Time Flies

Wow its hard to believe that 2011 is almost over. This year seemed to fly by faster than normal, a lot has happened this year and I am so thankful. I can't believe I have a high schooler and that she is now taller than me. She will forever be my little girl and I get teary eyed thinking just how fast the time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that we were living in California and her daddy was teaching her how to ride a bike. I am truly thankful for the amazing gift that I have been given and cherish her. Thank you LORD for blessing me with such an amazing young lady that I get to call my daughter!

We also moved into a house from the apartment. No matter how sore and tired we were it is such a wonderful and comforting feeling being back in a home. We moved in over Thanksgiving and felt completely THANKFUL for the blessings we have been given and the loving people that have been put in our lives to make these things possible.

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! My parents came up from California and had such a great time hanging out and just enjoying each others company. The visits never seems long enough but we are so thankful for the time we do get. They headed home today and it is so quiet in the house. Looking forward to their next visit in the spring!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year!!!!

Good Times a Baking!!!!

Good morning! We have had a fun and busy last couple of days enjoying the beautiful weather and enjoying my parents visit. Yesterday was a guy day for my hubby, dad and my hubby's best bro!!! So us girls took advantage and went out antiquing. What a blast!!!! We all met back at the house had dinner and then out of the gates we went baking...I can't tell you how much fun it was baking with my mom & daughter, it has been a while since they are usually baking while I'm at work.
We made fudge, peanut butter balls, red velvet cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies, white trash and chocolate dipped pretzels. Can't wait to deliver them because they all look so yummy.

well here are some pics of the festivities

Happy Christmas Eve!!!!

The finished product :)

Deck the Halls

Tis the season to be jolly! Hello, sorry it has been awhile since I've posted. We were in the process of moving into a house and getting settled. We are loving our new space and enjoying being home bodies. We feel very blessed for the nice apartment we had but let me tell you there is nothing like a house. We are all so much more relaxed, and our doggie is enjoying his own yard.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving hanging out with great friends and giving thanks for our many blessings! We had all the traditional fixins plus more. I was asked to bring Edward's Pecan Crusted Sweet Potato's...can you talk about pressure. Edward is an amazing cook and they recently moved so when I was asked to bring them I was honored and nervous. They turned out amazing if I say so myself. They were delish as they should be with all that butter. It would have made Julia Childs smile ear to ear! We enjoyed our day hanging out with our familyship just relaxing and playing Farkal...LOVE that game!

On Black Friday we took time out from moving and went with our friends "familyship" and cut down our Christmas Tree. We couldn't have asaked for a better day!

We are now settled in and as I said enjoying being home bodies. I can't believe Christmas is here...as it is said "it seems like it was just here". But this is my most favorite time of year so I thoroughly enjoy it!!! Some of my friends give me a hard time since I start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving and it goes until the New Year. There is something about this time of year, even though there is the hussel and bussel of it people are more jolly and full of song. Its funny when I'm out and about and I catch people humming or whistling Christmas caroles. I love it!!! Well as I promised for those of you that have asked here are some pics and I will get some more taken later, I hope you enjoy.

from our family to yours 

Fun Times

     I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Today was such an enjoyable day. We went to the park and hung out with our friends that are really more like our "familyship".  You know the friends that  have become your family rather than just a friend. I love our familyship's that we have been blessed with. They are amazing people and a joy to be around. I love it when we all can get together like today and just hang out and enjoy each others company. I love that all of our kids are growing up together. Makes my heart dance.

It was another beautiful autumn day and the kids had a blast. Between the horse ride, the train, jump houses and the paddle boats there was something for everyone. They even got to feed the trout in the lake, the fish were jumping out of the water to get the food, it was fun to watch their reactions. I love living in a place that has all four seasons and fall is one of my favorites. What a nice relaxing day enjoying the outdoors. Here are some pics that I snapped on my phone, I will get the others from my familyship's that got a bunch more and post some of them later :)

I love this one....just sayin!!!!! 



I hope you all enjoy your week!

Marianne

The Beauty of Fall

This morning I was on my way to a friends house for our womens small group from church and was just overwhelmed by the beauty all around. The trees are turning and it was a chilly overcast autumn day. I just love this time of year and living in the Northwest. There is such a beautiful canvas of colors all around. 

