Lovin Country Livin

I fixed it!

2012-01-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

The cold water in my washing machine had been coming in at barely a trickle. It was taking an hour and a half to do a load of laundry. I told my dad about it and he told me to check the screen on the back of the washer where the cold water hose screws in. He was right, it was full of sediment. I cleaned it out, reattached the hose and now the water is flowing like a waterfall again! I was so happy about fixing it. I ~~did~~ may have done a little happy dance in my basement. It always makes me feel good to fix things. I was afraid that I was going to have to get a new washer. I've had this one for nearly 10 years. It wouldn't be terrible to have a new one (mine is very basic and old school), we just don't need to be spending the money right now. I've been reattaching the sensor that lets it go into the spin cycle with duck tape for over a year now. Until that piece completely breaks off, I'll just keep what I have.

It's been 2 months?!?!?!?

2012-01-28T18:24:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I've went that long without a post. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. We did. We went on a mini getaway the week before Christmas. It was only for 2 nights, but it was well needed and worth it. Here are some pictures from our trip:

I have a lot of stuff to share and will be posting the pillow case dress tutorial soon. I've only looked at Blogger a few times over the last couple months. There have been hundreds of posts piled into my google reader. I've tried to at least skim through and look at pictures when I had time.

I always had a way there!

2011-11-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

I'm linking up with Callie at Through Clouded Glass for this one.

I wasn't raised in a home where going to church was a priority. It wasn't that my parents didn't believe in the Lord, they just didn't go to church. Despite this, there was always someone willing to take me to church and I'm sure praying for me at the same time. The act of going to church doesn't make you saved or a Christian. What saves us is believing that Jesus was born of a virgin, died on a cross and rose the third day. It's believing that he (Jesus) loves us so much that he was willing to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Church (the building) is a place for worship, a place to learn about Jesus, a place for encouragement.

MY STORY

My brother, who is 15 years older than me, was the first person to get me to church. Early on, even before kindergarten, he would pick me up on Sunday mornings and take me with him. My earliest memory of church is sitting in the floor under the pew playing and listening to the pastor preach. I remember thinking, "why does he have to be so loud all the time." haha

I didn't always go with them on Sundays, but I would usually make an effort to go to Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the summer time. It was always fun. VBS the summer after 5th grade was different. A dark haired lady named Annabell was teaching the lesson. I honestly can't remember exactly what she was teaching, but I remember feeling a tug on my heart. I wanted to learn about Jesus, not only that, I wanted to KNOW him. At the end of the lesson she asked if any of us wanted to be saved. I immediately raised my hand and so did a little blond haired girl (I knew her name at the time, no clue now). The other lady who was helping, Gail, took us into a room away from the other kids and led us in the sinner's prayer. I accepted Jesus into my heart then. I immediately felt different. She prayed with and encouraged us. They gave us each a Bible. I still have it. I remember her telling us to start reading the Bible every day, to start in the book of John and work your way forward in the New Testament.

Within the two years after this, a couple who lived close to us started taking me to church with them, but I eventually slacked off. At that point, my mom still wasn't going to church either.

At the end of 7th grade, Jenny, a girl I went to school with invited me to church with her on a Wednesday night. They had a very sizable, involved youth group. I enjoyed it. Everyone was excited and fired up for the Lord. I wanted to keep going, and I did! (I went until I was a senior in high school). They had a church van that would pick kids up on Wednesday nights. I think my enthusiasm about church encouraged my mom to start going around this time too. We started attending the same one as my sister's family on Sunday mornings.

I know my mom is saved, has been for years. I'm fairly certain my dad is too, though he still doesn't go to church anywhere. I remember laying awake at night while I was in high school. I would be crying and praying so earnestly that my daddy would be saved. That God would do "whatever it takes." I'm certain my siblings were praying for him too. A few years after that, his emphysema got worse and he couldn't get out and do a lot like before without getting out of breath. I think this slowed him down, made him start thinking and he soon started reading the Bible. I know he has read it through at least once now and a lot of times he will talk with me about stuff he has heard TV preachers saying. I have peace of mind about him now.
I guess I just want to stress how important it is to invite and take others to church with you. If those people hadn't prayed for me and took me with them, would I be saved and living the way I am now? Would my parents be saved? Would the three of us be able to reach others for Christ? It was a chain reaction.

Reach the children, then the parents will follow.

Here I am, 28 years old and loving the Lord. I'm married to a Christian man who grew up in church (his grandpa was a pastor). Though I was saved at a young age, I've had ups and downs. I'm not a perfect person by any means, but I am thankful to say that the majority of my life has been spent serving the Lord. I wouldn't change that for anything!

Pillow Case Dresses

2011-11-15T07:58:00.001-05:00

2 down and 8 to go. I have a friend, who has a friend who works at an orphanage in Haiti. She is coming in over the holidays and will be taking these little dresses back with her.

