Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Traveling....

I've been gallivanting around these last few weeks and have barely stopped to smell the roses...or fallen leaves ...or ocean spray....Its been quite the jaunt and
I'm tired! Can't believe how tiring having fun can be...or maybe I picked up a bug...regardless..I've spent the last few evenings on the couch in front of the TV.
Tonight I have the Girl with me for a sleepover...SO I may not get fully rested up. :)
Thought I'd post a few picks of the other gorgeous places I've see since Idaho.

The gorgeous fall foilage is at Cloudland Canyon State Park. my hubby and I celebrated our anniversary there with a 5 mile hike...it was a perfect day!


The beach pics are at St. Augustine, FL. Spent a few days there with our daughter and SIL on his pre-deployment leave. Please keep them in your prayers as he will be deployed in Nov. Again...perfect days and our son came to join us...what could be better?? Sun, food and famiily!
And Yes, I realize the pics are backwards...you would think blogger would make it easier to upload pis by now, wouldn't you?? It seems to have gotten harder since I've been on a blogging break...or I'm to lazy to fix it...Enjoy!

My Idaho Experience!

So long since I've done any real blogging! I may have forgotten how!

Last weekend I was privileged to travel to Idaho...where I have never been...to meet sisters I had never seen... and the promise of the Lord "But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands," Mar 10:30 has never been so true, as I discovered sisters every where I turned. It was amazing!

My first stop was Boise where I was thrilled to spend almost 24 hours with my dear dear blog friend, Z. She picked me up at the airport and the conversation was ON. We talked and talked and ate and talked some more. She introduced me to her lovely family, gave me a tour of the city and treated me like family. It was wonderful! She was exactly as I had imagined her and my heart was enlarged by getting an inside peek at her everyday life. Now to get her and her hubby down my way for a visit!

My second stop landed me in the beautiful city of Coeur d'Alene, ID. There I connected with Ms Mac, Ms Patty and Deb for a weekend of sightseeing, eating and fellowship.














Ms. Mac was the perfect hostess, driving us, taking us to all the fun places to see and eat and even welcoming us into her own home and introducing us to her lovely family.














As some of you may know...the Mangy Moose lodge is internationally famous and the clawfoot tub especially so. Of sourse we had to see that! It is a tourist destination after all. :)
Over the course of the weekend we laughed, ate, prayed, ate, shopped, ate...are you noticing a pattern here??? Ms. Mac knew all the good eating places and shopping spots too so we all were very happy campers.








At the end of our time together we shared a beautiful bonfire with hot cocoa and popcorn in the gorgeous ID evening. What a grand weekend it was! There is nothing at all like sisters spending time together.
What a beautiful place Idaho is but even with all its beauty, none of it compares to the rarity of sharing heart to heart with sisters in the Lord. I look forward to any opportunity to do it again!

Three Things About Islam

Very eye-opening but not terribly surprising.

What can possibly go wrong??

Order of business for having a wedding:

1. Couple gets engaged but want to get married right away!
2. There is only one suitable venue for miles that is available in on short notice...its available on a Sunday..July 11th..so the date is set..July 11th it is.
3. Guests are invited.



4. Bride is notified that original dress ordered for Bride is out of stock and discontinued.
5. Bride finds second dress. It is the only one in her size in the Continental United States and the zipper is broken
6. Zipper is repaired but fabric is gathered on the side seams of the dress and will not lie flat.
7. Dress finally altered and repaired 4 days before the wedding...Whew!

8. Bridesmaid's dresses are a completely different color than they appeared online....(this seemed to bother no one but the mother of the Bride) and it turned out fine..lovely actually.

9. Guests begin arriving ( happy day!)

10. Mother of the Groom loses her ID at the airport, never to be seen again.




11. Tree falls on house of Bride's parents. At least that cuts down on the squirrels in their yard. No one is hurt, thank goodness!

