November

Just checking in.........

We're all still alive over here. In case you were wondering! ;)

I apologize for the severe lack of posts in the month of November.

Blogging has been put on the back burner for several reasons:

One, my computer is so slow that it's really hard to get up the patience to deal with it anymore. It takes me at least 5 times as long to do anything (upload pics etc) as it would someone with a decent working computer.  (ours is a 1998 Compaq that is FILLED with pictures making it sloooooooower than molasses)

That really takes the fun out of it for me.

It makes for so much more work and so lately, it's been bagged.

Two, our office/school room is cooooooold. I haven't pulled the heater from the garage yet so we've been doing school in our living room in front of "the fire" these days. I've been checking blogs, email, Facebook etc with my Kindle Fire. It's easy to read posts with but it's not really "post friendly".

Three, we're just plain busy.

School is going really well this year. Still working out kinks as always but it is soooooooooo much better than last year. (which all things considered isn't saying a lot, I guess, since last year was horrible ;))

Between school, family, keeping up with my house, all things fall related etc, there hasn't been much time to spend blogging.

I do miss it though and have so many posts that I'd love to share. Hoping 2013 will be a more productive year for this blog. It's on my resolution list! ;)

What have we been up to this month? Here is a completely random list of some of this months highlights:

•  We voted...and then later cried. ;) 
• I started a [morning] devotional book called Character Makeover by Katie Brazelton - I have been finding that the Holy Spirit has been using additional messages on the radio, church messages, random quotes heard etc to speak to me about the things I am studying in this book...I love that He works like that...because I am seeking Him, I am finding Him. It's been hard (He must increase and I must decrease)...but also a great delight bringing Him in closer focus. 
• Because of the above (I believe), this month has also had it's fair share of trials. I won't share them in detail but let's just say that when you are seeking God...Satan takes notice and he doesn't like it. Tests come your way and spiritual warfare is no picnic. 
• For fun, I've been reading the Divergent fictional series by Veronica Roth - almost finished book two, Insurgent - great series...very similar to The Hunger Games, I'd say... It is a Good Reads recommend and I highly recommend the series as well. 
• I got to spend a wonderful girl's day out with my cousins, Kim and Kelly, along with my sister, Julie - we spent the whole day in Lancaster, PA - breakfast at the Gap Diner, shopping and sampling of jam's, jellies and other yumminess in Kitchen Kettle village, dinner and finally off to see The Perks of a Wallflower. From beginning to end, the day was absolutely perfect in every way. :)
• My husband is a former Marine so we celebrated Veteran's Day in style at our church where they had a fantastic spiritual message on patriotism. The Valley Forge Highland Band performed and the church honored the veterans following the service with a nice big delicious lunch for the veterans and their families. Because my grandfather and father are also veterans, my whole family was there - it was such an amazing experience being surrounded by all of those good, brave men and women who at one time or another fought for our country.
• My parents celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on the 16th. :) 
• My sister and I attended the final premiere of The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn 2. We started it together and ended it together. T'was a fantastic night. Always such a pleasure to be with my girl. :)
• Nicolas and Natalie won the challenge of reciting the entire Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish for their Spanish class and were rewarded with a $5 gift card (each) to Five Below - so proud of them!
• Noah got a very good progress report for his first semester of preschool this year. Love that little guy! He and Jeremy also attended Dad's night at school and both had a great time. :) This is our last year with RBCNS so every event is bittersweet.
• Natalie began doing landscape painting in art class.
• Nicolas started his first ever basketball season with PVBYL and so far, he LOVES it. Surprisingly, we have a southern belle coach (from Tennessee)...SHE is not fooling around...clearly loves the game and the kids and we're looking forward to a great first season.
• Nick and Nat are still in karate class weekly and they are progressing really well - November 8th marked one year since we've been in karate. 
• We got to spend a great night with the Rosenzweig crew with dinner and a movie at our house - Gina and I have been friends since the first day of kindergarten and now our children are friends as well. We feel so blessed to have our childhood dreams come true and still be as close as we all are. Just love them!  :)
• Thanksgiving Day took place with my family this year which I was so thankful for. There is nothing like being surrounded by your family at the holidays. We had our big Thanksgiving meal at my Pop Pop's house as per usual. He is 89 years old and still does the turkey himself...along with a fantastic side of sausage stuffing. Soooo good. The rest of the family takes part by bringing all of the yummy sides. This year, I brought a couple of pumpkin pies and some festive cookies for the kids. The weather was beautiful so after dinner, we went outside to take some family pics (like the one shown above) - hoping for a good Christmas card shot. ;) Some of the men went off to a shooting range for the afternoon while some stayed back to watch your typical Turkey Day football game. Some of us girls, mapped out a plan for the evening's shopping event. :) The kids had a blast being together and playing random games. Thank You Lord was sung before the meal and Uncle John read from Psalm 100. So thankful for a Christian family...for good, Godly people who uplift and encourage. For family who likes to laugh...a lot. For awesome memories. For big hugs. For being able to pass family traditions down to my own children and giving them the gift of a loving family as well.
• Thanksgiving night, my sister and I decided to participate in our now traditional Black Friday shopping trip (this is our third year). My mom decided to join us as well this year which made it extra fun. She didn't think that she'd be able to hang but she wound up being such a trooper and even was the last one to give in to exhaustion. (I bet she could have even kept going!). We left for our excursion a little before 8 p.m. on Thursday night and didn't get home until after 8 a.m. Friday morning. We.had.so.much.fun. Haven't laughed like that in a long time! Our 5 a.m. breakfast was especially fun as mom finally succumbed to a little bit of delirium and couldn't stop laughing! I seriously LOVE my family. Aside from the great deals we managed to get and the satisfaction of now having quite a bit of our Christmas shopping under our belts, the best part was just being together. It's not often that we get out "just us girls" like the old days so when we do, it's such sweet sweet fellowship. :) 
• We have one week left in November and I'm hoping to fill it with more of the same...more good times with friends and family. We'll also be taking down the fall decor and decking our halls for Christmas (still trying to fathom that it's almost here already!). 

