CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS

I saw this over at Starr Circus and couldn't resist playing along. So, here goes...

1. egg nog or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate. Specifically Trader Joe's Hot Cocoa

2. does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Wrapped in a different wrapping paper for each child

3. colored lights on tree/house or white?

We had white lights until a couple of years ago now we have colored LED and I love them

4. do you hang mistletoe?

We have a kissing ball made of mistletoe that we got from North Pole, Alaska. I love it.


5. when do you put your decorations up?

Weekend after Thanksgiving or the next week depending on what we have going on.


6. what is your favorite holiday dish?

All of it. I just love it all.


7. favorite holiday memory as a child?

So many...but I loved going to my Nanny and Granddaddy's with all my cousins. We had such a fun time. Also, going for a drive to see all the Christmas lights.

8. when and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

It really wasn't a big deal. We did Santa but Jesus was at the forefront with church and our Christmas play. Even at school there was a focus on Christ.

9. do you open a gift on Christmas eve?

When I was growing up we opened new pjs on Christmas Eve and we have carried that tradition on with our kids

10. how do you decorate your Christmas tree?

No theme. Almost every ornament on our tree has significance from our childhood, our children, or our marriage. We have another small tree for Jesse ornaments.

11. snow! love it or dread it?

LOVE IT!! I hope it snows here soon.

12. can you ice skate?

::snort:: Yeah, in my dreams.

13. do you remember your favorite gift?

I got a boom box in the 6th grade and thought I was hot stuff. I loved that thing to death...literally. When I finally got rid of it there were buttons missing and it looked pretty ragged.

14. what's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Jesus and family

15. what is your favorite holiday dessert?

Pretty much all of them:) My Mom makes a great cheesecake that I love.

16. what is your favorite holiday tradition?

Spending time with my family. We go to breakfast on Christmas Eve. Reading and talking about Jesus.

17. what tops your tree?

A star made of cardboard and aluminum foil that Mike made. You would think it was made of solid gold when we pull it out of the box every year and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

18. which do you prefer: giving or receiving?

I love to give gifts. It's so fun.

19. candy canes: yuck or yum?

Yum!!!

20. favorite Christmas show?

Do I have to pick one???? White Christmas, Christmas with the Kranks, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Nativity....and more. I can't choose just one.

21. saddest Christmas song?

I'll be Home for Christmas by Josh Groban

22. what is your favorite Christmas song?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing


Merry Christmas!!!!!!

12-17-11

We've had lots going on the past couple of weeks so I wanted to get a blog post done so that I wouldn't forget. Shelby was in a Christmas concert with the Arlington's Children's Choir. We had a silent auction and bake sale to raise money for the Choir. Mike and I volunteered so we were outside handing out programs and directing people before the show started.
The concert was so good. We had great seats because Abby and Mrs. Donna, a friend from our church, saved them for us.


We headed down south last Friday to be in a parade with Mike's parents. My parents came down to be with my brother's family on Sunday because my niece and nephew were baptized. I wish I had been able to stay and be there for their baptism but we had to be back at our church for Sunday service. I can't express what a blessing they are.



We wanted to get our Christmas picture out of the way before leaving. These are some of the outtakes and they crack me up. The girls are making the funniest faces. Can you tell they were so over the picture taking. They were just ready to be done.


This one was funny because Mike was trying to get into the picture and he just couldn't get down in the floor fast enough.

I am so in love with our tree this year. It is so full and pretty. It was funny that we got such a great tree considering that when we went to Home Depot to get it there was a ton of people there. The trees were still tied up with string because all the ones that were open were already picked over. I pulled my trusty fold-up scissors from Smoky Mtn Knife Works out of my purse and snipped those strings. We took one look at it and said, "Looks good." With that and standing it line to get it trimmed, a trip through the netting thingy, paying for it and strapping it to the top of the van, it came home with us.

Tomorrow at 5pm will be my first Open House as a Pastor's wife. I thought I would be nervous but I'm not. I don't know if I'm naive or what but I'm so excited. I've done all my shopping, prep work, and pretty much all the cleaning. I hope to take pictures so I'll post about it this week. I just wish my Pastor's Wives Book Study friends could be here to enjoy it with me. They just don't know how much I miss them and our time together.