 "that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!"                  Psalm 30:12

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!!

marianne

Celebrating a Remarkable Women

Today we are celebrating a very special lady, she is a remarkable, loving, creative, smart, gifted woman. She loves her family and would do anything for them. She loves the Lord and compassion is her gift. She is my best friend and some one I look up to. I'm so thankful for the relationship that we have. I know I can come to her with anything and she is there to listen. I love to watch her and Awbrey, they are so funny together. What an awesome relationship they have. Thank you God for blessing our family with her and for letting her be my mom!!!!! We love you mom aka mimi :)

Happy Birthday

marianne

Swimming In The Rain

Yesterday was such a beautiful rainy autumn day!!!!

Unless you had to be at a swim meet. Oh man it was so cold I have no idea how those girls pulled it off. It was freezing cold and rainy and oh did I mention outside. I asked some of the girls if the water was heated and they said no...there is no way...they are brave!!!! All in all everyone did good. Below is Taylor being her cute self and Awbrey's feet are so cold they are cramping :(

Good times, have a great rest of your day!

marianne

How Our Thoughts Can Change The Direction We Intended To Go

This is from one of my Proverbs 31 devotionals that I get daily. This is a good reminder and one that I know I really need to work on. The power of our mind can totally end up separating us from God if we are not focusing on him. If we focus on the negative and the what-ifs then we are not relying on God and asking him to fill our thoughts with what he has intended for us. I am guilty of this and in the process of changing this about me. I want to be confident in myself (with God’s direction of course) and use my thoughts in the proper way. Just think how AWESOME it would feel to have thoughts that are not destructive to yourself, your loved ones and those around you.


“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

If we spend time thinking about how our boss does not appreciate us, our thoughts will take us straight to a bad attitude at work and possibly poor performance.


If we focus on how much we do for others and how little we feel appreciated, our thoughts will take us to a place of resentment, with lack of patience and love.


If we spend an entire day fuming over something our husband or kids did, and mentally practice the harsh words we plan to say to them, those thoughts will lead us into a place of arguments, hurt feelings and damaged relationships.


If we dwell on why God has allowed certain problems in our lives, we will transport ourselves into a state of insecurity and unhappiness as we stop trusting God.


If we focus our thoughts on money, career, success and pleasure, we will find ourselves in the land of the lost—feeling frustrated and discontent.


Our thoughts are powerful and require great self control. If we allow them to run rampant, focusing on things that lead us away from God, then we will wind up at a destination we would never deliberately choose.


In today’s key verse, God shows us why we should choose carefully what we think about, because our thoughts determine who we are and how we live.


How are your thoughts directing you today?

Marianne

A Remarkable Girl Named Sara

I stumbled across a blog posting at Holy Experience last night that touched my heart. It is one of the many stories I have read about a girl named Sara. I found myself sitting at my desk with tears flowing for someone I have never met. When I read all the different stories posted on so many blogs about how many lives she has touched and how much she is adored  I was just consumed. I wanted more! I clicked on everything I could find of her story.

 I finally found her blog, it is full of so much life, what a beautiful woman with so much love and joy when she is laboring to breath from her illness. She said in her blog she didn't want to be a complainer. Wow...it makes me stop and think about the things I complain about. The silly things that seem so small now. I want to change this in me, I want to make sure that I'm giving thanks even when its tough. I want my heart full of love and joy.

Shannon's  post today was so beautiful, the way she described their relationship their "familyship" I love that word.

Through everything she has kept her faith,her love and joy.

Dearest Sara,

Thank you!!! You have touched my heart in such a way that I really can not express. Your strength, your outlook on life and your amazing love for God. You are a remarkable women that has touched so many lives for what I have read. You have brought so much joy to others and so much love. You are in my prayers, and for your loved ones ":familyships" I pray for them to embrace all they have shared with you I pray for peace. Thank you again for opening up your life and sharing with us all. You're in our hearts!

 

  Sara's motto



 

Friendship

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"
                                                                                                                          Ecclesiastes 4:8-10


I have an amazing family between my husband, daughter and parents who have always been there and supportive, but sometimes you just need a friends shoulder to lean on.

Friendships...they are a blessing or I've heard they can be a pain in your side. Thankfully I can say mine are true blessings! I couldn't imagine life without my friends. I rely a lot on them all the time. I trust them when I need support or someone to tell me to suck it up and get back on and ride the ride. For most of you know I am a very emotional, compassionate person and I am either all or nothing. I've tried to find the middle ground but never have figured that one out. Thankfully my friends take me as I am.

