I Love Fall

The change in the air
is as crisp as the newly ripened apples
just a sweater will keep the chill at bay

Pick natures harvest, bake with sugar and spices
the aromas and flavors engulf me and warm my soul
they embed themselves in my memory

Colorful views all orange and yellow with bold splashes of red
God's amazing pallet so inspiring
such an indulgence for the eye it's intoxicating

The ground is covered with formerly vibrant leaves
they have not yet finished delighting us
the sound of little feet crunching them brings a smile to my heart

It's here... Fall
it brings refreshment and cherished memories
and the anticipation of the festivities to come.

I love Fall!

Huston, we have lift off

As you can clearly see, this is a drawing of my husband and I on a spaceship. (I'm the shorter, wider one to the right). Our 5 year old son drew this beautiful picture for us.

I love Tuesdays!

Oh how I love Tuesdays!!! Tuesday evenings I head off to church for Ladies Bible Study, ie. an hour and a half spent in study of our Savior with other ladies who love Him!
We are doing a Beth Moore study (I could do a whole blog post on Beth Moore - LOVE HER!) called, "Jesus, The One And Only". What an amazing study!
5 days of study during the week, one hour long video on Tuesday evenings with a bit of discussion and closing prayer.
What do I love so about studying God's word?

For starters, the broadening of my relationship with Jesus. Webster's defines 'relationship' as: n. being related to or interrelated with, kinship, a romantic or passionate attachment. I love the latter, a passionate attachment. Passion: n. intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction, ardent affection, a strong liking or desire or deep interest. Week two talked about wearing a beaten path to Jesus. (love that too!) Dear Lord, help me to wear a path to You. Help me to be passionate about your word, doing you will and being in prayer with you!!!

I also love the academics of the study. Read something in Mathew that then leads you to Amos and then leads you to Acts, to Luke, to the Psalms.... LOVE IT!! Love that God is so consistent! No point in the Bible will only be made once. If you think you're getting a certain message from The Word, but can only find that message once.... think about it again and pray for clarity.

I'm loving how Beth teaches us to read in a way that is not so mechanical. Sometime when reading the Bible, I read through and get the key points. I get it academically, but don't take it to heart. She's teaching me to read slowly - think about what I read - really think about it! Tonight she read to us and asked us to close our eyes. Then she asked what we visualized, what we thought the sites and smells would be like. A few weeks back when talking about Christ's birth, she pondered what Mary's labor was like... how did she feel when she first set eyes on our Lord in infant form?, what did she say to Him?... I love that!!! I love how she reminds us that these were real events and real people. How would we feel being in their place? How would we have felt if we were Elizabeth becoming pregnant so late in life? How would we feel if we were one of the disciples on the boat with Jesus during the storm?... Imagine! Lord, help me not to just read and memorize your word, but to feel it, experience it, take it to heart! Amen.

My mind is still reeling from all we learned tonight! I love the ladies in the study. All of them. I can't name them all, but I genuinely love them!! Thank you Lord for the two new ladies you brought to study this evening. May they be truly blessed from the message!!!

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.... Amen!!
That's what I'm off to do now!
Do you know Jesus? I pray you do!!

'Mmmmm.. Yummy!"

My 2 year old awakens from his nap finally ready to eat his lunch.

He asks for ham. Great, I have that. I make him a ham and cheese roll up (he usually wastes the bread) and put it on the tray for him. He picks at it... eats the cheese, makes shapes with the ham.... Then he asks for 'berries' - blueberries. So fine, I give him a little bowl of blueberries also. Within a minute, he asks for graham crackers.
"Ok - but this is it. You have to eat your blueberries and graham crackers."
"Ok mummy."
While he's munching, I bend down in the doorway to pick up the Mr. Potato Head body parts that are all askew going into my living room.
I then hear "mmmmmm Yummy!!"
I turn to look at my son. "Your lunch in yummy honey? Good!"
I continue cleaning up the arms, eyes, mustaches, etc...
"Yummy yummy... mmmmmmmmm"
"Boy, you're really liking that, huh? What are you eating now, a berry?"
"No"
"A cracker?"
"No"
Curiosity gets me now, what is this child eating that he's enjoying so much? Has he finally stopped playing with the ham and he's eating it?... I walk the 4 steps to his seat and he holds out his hand. I look closely.
"Billy!?!"
"Yummy mummy... Boogie!"
"Ahhhhh - gross!! Don't do that!"
Yes, I know! You don't make a big deal out of these things, right? But I couldn't help it - I was so taken off guard!
Now those of you reading this who do not have children are completely horrified right now. Those who do have kids, are smirking or saying, "ok, my kids not the only one!"
Oh the delightful things that children do!!
I always refer to him as a 'picky' eater - but really!!!

Plug

I'm going to give a friend a plug here...

