Friday, December 30, 2011

just a few things...

There will be bad hair days.
You just have to roll with it and say to yourself,
I will not let this ruin my day.


That my children do look a little like me.
Even if it is just their eyes and toes.


God is always there.
Just look up.
He wants to hear even your smallest thoughts,
simple praises.
Like, thanks for the beautiful weather today.
Or for our friends being able to join us for breakfast.

 

A little hard work is good for the hands,
and the soul.


Always give it your best.
No matter what you do.
It reflects who you are.


Nothing matches the unconditional love of a pet.
Especially one that lays her head on your shoulder and cries when you leave her.


Naps are good.
No matter how old you are.
Just don't abuse the privilege.



Monday, December 19, 2011

contrite

I am not Super Woman.
Or She-Ra.
I can not do it all.
I don't remember a lot.
I do not have the patience of Job.
I am far from perfect.
And I stumble.
I have good intentions.
Although they're not always viewed that way.
And I am sorry.
I will continue to make mistakes.
For I am only human.
I only ask that you forgive me for my six minutes of melt down.
My heartfelt apologies, good sir.





Tuesday, December 13, 2011

oh, the life

This little lady and her brother spent the day with me today.


We vaccuumed and dusted, did laundry,
fed & watered the chickens, etc., etc.,...

And then, they napped. 



Monday, December 12, 2011

the view from here

Sitting around,
playing with the settings on my camera,
I got this.
A view of our Christmas tree.
Strange but, the teensy lines were mesmerizing in all of their busyness.


One Miss Crazy Coonhound went on a little moonlit adventure.
So, I suited up and headed out into the cold night air.
I found Miss Lady before walking deep into the woods.
I was just along the edge when she came galloping towards me.
We made our way home and she climbed into my lap on the couch.
I couldn't deny her sweet puppy dog eyes 
and we settled in to wait for her daddy to get home.


He was none too thrilled to see this but,
she is his beloved Walker
and for this reason,
she gets away with things sometimes.

Hope you're having a relaxing Monday evening too.


Thursday, December 8, 2011

giddy

Can I tell you how excited I am?

Last week, we had "Employee Discount Days".
So, I laid out the four magazines and said take a look.

Miss K was dying to have one of these,
and since Christmas is coming and then
shortly thereafter, her birthday, 
I ordered it.

Photo courtesy of HearthSong
What is it, you ask?

Why it's the 65" Incred-A-Ball!
Yep, almost 5.5 feet of inflatable fun.

And YES!  You can get inside of it!

You want one now too, huh?
I know!
I am sooooooo excited!
I can't wait!
The weight limit is 200 lbs. and you betcha,
I'll be in it!



Now, now.  Don't pity the man.
He's getting this.

Photo courtesy of HearthSong
They have one at the Myers' farm.
(Which, to these kids, is comparable to Disney World.)
And it's the main attraction amongst the younger boys.

We'll need to expand our sand box,
but hey, we're talking serious boy fun here.

~ OK, sorry. 
Just had to get that out. 
Couldn't contain myself. ~

just imagine

My friend, D, has been missing lately from my church life. Her precious brand-new baby is keeping her busy and I do miss her, but surely, I understand.

So, since you couldn't be there last night (and I don't have to work tomorrow, I run well on low fuel - only for a time - and decided to pull an all-nighter to catch up on all things computer,) I thought I'd recap for you and anyone needin' a little Jesus, cuz we all do.

We read Luke 1:26-38... (my Bible is the New Century Version, so it'll read a little different than the KJV)
~ During Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you."

But Mary was very startled by what the angel said and wondered what this greeting might mean.

The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace. Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end."

Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I am a virgin?"

The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. Now, Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. God can do anything!"

Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!" Then the angel went away. ~

...and Luke 2:1-20...
~ At that time, Augustus Caesar
sent an order that all people in the countries under Roman rule must list their names in a register. This was the first registration; it was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to their own towns to be registered.

So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was now pregnant. While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a manger (a box where animals are fed.)

That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. Today your savior was born in pieces of cloth and lying in a manger."

Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying "Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God."

When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about."

So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a manger. When they had seen him, they told what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them. Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them. ~


So, we talked about how God's timing is always perfect.  How He has a plan in everything.  How Mary and Joseph were the keepers of the greatest secret ever.  About how Mary made the decision to trust in the Lord and submit to Him and how she placed her trust in Him.  How incredible! 

