Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Blessing Box


I'm linking up with Natalie for this weeks edition of
The Blessing Box....

Truthfully, I don't feel very blessed right now...I'm tired, I have a backache, and my eyes are super dry!  Hopefully as I progress in this posting and start counting my blessings, I will start to feel better..

I'm blessed that I have my little after school job at school.  I'm able to hang out with middle schoolers,  help students with their homework for two hours a day or two a week, and get paid to do it!   The pay is not much, but every little bit helps, especially here at Christmastime.

I'm blessed that the Advent Fair at FUMC on Sunday came off without a hitch!  Everyone who helped out was so accommodating and well-prepared.  A heartfelt thank you to all of the center leaders, my Sunday school class, and the kitchen help!!  You are all greatly appreciated.  (I'm going to blog about the event in the near future....stay tuned for that...)

It has truly been a blessing to make new blogging friends.  I've met a lot of new people, and am up to 59 followers thus far.  I love reading everyone elses' blogs and have learned so much from other's postings.  Blogging has also given me some much needed  "me time,"....a time that I can reflect, remember, and write about what's on my mind and my families' hopes and dreams for the future.

(I'm starting to feel better already!)

It is a blessing that Christmas break is right around the corner!  HOORAY!!

I'm blessed because I am loved by my husband and my children.  They mean the world to me and I love them with all of my heart.  Even though I may complain about the laundry and the hectic schedule we keep, I wouldn't trade one minute of the time that I spend as the parent of three active teenagers and wife of an over-committed husband.  

I am blessed.... :) 

Top 2 Tuesday

I'm linking up with Taylor over at The Undomestic Momma for one of my weekly favorites, Top 2 Tuesday!

Top 2 Cleaning and Organization tips or tricks

I will confess, right here and now....I am not organized or neat....
I so wish I was....I envy people whose houses are spotless and tidy all the time.  It just has never been a big thing for me...not a priority. In an effort to become more organized, scheduled, and put together, I purchased a paperback titled Confessions of an Organized Homemaker.  I read the book from cover to cover, and did pick up a few tidbits that I've been able to stick with....here are the ones that I employ...

[one]
Be motion minded.  Store things at or near the point of first use.  Store equipment and supplies so you can work without having to take a lot of steps.  Be aware of your motions.  Try to handle things only once.

[two]
Group frequently used things together.  I have a plastic dishpan in a bottom cabinet in my kitchen, and in this dishpan are all of the small appliances that are not kept on the counter.  These items include the hand mixer, small food processor, salad shooter, electric knife, and hand blender.  In another cabinet, I keep a plastic shoe storage box with all of our vitamins, pain relievers (Tylenol, Motrin, Alleve), and any current cold/allergy medication that we are taking consistently.  This has been a real help...instead of plundering though the medicine chest, I can quickly pull down the shoe box and everything is right there together.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 8

Day 8

 Least Favorite Thing About the Holidays
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

My least favorite thing about the holiday season is that many times the emphasis is taken off of celebrating Jesus' birth and put on more the commercialization of Christmas. 
We should remember the reason for the season, take time to worship the newborn King, spend quality time with our families, and love and care for our neighbors
and those who are less fortunate.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Miscellany Monday


Once again, I am linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters
for this week's edition of
Miscellany Monday.

[one]
Back to work today....where did my Thanksgiving break go?  Oh, I remember....it went to the laundry room, the kitchen, the grocery store, church, etc.....
Hurry up Christmas vacation!  I'm being as patient as I can be... :))

[two]
Charles has two new loves....duck hunting and working for Mark S.,the deer processor.  He duck hunted several times over the Thanksgiving break and had a great time. 
He has also been hanging out at Mark S.'s house in the evenings and has been cleaning deer.  I'm very surprised that he has the stomach to deal with the blood  and
guts of dead deer, but he does.  Ummm - whatever...

[three]
Yesterday's Advent Fair at FUMC was a success.  I'm relieved that it's over, but it was fun.  Wish more people would have attended though.
Watch for a posting about the Advent Fair activities in the near future.

[four]
I've got to get back on my sensible eating plan.  I've not done good for the past few weeks, and I'm sure I will be furious tomorrow after stepping on the scales.  I've procrastinated long enough...today is the day that I will start anew!!

[five]
I'm still on my classic movie binge, so over the weekend I watched Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.  It was a fabulous movie and an eye-opener for me.  It is really amazing how attitudes have changed just within my lifetime, and how much room there is for more change.

I hope everyone has a marvelous Monday! 
I'm trying....

