2008 in Review

It's amazing how much faster the years go by the older one gets. 2008 was nearly a complete blur. It has been full of ups and downs just like all the years before it. I recall 2008 being a rather "funky" year though. Here, let's take a look....................

We rang in 2008 at home. It was me and Jimmy, David and Hannah and Michael and Nicole. We all smooched in the new year, just like "they" say you should. Jimmy and I are the only couple still, well, a couple.

February, David and Hanna broke up. Sure, you say, "that's what kids do". But this wasn't just any break up. It's not like they had only been dating a little while. No, David and Hannah had been dating for 4 years. It was a very difficult time for everyone. Difficult for them as they started new lives without each other. And even difficult for the rest of us. Hannah had become part of our family. After 4 years, you kind of get attached to someone. But we all recovered and moved on with life. We all grew.

Don't know exactly which month the economy started going completely insane and the gas prices went off the charts, but I just know that for what seemed like an eternity, we all suffered with $4 a gallon gas. Ridiculous!!! We trusted the Lord to sustain us.......and He has. We grew.

In June, I got a $3 an hour raise! Yeah! WooHoo! It felt GREAT to be so appreciated. I gave Him all the praise and glory!!! I grew.

In July, my oldest baby, David, had a milestone birthday. 20 years old! He is growing into a fine Christian man. He grew. (and continues growing!)

In August, I dove in a little deeper doing the Lord's work. I love my church and my church family. But more so, I love the Lord. I love Him with all my heart, mind, and strength. He sustains me. It was in this month that I started teaching Sunday school to 2nd graders. They are still at that age where they are like little sponges. They take in all we fill them with. It is so encouraging to ask them questions about the prior week and they have retained these gems of information about their Lord and Savior. It fills my heart! I grew. (am growing!) I also started leading 3rd through 6th graders in our AWANA program on Wednesday nights. A whole different group of girls, but they are delightful and so much fun. I have been so blessed by them. I grew. (am growing!)

In September, my youngest baby, Michael, had a milestone birthday. 16 years old! And driving! Look out! With new freedoms.......he grew. (my prayer life increased even more! I grew!)(am growing still!)

In October, I was laid off! Ouch! Talk about a SHOCK! Well, I guess I really shouldn't have been that shocked. They had already laid off 12 in our Tallahassee office. I was the first to go in our Marianna office. I didn't fret though. I knew the Lord was in control of it all. We grew.

In November, Michael and Nicole broke up. They had been "dating" for 2 years. Again, it was strange not seeing them together. You rarely saw one without the other. Losing that "first love" is really a hard one. It's painful to watch your child suffer. But, with prayer and lots of love from family, Michael grew.

In November, after 5 weeks of searching, I finally found a part-time job. I don't feel like it is the end all/be all job, but I have no doubt that the Lord put me in it to share Him with others. Every day I encourage people I encounter and invite them to church. I offer to pray for them and their needs. I am growing.

December found us with a pocket full of pennies being pinched so hard their scream was deafening. But, we have been sustained! We are growing. We have put all our faith and trust in the Lord and He has provided EVERYTHING we need. We have not gotten behind on our bills, we have had plenty to eat (if you don't believe it, just look at me! ha!), and we even had a plenty for Christmas. It was not the lavish Christmas that many have, but it was just right. Instead of lots of junk and electronics, we kept it simple. A few new articles of clothing and "needed" items. We had a nice dinner together and spent quality time together with family and friends. And you know, I think this is the best Christmas we've had in some time. We grew. Also this month, Jimmy passed his Contractor's test! God's blessings have been evident throughout this month. His provisions are glorious! We grew.

Here it is, the very last day of December 2008. As I reflect on the ups and downs of the past year, I count my blessings. 2008 was chock full of them. The movement of the Lord is so evident as I look back. Our growth as individuals and as a family is remarkable.

Thank you, Lord for all the blessings you've given each and every one of us. Please help us to seek You first and in all things. Help us to be thankful for all things as Your will unfolds before us. I pray that you would keep us all safe and healthy in 2009. Please help us to share You with all those who don't know you. Lord, please bless all those who are fighting illness, loss of jobs, loss of loved ones, those who are lonely and those who don't know You as their personal Savior. Lord, I offer these prayers of thanksgiving and these petitions up to You. And it is in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray, Amen.

And may the new year be filled with blessings at every turn! Happy 2009!

Building anticipation.......