Hope y'all have a great day of worship tomorrow.

12-07-11

It has been just nasty here today. I had to run some errands this afternoon and the rain was terrible. The whole 2 hours I was out it never let up at all.

Tonight while walking back from church the wind felt like it was cutting right through us. They're calling for some winter weather tonight and from how cold it's gotten we just may be in for some.

And now that I have thoroughly bored you to tears with the weather report let me continue with other mundane things to complete this blog post.

We have pretty much hunkered down this week~doing lessons, crafts, fighting with each other~ not Mike and I ~ the girls. Today I told them the next time they got physical with each other there was going to be some scripture writing for them. I read them:

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Because, y'all, I was at my wits end with all the bickering and fighting. We also prayed that all of us would have better attitudes and be able to control ourselves. Honestly, I needed a better attitude and self control as much as they do, even more sometimes.

We are were much better today. Thankfully.

I may need a boat to take Shelby to piano tomorrow but we are going to do it with a good attitude if it kills us.

ANOTHER FIELD TRIP

On Friday we jumped on the Metro and rode over to Union Station. We toured the National Postal Museum. Union Station is a big mall with a Metro Station and Amtrak Station. The food court is huge with some really cool places to eat. The chicken salad at Vittorio's Gelato Bar was so delicious. We ended up eating lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Works but we made notes of places we would like to try.

Abby, Shelby, and Mike driving a big rig to deliver the mail.

Mail railroad car that carried mail until the 1970's

Weary from riding the stage coach for 20 days with a crying baby:)

It is neat to think about all the mail that has been picked up or mailed form this Post Office. It made me a little nostalgic to think of the people that received good or bad news from within these walls over the years.
We really enjoy our Field Trip Fridays. There is so much to do in our area. Riding the Metro makes it so convenient.

FIELD TRIP SURPRISE

*Warning: Lots of pictures:)

They have a cafe that we would have eaten at but we had already eaten at Pal's. We have made a note and will probably eat there next time. Of course they serve beans which I love:)

Shelby and Abby trying to get the secret recipe.

We made a wrong turn when we were heading to Ober Gaitlinburg which lead us to this little gem. It was such a nice Visitors Center for the Bush's factory. The movie we watched showed us how they make their baked beans. We learned a lot about the process and how they cook the beans and make the sauce. Here us a little tidbit: the piece of bacon in the can IS real bacon. It's not the "fakin' bacon" we have mistakenly called it all these years. Also, they cook the beans and the sauce in the can so that they have more flavor.

This is the sack that the beans come in. There's a lot of beans in that bag

These girls love their Daddy so very much.

I love these faces!!!!

Sidenote: The coat that we had to buy at Walmart is being worn in the picture above by the person who left their coat at home. I'll not name names but I will tell you that the coat has polka dots and a sweet little girl inside.

12-03-11

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we went to Cofers Chapel. We were so excited to worship there again. It did not disappoint. Jacob does a wonderful job with the music and Pastor Mike brought a great message despite an abscess tooth.

Jessie's parents and my sister came to church with us. We filled an entire pew:) We were able to see lots of our friends and that was so wonderful. Abby and Shelby went home with their friend, Jaden and spent the afternoon with his family.

Trev, Jessie, John, Sue, and Mary went with Mike and I to the Loveless Cafe. It was great, as usual. It was so nice to be able to talk and just enjoy being together. It was cold and rainy outside but it was warm and toasty inside.

Mike and I were suffering from a cold so we were ready to rest when we got back to the hotel. We laid down but didn't take a nap.

Trevor found an old barber chair next to a dumpster and wanted me to help him recover the cushions so we went and helped him. He and I were able to get the bottom covered but the back of the chair was going to need some work. We were going to go pick up the girls and head to Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas decorations but we ended up spending some time with the Davies. They had ordered pizzas and wanted us to share a meal with them.

When we took Trev and Jessie back to her house we hung out with them and Zadie, Bandit, and Kung Meow. I honestly didn't want to leave but Trev had to go to work at 5:30 the next morning and everyone was tired. Including me, I just didn't want the visit to end.