Imagine how her life changed in that very instant when Gabriel told her she would become pregnant.  Can you even begin to fathom that?  Here she was, an ordinary girl, a virgin at that, not married - visualize back in those days, the kind of criticism she would endure being pregnant and unwed - and then, to give birth to the son of God Almighty!  Put yourself in her shoes - I, personally, would've freaked!  How could you even start to think about how you would raise that child, the Son of ManMakes my head spin just thinking about it.

But read Isaiah 26:3 - "You, Lord give true peace to those who depend on you."  Mary found peace, almost from the get go.  She was a little nervous there for a moment and then, she realized, this is God we're talking about here, there's absolutely no reason for me to worry.  Psalm 34:7 reads, "The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear God, and he saves them."  Wow!  Picture that, you're just walking around, being a child of God and he sends you a beautiful, glowing, stealthy angel with a sword of fire to watch over you.  Awesome!  God is just awesome!  So, my point being, Mary never had the need to worry.  And she knew it.  (
We talked about peace some more, reading Philippians 4:4-9 and also John 14:27.)

Lastly, in those days, shepherds were considered unclean and dirty.  Why?  Well, because they were!  Imagine, you're a shepherd, you're camping out in the fields for days and days on end, tending to your sheep.  You haven't had a real bath in quite some time and it's really a blue-collar kinda job.  You know, one where you gotta in there, get your hands dirty, you're working with animals.  So, you're really not seen as being very high up on the totem pole.  But get this!  God chose to tell the shepherds of the birth of Jesus before anyone else knew!  He sent the angel to tell some of the lowest of the people.  And do you suppose that maybe some of those sheep were on their way to being sacrifices for Him?  Hmm, perhaps so. 

Now, this one threw me for a loop and the tears swelled.  I can't conceive what it was like to be the first ones to hear of the greatest news the world would ever hear, and there they stood just little ol' shepherds.  Wow.  That's all I can say is wow.





Wednesday, December 7, 2011

girls, girls, girls!

As if we didn't have enough girls already.
Or enough going on.


Last Friday, these sweet little babes came in the mail.
Twenty-two strong.
We lost four.
Then, they were off to work with their new papa. 


They stayed safely in their heated Rubbermaid box
while they ate, drank and were merry.

Look at her tiny, tiny feathers.  Isn't she sweet?


I caught this sleepy chick on the tail end of a great big yawn.
They were on a blanket in the living room in front of a heater
being corralled by the littles while their casa was being renovated.

They have to stay at a constant 90-95 degrees.
Then, we drop the temperature 5 degrees per week.
We'll still keep a lamp on when they head to the chicken house
just because it's winter.


Some fell dead asleep on their feet.

They've since been moved to the bigger brooder box
where they're enjoying more room to roam.
But the littles are still lavishing them with love.
In hopes of taming them into good-natured hens.

At any given time, you can catch Miss K holding a few
whilst she reclines and watches a show.
All the while, she strokes their tiny velvety feathers
as they cheep to each other and nap in the warmth of her hands.


MegaBlast

Forever ago we were here.


I adore their celebrations.


They had a good time.
And Miss K loves being out there with B.P.


They played their little hearts out.
But in the end,
they were humbled.


Not like we'd thought though.


Didn't matter anyway.
They had each other.
And hula hoops.


 In any case,
it was a trip to remember.
One that will not be soon forgotten.

Friday, November 18, 2011

yes, i'm still here

i know, i know.  it's been a while.  the story of my life.

well, i've been busy, honest.

i started a new job 2 weeks ago.  after a five year break.  (gasp)
don't get excited, it's part-time.

i took a short vacation from crafting after our retreat.
we're now back at it for the christmas banquet.

i have costumes to make for the christmas program.

there is a pto auction basket to create.

we have the megablast tournament in midlothian starting tomorrow.
i'm driving, mind you, I'm extremely navigationally challenged.  (grin)
i can't wait to carpool and room with our partners in crime for the weekend.
it's gonna be just us gulls.  (that's how the man would say it.)

i'll miss soup & pie + music at church sunday. (sigh)

thanksgiving will be here in 6 days.  this will be the 1st one we've done at our house.
last night, my sweet, sweet (and quite handsome) husband ordered a roaster/buffet server and i can't wait to use it.

