Happy engagement

So much has happened in the past few weeks. But the main news is Alisha is engaged to James. All our family is very happy and excited. We very much love James as one of our own. Now we are getting into the planning and it is very much fun. Here is a picture of the happy couple.

Christmas favorites

I was tagged by Sheila for my Christmas favorites...
Favorite Tree: A real one for sure. Love the pine smell. This year is probably my favorite as our whole family helped decorate...even boyfriends of Alisha and Emily. Best of all Olivia helped. That alone makes it my favorite.
Favorite ornament: I have all our girls babies firt Christmas ornaments from the Precious Moments collection.
Favorite Christmas Song: Joy to the World.
Favorite Tradition: Reading the Christmas story by tree-light on Christmas Eve and then opening one gift each!
Favorite gift: I have had so many wonderful ones I cant pick, but I suppose the best gift is being able to be with family and watch them open gifts together.
Favorite Meal: Christmas eve meal with Pizza, wings, taco dip, shrimp. Yummmy!
Favorite Cookie: Sugar cutouts....I also like my brother Paul's chocolate star cookies.
Favorite Place to be: Home with my crazy fun family.
Favorite Memory: Being a child and having the most wonderful white christmas snow fall on Christmas day as my grandparents came up to our house for the day. Absolutely engraved in my heart. I also loved the time we gave our girls a trampoline and did a scavenger hunt for them to get to the big gift outside. (Watching Tom put it together outside on Christmas eve on one of the coldest days of the year was pretty memorable too.)
Favorite Movie: How can I pick a favorite there are so many. Elf, It's a wonderful life, Scrooge, The Little Drummer Boy cartoon.

I tag Tom and Jayme and Liz.

Happy Birthday Tom

Happy Birthday to the one I have loved for over 28 years. I hope this is the best year you have ever had. I love you.

Christmas is a coming.....

I love that old song, Christmas is a coming and the lights are on the tree. The version I knew was sung by Loren Green. Nothing reminds me of Christmas growning up more than that song on his Christmas album. I like thinking about lights on the tree. Light is an awesome thing. Jesus is the light of the world. There are so many verses about light in the Bible. This time of year especially I like to think about those verses as I look at the lights on my own Christmas tree. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 That is something positive to ponder in our world of darkness. Are you looking to the True Light for all your answers? May your Christmas season be filled with God's light!

Thankfulness

Since we are one day away from Thanksgiving I am going to post a 30 reasons for thankfulness list. I am thankful all year but never as thankful as I should be. Why don't you list your reasons to be thankful and keep them handy for times you don't feel thankful.
1. Jesus
2. Tom my hubby
3. My girls.. Sheila, Alisha, Emily
4. My Olivia and Hudson (grandchildren)
5. As Tom puts it when he prays (our boys) That is our girls husbands and boyfriends!
6. Our home
7. Flannel sheets in winter
8. Hot meals
9. a job
10. the use of all my senses
11. My family in Minnesota
12. Bible
13. my cats Chicken Nugget and Titus
14. water to drink and the Sweet Tea it makes
15. my car
16. Our church
17. Friends
18. Bible study class
19. Hiking
20. The heart to help others in need
21. music
22. Christian novels
23. leaves that fall
24 flowers that bloom
25. oceans to swim in
26. snow to play in and hot chocolate after
27. laughter
28. giving gifts
29. smell of a fresh cut christmas tree
30. snuggle time with the ones Ilove.

Hudson Isaiah

November 14, 2008 a very special day when Hudson Isaiah came into the world at 11:34 am weighing 8 pounds and 3 ounces. He is so beautiful and has made me a very happy grammy.

cleaning can be fun

I spent the weekend at my daughter, Sheila's house to help her get her NEST ready for the new baby coming next week. We cleaned from top to bottom and it was fun. REALLY, I love cleaning and organizing, so this is my idea of a great time. To make it even more fun, my little granddaughter Olivia was helping. What could be better than that. Well only 4 more days until the family of three will be a family of four.

Give me Your eyes

I have heard this song for a few weeks now on christian radio and love it. Take a minute to listen and watch.....Brandon Heath's Give me Your eyes.
http://www.brandonheath.net/updatesinfo.php?id=10

Keeping Olivia the funnest time ever

As you can see our time has been filled. It is a joy to play with our Olivia and laugh with her and see how much she already knows. We love her.
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Enjoying relaxing time with grandpa.

A moment to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

Grandpa's idea, Build a Bear!

Breakfast is fun and early!

My little fall cutie

What can I say. I am proud of my little Olivia. She is her grammy's favorite little bug. She is getting so big and fun to watch. Here she is with a pumpkin that her grandpa(baba) got her when she visited this past weekend. And she is wearing a kitty shirt that her grammy picked out for her. Emily her auntie is enjoying her too as you can see from the photo. The kitty is to make her giggle 'cause it is so cute when she does that. Fall is a wonderful time of year, but having Olivia around makes it even better.