The next morning we were moving really slow. Mike felt worse and I didn't want to leave:) We finally got the van packed and headed to Chickfila for breakfast and to say goodbye to Trevor. I was a mess. I cried from the time Mike started the van til we pulled in the parking lot. Mike had to order our food because I couldn't do it. The lady that works there came over to bring our drinks, she took one look at me and ran away.

Thankfully, Mr. Beem, William, and Edwin came in at that moment. They were the perfect distraction to help me get my mind off having to tell Trevor goodbye. I held it together when Trevor came out and I was so proud of myself. Those hugs are so much more meaningful now that I get so few of them. I just want to hold on tighter and longer.

The trip back was rainy and cold. Thankfully, it was uneventful and no traffic. We didn't take any detours and made the trip in 11 hours. It was good to be home but I miss Nashville. The people there are my family and I love them. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. It makes this life so much richer.

12-01-11

This was on our impromptu field trip to the Bush's Visitor Center

(I'll write about this visit soon:)

The Day After Thanksgiving

We just lounged around the hotel and ate the free breakfast until Trevor and Jessie came so we could all take a dip in the pool. We ended up going to the hotel next door because they had a hot tub and hardly anyone was staying at it. We were able to enjoy some good family time.

By early afternoon, Trevor had to go get ready for work and I had to get ready for my date with my friend, Casey. We went to lunch at Cheddar's and stayed there for a couple of hours. It was so nice to catch up and laugh with her. It was such a good time of catching up.

My sister came and picked up the girls so that could spend the night with her and Noah. She had a fun time planned for them and they were so excited to see Noah.

I spent Friday evening with Jessie. We ate supper at Chickfila and then we talked for a few hours. By the end of the day my throat hurt but I loved every second of my day. I can't wait for Jessie to join our family.

On Saturday, Mike, Trevor, Jessie, and I ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel. They sat us by the fire and it was so cozy and festive. We talked and laughed. I sat back and soaked up every second of us being together. I made note of their faces, these people I love with all my heart. I can't tell you how happy that breakfast made me.

We went to my sister's apartment to pick up the girls and hang out with her and Noah for a little while. We really liked her new place and it was nice to be able to picture where she lives.

Trevor had to go to work at 2pm so we dropped them off so he could get ready for work. We headed to Nashville to drive around and go by to see our old house. We were meeting Cindy and Mackenzie at a bowling alley at 3 so we were able to drive around our old stomping ground.

The girls and Mike bowled while Cindy and I talked and ate our snacks from the snack bar.
They had fun and we got to catch up on a lot that has been going on. Our family has missed them so much.

After supper at a local favorite we went to see Sonia, Bailey, and Mason and we met a new friend, their dog, Sunny. I have missed them so much. I wish we could have seen Marvin, too but he is overseas doing his job for the military. We are so proud of him. They were our homeschool field trip buddies and there are so many places that we didn't get to experience. I am praying that they get to come see us soon so that we can do some awesome field tripping around here.

When we got back to the hotel we all just fell into bed. I love days that are exhausting but full of love and friendship. It truly was a day to remember.

11-30-11

Thanksgiving Day

Our day started out with Mike having to go to Walgreens because somehow...ahem...I left my bag of toiletries at home. In fact, I had a major meltdown the night before when I realized I didn't have my trusty, fake blue leather Winnie the Pooh bag that I have carried out of town with us for many years.

While he was out finding me a round brush, deodorant, and hair care products, my sister came to see us at the hotel. Then, we went to Jessie's house so I could make the Blueberry Delight that Trevor requested. We were able to spend some time with them and then we headed to Jessie's brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner.

It was great. They had a wonderful spread of food. Everything was delicious. We were thrilled to spend another Thanksgiving with the Williamson family. After dinner, we headed out to a field for a game of touch football.

John (Jessie's Dad), Matt (Jessie's brother), Daniel (Jessie's cousin), Trevor, and Jessie with Zadie

This picture makes me laugh because Jessie is holding Zadie like she's the football:)

Shelby, Abby, Justin (Jessie's oldest brother), Stephanie (Justin's wife), and Luke (Jessie's brother)

After the big game we came inside to hear some good music. Jessie's family is very talented so they played some good stuff.

