UPDATE: NEW TIME FOR TREE TRIMMING!

Okay, due to numerous conflicts, besides the Cowboys and my pending root canal at 2:15 tomorrow, the tree trimming festivities have been postponed until Friday. So, see there is still time for you to come! Taco soup is on, as well Christmas music, and I guarantee you'll be in some kinda Christmas spirit when you leave. ;~} No set time to come, no set time to stay. A little or a lot. Soup will be ready around 5:30, staying warm in the ole crock pot just awaiting your arrival and all the fun. Hope to see you Friday!

A Little Bribe?

One last post before I finally hit the sack.

Thursday night at whatever time you can make it, there will be a pot of Taco Soup brewing at the church, along with Christmas music blaring away, for all those who would like to add one more festive, get in the Christmas spirit occasion, to your already busy agendas, and help me trim the tree and hang the wreaths and whatever other decorating needs to be done at the church. (I mistakenly typed my house, so if your still in the mood, feel free.)

Just think of the bonding that will take place! Memories made...

have I got ya yet? I thought so ;}

Crossroads

Here I sit at 1 o'clock in the morning reading blogs. I've been sick for over a week. I'll feel bad then better then bad again. It really got me last night and I was up half the night, which didn't help me feel much better. I felt bad when I got home from church today and went to bed. David just let me sleep and didn't wake me for church. So now I'm still wide eyed. I just read sarah's blog and commented and the word verification was xroad. Got me thinking...

so many crossroads in my life. that crossroad from childhood to adolescence, adolescent, teen, adult...so quickly. the crossroad from single to married and living as one, then motherhood, and the only way to be whole is to split again and love one more...then two...then three. before you know it your at another crossroad...they aren't babies anymore. they're walking everywhere and talking and becoming little people! then the crossroad at the crosswalk or bus stop. oh my, do I really let him get on that bus alone and leave me standing here. what kinda mother does that, let's him go it alone! oh the crossroads of letting go. that's the most difficult. as soon as you start it's done...they're grown. then there is the crossroads of moving them away at college. oh my, what kinda mother does that, let's him go it alone! I always cried half the way home. now I leave them and still I cry. now they leave me...and still I cry.

and then there are those crossroads of change. leaving those we love and moving away. those are so hard. leaving the house where your babies were born and raised. the place you rocked them in the night, kissed skinned knees, comforted bad dreams, prayed with them to know Jesus, had tickling sessions, watched a little boy pack his bag to run away at 4, only to comfort him when he was to scared to step off the sidewalk. birthday parties and swimming in the back yard. running as fast as they could over the pasture to nanny's in the dark. slumber parties, then first dates, and late nights of broken hearts.

yet another...they fall in love. once they just loved you. now another. always letting go. then you discover the added blessing. another daughter, a new son. your heart begins to expand beyond what you could ever dream it could. then when you thought you're all loved out...a baby grand. you never knew this kinda love could even exist. another place in your heart literally grows. you can actually feel it. unexplainable. literally.

that first move was the hardest. but what I found was new adventures, not only for the kids but for me. new places, new worlds, new friends, new memories. new firsts in the new home. and then sad to leave again. I guess what I learned is the memories are always there...in your heart...in you. you take them wherever you go. the place they come home to is not a place but a heart.

and the adventures and people you meet along the way are so worth it. you just keep storing up the moments to go with you when you come to the next crossroad. because life is always changing, never staying the same, always an adventure. children move away and come back, friends move away. taking apart of you with them and leaving a part of them with you. that's what makes us who we are. all the people along the journey. bits and pieces. we're made up of bits and pieces of one another. no matter where life takes us, what changes take place, the crossroads are necessary.

so stop at the crossroad. look both ways. look back if you must. but cross.

there is so much more God has waiting...

Happy Birthday Pamela!

Today is my best friend for all my life's birthday! Actually this is her "50th" birthday! Wow! That's about all I can say...WOW! We have been friends since we were 12! Where have the years of driving the drag, being boy crazy, "sleeping over" gone, and then having all our babies together, and them growing and doing all that again with them? A lot of years and moments have come and gone and such great memories are deep in my heart. Wish we could do them all again. It looks like the last four of our six kids will be married in 2008. That is amazing! Kinda brings us into a completely differnt season, doesn't it Pam. I just finally talked to her today and I'm sorry you are sick on your biggie. She has a kidney stone so please pray for her. I love you friend and hope the rest of your day is better than the first part.

ABC's of Thanksgiving

Okay, so I already wrote a Thanksgiving greeting but Dawn gave a challenge and I can't seem to ignore a challenge. Here goes Dawn, I'll see if I can come up with any more...
A - Another year, Angela, Amy, Autumn smells & Angels unAware
B - Blonde highlights, my Bubba, Bacamama, Becky, a good Book, and new Beginnings
C - Christ, Christmas, Christal, Crystal, Chocolate, Captivating
D - David, Dawn, & lazy Days
E - Ellie, Ellie, Ellie
F - Friends, Family, Fall, Freedom, & a cozy Fire
G - God, Goodness, Gifts, Grace & Gardens
H - Heaven, Hugs, good Health
I - Imagination, missed In-laws
J - Joy, Jo, and the Joy she brings, Jenny & Jan
K - Kylah, Kimmie, Kelly, Karen, Kimbra & Kindness
L - Landon, Lennon, Laney, Love & Laughter...and Lisa!
M - Matthew, Mandy, Michael, Maggie...Memories
N - Nanny, Newborn babies, Nice people, cold winter Nights, afternoon Naps & New friends
O - Old friends, Old houses, Oreos & milk, Overshadowed...
P - Pam, Possibilites, Papaw, Pepaw, & Punkin Pie!
Q - Quaint Tea Rooms & Quiet Time
R - Rest, Righteous Savior, Rhonda, & Ricky
S - Sarah, Sunsets, Sovereign God, Ellie's Smiles, Smooching my honey!
T - Tammie, Terry, Toni, Teresa, precious Time
U - Us!
V - Vespers
W - Weddings, Whatever...
X - Xtra good times!
Y - YOU!
Z - and a Zilliondy more moments that take my breath away...

