Thanksgiving 2010

We went to visit Yaya and Popi this Thanksgiving, and got a couple bonus days around the holiday for just hanging out. It was a wonderful visit! We we arrived, the weather was around 80*, perfect for playing outside. By the time we left Friday, it was in the 50s!

We did lots of playing outside, even making smores one night. Jacob just ate plain marshmellows, Kevin likes his a little crispy, Popi patiently toasts his evenly.

Lots of preparing for Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving day, Nanny, my 91 year old grandmother, came over early to spend time with us and help do some cooking. She directed my mom on the sweet potatoes, re-taught me how to make my favorite "Big-Momma cookies" (that I haven't gotten right on my own in years), and just spent time enjoying each other. What a treasure to spend time with Nanny!

My aunts came, and one of Popi's cousins. A small, but nice gathering.

I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I'd hoped. I was busy helping Yaya get everything ready. I can't wait to see what pictures are on her camera!

Being Thankful

So, I just downloaded last month's pictures. Sorry for the delay.

Around Thanksgiving, I try to do some sort of thankful craft for the whole family. Last year, it was our turkey. This year I wanted to make a Thankful Cornucopia (or "corn-u-coconut" according to Jacob). I found some fruits and veggies online, got all the right color paints, and away we went.

While Thanksgiving is a perfect time to stop and remember to be thankful for what God has blessed us with, we try to talk about it more often. I hope you took time to thank God this Thanksgiving season. If you're reading this, I'm thankful for you, that you care about our family to read the blog. Thank you!

We *heart* That big red bullseye store

Ok, so I realize my posting has been rare. This time of year gets so busy, doesn't it? I love being at home to attend and help with things at Beth's school. I love getting that extra time with Jacob.

I've turned Jacob into a T-aholic. As soon as we leave the gym, he asks if we can go to T. He'd like to get a "popcorn combo with an icee". If you've never done this, it's the best under $2 you could ask for while meandering around the wonderful aisles at T. The popcorn is tasty! Until last month, we just got a drink, then *gasp* the soda machine wasn't working. So, I got an icee, and Jacob fell in love. It doesn't matter if it's 8am, and we're running to T before the gym, he still thinks he needs a "popcorn combo with an icee". Oh, and he orders it himself, but lets me pay. But don't worry, I make sure our trips are educational as well as entertaining. We talk about the colors and shapes we see, we count things too. We LOVE looking at the holiday displays. We also have to go to the toy section and push every possible button there is. It sure makes T fun!

Our T also has a Star-coffee place right next to the snack bar. I ordered a pumpkin spice steamer (warm, flavored milk- I don't like coffee) one day last week. Beth just asked and asked about it. I let her taste it once it cooled down. Now, she's been asking me if we can go get "warm milk" at T. Sweet girl that she is asked if I could make it for her at home. Sure, but it wouldn't taste very good since I don't have all those yummy flavors to add. Couple those things with my already crazy love for T. Yup, we're in trouble :)

What's a post without pictures of my silly kids? Enjoy! (I know I do)

Now, I'm off to eat more bon-bons (which really means do chores)!

Round Up

Every year, our church hosts Round Up weekend. It's packed full of old-west style activities. Saturday, there was a mini-rodeo. Our church has a bus ministry that bring in kids (and any parents wanting to come) from the surrounding towns to church on Sundays.

The K4/K5 teacher, Ms. Bettye, is a remarkable woman with such a love and desire for the Lord that I've only seen in a couple other women in my love. Her life story, her road to Jesus, is incredible. In fact, she is a product of the bus ministry. What a blessing that we can be a part of a church that desires to bring all kids to know Jesus!

This rodeo event was the big thing for the kiddos during Round Up. The stands were packed with bus kids who were excited to see the cowboys and bulls. Bro. Jimmy (the bus ministry guy) preached a sermon complete with altar call. I'm not sure how many, but I do know some kids asked Jesus to be their Savior that day!

The kids loved watching the events. The bull riding was a big favorite. I explained what I could about the rules and the goals of each event, so they'd understand a little more. Beth found it more interesting and exciting that she thought it would be. Bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, a calf scramble for the kids and goat dressing for the Sunday School teachers. What fun!

After the rodeo and the bus kids were back on buses, Beth and I walked around a little bit. One of our church members let her ride his horse. She had her nervous smile at first but really enjoyed it after a few minutes.

That was Saturday morning. Sunday was cowboy breakfast- pancakes and sausage cooked over an open fire. YUMMY! There were a few horses to see, a couple miniature horses and even a baby miniature. Jacob had his turn to ride a horse, but he wasn't sure about it at all. He preferred to pet the baby pony.

Church with a mini concert by Brian Free and Assurance and a great sermon by our Preacher. Then, onto fajita lunch with all the fixins and any dessert you could want. Needless to say, we were ready for some good Sunday afternoon naps after all that! What an incredible weekend to fellowship with church family.

Halloween 2010

So, yup, about time I got around to posting again. All this eating bon-bons and watching soap operas gets in the way of my blogging time, you know.