12. Wedding must go on so everyone climbs over tree, cuts car out from under the branches and carries on.

13. Mother of the Bride carts everything over to the venue for decor, food etc., stopping several times along the way for pickups only to have the car die at the venue not to be started again without a tow and a mechanic.

14. Wedding goes off without a hitch













15. Enough food is left over to feed the neighborhood...literally...several are called in to take leftovers home.



And they lived happily ever after...The End!

(at least that's how we do weddings in our family)

wedding stuff

Well...its over and done! Seriously...one of the most eventful weekends of my life! Can't talk now but I'll try to post as I process...til then...the first of the fabulous pics are starting to come in....Gina over at Spicy,Savvy & Sane, did an awesome job! Can't wait to see them all.

Engagement pics and more....

Engagement pics are done and all I can say is "Wow"! RSVPs are coming in....We are getting down to the wire now...only 3.5 weeks to go. I am providing the food so I am busy trying out recipes on my co-workers. haha

But they aren't complaining! So far everything I have made has been a hit. I think things are going to be just fine. I still have to collect some serving pieces and recruit some helpers but it is shaping up nicely....

Dress was purchased just yesterday...It is gorgeous, of course and she will look stunning in it...but after those engagement pics, I think she would look stunning in a potato sack. I will post my latest recipe on the Scarf Sisters Cooking Blog so those of you who don't Facebook can try it out...and guess who's coming over to do the wedding photography?? Gina ...it will be our first time to meet in real life! I am so excited!

I need some prayer

As you can imagine, we are very busy around here, getting ready for this wedding. My lovely daughter and I often do not see eye to eye(imagine that!) and I'm afraid that I am often the meddling parent trying to guide my sometimes less than mature offspring in more than just flowers or wedding food. Please pray for me...for her... for my husband, my Jbear, for all of us involved as these changes come about in our lives...good ones...but difficult none the less.

My baby's getting married!!

Congratulations to my youngest and her fiance! The date is set for July 11th and we are so very happy for them both!

The Bread of Life

A beautiful illustration on a beautiful Good Friday. He IS the Bread of Life, He IS the Cup of Life...
Eat Him, Drink Him!

The Bread of Life

Place I think of in the Springtime

Seems like we tend to do a lot of traveling in the springtime....not sure why that is because summer seems like a more likely time...still there are some the places I've been in the spring that have made an impression on me...

Paris....
Philly...
Brussels...
London....

...they drift back to me across the years whenever I smell lilacs or see pink tulips and hyacinths...whenever I feel the new warm sun and see the fuzzy green billowing on the tress like smoke...or when ever I hear certain songs from Frank Sinatra for that matter...:) for me he is The Soundtrack of Spring.

Ahhh.... so many beautiful places in this world....so many springs!

Rascal Flatts - The Day Before You

How bout some LIF!
Lyrics I'm feeling today. So thankful I never have to go back to the day before HE changed everything!

The year of ME

I am like most of you....I wear many hats. I am a daughter and a sister...biologically and spiritually. I am a wife, a mother and a grandmother. I am intermittently a friend, lover, playmate, accountant, chef, mystery shopper, housekeeper, landscaper, home interior designer & repairman, counselor, organizer, & veterinarian. My life, for years, has been full, full, full of figuring and planning and working out details so that everyone in it has what they need, when they need it,.... gets where they need to go...on time...and is generally well loved and cared for. Its what we women do...often at our own expense. You know its true, ladies!
So has been the case for me. Over these many years that I have been wearing so many hats I must confess that my own needs, wants, and whatevers, have fallen perilously close to the bottom of the list in priority.
WELL....
2010 is the year that all ends...or at least takes a break.
I made a decision in 2009 that it was high time I took care of me...my hubby has been pushing it for years so he is my biggest cheerleader...here's what I'm doing about it.