My friend Missy has just started selling Tastefully Simple.
It's a home party deal where you invite a bunch of friends over and sample many different delicious foods. This is a fun party to have with both men and women - great couples night out!! We'll be having a party in January (we like to plan ahead)..
Any how - here's the company web site and then my friend's email address should you like to place an order or schedule a party (one of the best home parties - really fun!)
www.tastefullysimple.com
m.sigourney@hotmail.com

Give it a try! The cinnamon meltaways are awesome!!!!

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by my friend Michelle to participate in 'The Name Game'.

The idea is to write one fact that has something to do with your life for each letter in your middle name. In the event that you don't have a middle name, you use the name you would have liked to have had. Once tagged, you play 'The Name Game' as a blog post, and then tag others (one for each letter in your middle name).

Here it goes!

T ~ Thankful!! I'm extremely thankful for all of the blessings in my life! Lately I have been very mindful to take note and appreciate the many ways I am so rich. Ok, not financially, obviously - but I'd choose what I have over the almighty dollar any day!! I have a wonderful husband who loves me (and I him!!!) and our children and is in general, just a very good Christian man!!! I have two beautiful boys that I adore completely!!!!! We are all in relatively good health. We have a home that we can open up to our friends and family, transportation to take us where we need to go, family and friends who love us... Our Savior!! & our church family. I could go on for pages!!..

E ~ English Breakfast Tea - love it!! Start every morning with it and love to end the evening with a cup too. Love to collect English China too - from Stradfordshire to be exact. So lovely and elegant and reminds me of my English heritage which I enjoy very much. In the late evening, when my men are all asleep, a cup of tea in one of my nice china cups... sometimes I need that feminine indulgence living in a home with so much testosterone.

R ~ Really need to lose weight! I mean, REALLY! But where's my will power? Ah, to heck with will power, just need to do it!!! Time to get serious and get healthy!!! But after I go out with the gals on Monday...

E ~ Exclamation points!! I love them!! Have you noticed? Years ago when I was working as an assistant to a product manager at a school supply company, my boss read me a letter she had received from the woman who founded Kindercare. This lady sent out one of those 'end of the year letters' some folks send at Christmas time, and concluded her letter in a way I'll never forget! She said that her editor had scolded her for her overuse of exclamation points. She told him, "I can't help it. My life is filled with exclamation points!" Isn't that just wonderful!?!?!? (did I mention she was in her 80's at the time) I concur - my life too is filled with exclamation points - so I will continue to use them freely!!!!!

S ~ Sensitive - my best and my worst quality all rolled up into one! I like to economize that way. Worst, because I can be sensitive and take things to heart that most people would let roll off of them, or wouldn't have taken note of to begin with. Best, because I am very sensitive to others needs and feelings - which in and of itself can be a blessing and a curse. If I pick up on a need or a hurt and can help in some way, great! If I can't help, I've been known to sit and cry over someone else's troubles and be awoke from sleep to pray for them - which in and of itself is a blessing and a curse..... You see where this is going..

A ~ Always tired! I seem to live in a constant state of sleep deprivation. My mind constantly races to things that need to be done. I have this need to keep busy and feel as though I must be useful and productive at all times so as to never disappoint anyone. I'd love a day to just rest, but even if I had the opportunity, I can't... 'I must be useful, I must be productive, I must have purpose, I must not disappoint, etc..' Where is the off switch?

Gobble Gobble

So there I am driving down the main road in my town off to pick up my son from school for an appointment when I see something ahead on the left side of the road. Evidently it would seem, that a car going in the opposite direction just missed hitting some creature.
What is that?.. Oh, my, it's big..
Oh, it's a turkey! No, no, it's two turkeys!! Cool, two turkeys cross.... Oh my, it's four, FOUR turkeys crossing the road!! Taking their time, bobbing their heads and checking out the scenery.
I look for someone else to make eye contact with to share this odd experience. All I can find is the man in back of me - but when I look in my mirror, he just looks ticked off...
So now my mind starts to go (those of you who know me know that my mind in actuality has gone long ago!)...
I start thinking about the Thanksgiving episode of WKRP in Cincinnati (does anyone else out there remember this show? hysterical!!) where Herb (the bumbling ad guy) and the boss (on the letterhead at least) Mr. Carlson, decide to orchestrate a turkey giveaway for Thanksgiving. The problem is, they think turkeys can fly!
Poor Less Nesman (the simple news man with all of the Hawk eye News eye award - man, how sorry am I that I remember all of this?... don't answer, please!) is the unsuspecting accomplice on the ground, broadcasting live from outside a shopping mall.
"I see something now. Things are falling from the sky. It's.. it's.. Oh my!! It's LIVE turkeys! Oh, the humanity!" (paraphrased) and on it goes... So funny!!!
Thankfully, the turkeys I saw today will live to see another day. Maybe they were going in to hiding!!
Gobble gobble!