11-29-11

This is going to be short and sweet because I am recovering from the day after traveling.

I have done loads of laundry, went on a massive grocery shopping expedition,was the chauffeur to choir practice, and the whole day just felt pretty sluggish.

I think the worst day after vacation is the very first day back in reality. I came home to a spotless house (thanks to Jessie and Mom:) and now it looks like a bomb exploded~a clothes, shoes, suitcases, toys bomb.

It did feel good to sleep in my bed last night. It was so comfy and cozy.

I'll be back tomorrow with more about our trip.

11-28-11

I didn't post for three days because there was just so much going on and I was trying to soak every last bit of it up.

Wednesday~ we left around 5 am and stopped at Hardees for a fine southern biscuit for breakfast. We had only a slight deviation from the itinerary for a quick stop at Walmart near the Tennessee line for a coat because one of us left theirs at home. We had to stop for lunch at Pal's for a Pal Burger and some Frenchie fries. After we fortified ourselves we made the trek through the beautiful Smokey Mountains to Gaitlinburg and up Ski Mountain Road to Ober. Ski Mountain Road is the kind of road that has a sign at the beginning saying, "In the winter months only cars with chains are allowed." Mike and I thought this would be a good way to break up the long trip and it was.

We rode the ski lift up to the Alpine Slide. It was quite chilly on the side of that mountain so one of us was really glad we stopped and bought that coat. We picked up our sleds and got in line for our trip down the mountain. They let you go two by two so I rode on one slide with Shelby and Mike rode on the other with Abby. Abby was a little apprehensive because she had never done it before and you can go pretty fast. Well, somehow we weren't even in line so Abby went ahead of us. That wouldn't have been so bad but a guy lost his cell phone on the track and they wouldn't let anyone go until it was located and all the pieces cleaned off because it could've caused someone to wreck. Mike and I were getting a little panicked because Abby is going down this huge slide on the side of a mountain and we were stuck at the top waiting to go. We thought for sure she would be at the end and freaking out because she was all by herself. We shouldn't have worried. When they gave us the green light all three of us took off down that mountain to "rescue" Abby. She wasn't even to the end yet. We laughed and laughed because she was going so super slow that Mike caught up with her before she even realized she was alone.

After that ride, we rode the ski lift again but this time we rode it all the way to the top of the mountain. I'll tell you one thing, that view NEVER gets old. I have mountain blood running through my veins and the sight of them just makes me feel at home. It was really, really cold on that mountain top.

After that little detour, we got back on track just in time to get stuck in some holiday traffic. When that busted loose it was smooth sailing all the way to Jessie's house where we followed her and Trevor to our ridiculously cheap hotel room. Not cheap as in a bad room, cheap as in "we feel like we're stealing this is costing us so little". The room was perfect.

Stay tuned for more detail rich posts about our trip because I want to document it for our family.

11-24-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the love of God
• my husband
• my children (all 4 of them, that means you, Jessie:)
• my family
• my friends

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.~Psalm 106:1

11-23-11

Today I am thankful for:
* safety of travel to Nashville
* a good day
* riding a ski lift to the top of a mountain

11-22-11

Today I am thankful for:

• homemade goodies ready to eat and share
• random hugs from 2 certain tween girls
• comfortable shoes
• anticipation
• hearing, "It smells like Christmas in here" when I am working in the kitchen
• Thanksgiving poems read by aforementioned girls
  

11-21-11

Today I am thankful for:

• one more day til Nashville
• the soft glow of lamp light at night
• an unexpected gift brought to the door by a sweet friend
• my African violet is still alive
• loofah sponges
• snacks lined up waiting to be packed for our trip

11-20-11

Today I am thankful for:

• memories
• a clean kitchen
• a clean bathroom
• suitcases ready for packing
• my little family of pilgrims. They make me smile when I look at them.
• engagement pictures of Trev and Jessie
• my church family
  