I've made a tutorial, but I haven't decided how I want to post it to my blog. One of my guild friends was interested in making some too and asked where I got the instructions. Mom and I gleaned what we could from other tutorials and looked closely at the ones at the craft show this year. That's why I needed to make a tutorial (we kinda came up with our own measurements). They are so simple. It takes less than an hour to make one from start to finish.

A New Blog

2011-11-10T17:22:00.001-05:00

I've started another blog. I know your thinking, "Seriously?!?! Girl can't keep up with she ones she already has." You can click on the name of it here: A Song In My Heart It should link you to it. Take a peek and let me know what you think of the idea.

2011-11-01T09:51:00.002-04:00

I can officially call this my second completed quilt. I'm getting better at starting projects and finishing them. I stuck it in the mail a couple weeks ago and it arrived in Alaska safely. It's hard for me to let go of homemade things after spending so much time working on them. I just had to keep telling myself this one was not a keeper.

I'm pretty excited. Someone saw this quilt and wanted me to make one for them to give away. So I guess I have my first order! Yaaaay!

Car shopping and a personal shortcoming...

2011-10-27T08:14:00.001-04:00

I have to say that car shopping this go round hasn't been exciting or fun. This feels like a forced/pressured experience because I will have to give the rental car back in a few days. We are the type of people who research, ask questions and explore all options before making big decisions. And somehow I feel rushed and under pressure because we both work and need to be separate places at the same time. We have it narrowed down to a few different ones, but won't test drive anymore until next week when hubby is off again. It's been almost 6 years since we car shopped. Needless to say, I'm kind of in sticker shock right now too.

I want to share a situation that I didn't handle well this week. I would love to hear how you would have felt about this too.

I know that when you post pictures on the internet; Blogger and Facebook, that the things you post are basically fair game for others to steal. I know this especially for blogger (straight to public view and the internet). That's why I have started putting my blog name within my photos.

I think of Facebook as being a little friendlier than this, so I'm a little more open with what I share because I know all of the people who will be viewing and set all of my albums to "friends only" view.

This week I had a father of a friend send me a friend request. I felt uneasy about accepting him, but my husband told me to go ahead because he knew him and he was "just wanting to see your bear pictures." Also, by his profession he is what we would consider a more trustworthy/upstanding person in the community. So I accepted his friend request.

I got up the next morning to find that this man had taken the time to save each of my photos from the bear accident album I had made (including a picture of me) to his computer. He then uploaded them to his own Facebook album and set it to Public view! (he also included a few he had swiped from another man's page too!)

I was furious!! Instead of waiting and praying about how I should handle the problem, I immediately shot him several hateful private messages. I basically told him he had no right do that without my permission, it was very inconsiderate, I wanted them removed, he didn't even know me personally, what I post on Facebook is for my friends only, not the public. And this is the part I'm really ashamed of, I made a shot at him, saying that he was a pastor and should have known to be more considerate than that. I know, that was horrible.

He responded by saying that the pictures were already out there by other people and that he copied them from them and couldn't be removed. Then I told him that I wasn't stupid, that the album was under his own name and all he has to do is delete it. That the pictures he ~~stole~~ copied were mine and the other gentlemans (I named his name).

Then he deleted it.

I'm still angry that he had the nerve to do that and then act like he didn't do anything wrong. At the same time I'm aggravated at myself. I think I could have accomplished the same outcome in a gentler way. I reacted in my anger instead of giving myself a few moments to calm down.

This is a principle I need to put into practice:

James 1:19

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

A Beary interesting morning...

2011-10-22T18:37:00.002-04:00

As you can see, my car is no longer drivable. I'm okay.

I was on my way to work this morning and a bear (yes, a bear) ran out in front of me as I crossed this bridge. This was the first time I had ever saw one in the wild. It barreled out and I hit it square on. It happened fast and my airbag deployed, so I didn't see what happened next. (if your squeamish about dead animals, scroll no further because I have pictures)

The poor fellow driving this vehicle did see it all up close and personal.

He was coming from the other direction. He said that when I hit the bear, it went up into the air "kind of in a mid cartwheel" and then he hit it and lost control for a moment. Pretty sure both vehicles are totaled.

It was between 400-500 pounds!

You should have heard the conversation with the dispatcher when I called 911! It happened on a county line so a deputy from each county came. They determined where the bear entered the road and that deputy had to write the report. I found that kind of amusing.

Guess who's getting a new rug?

When we got the bear home (in the back of hubby's truck), my dog was so upset. She could smell it, but didn't see it. She started sniffing, barking and growling. We went in the house and when we tried to go back out, she kept backing against the door and growling like she didn't want us to come out. She was trying to protect us. Such a good doggy!

They moved the bear before they moved my car. See the chain they tied around it to get it out of the road? They hoisted it onto the back of a wrecker then slid it onto my husbands truck.

I'm sad about my car. I bought it when I graduated from nursing school 5 1/2 years ago. I planned on driving it another 10 years. I'm still stunned that I hit a bear. Who hits a bear? There are hundreds of deer around here, but I hit a bear of all things! That car was paid for too. Not sure what I'll get next. This car was all wheel drive. I'd like to have another all wheel drive car or a four wheel drive suv. Any suggestions?

