Never A Dull Moment

Wow! So I totally failed at the daily giving thanks blogging thing. Not because I'm not thankful but just because. I am so thankful for so many things! So let's see if I can list some here: (and in no particular order) 1. My life - waking up every day 2. Peace that passes all understanding 3. My fun family of five 4. My extended family and time with them 5. Coffee with my fave creamers 6. Holidays and decorating and all things Christmas 7. Warm blankets and fireplaces 8. My church family! 9. God's calling and anointing 10. Kid messes (I will miss them someday) 11. God's provision in every area 12. Lessons learned (some easier than others) 13. Technology 14. Healthy children 15. Ability to make choices 16. My home 17. My partner, husband, friend, and love 18. Shopping (shallow much?) 19. Friends who get me 20. The opportunity to paint/write/create 21. My washer and dryer 22. Reliable transportation 23. Freedom 24. Salvation and the promises that a

Day 3: I am so thankful for cleaning products! I can't imagine not having running water or the ability to wipe things clean. I am thankful that I am healthy and my family is active and busy and dirty. And even I though I get gripes about always having to clean up after five people, I am thankful that I have these four people to clean up after! Happy Saturday!

I'm not a huge "jump on the bandwagon" kind of gal, but I really like the Thirty Days of Thankfulness that people do in November!  So, to go with the flow, here are my Day 1 and Day 2. Day 1: I am so thankful that I am loved and that I married a man who likes to remind me of this fact! If I were really smart, I would have taken pictures of the pretty fall bouquet that he brought me, but I am working on "post-Harvest Festival/Kid #2 birthday/plan cycle" brain here. . . The flowers, they are lovely and look something like this, minus the large peachy roses. Day 2: I am so thankful for Pay Day Fridays! Especially when they fall on a weekend with few plans.  God's timing is always perfect and He is our great provider! Even in providing a weekend of rest and downtime. What are you thankful for?

     I remember the feeling very vividly. . . I was on a fifteen passenger church van with some other teens for a Bible Quiz trip.  There was wrestling and playing around involved (why weren't we buckled?!) and I fell to the floor, on my back, beneath the seats. It was overwhelming!  I had to get up and quick! In the same van, on the same trip, the only thing that had changed was my perspective - and panic set in.  What a miserable feeling to feel stuck in between those high van seats.      What is it about the "in between" that makes us so nervous? In between jobs, in between projects, in between point A and point B.  I know it's the questions and doubts: How long will it take? How bad will it be before I get there?  From mountain top to mountain top - how deep does this valley go? Or from valley to valley, what obstacle will I have to climb? Can I hold out for that next thing? What if I never get there?    A few weeks ago, I taught on "What to Expect When Yo

Inspiration - (noun) -  Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. -  An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention. -  Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.   When was the last time you were inspired to do something? I haven't felt a lot of inspiration lately. Not much. At all.  But then something happened. Something started ticking inside - just a little at first. Then it got louder. Then the ideas started flowing again. I can't even explain it - or where it had gone or where it came from. But now. . .  I want to paint. I want to redecorate. I want to start walking again. I can be crafty. I can grow plants. (I have houseplants that have lived since January!) I want to read more.  I need to learn 'this'. I need to ask questions. It's like a light came on and it wasn't just from spending time on Pinterest. Ma

So, I've tried to post several times over the last month, and just couldn't seem to make it happen.  No deep thoughts that I wanted to share. Nothing incredibly interesting going on.  Just life.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  But I've thought about it often. . . If you noticed the picture change, we had a grand time at Disneyworld this Spring.  We were given an opportunity that we couldn't pass up - a chance to stay for free!  Four days of travel to and from and 4 days there - 3 of which at parks - and we had a great time.  I think that was longest time the 5 of us had spent together, ever.  There were lots of laughs and a birthday celebration for Kid #1. It was the first real family vacation we've taken that didn't involve staying at my parents.  We survived another baseball season and Kid #2 in the AllStars - thought we were done, but got a call last night that Kid #1 was asked to fill a spot.  So, here we go again!  Good thing we love baseball - and our

Emotion (noun) - A natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.      I always thought I was pretty stable when it came to emotions.  In fact, I've been kind of proud of the fact that I wasn't one of those roller coaster kind of person when it comes to controlling my emotions. And then, I hit my mid 30's. And I have days that I want to run over somebody or just sit home and watch sappy, tear-jerker movies.      For work, I periodically have to take training courses that the company offers online.  There's a wide selection covering different topics. I had heard a manager friend talking about "Emotional Intelligence" and decided I would take an easy one. I knew I had that one "in the bag." Three days and several retakes later (around 14), I finally passed the quiz with an 86! Apparently, I'm not as emotionally intelligent as I thought.      Today, one of my co-workers came in and wa

Hi world! Yes, we are still alive and kicking over here. . . Wish I had some incredibly exciting news to share - like we just got back from deep sea fishing or a trip to Africa. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we've just been living life. We survived/enjoyed our annual Women of Excellence conference. It was hosted at our church this year - and although it was a huge amount of work, we were able to move forward on some construction projects and the Lord came through in some miraculous ways. Plus, it was a LOT of fun! The very next weekend was opening day of Little League baseball season and my 37th birthday. We have not stopped having all of The Fun. . . Actually, I'm still milking the birthday treats since we were so busy that weekend. Trying to schedule a pedicure and I still have a little bit of shopping money to spend! My kids are spring breakin' it this week - and I'm trying not to be jealous as I tiptoe out of the house in the morning to keep from waking the

Once upon a time, two ladies prepared for tea.  The smallest of the two played the part of hostess and laid out her fine china. Many lovely delicacies were brought out with the tea. The two ladies were dressed in their finest jewels and had their hair adorned in the most becoming way. Their dainty pink purses hung across their dainty arms. They gathered young babies and fed them with great care.  The babes were cleaned, bathed and put to nap in the cozy beds nearby. The two ladies were having such a grand time that they decided to invite others to join them in their tea.   The gentlemen neighbors were promptly invited to tea, but alas, they had a prior engagement (helping small frogs jump across the road).  Upon returning to their tea, the ladies met an unfortunate circumstance! They were attacked by a flock of angry birds!  The prettiest little lady adamantly declared "there's no angry birds having tea!" When the two ladies were safely seated back at their tea table,