Thanksgiving is Here...

And I am so thankful for all God has blessed me with.

Why is it I don't ponder these things enough until this time of year? I'm very much aware, especially since ellie entered my life. her arrival has brought such reflection. as every year passes ever so swiftly, I find myself thinking of my family and how it is growing, and how we're all growing older, watching this precious baby grand grow, ever so aware of precious time and precious friends, as well as precious time with friends. these are the moments that take my breath away and make me thankful.

A wonderful home, the best husband any girl could ask for, three near perfect ;} children and their spouses. they are the finest of God's children. they love Jesus and their mama and bring me such joy. it seems lately God has had me really zeroing in on all that is around me and causing my spirit to be ever so aware of how blessed I am.

Thank you Father for this precious gift of life and all you have filled it with. we may not be rich by some standards, but my life is full of wealth beyond measure...

I love each of you and am encouraged upon every remembrance of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Back!

Yes I am! We had a wonderful time at the Presbyters Meeting in Maypearl. They fed us so well. I bet I gained 5 lbs! So much for losing all that weight. The more I try the more I weigh! While the guys had their lonnng business meetings us ladies had tons of fun. Tuesday we went shopping at North Park Mall in Dallas and at lunch at P F Changs. It was so good. Then last night after a wonderful meal of shrimp scampi and this peach chicken (sounds weird but was fantastic) we had our Christmas Party and Dessert Bar. Heavens! This morning was a Brunch and a wonderful speaker, that I had to leave before she was half finished. We had to leave early to get to a funeral 20 miles south of Brownwood. Very sad to not get to finish hearing her. She was so good and I was really intrigued by her topic. It was on "girlfriends". Her theme scripture was Romans 1:12...I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. She has a burden that we as the church have the secret that the world is stealing. Oh it was so good and I know I can't give it justice here, so I'll have to share it to all of you in person. In a nutshell we need each other. I wanted to stand up and shout..."We got it! You should join our bloggers club!" You are all such a blessing to me and you encourage me in the faith every day.

I'm glad to be home for a few days and then Thanksgiving will be here. I missed my ellie while I was gone. You know what I just love...coming around the corner and she sees me and smiles...like aw it's my grama...and I love her. She is my sweetie.

This is all the presbyters wives that were present and our district officials wives.

Tuckered Out!

That's about it. After one more funeral on Tuesday in Big Spring, driving to Plano afterwards, packing, packing, packing, driving back to SA on Friday, unloading (us girls just did a little), getting back in the car and driving to Fredricksburg for the Sectional Holiday get-together, and back last night (we were so stinkin tired on that drive home I was hallucinating and seeing things in the road, it was a miracle we made it back), and hurting like crazy ALL over my body today, I have just sat down and opened my laptop and it is 11:25 on Saturday night. Whew, did that long sentence ever represent my long week!

But they are here and unloaded and alot is put away and I am so happy! They'll be gone alot this month finishing up in Plano with their apt and taking a little much needed time off before they start their new position. We'll be gone here and there as well. We have the yearly presbyters meeting Monday thru Wednesday in Maypearl and at this point I can't even think of getting back in that car and going again. That much driving is so hard on my body, if ya know what I mean!

Maybe life in every aspect will settle down soon...

Baby & Work?

Do those two go together? Neither do posting and baby, since this is the second atempt. ellie just hit the keyboard and wiped out my just finished post! before that i was juggling typing and playing and tickling a soft belly. jealous? she has gotten so big and active. i love it! We got alot of packing done last night but it is 10:00 this morning and as you can see...oh well, it's about to start. the plan is to get it pretty much finished today so we can play a little tomorrow, being it's sarah's birthday! we'll also load the truck tomorrow and head out early friday morning. hope to pull in around noon. that's the plan anyway...

needlesss to say, there won't be much posting. jhghgffjkicdswsuyokmj that's hi from ellie!

Happy Birthday Tammie!

Today is Tammie's 50th birthday. I wish I was with her too. What a mile marker. Man your old...err than me! ;)

I pray your birthday is fantastic and you get all you wish for. You mean the world to me and you are my sister and my friend!

You truly are getting better and better and better!

I love you even more!

Happy Birthday to my Brother!

Today is my oldest brother Terry's birthday. Wish I was with him. For those of you who don't know, he is married to Tammie. Tomorrow is Tammie's 50th birthday! WOW! We were in high school yesterday! Weren't we?

Happy Birthday Terry Gene! Happy Birthday to you!

I love you...more!

Bloggers Meet & Eat!

Well I know it was impossible for every blogger to get together, seeing as we live apart. But those in SA met last night at Cheddars just to eat and hang out. We even had some recruits we're working on and kblot drove all the way from the metroplex just to come to our little get-together! Well actually she was coming for her family's thanksgiving get-together, but she let us think that for a little while. It was a really nice suprise! Wish there was a way we could all have a little social time here and there. Had a great time with all you girls!

Rock the Pumpkin VI

This was our 6th year to host "Rock the Pumpkin" at SAF. What a fun night we had! Thanks to all who made it happen. Crys did a great job organizing all those workers and making sure the games were together and running. Thanks Crys! There were around 800 registered, plus workers and all those who never stop to register. Those rebels. ;) Lots of cute kids and their parents. If you didn't make it, we missed you! It was a lot of work, but rewarding. Reaching out to our community and letting them know we love them enough to have a safe place for their families is a wonderful thing.