Longing for a Home Grown Watermelon

2011-10-20T07:49:00.000-04:00

We finally had watermelon success for the first time this summer. They were so good. We had tried last year, but they didn't turn out. This time we put black paper in the garden and cut some holes in it for the vines to grow through. The one in the top picture was about 12 inches long. This type of water melon (sugar babies) doesn't usually get that big. Look at the counter...see how juicy it was when I cut into it.

Summer is gone, fall is here. The high for today is only 48 degrees. And I am wishing I had a watermelon.

This one was "normal," only a few inches in diameter.

A glimpse of a new one...

2011-10-18T18:47:00.000-04:00

More pictures to come...

Bullseye! It's finished!

2011-10-17T07:51:00.002-04:00

This is my first finished quilt with a binding. I completed it a while back, but didn't take pictures until a couple weeks ago.

Each year the quild gets together and works on a quilt to be given away to children or people at nursing homes. They designate one meeting, tell you what to bring and the pattern is a surprise until you get there. This bullseye pattern was it.

Honestly, I'm not giving this one away. It's my first one. I really learned a lot by making it. It has some imperfections (mainly with the binding), and I want to keep it to look back on. I'm hoping my work will improve. I'll be able to pull this one out and see the differences.

CVS is great!

2011-10-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

I'm back into the CVS deals. All of this stuff is valued at about $23. I got it for $5.25. Not only did I get it cheap, but I also have 8 CVS bucks to spend the next time I go. Woot woot! Gotta love it!

The first time you go, you have to spend about $20. After that, the savings just add up and roll over every time you shop there.

What is the best bargain you have gotten lately?

Dry and Thirsty

2011-10-08T19:51:00.000-04:00

Psalm 63:1
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is

This is how I feel right now. I've been neglecting time with the Lord. He is still there. I'm the one who has been preoccupied with other things. I'm spiritually thirsty and dry.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Spending time in prayer and reading the word charges you up. Keeps you spiritually energized. When we don't do these two simple relationship building things, we become weak. I can feel it right now too. Junky feelings start creeping in; anger, bitterness, things that I have laid down it the past keep coming back to mind, worry, self-pity parties. And the list can go on and on.

I had been reading first thing every morning and praying throughout the day, but have some how slipped. Reading and prayer is in a way, a habit . I hate to call it a "habit," but it does reqire some effort and planning ahead at times. Prayer and reading the Bible are the two number one things the enemy (Satan) wants us to neglect. Drawing closer to the Lord is the last thing he wants to see us do.

Challenge for this week:

Read 10 minutes each day (preferably each morning before I do anything else).
Make a prayer list and pray earnestly for each need at least once throughout the week.

Where did summer go?

2011-09-19T14:45:00.002-04:00

Wow. Summer is basically gone. At times it seemed to drag by, but now I feel like it went away fast and I didn't really get to enjoy it. This is probably the first year in a long time that I didn't set foot in a pool. I guess all the medical issues the entire month of July and part of August put a damper on the enjoyment. I'll make up for it next summer.
These are my mom's flowers. Aren't they pretty? She has the greenest thumb of anyone I know. I don't have a lot of flower beds. I just put a few pots here and there outside. I'll work in the veggie garden, but that's it. I'm not big on messing around in dirt. My mom and sister on the other hand, could plant flowers and pull weeds all day and be content. Not me!

We may as well say it's fall now. The air has been cool enough for long sleeves and the leaves are turning. I've even been cutting the heat on at night. I'm wanting to decorate for fall this week. I just haven't got around to it yet.
I feel like I have a billion things I need and want to do, but there are just not enough hours in the day. The next couple weeks are really going to be hectic:

a different work schedule
a 2 day Christian conference a couple hours away
the county quilt/craft show
a wedding
I need to finish a quilt I've been working on by Oct 3rd
finish eval stuff for work by Oct 1
we got a new printer so I wanted to clean and organize our office while I was moving things around

I'm looking forward to the list of things, but it seems like they're all crammed into a week and a half time period. And then I'll go a couple months without doing anything out of the ordinary. It's always like that for me; crazy busy or nothing.

Bangs

2011-09-13T19:45:00.000-04:00

I had been letting my bangs grow out. I had those side swoopy bangs that everyone has now. They got on my nerves all weekend and I couldn't get them to lay right, so I cut them off last night. I don't think I've ever let a hair dresser cut them. I usually do it myself. That may be why I couldn't get them to lay right lately. haha. Oh well. They look good for now anyway...I think. I've had a couple hair dressers tell me that I look better with bangs because I have a "prominant forehead." Haha, I know what that really means, "you have a big ol melon, maybe you should cover it up." My hair is the longest it's been for a couple years and now I have the Anne Hathaway look.

I was compared to her a lot when my hair was shorter and I had straight across bangs. A couple people at work also mentioned Agent 99, Barbara Feldon, too.

I'm okay with being compared to those gals! Who do people say you look like?