Meet Me on Monday




Questions: 

1.  What is your favorite way to eat chicken?  Since chicken is the only meat I eat, I like it prepared any way!  I guess my most fav would be BBQ'ed on a grill though.

2.   Have you decorated for Christmas yet?  Nope, not at all.  I guess we'll start within the next week....

3.  What is your favorite article of clothing?  My favorite articles of clothing are my husband's soft, well-worn white t-shirts that I wear underneath other shirts and sweaters of mine...

4.  Do you pay your bills online or write checks the old way?  I pay either online, or they are drafted straight out of my checking account. 
 
5.  Do you make Christmas cookies?  I'm not much of a cookie baker, but I do like to make various old-timey candies like my mama used to make....divinity, pralines, seafoam, mints, fudge, etc...... :)

Sunday, November 28, 2010

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge Day 6

Day 6

Gift Ideas
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

Ummmm....what do I want?  Good question....
I'd like:
George Foreman grill
small coffee maker
Alegria clogs
500 thread count king size sheets
new silver chain for my cross pendant

But enough about me....
 The kids have mentioned the following:
Charles - a TV for his bedroom

MJ - a Chi hair straightener

Lawren - IDK...no wishes yet...

Since our children are teenagers, and they, more or less, get what they want and need at any time during the year, I'd like to get a gift for our family this Christmas.  I'd like to get a new television for the den...everyone in the family could enjoy that. 
I've talked to Chuck about it and he seems to be in agreement. 
I guess we'll see what the children think....

For others:
Hallmark Christmas ornaments - we love to buy these for family and friends

heifer.org - purchase a farm animal or a share of a farm animal to help out the less fortunate in third-world countries


Saturday, November 27, 2010

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge Day 5

Day 5

 Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

Too bad Chuck is not answering this question....he LOVES Christmas movies and TV shows!  I do too, but not to the extent that he does.  He will watch the same movies and shows over and over each season....

My favorite holiday movies are:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Home Alone

The Santa Clause

 My favorite holiday TV shows are:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Frosty the Snowman

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

What are some of your favorites??

Saturday 9: Dark Lady

Saturday 9: Dark Lady
1. Have you ever been to a fortune teller? If yes, what happened?  No, but just the other day, MJ said that she'd like to go to the Palm Reader on the outskirts of our town....LOL

2. How do you cope in an uncomfortable social situation?  I usually try to remove myself from the situation...

3. A genie appears (of course). She asks, “If you had 3 wishes but each took 3 years off your life, what would you wish for and why?”  I'd wish for [1] good health for my remaining time, [2] to have plenty of money so that I didn't have to work and could spend time with my family and friends,  and [3] for God to let His light brightly shine through me so that other's could see it readily and come to know Him...

4. Would you rather lose your soul mate or never meet them at all?  I'd rather lose my soul mate....the wonderful loving time we would have had together could live forever in my memories....

5. What is the hardest thing that you have ever had to do?  Survive everyday (yet try to carry on as usual for the sake of my husband and children) for approximately three months while my mama was bedridden in a nursing home...

6. Have you ever had a miracle happen to you or your loved ones?  God gave me three healthy children, and that's a great miracle in itself....

7. Tell us about a quote that you can relate to. Why can you relate with it?  "Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I can't handle."  This little quote/saying/prayer is on a plaque that was hung in my mama's bathroom, and it is now in my bathroom.  I live by this mantra because I realize that God does not give us more than we are capable of handling....

8. What personality trait has gotten you into the most trouble?  The personality trait that has gotten me into the most trouble is being outspoken and just telling things as I see them....and it is usually what everyone else is thinking, but is afraid to make waves and say so....

9. For those in The States, how was your Turkey Day? If not from the US, do you celebrate a day like Thanksgiving? Our Thanksgiving started out quiet and cozy, then became hustling and bustling, and ended with feelings of satisfaction and enjoyment....it was a super day!

Go link up with Crazy Sam and answer these Saturday 9 questions.....

Friday, November 26, 2010

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I'm linking up with Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook on
this quiet, rainy day after Thanksgiving....
FOR TODAY...
Outside my window...it's cool, overcast, and it has been raining off and on...


I am thinking...I really want this to be a low-key day with no drama or stress.

I am thankful for...my kids, my husband, last nights bountiful Thanksgiving feast, and the current silence.

I am pondering...what Chuck is going to do about buying a third vehicle and who he is going to get to work on the house...


From the kitchen...not too much going on at the minute...Chuck is at the table working on fire dept. business...

I am wearing...soft, worn jeans, my pink WFD t-shirt, and brown crocs...