We've just come off a crazy, busy weekend. But, it was a good one. I'll post about it a bit scattered, but knowing the folks that read this are mostly family, I'm betting I'll be forgiven. With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, Saturday meant candy time at our church's Trunk or Treat/ Fall Festival event. We had lots of participation from church members hosting games and trunks. There were TONS of people from the community out to enjoy it. Woohoo! The kids had a blast playing games and getting candy. Jacob only wanted suckers and would put back candy or give it to Beth if it wasn't what he wanted. He even turned down chocolate! Eventually, he was okay with tootsie rolls and smarties as alternatives. Beth loved checking out all her friends' costumes and playing the games. Kevin and I had been asked to organize the event (you know that really means me), so my pictures from the festival are a bit lacking. Kevin was busy in charge of our game booth, and I walked the kids around while distributing more candy to the trunk hosts. It was a fun night, and the kids came home with plenty of candy. I've stashed the really good stuff in the guest room :)

So, here we are, in our costume finery:

Buzz Lightyear- Are you really surprised?

A pig in a blanket- Her original plan was Jessie from Toy Story, but we couldn't find a costume. After some online searching, she really liked this idea (but refused a tail or nose).

Super Mom- complete with a glittery cape and pearls. I opted to not wear heels given that I'd be running around for about 4 hours.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

getting the stuff ready

(and then, there were 4 tubs of clothes)

JBF time!!!!! It's that time of year again, when I get ready for the biggest consignment sale in Texas, Just Between Friends. Twice a year, I pull out all the clothes and toys and stuff I've stashed away as the kids grew out of it or over it. I clean, sort, package, price and box all these goodies to sell for someone else who's just the right size and age and can't live without it. JBF is THE way to get rid of gently used items and pick up some new fun! The Fort Worth sale is incredible. They're planning this time for about 1000 people who will consign their stuff. Imagine two football fields of clothes, toys and gear you may need or want for children (and maternity), and it's all in there. Literally, there may be 20 of the same baby swing. It's just incredible to see! I love this chance to clean out the closets, toy boxes and garage (where it's been stashed). Then, I get to spend time shopping and hanging out with friends who enjoy JBF as much as I do. So, for the next couple weeks, forgive me as I go into warp mode to get ready and not wait until the last possible minute.

Thanksgiving at the lake

This year, we headed to Kevin's aunt and uncle's place in Marquez, Texas for the family Thanksgiving gathering. We've been out there a few times over our 10 years together, and every time I've forgotten how nice it is out there (this pic is the pond, not the lake, but it looks so peaceful, doesn't it?).

We ate- Jacob liked getting a cookie, taking one bite then getting another one, repeat- and ate some more. Hey, we were there a while! :)

We watched Cowboys- men in one room, ladies in the other, kids mostly outside (supervised).

We played outside- a boat ride for some, a visit to the pond to feed catfish and see the cows, fun with LOTS of acorns and sticks and rocks, and just running around.

The kiddos both crashed hard on the way home. Spending time with family, is my favorite part of any holiday. What a treasure to enjoy each other! We had 3 generations of folks there- 15 adults and 4 precious kiddos. I think one day soon, we'll take Aunt M and Uncle C up on their offer to bring the kids out to the lake for a visit.

Halloween

Hey, look what I found, lost in the posts list! Sorry it's late, but it's still cute!

This year, our church hosted a Trunk-or-Treat. We got the kids dressed up and went out for some fun with our church family. Lots of folks had decorated trunks/pickup beds, some even had games for the kids to play. Beth and Jacob had lots of fun, getting lots of candy and even slowed down long enough to hand out some candy (ok, Beth did, Jacob just ate his). Kevin and I enjoyed fellowshipping with friends.

Sugar the horse even came dressed up. Those fuzzy things didn't stay on long!

Jacob is the cutest Superman!

Beth had 3 possibilities for costumes, and this is what I found- a 50s girl. She already had saddle shoes for school- how perfect! And, like any girl, she was thrilled her skirt twirled!


Taking a break at the truck to hand out/eat candy

As soon as we got home, we checked out all the loot. There was more than enough! We grownups enjoyed the chocolate, Jacob loves dum-dum suckers and candy corn, Beth has discovered Laffy Taffy. They were deleriously tired and hopped up on sugar highs.

What a fun night!

Thankful Turkey

Looking at all the Thanksgiving crafts ideas, I liked the Thankful Turkey best. It was something we could all participate in. I wrapped a styrofoam ball in brown yarn, made a ball of light brown yarn, cut out feathers from construction paper and attached them to toothpicks, cut out a beak and that red thing from construction paper, glue face to the head, attached head with toothpick to body. Then, we were ready for making our thankful feathers.

What we're thankful for:

Jacob- green, my turkey, eggs, my family

Beth- my family, God, outdoors, my church, food, me, my home

Laura- my salvation, my church, my family, my home, our health, friends, laughter

Kevin- blessings, church, God, job, my family, my wife, Beth and Jacob

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving from our family!