The end of tomatoes and a lazy day

2011-09-12T18:11:00.005-04:00

We have ate the last of our little tomatoes from the garden. It's kinda sad. They're what I look forward to most. I think we have 2 regular size ones left and then we're finished.

I love this time of year. It's my favorite. It starts getting cooler outside. Leaves change. It even smells different. I'm ready to decorate for fall now, but I'm going to make myself wait another week. My boxes of fall decorations are gaining on my Christmas ones. I don't know which I like better. Which would you rather decorate for?

I've been lazy today. I had planned on cleaning the office, our "catch all" room. Instead, I ate lunch and fell asleep on the couch for 2 1/2 hours. Maybe tomorrow. It wasn't a total loss, I did tidy up the rest of the house and washed a load of towels. Do you have a "catch all" hard to keep clean room?

2011-09-07T15:31:00.003-04:00

Of all the things we have in the garden, I always dread working on corn. There are usually worms in it and it's sticky. I always feel gross after I work on it. My husband likes it cut off the cob and frozen. I wash all the ears, cut the corn off, cook it in the microwave with butter, let it cool and then freeze it in baggies. It's time consuming, but we enjoy it all year long. I suppose it's worth sacrificing a couple days of my summer for this. We had 25 bags this time.

I've been back to my old work routine for 3 weeks now. I'm totally back in the swing of things. My last hcg level was 3. Finally!!!!!!!!! I feel so much better, mentally and physically.

It has rained here the last few days. I think we got about 6 inches. My mom and I braved the huge Labor Day flea market on Monday (in the rain), but most of the vendors had already packed up and left. We were a little disappointed.

I was so productive yesterday. My house was clean and laundry was caught up by 11am. I even ran on the treadmill. I feel motivated to get back in shape. I did a 9 minute mile. I couldn't believe it, especially after four months of no exercise. I've been out of high school for over 10 years and I ran every day in PE, but never did "the mile" that fast. I think my fastest one then was about 12:30. I guess I actually enjoy running now and I push myself a little more than I used to.

A Week Long Technology Fast

2011-08-28T20:37:00.015-04:00

I have not touched a computer for the last seven days (except for charting at work). I even disabled the email alert on my cell phone so I wouldn't be tempted. I replaced my internet time with prayer and reading the Bible. I can honestly say I've had a great week and even more time to get things done.

The main thing I've learned/focused on this week is that God's grace and love is free. We don't need to do anything for it. It's already there and He wants us to soak it up. I feel like I need to read Having a Mary Heart In a Martha World for a second time. It's so easy to get caught up in doing things for the Lord like Martha did and to forget that we need to just sit at Jesus' feet and take him in like Mary.

Luke 10:38-42
38Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

My thoughts on a week without email, Blogger, Facebook, and minimal texting:

80% of the emails I receive are junk (store ads, forwards, facebook notifications or spam) I really didn't miss anything.
I'm not really concerned about what everyone is doing right now, where they are, who they are with, what they "Like", whether they are single, married or if "it's complicated"
Sad to admit, but I would have found out about the earthquake in our area a little sooner had I allowed myself to look at facebook. I didn't feel a thing (I think I was outside shucking corn when it happened).
I accomplished more this week than I normally do.
The internet is sneaky. I usually say I'm just going to get on here for a few minutes and then an hour has slipped by totally wasted.
I missed looking for new crafty ideas on other blogs.
I can live without the internet!

Ha ha! I was becoming the girl in this clip. *wink* Just kidding.

Finally, Some Good News!

2011-08-18T15:55:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor this morning. I had my ultrasound and it showed that both tubes are clear! They checked the hcg level again it went from 124 to 79. Yaaaaay!!!!!! Not zero, but it's getting there. Thank you all for sending up prayers for me. I'll probably be going every week or so for blood work until it's down to zero. So thankful things are starting to look up. They said that if there was still something in my tube today, I would have had to have surgery again.

I'm feeling very relieved and thankful right now.

2011-08-17T15:01:00.003-04:00

I have some crafty things to share, but haven't had a good chance to download pictures. These include a wreath and a close to finished quilt.

I went back to work this past weekend and it went well. I wasn't sure how easy 3 12 hour shifts would be after being off an entire month.

I had to go once again for Methotrexate injections. That makes 3 sets. The nurse called me Monday and asked me to come in. The hcg level went from 210 to 124. It's not dropping as fast as it should. I'll be going for another ultrasound tomorrow, so say a little prayer for me.

Hope your having a nice week!

More Canning and Good News

2011-08-09T17:25:00.002-04:00

BEFORE

AFTER

I have 15 new pints of beans to put away. My husband got me some heavy duty shelves for my canned food nearly a year ago and got around to putting them together today. I'm so happy. I can finally get my boxes of jars out of the basement floor. I already had some shelves, but they're full.

The shelves weren't my good news...

My hcg level went from 629 to 210!!!!!! Still high (normal is 0), but in the right direction. Yaaaaay, Praise God. I go back for more bloodwork on Thursday and then I'm going to work Friday.