I am creating...a list in my head of all of the things that I need to do...but that probably won't get done today....I'm procrastinating....

I am going...to take Lawren to BB practice and then the family is going out with Chuck's mama tonight for supper.

I am reading...blogs, Facebook, Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado...

Living a healthy lifestyle...is so tough....I've got to get back on my WW plan and start counting points again.....and drink more water...


I am hoping... my headache will subside, and hoping that the Advent Fair will be well attended and will go smoothly on Sunday afternoon...

I am hearing...the low volume of the kitchen TV, occasional printer use, wind chimes tinkling in the backyard, and the drone of an airplane in the distance

Around the house...shoes scattered around, afghans and pillows on the couch, and the usual piles of laundry waiting to be attended to....
Around the yard... the oak tree limbs are hanging low and squirrels scamper around as they enjoy the many acorns on the ground...

One of my favorite things... comfortable, casual clothing...

A few plans for the rest of the week... supper with the M-I-L tonight; low-key, uneventful Saturday; SS and church (Hanging of the Greens) on Sunday, followed by the Advent Fair and congregational supper; and then school next week...ready to see those sweet, fresh-faced 1st graders!!

Fill in the Blank Friday




1.   Black Friday is       just another day....we don't even attempt to participate.

2.  Christmas shopping this year will include   a major trip to the Hallmark store and then a donation to heifer.org...maybe a few odds and ends purchases after that, but I promise...very few. .

3.  Holiday shopping makes me       crazy and cranky....I don't like shopping for anything....  .

4.  This year my Christmas list will include   a lot of wishes for things but I'm not expecting any of them....still thinking about the new TV for the den though.... .

5.  Bargain hunter, or full price shopper?      I'm not a shopper so I rarely catch the in-store big sales....I sometimes buy online and recently got a good deal on some jeans for L and MJ at aeropostale.com...8 pair of jeans for around $120...

6.  The best and worst things about shopping is      if I'm by myself - I can look around and feel no pressure to buy anything...I love to get ideas of things I can make for others.  The worst things about shopping are the crowds and the amount of money everything costs...  .

7.  Online shopper or in-person shopper?       I am a little bit of both but I prefer online...if I see something online, I will purchase it to save the hassle of going to the stores, waiting in lines, and the possibility that it may not be in stock...

Head over to Lauren's to link up!

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge Day 4

Day 4

 Tips/Tricks to a Budget-Friendly Holiday Season
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

[tip 1]
Make a special effort to remember that the holiday season is about Christ's birth and about family.  Don't put too much emphasis on money, gifts and presents.

[tip 2]
Decide how much money you want to spend on gifts, and stick to it.

[tip 3]
Give to charitable organizations (heifer.org) instead of giving tangible gifts to family members who have everything that they need.

[tip 4]
Use your DIY skills to make presents for people on your gift-giving list.  You can make cookies, Russian tea or hot cocoa mixes, or candies that loved ones or neighbors can enjoy and share with others throughout the season.  You can easily make meaningful scrapbook calendars, pillows, beaded jewelry, or framed pictures or paintings that will mean a lot to  receivers in the long run.

[tip 5]
Start a collection for a special someone and then buy another item or piece for each gift giving occasion.

[tip 6]
Remember that God gave us the best gift of all on Christmas night...his Son, who came into the world as an innocent baby to save us from our sins.  Keep him front and center and remember, He is the reason for the season.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

I'm linking up with Java at Never Growing Old for another
fabulous Follow Friday 40 and Over Blog Hop!
Are you a blogger over 40? Yeah, welcome to the club!
Please join in the fun and get to know your fellow bloggers!!

Thanksgiving


We've had a very nice Thanksgiving day....
We all slept in and then I made a good, hot Southern breakfast of bacon, sausage, grits, scrambled eggs, and toast.  After breakfast, Charles and I got buy preparing for the evening's Thanksgiving meal.

I talked with Charles and walked him through the preparation of the turkey and dressing.  He was very willing and excited about learning how to cook these Thanksgiving items.

We went out to Bethel UMC for supper with Beulah's side of the family.  There was so much good food......and the desserts...YUM! 

Charles has now gone out to Wes' house, and L and MJ have ridden off with Scott for a while.  Chuck and I are enjoying our quiet time here at home....well Chuck is laying on the couch snoring away....

Over the past week or so, it seems that everywhere you look, someone is writing about what they are thankful for.  Here's a little excerpt from today's Upper Room.....

