and watch Fox News together and all was, once again, well in bicycle world. :)
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As we sat there pedaling and "watching" the news I couldn't help but think of how this situation would have happened with my dad and I got a little tickled. I never did get the elderly man's name, but I plan to next time I see him. Sitting next to him was just like sitting next to dad.

2012, Here We Come!

I was glad to see 2011 go. It was a good year, but it was a long one. There were a lot of "firsts" without my dad in 2011 and, although nothing will ever be the same without him, those "firsts" are brutal.

We had a great Christmas. Our churchwide fellowship was the Wednesday night before Christmas and I think it was the BEST one we've ever had. At least since we've been members at Faith. It was so nice to be in our new gym. We have a lot to be thankful for with our new building. And another blessing that night was when my husband showed up. He had four hours left he could take for the year and they approved them so he could be at the fellowship. I was really happy when I saw him come in.

The 22nd was our 21st anniversary. It was a really good day, too. We were able to spend the whole morning and early afternoon together before he had to leave for work. I collect nativities and so he bought me the wise men I needed for my Willow Tree collection. As a matter of fact, he finished that collection for me this year between our anniversary and Christmas. I love it. It's so pretty.

Christmas Eve, we had my family over. I thought it went ok. One of the games I chose was fun, but I wish I had revised it a little to save time. It was kind of funny. You write down things, not necessarily pertaining to the holiday, and tape them to the player's heads. It could be people in the Bible, celebrities, cartoon characters, inanimate objects...you get the idea. The person has no idea what or who is on their head. Only the other players do. So you can ask the other players yes or no questions until someone figures out who they are and when you figure it out, you win the game. We also played a game where someone had to wear reindeer antlers until someone else heard them say anything pertaining to the word "yes." Then they could take the antlers. Whoever had the antlers at the end of the night won a prize. Brandon, my niece's boyfriend, was the winner of that game. It was nice having Brandon with us this year. I hope he's able to spend many more with us. We missed those that weren't able to make it.

We had three services Christmas Day. Two morning services and one in the evening. We attended the early morning service since we were spending the afternoon at Bruce's mother's house. Attendance was low for that morning service we attended, but I heard they packed 'em in at the second morning service. So I'm glad to know that people still love church, even when it falls on Christmas. Which, in case you're interested, is still the Lord's day, AND not to mention the celebration of His birth. I think time spent in His house is a good thing, don't you? It was sad to see so many churches close their doors. Anyway... we had a very good morning service and we had a fabulous time with Bruce's family, despite the fact that I had come down with some kind of cold virus, lost my voice, and thought I might just die that very day. No, I didn't really think that, but it did begin to feel like it. Needless to say when we finished up at my mother in law's and opened gifts here with our children, I went straight to bed and stayed there until sometime Monday afternoon. I'm still not fully well, but much, much better, thank the Lord!

We spent New Year's Eve here at home. We did absolutely NOTHING all day long and into the night. Bruce and I both dozed off for a little while and woke up for a kiss at midnight, and then hit the sack. It had been a couple of long months and it was just nice to do nothing. But we made up for it with our Sunday school class New Year's day at our afterglow, following the evening service.

And today, Bruce and I joined Planet Fitness. We've never joined a gym before, so it was an experience. I've worked out at the YMCA, and it was ok, but I think I like Planet Fitness much better. They have a lot of rules concerning noise, dress codes, and other issues, but they are rules that benefit your experience there. My ankle is throbbing from cleaning a house before we went and then walking on the treadmill. But I knew that would happen. I may stick to the bicycles tomorrow. Anyway, it was fun to go with Bruce and we both enjoyed the experience. Looking forward to going back with him tomorrow. And in case you're wondering if that was some kind of New Year's resolution, no, it was not. Bruce's doctor told him his triglycerides and cholesterol levels were way too high. So we're going to do everything we can to get those down. He doesn't want to go on medicines if he can get it down by doing what he ought to do in the first place. As for me.... well, I don't go to doctors unless I really, REALLY have to, but I'm guessing my counts would be bad too. LOL So, in order to help him and us both, we decided to make some changes.

And that's all she wrote, folks. Praying you have a wonderful 2012. God was good last year and He'll be good this year too! No doubts about that.

2012

Ankles, Trees, and Parties

It's been very busy the past several days and the next few days are lookin' pretty well the same. Which is good. Y'all know I thrive on busy-ness.
But, as you may or may not recall, I need my ankle replaced. So all the busy-ness is taking its toll on my ankle. I took some ibuprofen and right now I am just sitting here looking at my Christmas tree while waiting for my ankle to stop throbbing before I try to go to bed. I love the peacefulness of of the tree. I love everything about a Christmas tree.

Did I tell you that Bruce made me a bookshelf? I got around to painting it today and it looks BEAUTIFUL! He did such a great job building it and I can't wait to get all my school books and things back on it.