Crazy Dreams

2011-08-07T23:36:00.003-04:00

Here are some I've had this week:

1. I was looking out my kitchen window, and saw a tornado going across one of the hills behind my house. All of a sudden it stops and starts coming straight at me.

I woke up right before it got to me.

2. I was out with friends in a restaurant. Jesus walks in wearing his white robe, sits down in the empty chair beside me. He starts chatting like a buddy (which he kinda is) and then quoting scripture to me.

I woke up feeling frustrated because I couldn't remember what he said. haha

3. It was just before dark. My husband and I were riding up a winding mountain road. He was driving. Instead of lines in the center, there were little babies laying and crawling around and he was trying not to hit them.

It's been like this every night. I've always been a dreamer who remembers the dreams. They've just been a little more bizarre and vivid lately. I have a journal that I usually put the weird ones like these in. I don't really know why I write them down. I just do.

Do you remember what you dream? Have you had any weird ones lately?

Green Beans Are Finished!

2011-08-06T22:10:00.003-04:00

I have to laugh when I think about my husband and these beans. Sometimes he claims that he can't do a task well so I'll just do it myself. I thought that's what he was doing when I needed help stringing and breaking beans. I was wrong. I looked in his bowl of beans in disbelief. Ends of beans were still attached. Strings hanging off of most. They were totally butchered. He claimed his thumb was really sore too. I had to go back through the bowl to make them meet my green bean standards. I should have taken a picture so you could see just what I'm talking about. I'd never saw anything like it. I wished that I had done them myself. I didn't tell him that though. Especially since he did attempt to help me. A seasoned wife knows that you don't say a word or you won't get help later on with other things.

I'm officially finished canning green beans for this summer. We had one long row in the garden and only got 12 quarts this time. There just wasn't enough rain this year and the water hose doesn't reach. I think the second 6 quarts that I canned may possibly be hard due to lack of rain, not my bean canning capability *wink* (thought I better clarify). I labeled the lids so I would know which ones they were "2011 hard?" If I open a can and they're gross, I'll just throw the rest out. If anything, they look nice in the jars. It feels good to get them canned and see them on the kitchen counter. It's a feeling of accomplishment.

Time flies...

2011-08-05T18:02:00.003-04:00

...when you change your blogger layout. I've spent a good part of the afternoon fiddling with html codes and changing colors and backgrounds. I don't think this purple will stay very long. We'll see. It needed a little face lift. I figured out how to apply a signature to all posts (even the past ones). It's not exactly how I want it, but it's still an improvement.

If your tired of hearing about my health issues, don't read the next paragraph. If your interested and would like to keep praying for me, go for it.

I had my shots yesterday. I felt nauseous and bad all afternoon. Today has been okay except I'm getting concerned about my gallbladder (I know, if it's not one thing, it's another). For over 2 weeks now, (off and on) I have been having pain in my gallbladder area and my right shoulder. It bothered me so much last night I didn't sleep very well and it keeps hurting again today. It hurt for about 3 days straight a couple weeks ago and I said, "if I'm still feeling bad tomorrow, I'll go to the doctor." Of course it quit. Now it's acting up again, so if it's still hurting Monday, I'll tell my doctor about it. *wink*

Hope you all have a nice weekend!!

Roll with The Rock through the shifting sand!

2011-08-03T17:43:00.004-04:00

Those are the words to this song. That's what I'm doing right now.

I have to go once again for the methotrexate injections tomorrow morning. Hoping this and the Lord will fix me. The hcg level only dropped a little. 675 to 629. I need to get back to work. This will make four weeks out. That's long enough for anyone. I'll be glad to get back to my normal routine. I would plan on going in, but I don't know how I'm going to feel after the injections. The last time, I had stomach cramping, a couple sores in my mouth and my gums bled when I brushed my teeth, and I was really tired for a few days afterward.

I canned some green beans yesterday and have been shelling out october beans today. I don't think we'll plant octobers again (if it's up to me anyway). They're just too much trouble. You have to pick them and then you sit for hours working on them and barely get a big bowl full. It's much easier to just buy a bag of pintos from the store and pour them in your pot.

Higher and higher!

2011-08-01T14:43:00.002-04:00

The nurse called me this morning with Fridays results. The hcg level went from 516 to 675! That's the wrong direction. So I went in this morning to have it repeated. I was supposed to get it drawn tomorrow when they do my ultrasound. I figured if they did it today, then I would know something by tomorrow instead of waiting until Wednesday for results.

I've been ok for the last few days. I've only cried a couple times. I even held a baby last night at church and didn't lose it. That was a big deal for me (I saw a baby and a pregnant lady last week and cried uncontrollably in public both times).

I was fine this morning in the doctor's office until I saw someone I knew. I used to work with her and haven't saw her in several years. She was like, "I just had my 3rd baby 3 weeks ago. Do you have any yet?"
I said, "no."
Then she said, "Well y'all need to get on with it then don't you."

I stayed calm until she was out of sight then I broke down. I was so upset when the lab lady called me to come back, she went and got a nurse (even though I said I didn't need to see her).

