Shells

I love to collect shells. When we go to Bodega, Cayucos or San Diego, my favorite activity is seeking out a new shell. I did not find any of the pictured shells. A retired school teacher gave me a very large and beautiful collection.

My sil posted a picture on her blog that gave me the idea to take pictures of my treasured shells. Little did I know that I would receive my most valued shell just last night. Pastor returned from Israel last Saturday. Last nights' service was dedicated to him sharing the details of the trip with artifacts and photos. He was so thoughtful of his church family while being at the most amazing places. He said while he was on the shore of the Mediterranean sea, he scooped up as many shells as he could to bring back. The shells are from a spot just an eye-shot from Joppa (now called Jaffa). You may recall that Joppa is where Jonah fled from the Lord while trying to go to Tarshish. Pastor let us each take a shell. My new, beautiful shell will always remind me to praise God for his patience and grace. He stays with us even when we don't heed His will. The most perfect place to be is in the will of God.

My new treasure

As much sense as a goose

We see a lot of critters where we live. This guy was just out cruising around behind our back fence last March. I love to watch the geese fly in their perfect V- formation. They honk back and forth to one another. I always feel calm and happy when I hear or see them.

I was listening to a sermon on the radio today while driving home. I'm sorry I don't recall the pastor's name. The title was "If we had as much sense as a goose." I thought that sounded kind of funny. It didn't take long to understand where he was going with his point.

The pastor gave a few facts about geese and the connection to us helping each other. First, geese fly in the V formation to aid one another in flying. The pastor said a goose has 75% more flying power in a group than if flying on its own. They help lift one another with air from the wing flapping. A goose gets the power from the goose directly in front of it. If we work together for the good of God, we are more useful than working alone.
Second, when the lead goose gets tired, all the geese in the group rotate. We can help each other by taking on a bit more so someone else can re energize.
Third, the geese honk at each other to encourage. We can use our 'honking' to uplift and not discourage.
Finally, when one goose gets sick, two others stay with it until it is better or until it dies. We should care for one another at all times.
Our theme at church this year is Strengthen thy Brethren. I am thankful for the reminder God gave me today in that radio broadcast. I think the geese have a good thing going :)

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. - Luke 22:32

My perfect day

Three together now

A beautiful crisp outing

Swings and slides beware

Welcome 2008

A few days late with my New Years welcome! We lost power last Friday during the very windy rain storm. Our electricity was out for 29 hours. We have a gas fireplace and cook top so it wasn't bad. The gas hot water heater provided for relaxing bath times and we were all cozy inside. When it got dark, we found use for this gadget that Keith won at a golf tournament last summer. I didn't think we would ever have a use for it! I appreciated the radio coverage and the hand crank mechanism. Keith actually watched the news and a TV show in black and white. It was a very clear picture but very small. We were glad for the 'adventure' to end. My Internet service was just restored this morning. That is the first time that has ever happened. I took advantage of the down time from the computer to work on some projects .

We celebrated the 20Th anniversary of WVBC on Sunday. It was wonderful. There was a video of some of the early services and of the building of the church. It was strange to see the bare five acres of land. I am so thankful for the ministry of the Stonestreet family. Pastor's mom, grandmother, and two sisters came for membership as they are moving here next month. I am so excited. The girls will be attending the school too! I think they are in grades 7 and 11. Pastor left last night for Israel. What an exciting trip God has called him on. I will be in prayer for Mrs. Evertson as I know she is concerned.

Keith has been sick for a week now and has lovingly shared it with me. Madison had major tummy trouble tonight. Not sure if she will go to school tomorrow. Mia says her nose is stuffed on one side. I know what that means!!

The picture is of the last sunset we had here in 2007. God is so amazing!

All she wanted was her two ears pierced

Imagine the screams we heard from a girl, who has been asking for five years to get her ears pierced, as she opens her gift card from Clairs on Christmas morning. Madison looked at her dad and asked if she could do anything she wanted with the card, he gave an affirmative nod and then we all had an ear piercing of a deafening kind. Mia has been wanting to get her ears pierced too, she's just been more apprehensive about the pain. Of course we went the very next day. I was very happy to have my brother with me. I think it made it easier for Mia to be brave. Madison hopped right up on the chair and it was done. She smiled even though hers ears were stinging. Mia said, "No way, I'm not doing it" so we left. We went to Davis to run some more errands and the entire time Madison was admiring her sparkly earrings. Mia was trying to reason the reward she would get by enduring the pain. Madison never even told Mia that it hurt, she told her it wasn't bad at all. On the drive home Mia asked if she could give it another try. We drove to the mall and she went through with it. She was a little upset after the two ladies simultaneously punctured her little ears. She cried while she was looking at her pretty earrings. Madison then announced, "Finally I can say how much that hurt!"