1. Surgery on my toe....I will no longer put up with daily pain and ugly shoes!
2. Join the gym.... I refuse to feel and move like a 70 yr old when I can feel, move, AND look like a 35 yr old! 1 month in and so far its really fun and I'm feeling good!
3. Eat well ..... I have been improving in this area over the last 5 yrs since my hubby has been ill so I will continue eating moderate serving of food in a diet that includes lots of fresh veggies and fruit...more organics, more natural stuff in everything..less processed, less fast food (no longer tastes good anyway :))
4. Cut my caffeine intake and up my water intake....this decision was incorporated in the fall of '09 and I am happy to announce that I have reduced my soda intake to 1-12 oz can per day and upped my water intake to approx 64+ oz per day..about 1/2 a gallon. (really helps my skin)
5. Remove as much artificial sweeteners as possible from my diet.....I have switched over to Stevia use in all my drinks; soda, tea and coffee...huge for me. I have done this for about 4 months now.
6. Include good vitimins, calcium, probiotis and other supplements I feel are important in my daily routine.
7. Deal with my dental and oral health ( today with surgery, next a bridge)
8. Eye exam and new contact lenses AND new glasses that mirror my new prescription.
9. Sleep more! (with lower caffeine intake this is mandatory...and happening regularly since I can't hold my eyes open after 10pm)
10. Exercise my brain. I have consciously returned to my love of reading, making appointments with myself to relax and spend time on the weekend reading novels....also forcing my self to memorize and remember details...(I had been letting those kinds of things slide over the last few years)
11. Focus some loving time and thought on my husband....not illness related! Him and me...I want to stay in love forever!
12. Find Creative outlets....I have made time for scrapbooking and begun a quilting project with my mom and I am actively researching some avenues for singing in the area. My mom and I are having a blast doing something together we have never done before, its awesome! The singing thing may not happen this spring or even this year but I am working toward it. I refuse to lose my voice because of lack of opportunity, even if I have to take voice lessons again, and I love public performance too much to never do it again!
13.... and last but not least... Nurture my spirit, ...by incorporating small bits of quiet Time, Reading and Meditation...daily... and participating in More conversation with others about His Life.... a natural part of my life for years, this area has fallen dormant over the past few years but I am making a conscious effort to not allow that to happen. He IS my Life and I intend to live Him more fully every day, breathing in His goodness and mercy that is surely following me every step of my way.

WOW! Just writing all that down makes me pretty proud of myself. I knew I had made a 360 degree turn in my life but seeing it in black and white...well it really is a LOT of stuff! I must say...I ROCK! :)

I challenge you to take stock of your life and see if you are letting some important things fall by the way side..then take a good look at the big picture and say with all your heart "I'm worth the effort!" I did and I am SO glad!


Here's to "The Year of ME!"

Hi ya'll

Its already the end of January and I find I haven't posted here in weeks. Here's a little update for those of you who don't get out to Facebook to see me. :)
I am up on my feet again and back at work although I am still wearing a small boot on my foot. It has been rather bothersome these last two days but is healing well.
Jbear is back in school and already eager for her next holiday off....she is doing second grade work and still getting into some trouble now and then from distraction and boredom....she is also excited about the arrival of her new baby brother, due in Feb.(on her daddy's side).
My daughter K is thinking of expanding her education and trying to decide which way to go with that. She isn't too thrilled with her job and would like to someday move out of her parents house.
My hubby is exploring new business opportunities and still battling health issues...some of which have resurfaced in the last month. Please keep him in your prayers...we/he needs them!

I have recently been made aware of Ps. 103:4-5
He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

I don't think anyone under the age of 50 can really appreciate this, do you?
By this age you can recognize the pits you have been redeemed from...you can experience more love and compassion than you ever imagined and realize, with a much different perspective, all the blessings God has bestowed on you...plus...
....you can only have youth renewed if it has been lost already...just think,
....You can soar...again...and this time..really appreciate it!

There are blessings to be had for those of us who have been around for a while.

Happy New Year, everyone...especially all you Eagles!