I'm trying to get through with a positive Christian outlook. Little setbacks keep making it hard. I told my husband that if I could have just had the surgery and been done with it, I could move forward easier. It's just dragging out. I'm trying though.

Things I keep being reminded of:

They that wait upon the Lord will renew thier strength

The patience of Job (he was blessed double in the end for staying committed to God throughout his trials) James 5:11

Trials make you stronger II Cor 12:9-10 II Cor 4:17-18

Sometimes God stacks the odds against us so that things will be recognized as miracles and he will be exalted. Isaiah 30:18

It will all be okay!

Ugh the frustration!!!

2011-07-26T21:44:00.002-04:00

My hcg level came back higher! It went from 335 to 516. They had me come in for an ultrasound today. The left tube that they did surgery on was clear, but now my right tube has something in it. A 2 1/2 centimeter something. He said it looks like another ectopic pregnancy, but is more likely GTN gestational trophoblastic neoplasm. He said that if GTN goes untreated, it can lead to cancer. Either way, methotrexate (the chemo drug) treats both GTN and ectopic. So, I got a shot of it in each butt cheek today. He told me to stay out of work another week. I go back for bloodwork on Friday. Then on Tuesday more bloodwork and another ultrasound. If things don't go well, I'll be getting another round of methotrexate on Tuesday too. I guess we'll see what happens.

On a lighter note, my husband made me go out this evening to prevent mopeing. We went out to eat and watched Captain America. I liked it. It was a good distraction. We'll probably get it when it comes out on DVD.

Sharing so you will pray!

2011-07-23T19:40:00.004-04:00

I guess I will jump right into it. I had to have laproscopic surgery on 7/11 for an ectopic pregnancy. I was about 6 weeks along and very excited. I had started having cramping on my left side and bleeding that morning about 9:30. I called the doctor and they told me to come in at 2:00 for an ultrasound. Yes, I had to wait 4 1/2 hours. Thankfully my husband went with me because they found the pregnancy in my left tube. Since I was bleeding, it was emergent and the doctor cleared his schedule for the remainder of the evening and got me in the operating room in less than an hour after the ultrasound. The doctor said that I had already started bleeding into my abdomen prior to the surgery. Thankfully he was able to save the tube. The last 2 weeks have been very rough, but I'm getting through. I've cried off and on a lot and haven't really felt like doing anything. I finally had to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself last night. I don't blame God. I've quit questioning Him because I'm not going to know why it happened. It's happened and that's it. I have been sad because I really want a baby. I have felt guilt like I have done something wrong because my baby was alive and growing...just in the wrong place. Part of me is scared to get pregnant again because this could happen again, but we're going to give it another shot when the doctor gives us the okay. I'm looking forward to meeting my baby in heaven someday. I'm trusting God that things will be okay and I will eventually get a miracle. I'm breaking out of my slump. I'm going to move forward and get myself healthy again, so I can carry a baby to full term...I hope.

The main thing I need prayer about right now is blood work. I went to the doctor on Thursday and my hcg level (pregnancy hormone) was still a lot higher than it should be. This means that when the doctor did the surgery, he didn't get all of the tissue out of the tube. I have to go back Monday to have it repeated. If it's still up, I will have to have a methotrexate injection. This is a chemo therapy drug that destroys rapid growing cells. It will get rid of whatever he left in there. I do not want to take it! So please pray for me. Pray that the level will be normal or close to it.

A new niece and a quilt for her

2011-07-05T11:11:00.005-04:00

I'm planning to make a quilt for my new precious little niece. I already have a plan and pieces are cut out. I just have to (build up courage to) finish machine quilting the Bulls Eye quilt first. I'm a little intimidated by machine quilting. I can't imagine throwing anything larger than a baby or lap quilt on there. I'll get it. I'm determined. It is my first one so it's not going to be perfect. And believe me it's not. I just hope I do better on her little quilt.

This is my great niece. She was born June 26th. She's in Germany right now. Her name is pronounced Tie-ya. She weighed a little less than 6 pounds, but was healthy. Look at her little pink bracelet. She looks like her daddy when he was a baby. I'm thinking she'll be back in the US by the time I finish her quilt.

Things cost too much, but I got deals!

2011-06-28T08:09:00.003-04:00

I decided I needed an extension table for my sewing machine (since I'm a big quilter now). *wink* I looked online and there didn't seem to be one for my specific machine. I looked at a lot of websites that had adjustable ones that were compatible with mine, but the least expensive one was $70. I refused to pay that especially since I'll eventually upgrade my machine if I stick with what I'm doing. I found this table at JoAnn's. It actually goes to the Simplicity rotary cutter, but the cutout fits snuggly around my Brother sewing machine. It was originally $39.99. I used my 40% coupon and got it for $23.99.

I try to avoid Walmart. I'm sure I could count on one hand how many times I've been in there since January, but it's not a bad place to buy fabric.

I got this pine cone cloth there a couple weeks ago. It was $1.50 per yard and 100% cotton. JoAnn's had the EXACT same fabric for $7.99 per yard. It pays to shop around.