(I'm sure I missed something...there were so many good things this month!)

As all of our months are, November was wonderful. Yes, there were trials but at the end of the day, I'm so thankful for this life. I am so incredibly blessed with the family and friends I have. And more than anything, I'm so blessed and thankful that God chose me for this life. I'm so thankful to be His child. November is a great time to remember all of the many things we are thankful for but the truth is that I am ALWAYS thankful. It's all so much more than I deserve and I certainly take nothing for granted.

Hope that you all had an amazing November with Thanksgiving. Hoping to start posting again soon as I have missed this!

Daily Chalkboard

 

I love this little picture and sentiment that Natalie wrote on the board yesterday.

So cute! 

I love how she spelled Halloween. She didn't know how to spell it but she tried! 

I personally think that it was a brilliant effort. 

Love my little candy girl. 

:) 

What the...?

When did the little people move in?

(And this is a fair reason why I don't like to clean much...my tools suck.)

And yes, you do see 3 different color woods here. We're starting a new trend. 

;)

Pretty Pumpkin

I wasn't planning on buying any real pumpkins this year but after reading this post from Alyssa and seeing her beautifully decorated pumpkins, I decided to bite the bullet and make a trip to our local farmer's market.

I only bought 1 for me and 3 for the kids (1 for each).

I'm not going hog wild with decorating our exterior like I have in years past so no $50 in pumpkins for us this year.

(Yes, I really did spend that one year. On pumpkins.

And that was just for the ones gracing our front porch!)

Since this is our first year having finished bedrooms (well, almost finished anyway), I decided to decorate them for the season as well as the rest of the house.

Our bedroom is a little more chic, if you will, so I didn't want to cheapen it with anything over the top harvest-y kitsch. 

Therefore, the pumpkin I chose was white and I found an idea on Pinterest that I thought I'd try to do my own version of.

A pretty puff-painted pumpkin.

Alright, so puff-paint isn't exactly chic but the 3 dimensional effect it has on pumpkins is a look that I find super pretty and definitely a bit more upscale.