Very good and very bad

You can see by the picture what the very good part is. Yum! You can get the recipe here and find out the very bad part. We are talking butter and lots of it. I just love this blog. Her photography is AMAZING. I made these last night to give as gifts.

A fun Christmas game

We played this game last year at our church Christmas party. I thought I would pass it along as it is lots of fun. Leah, you probably remember this one.

Match the alternate titles with the correct well-known Christmas songs! Have fun
The answers can be found here

1.Quadruped with Crimson Proboscis a. Oh holy night

2.Eight pm to six am without noise b. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

3.Minuscule Hamlet in the near East c. Silver Bells

4.Ancient Benevolent Despot d. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

5.Exuberance Directed to the planet e. Deck the halls

6.Listen, Aerial Spirits Announcing f. Silent Night

7.Trio of Monarchs g. I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause

8.Yonder in the hay stack h. Frosty the snowman

9.Cherubim Audited from Aloft i. The twelve days of Christmas

10.Assemble, Everyone who believes j. Oh little town of Bethlehem

11.Hollowed Post Meridian k. Joy to the world

12.Fantasia of a Colorless Dec. 25Th l. Good King Wenceslas

13.A dozen twenty four hour yule periods m. Hark the herald angels sing

14.Befell during the transparent bewitching
hour n. All I want for Christmas is my
two front teeth
15.Homo Sapien of Crystallized Vapor o. It came upon a midnight clear

16.Desire a Pair of Incisors on Dec. 25Th p.Walking in a winter wonderland

17.I spied my maternal parent osculating q.Oh come all ye faithful

18.Perambulating through a December
Solstice Fantasy r. Away in a manger

19.Adorn the vestibule s. Angels we have heard on high

20.Tin tintinnabulums t. We three kings.

Busy like elves

Only 15 days and counting!

We are wrapping it up, literally. I only have a few little things left to get and I am DONE. Still waiting for the Internet ordered items to show up in the mail. I love to get fun mail. Madison is doing very well with her sewing project. She really is making the entire thing. I hope her friends like them.

The girls also started wrapping their cousin's gifts. I love how serious they are.

I am glad to have the shopping out of the way. Last week was busy getting ready for the town's Christmas parade. It was freezing out but very fun. Madison was a singing angel and Mia was the angel watching over Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus. WVBC won third place for the float in the christian division. We

have two parties to attend this weekend and I have two more ladies' parties to go to next week. The girls will also be out of school starting next week. I love having them home when it is cold out. We are planning to do our baking and delivering next week. Baking is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. The girls wait to do sugar cookies and the gingerbread house until my mom gets to town. That is their special thing to do together.

I thought I would share a great gift idea for the family to do together. We have participated in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child in the past. We would fill up a shoe box full of things that we take for granted. Toothpaste, candy, small toys and hair clips. The boxes were all shipped together and given to the precious children. I received a catalog from Samaritan's Purse this year that enables the giver to 'order' food, medicine and supplies for the people of poverty stricken nations. Check it out here. Click on the Christmas Catalog. Thirty-five dollars helps to transport enough food to feed a family for about two weeks. Just $15 to help teach a child to read and write.

I hope everyone enjoys the coming weeks as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

A few of my favorite things

The famous O is rarely on tv at our house anymore. I just don't care much for it. However, my curiosity was peaked enough to watch her favorite things show this last week. I really liked the digital camcorder and the red mixer. The custom body butter seems really expensive but nice. I would try the clairsonic and I've been wanting to try the shaklee products (I have been trying the seventh generation line). The cupcakes from WS had better be beyond to die for at $59 for nine! I think it is really cool that she gives away the products to her audience (remember the car thing). She kept saying that it is not her intent to make the people happy with the prizes but rather with the whole experience of being given something. "Remember, things don't make the happiness", she said. I am sure we would all agree. We all have things that make us happy for reasons beyond the thing itself. The value is in the memory, experience or the giver. I thought I would share a few of my favorite things of this time of year.

The nativity that Jared gave me for Christmas last year



And by consensus, our favorite tree ever. Madison picked it and we all agreed it was perfect. I hung some ribbon from the ceiling to make an inexpensive decoration over the dining area. I think it looks better in person but you can get the idea.
The A ornament was the first one Keith and I had as a married couple, I made it.

My sister in law gave me a book for Christmas last year that we are enjoying too. Devotionals and reminders of what we are really to celebrate. Thanks Amy. This is todays scripture,

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

What a relief

I hope Leah will appreciate my enthusiasm..........