Isn't this firework fabric neat? I have a lot of ideas for it. It will probably go in a wall hanging at some point. I got it at JoAnn's, but I probably should have checked at dreaded Walmart first. *wink*

2011-06-26T22:18:00.010-04:00

Here are some pictures from the day out with my mom and sister.

We parked the car and walked to several shops and had lunch on the main street.

We found this one shop that we didn't even know was there. Everything in it has been sent over from Germany. It will be a neat place to get an original gift for someone.

My mom collects nutcrackers and these were in the German store. She told me to take a picture of them and then send it to her in her Christmas card this year ( I love my mommy). I guess I should have asked for permission because shortly after I took it, the lady running the place started following us around. She must have thought we were "casing the joint". I can assure you we weren't.

This was in the same store. It's a nurse's uniform from the 1920's. I'm glad we don't have to dress like that now. I'd never be able to keep white clean. And who wants to wear hose and dress shoes while getting a person on and off a bedpan. Thank goodness for colorful scrubs and tennis shoes.

I bought some Pyrex, but forgot to take pictures of it. I'll do it later and show you in another post.

Bulls Eye Block Tutorial

2011-06-23T09:56:00.010-04:00

You will need 9", 7" and 5" circles cut from cardboard. Cut out about 20 12"x12" squares and fold them in half and iron and in half and iron again (you'll cut your circles from these squares and the ironed lines will help you with centering).

You start with a 12"x12" block of fabric and pin a 9" circle of fabric to it.

Use a very small stitch and sew it 1/4 inch from the edge. Sew it pretty side up with the raw edge exposed.

Flip it over when finished sewing around.

Separate the two layers of fabric you now have and cut the center out. 1/4 inch from the stitches.

This reduces the bulk and will make it easier to quilt. The fabric removed can be used for the smaller circles on other blocks.

Next pin on and sew the 7" circle just as before.

And again, remove the excess fabric from the back side.

Then you repeat the steps one last time using the 5" circle.

As you can see, I went ahead and cut each block into fourths, mixed them up and sewed them back together.

Spray, pins or thread?

2011-06-17T10:58:00.002-04:00

I finished sewing the top of my bullseye quilt this morning. I was supposed to work today, but I'm on call for now (I'm not complaining either).

I think I'm going to use the adhesive spray to baste this quilt. I've been watching quilting tutorials on YouTube and that seems to be the way to go. My mom always uses safety pins (she hand quilts). For those of you who quilt, how do you normally baste? Spray? Pins? Thread? I'd love to hear any tips you may have. I'm planning to quilt this one by machine.

My goal today (if I don't go into work) is to clean up the living room floor. I'm half way there. This quilt has been there for over a week and it's now in one piece (instead of 48), so it can be folded and put away. The other half of the floor has been covered with trip pictures and albums. I'm finally sorting our Dominican trip pictures from 3 years ago. I'm about half way there on that project.

Hope your having a happy Friday!

A clean freezer and some random things

2011-06-14T10:56:00.002-04:00

I know, it was a mess and I should be ashamed. It's clean now though. I'm going to try and stay on top it. It's so easy to bring things home from the store and just cram them in there will they will fit.

After...

1. I started the 30 day Shred workout yesterday. It pretty much kicked my butt on the beginner level. Your supposed to do it every day, but I ended up jogging a couple miles earlier this morning and now I can barely move. I want to at least alternate each day with running and the workout video. I've found that there is a little more down time on the new unit I'm working on and those gals are eaters. I've put on a few pounds since going on vacation and working there.

2. I tried crackle nail polish yesterday. It's really neat.

3. I'm looking forward to a day with my mom and sister tomorrow. We haven't had one since last summer.

4. I should be finishing one of the books on my list today.

I've started my late spring cleaning!

2011-06-13T08:53:00.004-04:00

Remember this cabinet? It was embarrassing!

Before...

After...

I divided it into sections and put labels in each area.

Now each thing has its own place.

I put all of my pyrex in a different cabinet, but forgot to take a picture of it.

I've kept it together for a couple weeks now. I think it will stay as long as I don't buy more stuff.

Which Way Looks Better?

2011-06-08T11:37:00.004-04:00

I'd love to have your opinion on the quilt I'm working on.

I finally finished all 12 blocks. I had originally planned to cut them into fourths and sew them back together like this:

...but, since I layed them all out I'm not so sure.

Please comment or email and let me know which way you think look better.

The Guild's 25th Anniversary

2011-06-06T17:46:00.004-04:00

Today was the 25th Anniversary picnic for the quilting quild. Prior to this meeting, we all picked a quilt block from a list and then made a hat that represented the block. I picked the Dogwood block. It had to be the easiest one to represent on the head. I just hot glued some flowers to a headband. Piece of cake. Only $2.50 investedWhen I got to the meeting, they gave everyone a list of the blocks that were chosen and we had to match the block with the person wearing the relating hat. The person who got the most right won several fat quarters of fabric. .