I chose colors that I thought would jive well with the color scheme in our room.

I would have loved the blue to be a bit deeper for a richer effect but this was all they had and so I went with that rather than searching further.

The gold adds a little glitz and the swirl design adds a little glamor.

The pedestal gives it a little something extra as well...

All in all, I love how it turned out. And this project was so super easy.

Now the kids are begging to use the puff paint on their already decorated pumpkins.

It seems we're a trendy bunch.

;)

Brown Nosing: Yummy (and cute) Back to School Teacher Gifts

Source: catchmyparty.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Oh my goodness. 

How cute would these be for a "Welcome Back to School"  gift for Noah's preschool teachers? 

I know I know...I got a little brown on my nose...but so adorable, right?! 

:)

It's the little things: a cozy book nook, kiddie art (and the kiddie artist), a wooden whale and some bling blang

While the cats away...the mice...

will run home to Mommy and Daddy and stay with them for the week.

(After all...they do have central air...)

My husband has been away all week fishing the beautiful Lake Champlain with a couple of his buddies. I'm usually not afraid to stay home without him but this week, I opted to take the kiddos approx 3 miles down the road to stay with Grandma and Pop Pop. We're having the best time...I have really enjoyed being home on my old turf. Mostly, I've just reclaimed "my spot" on the couch, whipped out a huge stack of books I've been neglecting and have gone to town. As much as I love reading, I don't get much opportunity to read these days. This week, I am trying to make up for lost time.

What's on my list of current reads you ask?

Fiction (on my Kindle Fire):

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (the 2nd book in the Shiver triology) - If it's of the YA genre and includes vampires and or werewolves, it's usually up my alley. This series is all about the werewolves but I'm usually more of a vampire girl - little faq action for ya)

Non-Fiction:

My Bible

The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (the female version of the Resolution for Men based off of the Courageous movie) - this book, I HIGHLY recommend. It is REAL and it is CHALLENGING. If I could be in love with a book, I'd be in love with this one. It's amazing. Go get it.

Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure - I just love her, don't you? She is as talented of a writer as she is pretty. And that is pretty talented. What you'll find between these pages is an excellent Christian viewpoint on getting healthy in the eyes of God.

Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst - Actually haven't really started reading this one yet. I believe it follows a long the same mindset as Reshaping It All though in that it's primary intent is to teach (from the Bible) how to put your relationship with God over a relationship with food.

Spiritual Housekeeping by Kimberly Daniels - FANTASTIC book on protecting yourself (and your family) from Satan and the demonic influence in this world

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Today, I went to a few yard sales and as much as I don't normally like to waste my "yard sale money" on books, today's yard sale jaunt was ALL ABOUT THE BOOKS.

Some of the titles were just too good to pass up (and in certain instances, I felt God's leading in the reading) ;)

Here are the books I picked up today:

The Esther Effect by Dianna Booher (Esther is my all time favorite woman in the Bible - Abigail running a close second)

Overcoming the Sins of the Family by Beverly Hubble Tauke (on becoming the redemptive generation)

The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Help Me Trust You, Lord by Emilie Barnes

Esther by Charles R. Swindoll (part of the Great Lives from God's Word series)

3 books from the Core Knowledge series:

• What Your First Grader Needs to Know
• What Your Second Grader Needs to Know
• What Your Third Grader Needs to Know

Parables for Kids by Danae and Dr. James Dobson

Helpful Hal's Treasury of Christian Values by Michael Waite

And finally, The Kingfisher Book of Great Boy Stories 

So yeah...LOTS of books to read now...phew! :) I'm acting like I'm gonna have a whole bunch of time to read coming up...probably not the case. Oh well, I'll get to them sometime this decade...I hope!

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I'm really lucky to have a couple art lovers for kiddos (Nic really couldn't care less, he's much more into sports and the like). The other day, Noah came to me with this ingeniousness...