"We have so much to give thanks for that we cannot possibly name it all.  But when we pause to acknowledge the giver of all these good gifts, a real spirit of thanksgiving rises within us.  When we view our many blessings in light of our relationship with God, life takes on a true sense of wholeness, and giving thanks becomes more than a holiday tradition.  It becomes our natural response to God who, in infinite love, has given us all that is good in our lives."

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday y'all....
I'm linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love for another week's edition of
I'm loving that we all were able to sleep in this morning and then enjoyed a huge family breakfast together!  Thank goodness for Thanksgiving break!
I'm loving nice warm showers and fluffy cotton towels after a good nights sleep!

I'm loving that I can discipline my children with love and care...they definitely don't like some of the decisions I make, but I'm the mama!  I'm only doing what I think is best for you....believe it or not.  Hopefully one day you'll appreciate the fact that I've set limits for you.

I'm loving that our 15 lb. turkey is thawing out so I can cook it tomorrow.  I'm also cooking the dressing and gravy for the Creech clan....yum!!
I'm loving that tonight is SURVIVOR night. 
And, as usual, I'm loving my hard-working husband and my strong-willed children....
you four are the lights of my life and my reasons for being.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge Day 3

Day 3

 Most Meaningful Gift/Best Gift Ever Received
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

Over the years, I've received a lot of wonderful gifts.  These are some of the most meaningful and memorable:

-  replacement Winthrop College ring
- diamond engagement ring
-  Wizard of Oz Christmas ornaments
- bookcase my brother built
- an airline ticket to Berkeley, CA
- washer and dryer (wedding gifts)

- my children
- my husband
- the love of my family and friends

I am truly thankful for all of the gifts, tangible and intangible, that I've been given. 

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Blessing Box

I'm linking up with Natalie for this weeks edition of
The Blessing Box....
There are so many things that my family and I have to be thankful for...
so many blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us.
Here are a few for this Thanksgiving week....
 
We were all saddened Sunday morning by the death of Izzy.  She was such a sweet little puppy and surely showed us a lot about love. I think our family was blessed by having her in our lives for the few weeks in November that she was with us.
 
I'm blessed to have a willing and helpful church family who will pitch in to work on projects.  I've been planning the Advent Fair for kids and adults at FUMC on Sunday afternoon, and our Sunday school class is serving a soup and sandwich supper afterwards.  Hopefully the event will turn out good and all involved will learn new things about Christ's birth and traditions of the season.
 
I've said it before, but it's worth repeating....
we will be out of school for the next five days, and that's a blessing because all of us need a short respite from the day-to-day hustle. 
 
I am thankful that the plans for the Davis family get-together on Dec. 26 are coming along.  I've heard from all of my brothers and my sister, and so far, I think all of them will be able to come.  I sure hope most of my nieces and nephews will be there too!  It would be wonderful to have everyone together....we've not all been together since Chuck and I got married in June 1992....(OMG!  That's 18 years!)
 
My family and I are blessed to be members of the household of faith and to be believers in Christ Jesus.  We are blessed to live in America where we can openly worship and praise God without fear of persecution.  We are thankful for all of the gifts that God has given us and recognize that all things come through Him.  Thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for giving us the opportunity to serve you.  Let Your light shine through all of us so that others may see.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 2

Day 2

 Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks
(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at
Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

Honestly, I'm not a shopper.  I usually just go and buy what I need and get out as quickly as I can.  On the other hand, L and MJ love to shop.  They love to pick out trendy clothing and try on things forever!!  I end up just standing or sitting in the dressing room area until they are tired.  Charles is a bit of a shopper too.  He loves to spend money on hunting, fishing, and golf paraphernalia.  He likes to buy clothes too.

Chuck and I do our Christmas shopping for family and friends in about one swoop....
we go to the Hallmark store about the end of October and purchase collectible ornaments for just about everybody.  After that, we make a donation to heifer.org in honor of our loved ones.  We feel like helping those in need is important.  Most of us have everything we need (maybe not everything we want)...we are certainly not lacking basic necessities.

Go check out heifer.org and purchase a pig, goat, llama, or rabbit for someone....it's the right thing to do!

I know I haven't been much help regarding shopping and Black Friday....sorry...

Top 2 Tuesday

Top 2 Things on Your Christmas Wish List
{one}
I would love to have a large, new, flat screen TV for our den.  Chuck loves to watch television and I would like for him to have a quality TV that he could really enjoy.
{two}
I would also love to have a pair of navy blue leather Alegria clogs.  I've worn Birkenstocks for years, but am very interested in trying this brand of footwear.  I hear that they are super comfortable.