11-19-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a fresh haircut
• meeting a new sister in Christ that just happened to cut my hair. We had a great conversation surrounding spiritual things. I want to remember to pray for her as she wants to be a witness to her friends and co-workers.
• popcorn
  
• getting things ready for tomorrow
• talking to my brother
• nice, warm socks

11-18-11

Today I am thankful for:

• working together to rake the leaves to the street so they will get sucked up tomorrow
• an organized attic where we can actually find what we are looking for (a first in our 15 years of having an attic:)
• crisp, cold air
• bad days that make us appreciate the good days
• rocking chairs
• being able to walk 5 minutes to the local pizza place for some hot, fresh pizza
• lazy Friday nights with 3 of my favorite people in the whole world (one in particular is my absolute favorite...forever:)
• a phone call from my sister
  

11-17-11

Today I am thankful for:

• TV shows on Netflix
• scarves
• one last Almond Joy in the Halloween candy bowl
• For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 ESV
• forgetting something I packed away in the winter clothes and being surprised that I own it. It's like going shopping and getting something new without spending any money.
• going to see Mike at work and only having to walk through the backyard
• marking things off the "to do before our trip" list
  

11-16-11

Today I am thankful for:

• my Pastor;)
• a rainy day that makes me want to stay in and read
• medicine
• a place to walk indoors when it's raining
• good conversations
• my vacuum

11-15-11

Today I am thankful for:

*my big comfy bed that I am climbing into in 5 minutes
*corner stores with little treasures like peacock feathers
*smartphones that I can do blog posts from
*my husband doing the dishes tonight

11-14-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the nice breeze that blew through our windows
  
• the attic, where we can hide things:)
• being able to listen to stories being read aloud by my daughters
• $10 coupons that make your purchases add up to .82 cent
• ice cold milk
• crunchy leaves under our feet during our afternoon walk

11-13-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a surprise lunch date with my beloved
• a BOGO coupon that we were able to use on the aforementioned date
• iTunes
• ministering with my husband and helping hurting people that God sends to our church
• the ability to see how my past hurts make me sensitive to others
• Benadryl and a long nap when my sinuses feel like they're on fire
• the beginning of a new week packed with possibilities

11-12-11

Today I am thankful for:

• getting something done that has been on my to do list all week
• pinto beans cooked in the crock pot all day
• hangers to hang all the laundry I've done this week
• so many clothes we have to change them out with the seasons
• the bag of giveaway clothes to bless someone else with this week
• my families' forgiveness when I get wound up and start to lose it

11-11-11

Today I am thankful for:

Every person that has served in the US military.
Every person that is currently serving in the US military.
Every family that serves along side their soldier because when one person in the family is in the military the whole family sacrifices.
God Bless America!!!!

*photo taken by Mike at the Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery in July '11

11-10-11

Today I am thankful for:

• rain
• my van
• window shopping
• $5 Charlie Brown DVDs
• sharing
• cameras
• beautiful leaves that get laminated to enjoy for a long time

11-9-11

Today I am thankful for:

• an uneventful day
• new notebooks
• prayers that are heard and answered
• my laptop
• warm blankets on cold mornings
• packages with goodies in them

11-8-11

Today I am thankful for:

• hot showers
• the opportunity to teach my kids at home
• the anticipation of seeing people I love in Nashville
• almost 90 minutes of alone time this evening. Sometimes you just need it:)
• living in the city

11-7-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a leisurely Monday after a busy weekend and the beginning of a busy week. Should I admit that the girls and I didn't get up til almost 10:)
• going over to the church and coming home to the girls taking turns reading to each other
• nice surprises
• a husband that really wants to know me and does~very well
• hearing my phone ring and seeing that it's Trev
• chatting with my mom
• new recipes that get good reviews from my family
• windows that open and pleasant temps
• library trips
• afternoon walks
  

11-6-11

Today I am thankful for:

• Bath and Body Works Wallflower Fireside scent
• God not leaving me where I am. He stretches me in ways I never thought possible
• hot rolling baby girl's hair before church
• hope for the future
• being able to welcome a daughter in law to the family in less than 5 months
• leftovers (Tonight is C.O.R.N.~~~ Clean Out Refrigerator Night)
  