What he thought was just scribble (though he DID intend it to be water and sunshine), I see as art. Can you see the "waves, dolphin jumping out of the water and sunset"? I so can and maybe it's totally just me but his "accidental art" is crazy awesome to me. It's currently posted to my bulletin board but I fully intend on framing this. Call me coo-coo but I'm a mom. :)

 

Here's my little arteest, Noah. This is his "cheese" face. I am wild about that kid.

As I said before, I went out to a few yard sales with my mom and kidlets this morning...my mom came across this carved wooden whale and somewhat jokingly (I think) suggested I buy it for my kids room (for those of you who don't know, we are in the middle of a total room re-do for our kids and it's all about the nautical). Well, I fell in love with the darn thing. Who knows why we fall in love with the stuff we do, we just do. For $1, I was pleased as punch to take her home with me. Mom keeps asking what I'm gonna do with her and honestly, right now, I don't know...I may paint her or I may leave her as is but either way, she's ours. 

She'll serve as a good reminder that we certainly cannot out run God...if he has to use a great big fish to get our attention, he will. (Jonah and the Whale). I love things that tell a story. I also love that the more I look at her, the more I love her. :)

And my final purchase of the day...a pretty (but delicate) blingy bracelet that cost me 75 cents at a local antique store. You can so not tell from this picture but it is so sparkly and feminine...it makes me smile when I catch a glimpse of it on my wrist. :)

So...that's it. Those are the little things that have brightened up my week. Pleasant little distractions that keep me from missing my hubby too too much (though I REALLY still do!).

I'm linking up again this week with Lindsay at Hello Hue!

Come join the party. Lindsay is completely adorable (,talented and very preggo - can't wait to "meet" baby Si soon!) and I've found some really great bloggy reads through this link up. So fun. :)

(sigh) I'm soooo gonna miss "my spot" on my parents couch. I've really missed it these last 8 1/2 years, I've been out of the house. Guess I better get going and soak up as much time as I have left!

Thanks for reading!

What are the little things that you've been pleasantly distracted with this week? Do you yard sale too?

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. "
Khalil Gibran

  

What Do Ray-Bans, Watermelon, Paint and My Salvation All Have In Common, You Ask?

They were FREE! 

 

One evening in Ocean City, New Jersey while my mom and son, Nicolas, were walking on the beach with the metal detector, they came across a pair of sunglasses. Covered in sand and sea scum, they looked like something worth throwing away, so into the bucket they went with the intention of disposing them once back at the house. Well, for whatever reason, once they returned home, they decided to rinse them off to see what was what. Girls, they just so happen to be the very nice pair of $200-ish Ray-Ban vintage lens aviators that now happily reside on my face whenever the sun is shining bright. They are the BEST sunglasses I've ever owned - no squinting! Yay! :) It just goes to show you that we should always look a little deeper. Sometimes what first may appear like garbage could really be treasure lying underneath. I mean that literally and figuratively!

Thank you Mom and Nic! I adore my little beach treasures - and the treasure that I have in both of you as well. :)

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My favorite little farm stand is having a special going on this week - mention "Facebook" while shopping at Renninger's Farm and they'll give you a FREE sangria watermelon (while supplies last)! We picked ours up on Thursday and we have loved on it a little bit already. Typically $5 but this week FREE. Check out their Facebook page for details.

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Last year, my husband was doing a window job for a Benjamin Moore store going out of business and they asked us to please take some paint off of their hands...oh really? No problem!  A few minutes later, we had 9 gallons of FREE paint in our trunk. Hello...score! :) 

Currently, one gallon of our FREE paint (in the color Sedona Clay) is being used on this "beaut":

I bought this dresser last year at a yard sale for $25 (the black spray paint came later thanks to one of my lovely yet somewhat destructive children). I had always planned on putting it at the bottom of our bed but recently I changed my mind and now it's going in our living room in place of our entertainment armoire. Cannot wait to get that beast out of our living room and replace it with this beauty...or at least, I think it'll be a beauty when it's done? Not gonna lie, I'm kinda nervous about it. BUT...with the right color, new knobs and new feet, I'm kinda thinkin' she might be a winner. Stay tuned to find out!