I am SO excited! On Friday around 5:00 am we will be hitting the open road! ROAD TRIP!!!
My nephew is getting married in Kentucky. No one in my immediate family has ever been to Kentucky, so we are all very excited about this new adventure. I will have my camera charged up and raring to go! I will return with LOTS of photos to share with the three of you who read my blog. I know, oh, JOY and rapture! hahaha!

I plan on driving the first leg of the trip. I understand that it's pretty much a straight shot through Alabama. I plan on driving the first 300 miles to be exact. No need to take any pictures going through Alabama. We've all been there, seen that.

And the weather is supposed to give us some SNOW!!!! on Friday night and possibly Saturday morning. The wedding is at 2:00 pm.

I promise to deliver lots of great photos upon my return. Check back here to see our road trip and the wedding and reception pictures.

Adios!

PS - Tomorrow, between laundry and packing for the trip, I do plan to blog and interject about 2008, if anyone is interested in my ramblings!

Anything but dressing and ham!!!

Well, last night we had our last "official" Christmas dinner. Ham, dressing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, collard greens, fried okra, crescent rolls, pecan pie.............the works. OK, it's "official" alright........I am SICK of this type of food. Bleckh!

When I got home from work tonight I fixed me a grape tomato, cucumber and celery salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a bowl of green grapes and a celery stalk with peanut butter for dessert! Ah.......... light and refreshing! I feel MUCH better now.

I've been thinking about how "bad" I have been since my "relapse" at Thanksgiving, you know, the one where you give in to the "holiday" and just, well...........GO FOR IT! I know, that's so wrong and not good. I know that gluttony is a sin. And yet, I went there...........again. Yes, I am ashamed. Surprisingly enough, from Thanksgiving through Christmas and all the feasts in between, I only gained about 6 pounds. I need to lose 50, mind you, but I was rather relieved to only be 6 more pounds to the positive.

I have decided that there is no time like the present and I am choosing to not wait until my new year's resolution list on January 1st to kick this new lifestyle off. Today is a perfect day. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I've started.......................Today!

So, for all of you out there reading this who know exactly where I'm coming from as I sit here trying to pump myself full of enthusiasm, I just want to say....................Thanks for always loving me just the way I am! I love you all back SO much! But, today (anyway!) I am choosing to, well, just do a little better.

Here's to the new year that I pray will be full of blessings for us all!

Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas
2008

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung from the bookcase with care (well, I don't HAVE a chimney!) in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there..................

Poor Santa didn't get any of my homemade goodies. What I didn't deliver to family and friends got gobbled up before the big day! Fig Newtons were a quick substitute. Obviously not his favorite. He left one and some. hahaha!

That afternoon we celebrated Christmas some more at the home of some friends of ours. Their children and our children are the same ages and have grown up together. It's unbelievable to see how they have all grown. Our oldest children are now 20! She is married with one child (this adorable baby you see in the next few photos) and David, finishing his sophomore year at Chipola, with a girlfriend.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

David & Haley (Set 4)

Here's another set for critiquing. Let the comments fly.

David & Haley (Set 3)

OK, here's the next set. Let me know what ya'll think. I encourage constructive criticism. I want to get good at this, so fire away!

And, thanks, J, for the good feed back. I appreciate it.

David & Haley (Set 2)

Here's another round of shots. Leave a comment. Let me know what you think. Give me some pointers. Constructive criticism welcome. I'm new to this and will gladly take some pointers. Especially from my highly talented "photographer" friends. Come on, you know who you are!!

David & Haley (First Look)

Last Sunday afternoon, David's girlfriend, Haley came over and I "played" photographer. I took a little over a hundred shots. We had so much fun. It was freezing that afternoon, but we still had a good time. I will put a few pictures each day for the next couple of days. I hope you enjoy these. I enjoyed taking them.

Happy Anniversary, Baby.....

Got you on my mind............. (Little River Band - in case you didn't remember that!)

Today is mine and Jimmy's wedding anniversary. I found the YouTube video of "Happy Anniversary, Baby" by the Little River Band and called him up (yeah, he's out of town working. ) and when he answered, I didn't say a word, I just hit play. I only played the chorus. He was very surprised. He really enjoyed it. I wish we could be together, but, as grown ups, you do what you have to do. It meant a lot to him to know I was thinking about him even though we couldn't be together on our special day.

Thought I'd take you back a few years (Oh, give or take 20!!) and let you see what we looked like on "that" day. I know!!! Check out the 80's hair do and head piece!! It's ok. I laughed too!

But you have to admit, my Marine looks just as good today as he did then!

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I enjoyed revisiting them.

A New Heartbeat

Tonight was a packed house. The production was wonderful. I pray that all those in attendance were moved by what they witnessed. I give Him all the praise and glory!