For the past several months I have been really struggling with some things and I can not express enough sincere gratitude to my friends that have listened to me, who've let me cry, who've taken my hand or hugged me while saying a prayer for me, for letting me babble when sometimes I can't even make sense of whats coming out of my mouth and for never judging me.

My friends are an extension of my family. I love them wholeheartedly and give thanks to God for blessing my life with them.

So I want to say "Thank You" to my friends for being such amazing, motivating people in my life.

Trying to Learn How To Be Quiet

As I sit in front of my computer checking out Facebook and the blogs I love to follow I think to myself this is the time I could be still, bet yet when I try I can not turn my brain off. Why is that? I want to be able to just have some true quiet time and not think of anything, to spend time reading, spend time in prayer...just have God and me time. How does one find this time? How does one shut their brain down to be able to listen? I don't know how to truly relax. That is sad, everyone needs that time to just let go and let your mind and body rest. I am always worrying about something, which my momma always tells me that I am taking the wheel to let go and let God...funny coming from a worrier herself, but she is one of the most God loving women that I know and her faith is what gets her through.

So as I go and try to be still I keep repeating this verse which was sent to me by my mom

“…He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”
Mark 6:31b (NIV 1984)

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Mimi & Papa's Day...Hugs & Kisses!!!

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

"Happy Grandparents day Mimi and Papa! I love and miss you guys like crazy! I hope you are having a great day! You both are amazing and I cant wait to see you both soon! Love you!" -Awbrey (:

1st Day of High School

Good morning! I'm a little slow getting these onto the blog since we just finished our first week in H.S. Lets just say its been an adjustment, our alarm clocks start us off at 4:45am...that's stinking early!!!! The first day was good, it went as smooth as you would expect. She enjoys her classes except for one (she might be switching that one) and she likes all of her teachers. She seems to have already adjusted to the change of pace and is settling in. She has several friends on the swim team and we are happy to report that she decided to go for it and has joined the team. She has practice every day after school and sometimes on the weekends. She seems very happy with that decision, she wanted to be involved in some type of sport. She is also thinking of joining one of the several clubs. She keeps herself very busy between school, swimming, church, friends and babysitting. What an exciting time in her life!!!

Ta Da!!!!!!

Remember a few weeks ago I posted that I had a new project, well with the nice long weekend my hubby finally had time to work on it. We had searched and searched for a dresser on craigslist for the longest time. It took forever for us to find one that we both liked at a fabulously frugal price. I picked this one up for $80 bucks, yep  that's all. With paint we paid a total price of $100 :)  I love it!!!!!!!

here it is before





and with some work here it is after

Happy Labor Day!

Yummy Blackberries

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in the NW, we went to our friends property and picked bowls full of blackberries and had a relaxing day hanging out with them. It is so incredibly beautiful at their property! You look out and see miles and miles of just hills of green trees. Every time I'm there I'm in awe of Gods creation. It's so peaceful and quiet there. With all those berries I suggested making a blackberry crisp...yum!  Ah blackberry crisp, it takes me back to when we lived in California and we used to go to the Bay Side Cafe in Morro Bay (Central California Coast) and have their homemade crisp. But since we no longer live there it tends to be a little more difficult to go. I've tried making store bought boxed crisp but it wasn't the same. So last night we we BBQ's with our friends had a delicious delicious food and I made one from scratch, I have no idea why I thought it was going to be hard because it wasn't...I should have been making them from scratch in the beginning.

New Project

I've been searching for a nice dresser without having to pay a fortune for it and I finally found one that both me and my hubby like so we picked it up last night for only $80 bucks!!! Now its time to get busy and get it sanded and repainted, or shoudl I say my hubby get it sanded and repainted. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally have a dresser...lets just say it has been at least 15 years and the whole baskets in the closet, yeah that doesn't work so much for me. I can't wait to post pictures of the process but here is a sneak peek with out the drawers being in it LOL

Happy Friday!!!!

Shades of Turquoise

I'm fascinated lately by the color turquoise, for what ever reason when I see it it makes me feel happy. It is such a beautiful color with so many different shades of it. I'm trying to figure out what I can do in my house that I can bring in this gorgeous color.

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