Tomorrow night is our church-wide fellowship. We'll be able to have it in our new gym this year. I helped with the final touches on the decorations last night and I wish I had taken my camera. It looks so great. Mrs. Amy was in charge of decorations and she chose a gingerbread/candy theme.

My ankle is feeling a little better so I guess I'll try to go to sleep now. Hope you're having a good week so far.

Perfect Peanut Butter Fudge

I like making this during the holidays and it always comes out great. Hope yours does too. Be sure to read all the directions in case you're like me and often jump the gun, if you know what I mean.

3 cups of sugar
1 & 1/2 sticks of butter/margarine
5oz, evaporated milk
1tsp vanilla
1 jar marshmallow cream (I use jet puff and never the store brand!)
1 & 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

Take a small amount of butter/margarine and rub into bottom of 9x13 pan. Set aside.
Bring first three ingredients to a boil on high, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. Once it comes to a rolling boil, gradually bring it down to medium, continuing to stir, for four minutes.
After four minutes, take off stove top, mix in vanilla, marshmallow cream and peanut butter.
When everything is melted together real good, pour in pan and let it sit for 4 hrs at room temperature.
ENJOY!

This and That and Merry Christmas

There are several things going through my mind this morning. I have no idea what to post about, but I'm just going to go with it and see what comes out.

First of all, I want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to some young adults in our church, Spencer and LeAnna, on their engagement. Spencer popped the question Tuesday night. I saw the video and I cried. It was so sweet. I'm happy for them. We all knew this day was coming and it did. Praying for them as they seek God's will for their lives together.

Remember when Harry bought his iPod? Well, it's not working. Good thing I kept his warranty and a good thing I let our friend, Jack, talk me into buying it. Thanks, Jack!

Hannah is going to Georgia with a friend and her family this weekend. I know she'll have a good time. Praying for safe travels and I can't wait to hear the funny stories I'm sure she'll come back with.

Justin has been busy working and going to the trade lot, or as some people call it, the flea market. He's becoming quite the wheeler and dealer. Harrison went with him last time and they had some good brother bonding time together.

I finally bought some frames for our family pictures. They look great! I can't wait to get them hung. Bruce has done a fabulous job on painting the house. He built a beautiful bookshelf to put our home school books and other things on. I just need to paint it. I love it!

We were able to get our tree up and other decorations out. I've been enjoying watching the lights and just thinking about the goodness of God and how He would send His only begotten Son to die for us. For me! This time of year we celebrate His birth, the little baby in the manger, but we also celebrate the man on the cross. I love Him.

I was suppose to clean a house today, but that was cancelled so I decided to wrap presents I bought last night, bake some Christmas goodies, and get some Christmas cards ready to go out. So it's not a loss of time today. It's been busy around here and I'm glad for the opportunity to get these things done.

If I don't get to post again between now and the 25th, I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!

Growing Up the Bible Way

So a few days ago a I was informed that someone thought we were fuddy-duddy and fanatics and because we home schooled, our children would not know how to function in society. We're a cult, don't you know? Apparently, they've thought this for years. Because of who the person is, I wasn't really surprised by this. However, it did still hurt my heart. I cried a little, vented a little, got mad a little, and then this morning I read this verse:
"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Psalm 5:3 Did crying and venting help me? No. It wasn't until I could pray about it and LOOK UP to the Lord that I was able to reason this out in my heart.

My children have grown up the Bible way. There is no rhyme or reason to raising children and it doesn't have to be hard. If you stick to basic Bible principles and standards, you should be ok. When they grow older and begin making life decisions of their own, you should be able to stand back and know you did your best, the Bible way, and hope they make the right decisions, based on those same teachings. You can never, ever go wrong the Bible way. It is impossible to take the Bible way and fail.

Building a strong and confident Christian doesn't mean you're brainwashing your child. It means you are preparing them for the world and what it has to offer compared to Christ and what He has to offer. And what He has to offer is so much more than the world's offering.

I think the most critical point of any child's life, but more specifically a Christian child's life, is when they go from childhood to young adult. The college and career age. At this point in their lives they are making decisions that we wish we could make for them. But now is the time when we have to start loosening and cutting the apron strings and watch them fly. Will they fall to the ground and wobble around? Yes, they will. But they won't stay there. If they've been saved and raised the Bible way, they will get up and try again and eventually we will see them soar. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 This verse is not a promise that they will always live right and do right. But it lets us know that if we teach them the Bible way, it will always be in their hearts and minds. Even when they're not living right, they'll know it and won't be able to stay there long.

When I look at families that are doing their best, the Bible way, it seems that they have troubles in life, but not with their children. Not that the children are perfect, because they're not. Especially, and including, my own. Point being, life has it's ups and downs and they're a lot easier to face without having to deal with spoiled, rotten children, who think only of themselves and cause strife and unrest in the home.