Fall is here

I love days like this when the sun is shining the breeze is blowing and you get the beginning hint of color starting on the leaves. When you have friends to do things with and good food. God is amazing. What do you think?!

rainy day

It's a cool, rainy day today. Just a great day to make a pot of chili, read books, watch a movie and take a nap under a blanket. We don't have any gas to go anywhere anyway. Life is good.

Missing Minnesota

Just missing my home and wishing I was closer to my family. It's hard to be away when your parents are getting older and need help alot. I am thankful for all who are in Minnesota and take care of things for my mom and dad.

fun with Olivia

Fun times with Olivia Grace

Faith

Do you have days when your faith seems to be gone? Do you have days when your faith is so strong? Do you have days when you have both in the matter of hours? Am I alone? What does God's word say about it?

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:Whom having not seen, ye love:in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;
Recieving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
I Peter 1:7-9

From what I see our walk with him is up and down, from faith to faith. But every time we go through hard things and our faith seems to be gone, but we get up again and continue on in the best way we know how. We are honoring God.

Guess I am not alone.

few good tips

I saw the following on Gary's blog from 91.9 WRCM thought it was good.......

When you're criticized

Three quick tips:

1. Don't ever overreact. If your emotions are yelling at you, convince yourself your emotions are lying and telling you it's a bigger deal than it is (they are). Don't let your emotions boss your reaction.

2. Do NOT go down there where the criticizer is, ever. Stay above every criticism. Don't debate the criticizer or the criticism. Every time you stay above things you end up elevated in the eyes of most (not all) others.

3. Get over wanting everyone to like you. Ain't gonna happen. Don't fool yourself and think that if they only knew all the facts and knew your motivations they'd drop the criticism. Maybe. Or maybe they'd increase it.

fun with Olivia

Olivia and Sheila spent a week with us last week as Andrew was on a mission trip. We had a really fun time with our little bug and Sheila too. She kept Tom and I busy and tired us out, but we loved every minute of it. We pushed her in the swing, went for wagon rides. Played outside and watered flowers. We chased her around the house and kissed and hugged her alot. We fed her bathed her and laughed at her funny ways. She is such a gift from God. I can only say. I love her more than words can say.

Which way to go?

I quit my job. It took me 4 months to find it and I worked 1 1/2 months to find that I didn't want to stay. It is so hard at times to figure out what direction to go. I pray about things like this and just wish God would give me audible answers and say "go this way,don't take that job, hey this would be the best decision you can make!" God doesn't work that way. He wants me to ask Him questions, but He also gives me faith to take steps down the paths I feel He would have me go. I asked Tom last night at dinner,"What do you do when you don't know what to do?" He proceeded to tell me what he tells inmates all the time when they ask. "Do the next right thing you know to do." I get that with their situation, but if I knew the right thing to do, I wouldn't have a problem. Did I make a mistake when I took this job? Maybe, maybe not. I want to believe that God had me there for a purpose for a short season. Maybe to encourage a patient, maybe for the doctor, maybe for my co-worker. I may never know. It would be nice to SEE that I was on the right path for this time in my life, but I probably will never know. I have to believe that I was right where God wanted me or I will always be questioning my walk of faith. When I am in this state of flux, God's Word is where my answers lie. Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.
Well if God takes delight in my way as He orders my steps, I guess I will be ok.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Again, God is teaching me and will guide me. I guess according to God's Word, I am on the right path and He will lead me from here. I feel better already. Maybe you have questioned your decisions on some matter. Go to God's Word for encouragement and answers. You will not be disappointed!

I got tagged

I'm it!

One Word Meme

1. Answer the questions using only one word.

2. Tag four others. (I tag Liz and Tom)

Where is your cell phone? purse

Your significant other?big

Your hair? growing

Your mother? amazing

Your father? dedicated

Your favorite thing? family

Your dream last night?forgetable

Your favorite drink? water

Your dream/goal? happiness

The room you’re in? loft

Your hobby?walking'

Your fear? trouble

Where do you want to be in 6 years? alive

What you’re not? ambitious

Muffins? poppyseed

One of your wish list items? porch

Where you grew up? hutchinson

Last thing you did? shopped

Favorite gadget? phone

Your pets? cats

Your computer? lifeline

Your mood? hopeful

Missing someone? parents

Your car? Honda

Favorite store?Aldi

Like someone? yep

Your favorite color? green

Last time you laughed? today

Last time you cried? weeks

work weekend

I am going away for the weekend with my job. I usually really look forward to the weekends, but this one I am kinda dreading. I have to go with my boss to a convention for our profession. I dont really know what to expect. I know that I need an open mind and a good attitude, but I am a family person and when it comes to my weekends I want to have them with whom I choose. It's going to feel like work all weekend so as a result, I am working 2 weeks straight. Yikes. Fortunately, we hired a new girl and she will be going too. That is my saving grace. So while everyone else is enjoying the weekend with whomever and whatever they choose, I will be in seminars listening to how I can be a better employee. Think about me.