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Last, but definitely not least, on my list is my salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

 gift (noun)
Something bestowed freely. 

Now, here is where I tie it all together...(thanks for being patient with me...)

I had no problem accepting those sunglasses as a free gift. I had no problem accepting that watermelon as a free gift. I had no problem accepting that paint as a free gift. So why, so often, do I have a hard time truly accepting my salvation as a free gift? Even just today, I prayed, "Father, please forgive my unbelief (to be read, lack of faith)!". The Bible says that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20) so I guess faith isn't as easy for us as it should be. My heart believes...I know it does...I can feel the Holy Spirit's convictions often to prove it. But my head...my head has such a hard time wrapping around the knowledge that an all powerful God who always was and always will be...Creator of Heaven and Earth sent His Son to die a cruel death on a cross for...me? 

I feel like I can never live up to that and very often frustrate myself with that knowledge. Feeling very unworthy because I am. I can NEVER be worthy. I will NEVER be worthy. 

But listen...I did NOTHING to deserve those sunglasses either...did NOTHING to deserve that watermelon...did NOTHING to deserve that paint...and I can do NOTHING to deserve my salvation.

All I can do is reach out and take it. Trusting in Him that He speaks Truth in His Holy Word. 

There is nothing you nor I can do to ever deserve His free gift of salvation. Just take it. HE is yours for the asking. 

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

How about you? Will YOU accept His FREE GIFT today? 

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I'm linking up with Lindsay over at Hello Hue for the first time this weekend!

It truly is all about the little things! 

Who says nothing in life is free? :)

life is a gift. take care of it.

Me: Excuse me, how much is the beautiful bright pink zinnia you have in the back there?
Farmer: Ehhhh...five bucks.
Me: (jaw drop) Really?! that is CHEAP!
Farmer: Well, they brought them in this morning and they don't have prices on them yet so...five bucks it is. (smile)
Me: Wow, well, thank you! (went in the back to pick up my prize)
Farmer: Just think of it this way, now you'll be going home with something you didn't think you would be. (little did he know...)

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Girrrrrrls, I was just tickled pink to have that beautiful plant sitting on the floor next to me on my drive home that evening...

The thing is, that plant was clearly set to sell for $15 at least...it's huge and the blooms are plentiful and gor.geous.

And that farmer...he knew just what he was doing. He was making my day. On purpose.

To him, being kind meant far more to him than making an additional $10.

To me, even though i did pay $5 for it, it still felt like a gift.

And, Girls, it's really not even about the flowers.

Yes, they are brilliant and I love them but honestly, the gift was so much more than that.

It was a gift that reminded me that there is still good in the world. There are still people who value goodness, kindness and generosity.

I smiled all the way home that day and honestly, even cried at one point because I was so darn touched. That farmer has no idea of the effect he had on my life that day. It was a simple gesture but he renewed a faith in me that had been in the process of dying.

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God spoke to me through a farmer.

Now I have pretty bright pink faces to water once or twice a day. Who knew zinnias needed so much care?! They are thirsty little buggers!

If I miss a morning watering, they show me they're unhappy by shriveling up and looking mighty sad.

This gift requires work to keep them looking their best.

I know this may be a stretch to some...but I'm gonna put it out there anyway.

Life is a gift. God gave us this crazy beautiful life for FREE and our job is to take care of it.

I don't know about you but there have been A LOT of days in my life that I've looked quite shriveled up and sad (sure physically but also spiritually, emotionally and mentally!).


It is not a life that shows that I am taking the best care of God's precious gift to me!

I definitely need a daily drink of the everlasting water of His Word if I am to reflect Him and His glory.

My pastor's Sunday sermon spoke on "making Jesus look good" -  I can't help but think that some of us are looking kinda like a shriveled up plant to people in this world.

Dull and lifeless.

I am not even sure that anyone would want a plant like that for FREE let alone pay for one.

Wouldn't we better reflect Jesus and this precious gift of life he's given us if we chose to keep ourselves watered in the Word?

Let's be the brightest blooms we can be FOR HIM.

Drink up.

John 4:14

...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."