Am I a fuddy-duddy? A Jesus fanatic? Yes, I suppose to the eyes of worldly man I am. Do my children function normal in society? I suppose that depends on how you define "normal." If normal means raising children with lude behavior, disrespectful to those in authority over them, greedy, prideful, brawlers, etc... then no, they do not function normally. But if you define "normal" as the Bible way....if normal is meek and quiet, seeking the hidden treasures God has for them in this life....if normal is hiding Scripture in their hearts, reaching out to others in need, sharing Christ with others....if normal is feeling and knowing compassion to those who need it most, obeying and submitting to those in authority over them...if normal is learning to do things on their own and working hard to set and achieve goals... then yes, they are learning to function normally.

And I pray, as they grow and become men and women in society, that the Bible way isn't just something they grew up in, but something they look at and know is the only way to truly function in this world. I don't believe there is one person that can say the Bible way has brought them misery and strife. It is the world's way that brings those things.

Another Post? Two Days in a Row?

I woke up this morning to the sound of a very obnoxious power sander and a thick cloud of white dust this morning. Bruce was sanding some places he had patched on the wall. A very long wall. He felt the power sander would save him some time. And it did. It also saved his arm a lot of work. However, it will take a long time to get that dust off of everything. But you know what? I don't care. I am so happy with how things are going to look when he is finished that I really just don't care about the dust. That's what Pledge is for, right? Besides, I had to dust anyway.

My kids are out of school for the month of December. I've done this every year since we started home schooling. We don't get snow days, teacher's work days, etc. So if when they've completed "x" amount of work from the beginning of the school year to the first Friday of December, they get the rest of the month off to enjoy the Christmas season. It's fun, with them, baking cookies, watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, going shopping, etc. I love that we are able to do that and make memories this way. It is a blessing.

Since they're out of school, Hannah, Harrison, Justin, and Hannah's friend, Taylor, went to mom's house on Monday and decorated for her. The girls have spent the night with her since Sunday and will go home tonight. I know mom will miss them. Anyway, I went over to have dinner with them last night and the house looked so pretty. Especially her sitting room. It was so cozy and comfy in there. Of course we didn't spend a lot of time in there. We actually stayed around the table playing Phase 10. It was slightly intense for a while. But it was fun. While I worked on mom's computer, the kids sat in another room and played a game where each person said one word, adding to a sentence. The first person to mess up the sentence was out and the game continued with everyone else until there was one person left. The sentences were hilarious. Kind of reminded me of Mad Libs. We also played Chinese Writing. If you've never played that, it is fun and, especially, with a new people. It's a great party game.

Speaking of parties, we'll be having our Sunday School party this Friday. I'm looking forward to it. I need to find an elephant gift to take. With all we're doing around the house, I have some things I'm thinking of taking. We always have a blast with that game. It's so funny. We have a couple of gifts that have shown up for the last several years. Always makes us laugh when it is opened. I'm suppose to take a side dish for bbq. I was thinking slaw and chips and dip. I have no idea what dessert I'm taking yet. It'll be something good, though.

After the party, we have plans to go see the lights in McAdenville with some friends. It'll be a little late, but I'm looking forward to it. Their kids and our kids will be here playing games and watching Christmas movies. So they'll be having their own little party, I guess. Fun, fun!!

So that's today's post. I wonder if I'll think of something to write tomorrow. I guess we'll see.

Really?

I think this is the longest I've ever gone without posting something. I really want to, I'm just in a bloggy pit, I guess.

Lots of things going on here. I've been busy with photo shoots. The Lord has blessed in that area and I'm thankful for the opportunities and the good times I've had this year. I've taken pictures of families, engagement proposals, maternity pictures, and next week I'll be doing a newborn. Which, by the way, I am totally psyched about. I love me some babies.

Thanksgiving was fun. Hannah and I cooked the side dishes, with the exception of the mashed potatoes. My sister in law made those and they were really yummy. As a matter of fact, she made the desserts and they were to die for. I had my fair share and more of those. lol My mother in law cooked the turkey and it was the best, I think, I have ever had. I was most thankful, this year, that Bruce's brother Mitch and his family were able to be with us. He recently retired from the Navy and has moved back to our little town and it is so good to have them home. It just makes the family feel whole again.

This month, Bruce has been painting and doing some odd jobs around the house. We're hoping to have everything finished this week so we can decorate and enjoy our newly painted walls and doors and windows. It's been fun watching it all come together. I suppose after almost twenty years it's time for a facelift for the house. He's doing a great job and his need for perfection has even made room for me to help a little. haha

We have Christmas parties, family reunions and Bruce's birthday this weekend. The Christmas season never slows down and I'm glad. I enjoy the busyness of the fellowship and gatherings of friends and family. We have so much to be thankful for.