I am a hair complainer. I admit it. I like my hair to be cut/colored a certain way. If the outcome is not exactly what I thought I wanted, I tend to complain. In all fairness to a hairdresser, I generally wait until I leave the salon to begin my complaining (except for an instance of major color malfunction-oh it happens!). I think they use trick lighting and mirrors in those places because my hair looks fine when I leave. You know, just like the ones at M*cys. I have been known to cheat on my stylist. I am not proud of that but I just couldn't stay in a bad hair relationship. My complaining may be a result of my lack of hair perception. You know, some people have poor body image, well I may have poor hair image. I just see the little piece that is sticking up and it ruins it for the millions of other hairs on my head. I am working on this.
Now to my relief........ I was getting a peppermint mocha today and the young, very trendy barista told me she liked my hair cut. I said thank you and told her that I have been thinking of growing it out because I am worried I have the "mom cut." She assured me that I don't have the "mom cut" because my hair is edgy. That's right, straight from the 22 year old with black undertones and caramel streaks. Edgy.

Update: photo of said edgy hahaha

A beautiful day

Happy Birthday Mia Goose

Happy Thanksgiving

A surprise staring Mia

I had Mia on Thanksgiving day in 2000. It was fun to have friends and family come visit me in the hospital. I just had to sit back and relax (ha ha).

Mia's first three birthday celebrations were doubled. We had a little party for her with friends before the actual birthday then I would bring a cake and goodies for the family Thanksgiving gathering. When she turned four, I took five of her friends and their moms to the movies to see P*lar Express. We came back to our house for cake and gifts. At age five, we did the teddy bear stuffing party and last year we had tons of fun at home with a hair and nail party (think Libby L* without the steroids). I was trying to think of something different this year. She said all she wanted was a movie party. Well I knew the theater was out so I decided to have a movie party at home. Then I thought how fun it would be to have a SURPRISE movie party. It seemed a good idea at conception but how to keep her from knowing? I handed out invites to the moms and asked they not tell the kids. I didn't even tell Madison. Things were going smooth. Then three days before the party, someone started talking about it. Many of the kids started sharing the excitement during breaks at school. I thought I should let Madison in on the plan so she could help with damage control. She said she already knew about the whole thing and she would be glad to quiet the buzz. I thought for sure Mia was on to the plan. She was very giddy after school last Wed. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to share with me. She said, "I got ten merits today." That was all I got out of her. Turns out I let paranoia get the best of me because she didn't have a clue. Yesterday evening, Keith brought her in after all the guests arrived. We all stood in the entry and when she opened the door, "Happy Birthday-to-you, happy-birthday-to-you, happy-birthday-dear-Mia, happy-birthday-to-you!!!!!!!!

I was so happy for her surprise. I am really proud of all the kids for truly keeping the secret. We had lots of fun. I found the cute cake idea on the internet. Mia already said she wanted to watch R@tatouille so that was the movie for the evening. The kids ate popcorn and fruit before Keith served BBQ hot dogs. I had a lot of fun hiding all the goodies and couldn't really do any decorating until Keith took Mia out after school.















What a fun time we had! Mission Surprise a success!

I need a good pie

Oh my goodness, I haven't had time to do any blogging lately. I am actually getting this started and need to take a break to take Mads to volleyball.

I'm back....

I have been busy with work, Madison's nine week exams, a sewing project, and volleyball. I am teaching Madison how to sew a very simple project for Christmas gifts . She has a game every Saturday and Sundays are filled with Church.

I started Christmas shopping- online! I can't stand waiting in crowds and traffic makes me loose my christian spirit. Plus it seems like Thanksgiving got lost now that most stores decorate for Christmas on Nov. 1. That really bugs me.

In between checking my email and searching the mls, I came across this really fun site. Be warned, it is addicting. I donated over 2200 grains and had to make myself stop to get on with other things.

This Sunday night is Praise, Prayer and Pie! So fun. I haven't decided what kind of pie to make. Last year I took the margarita pie that I have re-named the mock key lime pie. There isn't any alcohol in the recipe but the name doesn't seem appropriate. If anyone has a favorite pie recipe that is different, email it to me :)

****The picture of the girls is one of my favorites from our D- trip this past May.

Silly animals

What are you lookin' at !

WVBS enjoyed a field trip to the zoo today. The weather was cool and the crowds were sparse. We had the most fun watching the penguins and the orangutans. They just make me laugh. The orangutan's expressions or lack of are so funny to me. We watched them for a while and decided they must be bored. He must have been thinking....................... I realllllly need a manicure!