There are still two performances to go. If you didn't make it to this one, I hope you will try to make it to one of the other two. If you don't know Him, this message could impact the rest of your life. If you do know Him, I promise this message will renew your passion for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.



May God richly bless you and your family this holiday season.


First Baptist Church
1300 South Boulevard
Chipley

Saturday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 7th at 6:00 p.m.

What Christmas Is All About....

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is one of my all time favorite Christmas specials. Charles Schultz was not afraid to share the gospel message. He did so in his comic strip in the funny papers and also in his televised specials. That is so refreshing in today's society. Please take the time to click the link below and let Linus share with you, the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5TF4U36GFg&feature=related

Fun Is Contageous!

A friend emailed this to me today. I have not laughed this hard in a loooong time! If you don't want to laugh yourself sick, then do NOT click on this video.



They act like they don't know they're being recorded. I can't imagine how the person recording this isn't falling down laughing themselves sick?! I know I would have been.



You may want to put on a depends before you view this.



Happy Laughing!

When is enough.......enough?

This morning on the radio they were discussing another sort of, well, I guess you could call it, Christmas tradition. The topic of discussion was, "When do you take down your Christmas decorations?" I was surprised to hear some of the answers. I think I forget, sometimes, that everyone is not like me. I was most surprised to hear one lady say that she has to put all her Christmas decorations away the day after Christmas or she will "be in trouble" with her husband! Ok?! Whatever THAT means. (Poor Mrs. Bah Humbug!)

Anyway, we always do our Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving. That's right, you heard me. We do our decorating in our nice, peaceful, Christmas music filled home. Our whole family, together, spending quality time with each other, working together.......while so many others are fighting it out in the stores. It's just not worth it to me. You couldn't get me in a store on Black Friday for anything!

And we take our decorations down on January 2nd. It's the way my Mama always did it and it's the way I've always done it in my home. And it makes complete sense to me. I mean, it's a LOT of work to do all that decorating, so it might as well stay up for at least a month, right?!

What's your tradition on this?

Signed,

Curios about your Christmas

Incognito

We drug out all our Christmas decorations. Everyone had their own assignments. Michael put the tree up, Jimmy set up the train around the bottom, I put on the lights and decorations, and then our "secret agent" arrived.

Many of the decorations on my tree are very old. I have ornaments that my mother made in the 60's, I have ornaments that I got as a child, like my Snoopy one and my Big Bird and Cookie Monster ones and several blown glass ornaments. The reason I tell you this is because I take very good care of my ornaments. I wrap each one in tissue paper before packing them back up at the end of the Christmas season. It is very time consuming, but worth it, to preserve my precious ornaments. I love unwrapping each one, as a new Christmas season starts. It's almost like, well, Christmas! I keep the tissue paper and use it to wrap the ornaments back up year after year. But, as I am unwrapping the ornaments, my living room ends up looking like most Christmas mornings..........paper EVERYWHERE!

So, as the Christmas music is playing and everyone is doing their decorating "assignment", that's when the Secret Agent arrived. I guess he wanted to make sure the Grinch didn't show up and try to foil our efforts.

Don't tell anyone about this. I would hate to know that I was the one who blew his cover.........


He really gets "into" his job



"they'll never find me in here!"


"what was that?"


"I think I've been compromised!"



"Aaaaaa! They've blown my cover!"

Where's Waldo?

and............................Merry Christmas to ALL!

Thanksgiving Recovery Efforts

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving chock full of good food, good fellowship and memory making! We concluded our Thanksgiving festivities last night with our third and final -(thank goodness! I think I may start clucking!!) Thanksgiving dinner.

THANKSGIVING DINNER #1

We had our first Thanksgiving dinner early. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Barfields' in Marianna the Monday before Thanksgiving. The Barfields'; that's David's girlfriend's family. They are super nice folks and their home was lovely. Their's is a rather large family and when you added our family, including my mother, there was a sizable crowd. It was nice spending some quality time and really getting to know them.

Helping with the crescent rolls

Getting ready to head out to Chipola for the Jazz concert immediately following dinner

THANKSGIVING DINNER #2

Then........Thursday, late morning, we were off to Graceville to partake of Thanksgiving feast number 2. We had this Thanksgiving dinner at the Miles'. This is the home of Jimmy's sister and her family. We always look forward to this dinner. It's good, old fashioned, down-home, the way "grandma" used to make it Thanksgiving dinner. The best food I've ever eaten since...........well............last year!! Melt in your mouth turkey, dressin' (not stuffing, but "dressin'", you know, that kind you can't even put a "g" on the end of!!), collard greens, turnip greens, butter beans, sweet potato souffle' (the kind with brown sugar and pecans on top~to die for - and dessert in itself!), potato salad, ham, corn, cornbread and rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, pound cake, and blueberry delight! Wow, I feel fuller just talking about it.