Round Up Weekend

Every fall, our church holds a good ol' fashioned Round Up Weekend. Folks around the church really look forward to it. The sanctuary is decorated in antiques and quilts. Some people get really into the spirit and wear old-fashioned prarie clothes or western wear (not too much of a stretch here in Texas on that).

On Saturday, there's an event for the school age kids. I went along with Beth to see what all the fun was about. The kids started with a Bible lesson then it was off to the games. There was barrel racing (riding stick horses around barrels), calf roping (see below), buckin' bronco riding (see below), a hay ride and hot dog lunch. Beth's K4/K5 group even got some playground time. All before noon!

Sunday started with a cowboy breakfast of pancakes and sausage, cooked over an open fire. Some folks had their horses out to see and pet. Service included a concert by Brian Free and Assurance. Wow, good music! Of course, good preaching too. The sanctuary was packed for both services. Then, for a fajita lunch on the grounds.

I'm so thankful for a great church with fun things for families to do, fellowship with other believers. Being a Christian doesn't mean you have to be boring!

Thank you

In 1938, this day was declared a National legal holiday, "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace." While originally called Armistice Day, honoring WWI veterans, in 1954, it was changed to include honoring all veterans.

Thank you, veterans. Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for your sacrifices- of family, of time, of life. Thank you for keeping our country free. Thank you to the families for supporting them. Thank you.

Ladies Retreat

When our church hosted a one night away ladies retreat, I knew I should go. I figured it would be a nice night away from normal and a great chance to get to know other ladies in the church better. I had no idea I'd have such a great time!!! Our ladies' ministry retreat team works so hard to put together an amazing weekend. Thank you team!

This year's theme was "Life is not a bowl of cherries" (sometimes you get the pitts). It also had an old-home feel of decorations and activities, returning to when women took care of the home in every aspect. No, I'm not inspired to spin my own cotton to make clothes with. But, the team went all out with trailers full of decorations to make the theme up right. This lady on the stage was in full time-warp mode, talking about how things were done way back when, all while she spun wool.

Upon arrival, we dropped off our snacks. Needless to say, we wouldn't be going hungry this weekend! We got a cherry tote bag with our itenerary and other goodies for the weekend. Then, we could scope out the goody baskets. Let me tell you, these baskets are something! There were some for silent auction- everything from home decor themed stuff, handpainted artwork, a complete set of dishes. Then, there were raffle baskets- more themes of chocolate, laundry, old fashioned candy, girly stuff (one had a digital camera), and tons more. I think there were over 60 baskets to be auctioned/raffled. All the proceeds went back to the ladies ministry, some of which was donated to a project at the church (our new book store). I bought 5 tickets and actually won a basket of old fashioned candies. It's been fun remembering some of them from childhood, but others were before my time. Still, we've enjoyed it!

We made crafts- a knot doll and a Bible cover. Beth has been asking about a Bible cover, so I was happy to get to make one just for her. She loves it! The doll, well, mine has issues :)

We had fun team building activities. Come to find out, most of the ladies on my team aren't highly competitive. But, we worked well together to get it all done. We had to decorate our team's pole with limited supplies. We had a deviled egg making contest- starting with an egg toss. We had jacks competitions and apple peeling contests.

We had a team skit, selling something. We "sold" a cure-all tonic. Mrs.Ginger (our preacher's wife) came up with a great pitch- it turns your tan skin pale, your brown eyes blue, makes your nails grow, gets rid of wrinkles, makes you rich, you name it. We won because ours was truest to the time theme! :) We also had a scavenger hunt of sorts. There were 46 descriptions of ladies and we had to find who matched that and get their signature. Things like- a stay at home mom, someone who bungee jumped, someone who'd been on Price is Right, someone who could sing I'm A Little Teapot, etc. Then, our teapot singers had to prove it. Hehe! We won this too!

While all this was fun, our main reason for going was spending time growing in Christ as Christian women. The study scripture for the weekend was the book of Joshua, with Joshua 24:15 as our key verse "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord." Linda Chappell was our speaker, and she was such a sweet lady. Some key thoughts I learned that weekend:

• Bend your knees before He breaks them. Submit with a gentle bow.
• What is keeping me from God's promise of abundance? John 10:10 talks about having life abundantly
• What is MY sacrifice for Him?
• God already has in me what I need in order to serve Him. I just need to do it. I Corinthians 1:27- I have no excuses! Acts 13:36- David served his generation- I need to do the same in mine.
• In order for my life to bear fruit, I have to overcome fear of failure and humiliation.
• Revelation 12:12- Satan already knows his time his short, and he's gonna work to do everything he can to keep us from God.
• Have I considered God's will for my children vs. my hope for them?
• Don't allow fear of the world to remove the wisdom of God's Word.

I really enjoyed the quick trip away to learn and grow in God and friendships. I am already looking forward to next year and hoping my mom will come along.

If you are curious about this God I yearn to serve better, please ask me. I'm happy to tell you about the joy in my life because of Him. I'm even more excited to tell you about the joy I have in knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, where I'll spend eternity when I die. I want you to know where you'll be too. Yes, know, not hope or think you'll be.