11-5-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the true reason for Thanksgiving Day
  
• the view today from Skyline Drive on the way home from the NorVa district meeting in Harrisonburg
• getting to see the new church building at Harrisonburg Free Will Baptist Church
• seeing the sun rise this morning
• mercy
• comfy pjs after a long day
  

11-4-11

Today I am thankful for:

• lovely fall days
• freshly laundered clothes
• my broom and dustpan that sees a lot of action
• a quick trip to Target with my family
• being able to serve my family full time
• grace
• my soft pillow
  

11-3-11

Today I am thankful for:

• listening to my girls talk to each other like best friends
• making plans with friends in Nashville over the Thanksgiving holiday
• talking to Trev and Jessie via Skype (and getting to see the cute dogs:)
• getting things marked off my daily list
• hearing great news about a friend's mother who has cancer Praise God!!!!
  
• buying cool Halloween stuff for next year and paying way less than they would have cost 5 days ago
• seeing Mike walk through the door for lunch

This is my 400th post!! So glad I have a small record of our lives over the years.

11-2-11

Today I am thankful for:

• great smelling shampoo
• cleansing tears that don't have to be explained
• having hope amidst trials
• the loving arms of my man
• snail mail
  
• a clean guest room especially when it's the only room clean in the house:)
• questions that An Almighty God can handle and the peace from knowing He can
• changing seasons
  

11-1-11

Today I am thankful for:

• warm clothes
• the colors of fall
• the whole Body of Christ
  
• the single Mom that has started bringing her son to our church
• the things S & A do everyday that make me smile
• a good turn out for our first Halloween Bash
• family that gave their precious time to come help us at the Halloween Bash
• getting a phone call from Trevor
  
• cuddling
  

TODAY I...

Today I...

• felt the strength of God in a very real way.
• shared with a friend and realized it's so freeing to talk about things we've been facing lately.
• laughed real hard when my daughters got a health lesson via a breastfeeding video at the doctor's office:)
• listened to S. practice piano.
• shared a special lunch with the girls because they were incredibly good at the doctor's office.
• thought today was Thursday until S. let me know it was Wednesday.
• prayed for our deacon at church that is having some serious health problems.
• hugged my husband.
• rearranged the school bookshelves for the bazillionth time.
• got wet from the rain.
• had lessons with the girls this morning.
• listened to Mike read, "Yobgorgle" to the girls.
  
• smiled and it felt good.

MY MOUTH

I was reading this blog post today and I immediately remembered something I said to a friend of mine years ago.

Do you ever remember things you have said in the past and feel yourself clinch up inside because you shouldn't have opened your mouth?

This particular day I was helping my friend move or put clothes away or something that would have put us in front of her closet with the doors open. I looked into her closet and said, "WHY DO YOU USE WIRE HANGERS?" I know that I said it with such disdain on my face that she probably thought she was committing the unpardonable sin.

I remember that she looked a little befuddled and responded to my question. I can't remember her response but I sure remember my condescending attitude. About some hangers. That hold clothes. In a closet. Like using plastic hangers was the end all, be all of hanging clothes.

I know I have said stupid stuff since then and I'll probably say more stupid stuff in the future. I truly pray that I will be more sensitive to others instead of focusing on really dumb things that don't matter.

I mean, really, if my friend didn't know me that well she may have been inclined to back away. Thankfully, she knew my heart then and knows it now. She may not even remember this but I do (with much embarrassment, I might add)

Have you ever said something you wish you could open your mouth and shove it back in? Do share:) It'll make you feel better.

I NEED TO SEE THE SUN

We have had a lot of rain over the past week and I really need to see some extended sunshine.

It didn't rain today but it was overcast and dreary. I'm not feeling well so all this cloudy, rainy weather makes me feel worse. I barely have any energy.

We started our 4th week of school today and it has been going really good. Shelby started piano lessons last week and she starts choir tomorrow. Abby starts music theory next week. Tuesdays and Thursdays are getting ready to be pretty hectic in the evenings.

Wow. That's about all my brain can come up with tonight. I guess you can stick a fork in me. I'm done.

Night, everybody!