What would you put on your Christmas wish list?

Monday, November 22, 2010

12 Days of Chirstmas Blog Challenge - Day 1

Day 1
Christmas Traditions

(I'm linking up with Aly and Molly over at Analyze This for the
12 Days of Christmas blog challenge..)

Growing up, we had many Christmas traditions...rather we did a lot of the same things year after year even though we never really referred to them as being traditional.
 [one]
A week or so before Christmas, we started cooking....making candy, cookies, sausage balls, cheese biscuits, trash, salted pecans, etc.  The candies were the BEST.  Mama made mints, divinity, seafoam, pralines, chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, stuffed dates, and candied citrus rinds,  just to name some of the confections.   I like to do the same but on a much smaller scale than her. 
BTW, I am planning to make divinity by Mama's recipe this Christmas....that is one of my goals on my Day Zero Project (101 in 1001) list.  I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
[two]
There were two special ornaments that we always hung in the same place on the tree each year.  One was a worn plastic angel and the other was a green aluminum stocking, and both were hung at eye level on the front side of the tree, with the angel above the stocking.
[three]
On Christmas Eve, each of us got to choose one present to open.  We could pick any one we wanted, but only one....the rest had to wait until Christmas morning.
[four]
We always had a huge meal for Christmas lunch.  Mama made turkey and dressing, rice and gravy, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, and about a half dozen more delicious dishes too.  We always had a lot of leftovers too, and somehow, Chandler could fit every dish into our refrigerator...she was known as the refrigerator packing queen!

Now that I'm grown and have a family of my own, we have tried to make our own traditions, which are reminiscent of my childhood days.
[five]
Each Christmas Eve night, we go to the candle-light service at our church and then come home and have a soup and sandwich supper for all of our family members who want to come over.  This is such a cozy time of family love and togetherness. 
[six]
On Christmas morning, our children stay in their rooms until we go to get them up.  We come down the hallway as a family to see what Santa Claus has brought.  Even though the children are teenagers, we still carry on the same routine each Christmas morning.
[seven]
Usually for lunch on Christmas day, we get together with Chuck's mama and sister and have a meal and exchange gifts.  It's a quiet time with way too many gifts, but lots of fun!
[eight]
On Christmas evening, we go out to Bethel UMC to have supper with all of the Creech family.  We used to go to Chuck's grandparents' house but since the family is so large, we moved the location to the church fellowship building.  It's a lot of fun with so many good things to eat!

I've enjoyed this walk down memory lane and reflecting on our family Christmas traditions.  I hope that the things that we do now make an impression on our children and they will continue some of them and make their own traditions when they are grown with families of their own.

Meet Me On Monday


Questions: 

1.  How many pillows do you sleep with?  I sleep with three...two under my head and one between my legs.


2.  Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?  At lunchtime, we'll either eat at home or at Viv's.  For supper, we'll go to Bethel UMC to eat with the Creech family.


3.  Would you rather go to a party or host a party?  I love to host parties. 

4.  How many purses (for the guys..wallets) do you own?  Just one.  I don't normally carry a purse with me....it just rides around in the car with me.


5.  What is your favorite kind of seafood?  This is a hard one because I really like all kinds of seafood except oysters.  I guess I like fish and scallops best though.

Miscellany Monday


Once again, I am linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters
for this week's edition of
Miscellany Monday.
I'm so happy that we only have two days of school this week...after tomorrow, we'll have a wonderful five-day break to celebrate my favorite holiday THANKSGIVING!
Yesterday we were all devastated because little Izzy died.  She was so small and fragile and had a lot of problems.  Mary Jo loved this little puppy and took such good care of her.  I'm proud of the way she gave this helpless little puppy the best life she could.  She really loved this Izzy, and was so sad to let her go. 
Good bye Izzy....you will be missed...

The Advent Fair plans are coming together.  I've gotten several volunteers who are willing to help out....thanks Fowler girls, Fran, and Millie!  I've also thought of several crafts and games that will be fun activities.  I can hardly wait to see this event come together!

The 12 Days of Christmas blog challenge starts today.  This is going to be so meaningful because it will cause me to reflect on Christmases past with my mama and siblings, and remember good times with Chuck and the children.  I'm really looking forward to starting! 

Over the weekend, I watched another classic movie that I'd not seen before, an item on my 101 in 1001 list. 
This movie was good, but I felt a little let down because I thought it would be super, wonderfully, outstanding....and it wasn't.  I'm glad I took the time to watch it though.

I hope everyone has a marvelous Monday!  I certainly plan to...

<3
Jo