our 11th FPU class is on monday and i'm a little sad that we're coming to the end.
but, hopefully, we'll (i'll?) be hosting it at our church in march!

my grandad turns 96 in a week and we'll be dining out with niece, jean and cousin, leslie.
there are also a million birthdays in november for mom's side of the fam.

let the juggling begin...bring on the snow.  a pile of books and sewing await.
*note: i very much dislike snow but, there are some things i do love about it. 
we'll talk later, when it actually does snow.

i'm going to finish packing now.  we'll only be gone 1 night, but that's a task in itself for me. 
(snicker)



he was quite preturbed.
ha, you couldn't tell, could you?

 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

a day in the life of Daisy

This lady went out last night.
She made some new friends.
And then they got down to business...
treeing THREE coons!
Her daddy says she's "coon crazy!"


So, this morning, she was out romping around with Max
while her daddy cut up a tree in the yard.
And because I'm a sucker, they wandered into the kitchen
where I shared some leftover homemade biscuits and sausage gravy.

She knows I can't resist those adorable puppy eyes,
those long droopy ears and all her delicate wrinkles.
~ especially that one on her forehead ~


Then, of course, some other people wanted to love on her.
Because she's irresistible.


But instead, she lavished her lovin' on them.


She fancies ears.


And her affection is sweet and unending.


And they giggled and laughed.


And because she's so coon crazy and likes to stay out late,
it was time for a nap.
~ This was at 2:00 ~


~ And she slept til 5:00! ~


Saturday, November 5, 2011

Vineyard Keepers 1st Annual Retreat

We started out by settling into our cozy little cabins at


They're new, ya know?


And quite comfy.
Each cabin held 14 ladies.
Included, were 2 bathrooms, a front and back porch, and a loft.


"For such a time as this" Esther 4:14b -
our theme this weekend for the Vineyard Keepers 1st Annual Retreat.


We spent countless hours preparing for this retreat
and while my family has dearly missed me,
~ I don't say that lightly ~
(they ran to meet me at the door tonight)
I am not remorseful for the time I spent in fellowship with our "creative design team".
Or quitely in prayer and fellowship with my God as I labored away
in the stillness of Miss Nancy's "Craft Wonderland".
It filled my soul working my fingers to the bone for the glory of our LORD and Savior.
And in the end, it was all worth it.


We pooled together our china, antiques, quilts.
Anything and everything vintage.
For the first time since my grandma gave them to me 9 years ago,
I proudly volunteered my china, and silver from my great Aunt Anna.


It was stunning.
And thanks to Kelly and his staff,
we definitely ate like Queen Esther!


We read Psalm 84...
(this is the New Century Version)

Lord All-Powerful,
how lovely is your Temple!
I want more than anything
to be in the courtyards of the LORD's Temple.
My whole being wants to be with the living God.
The sparrows have found a home,
and the swallows have nests.
They raise their young near your altars,
LORD All-Powerful, my King and my God.
Happy are the the people who live at your Temple;
they are always praising you.

Happy are those whose strength comes from you,
who want to travel to Jerusalem.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it like spring.
The autumn rains fill it with pools of water.
The people get stronger as they go,
and everyone meets with God in Jerusalem.

LORD God All-Powerful, hear my prayer;
God of Jacob, listen to me.
God, look at our shield;
be kind to your appointed king.

One day in the courtyards of your Temple is better
than a thousand days anywhere else.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the Temple of my God
than live in the homes of the wicked.
The LORD God is like a sun and shield;
the LORD gives us kindness and honor.
He does not hold back anything good
from those whose lives are innocent.
LORD All-Powerful,
happy are the people who trust you!


Is that not powerful?
Does that not rock your world?
Oh, it sets me on fire!
And if that's not enough,
try reading the NIV!

It's ab-so-lute-ly beautiful.


Just like the decor.


It was amazing how the LORD pulled all of this together.
We still can't get over it.
Every little detail just fell into place.
Just like He'd planned.


Our speaker was amazing.
Her testimony was moving.
Her faith, unshakable.


We even had an afternoon tea.
Complete with hats, scones and all the proper finger foods.


As I wrote in an email this evening,
"It was an awesome weekend filled with spiritual growth,
fun fellowship, and amazing food!"

Blessed be the name of the LORD.