Ok, enough of that. Here are a few shots from G-ville Thanksgiving................

The "men-folk" doing their outside thing

This is Jimmy's sister, Melissa and her family

Michael and his cousins, Kacy and Crystal

More "men-folk" stuff.

Jimmy and his brother-in-law, Eddie.

The Worleys' and the Miles'

THANKSGIVING DINNER #3

Yesterday evening we headed to our friends, The Eldridges', house. I took my homemade dressin', potato salad, baby limas, blueberry delight, cranberry sauce, chicken n' rice (mainly for Michael - he doesn't eat dressin'. Weird kid!), and a jug of sweet tea. When we arrived we added these items to their turkey, ham, mashed potatoes n' gravy, green beans, corn, deviled eggs, dinner rolls and chocolate cake. (Yeah, I'm starting to feel sick too.) I feel like we have eaten non-stop for three days. Everything was wonderful though. After eating our yummy dinner, we played Trivial Pursuit 80's edition. It was fun........but a lot harder than I expected it to be. (I guess the old girl's memory just ain't what it used to be!........who said that?!) Then the bad, no REALLY bad weather kicked in. The monsoons came! And there we were without an ark!

And......I must confess........by Thanksgiving dinner #3, I was, um, falling down on the job in the, uh, photo department. Sorry. I don't have any pictures to show you. I feel horrible about it! I really do. I'll try to do better in the future, I promise.

Hope your weekend is filled with, with...............everything NOT turkey!!!

Thanksgiving Blessing

Praying your day will be a feast of thankfulness.......

enjoying God's abundant blessings and perfect peace.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"We have all benefitted from the rich blessings He brought to us - blessing upon blessing heaped upon us."

John 1:16

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. For 20 years we have done pretty much the same thing...............but not this year. Actually, this whole year has been rather, well, strange. Many, many changes have occured. Many "firsts" have taken place. I can certainly say this has been a "growing" year for me, my family, my friends, and even my country. OK, before I jump the track and derail my original train of thought, let me get back to Thanksgiving.......

For the past 20 years we have gone to my in-laws for Thanksgiving "Dinner" (which, in the country actually means lunch) and then I prepared Thanksgiving Supper at my house, where between 10 - 20 people come and "break bread" with us. I really like to, as they say, "Put on the dog"! I get out my fine china and my stemware, I use all my fancy silverware and serving pieces and I put out a HUGE spread. Always something for everyone. All the usual folks that attend enjoy good food and good fellowship. I look forward to Thanksgiving EVERY year. It's one of my favorite holidays.

But, this year....it's going to be......well.........very different. With me being laid off the end of October and still not employed (I'll explain more about that later) and with the in-law's health problems, we will all be going to my sister-in-law's house in Graceville. It will be fine. It will just not be the "norm". We will be going to their house for dinner and then off to Marianna to my very best friend's house for our supper meal. Again, very nice, but just different.

I am taking this experience and trying my best to learn the lesson the Lord has for me in it. He is providing not one, but two very nice, homey Thanksgiving experiences for my family and I am very thankful. He is putting us in the company of lots of people who love us, and for that I am very thankful. He is teaching me to relax and trust Him and I am VERY thankful for that.

I have SO very much to be thankful for this year. How about you? What things are YOU thankful for this year? And what are YOUR traditional (or even non-traditional) plans for Thanksgiving? I'd LOVE to hear about it.

Tag, YOU'RE it!

I've been tagged..
by Kim's blog. From what I'm understanding...my instructions for this tag are to: pick the 4th picture folder on my computer; choose and post the 4th picture; explain the picture; and tag 4 other people to participate. So here is my picture.

This is a picture of Jaelynn. She is such a cutie and so cuddly and sweet. She is the granddaughter of some friends of our. I got to babysit two days last week. She is so much fun. She is 7 months old.

While I had her, I took some "Thanksgiving" shots of her to surprise her family. They were very pleased. Oh...........what the heck......here are a few more I took of her........

Now the ones that I am tagging are:
1. Nancy
2. Andrea

3. Wanda
4. (sorry to do it to you again, but..........) The Cliftons
So now it is up to y'all to pick your fourth file and fourth picture and post on your blog.