For those of you who quilt, is there a dogwood pieced block? I tried to google it to see what it looked like and all I could find was pictures of appliqued ones. I asked my mom and she didn't know of one either.

I think about 40 people came to the meeting and all but a few were wearing hats.There were several really creative ones:

Drunkard's Path block-she pinned a felt path to the bill of a cap and attached a small bottle of tequila to the end of the path

Grandmother's Flower garden- she wore a shirt that said "they call me grandma" and she glued a ton of flowers to her large brim gardening hat.

Bear's paw- she made the shape of a paw out of faux fur and attached press on nails to the ends for claws

Crazy quilt- she had the names of multiple psychiatric disorders hanging from her hat by strings

After the hat game, they had quilt show and tell, and ate a pot luck dinner. We all received 25th Anniversary pins with the guild's name and a drawing of the Blue Ridge Mountains on them. They were really pretty.

Even though I'm the youngest there, I really enjoy the meetings. It's been a nice day!!

My Summer Reading List

2011-06-04T20:55:00.002-04:00

1. Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
by Todd Burpo , Sonja Burpo , Colton Burpo , Lynn Vincent

I started reading this last night. I'm only a couple chapters in, but it's well written and makes you want to keep reading.

2. The Power of a Praying Wife
by Stormie OMartian

I've read this book a couple times already, but I think it's time to read it again. *wink* *smile*
If your not familiar with it, each chapter is a different topic to pray about for your husband. There are 30 chapters, so you can pray a different topic each day for a month. I think this book is a great Christian tool. It really makes you think. The first chapter is extremely humbling. I plan on getting a copy of The Power of a Praying Parent whenever I finally become one. It gives you different areas/ways to pray over your child's life.

3. America By Heart
by Sarah Palin

My husband got it for me for Christmas. He knew I wanted it, but every time I try to read it at bedtime, I fall asleep. I'm determined to finish it.

4. Loves Enduring Promise
by Janette Oke

It's the second book in the Love Comes Softly series. I've bought the books and the movies. My goal is to read then watch. I'm about half way through this one.

5. Christy
by Catherine Marshall

I finished watching the TV series a while back. Had several people tell me the book was better. I started it on the plane ride back from Nevada. I'm a couple chapters in.

What's on your reading list???? Please share! It may be something I would like to read too.

Vacation Days 5-9

2011-06-03T09:31:00.006-04:00

This is my last vacation post. I promise!

We hopped in the rental car and drove miles and miles on straight roads.

We stayed in the little town of Pahrump, about and hour and a half west of Las Vegas.

Saddle West Hotel and Casino. The rooms here were nicer, more accommodating and less than half the price of the one we stayed at in Vegas.

The pictures below are the reason we went to Nevada on vacation. If I had been the one who solely decided where we went, it would have been some beach somewhere. Instead of a beach, we went to a 4 day Defensive Handgun Course at Front Sight. These were 8 hour days too. My husband picked this. It's all I'd heard about for over a year. The website for this place is very cheesey, but I enjoyed the class better than I thought I would. I recommend it if you have any interest at all in owning a handgun.

Above: Hubby and I shooting against each other.

Below: Our instructors for the 4 days.

Hubster had a cut on his trigger finger by the last day and I had 2 blisters on my pinky. I was pretty proud of them too. I named them "the blisters of gun shooting awesomeness." Hubby got a little sick of hearing about them...and seeing them.

I had to throw this picture in. This was the only pine tree we saw the entire time we were out west and it's not even real. It's a cell phone tower.

And that was our vacation!

Hope you enjoyed the condensed version as much as we enjoyed the actual trip. Our poor families had to look at all 1028 pics. They're such good sports. They humor me so well.

Vacation Day 4

2011-06-02T08:36:00.017-04:00

This was a very long day. We got on the tour bus at 6am. First stop was an overlook. If you look closely, you can see the Colorado river in the background.

I had to take a picture of my husband with the nabs (peanut butter crackers). We're hillbillies and we've always called them nabs. I'm not really sure why. Maybe everyone calls them that, not just us. Anyway... I think hubster's bloodsugar drops when he goes a while without eating and everytime we go somewhere together my mom always says, "make sure you put some nabs in your purse for Jason." His mom even said the same thing while we were on this trip. So this picture was for them.

As you can see, we took a helicopter down into the Grand Canyon. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Then we got on a boat.

We took a helicopter back to the top and had lunch overlooking the canyon.

That night we had dinner at BB Kings Blues Club. We really liked it. The food and the music were both great. I wish we could have stayed in there a little longer, but we had tickets to see Jay Leno do standup.

The picture below is Jay Leno. Really, it is. I would have tried to take another one, but security people were swarming the place and I would have gotten kicked out if they saw my camera.

Day 3 Of Our Vacation

2011-06-01T07:13:00.006-04:00

We met the tour bus outside the hotel at 9am. First we stopped in Boulder and took a picture overlooking Lake Meade (I probably spelt that wrong).

Next stop was the Hoover Dam.

I couldn't help but think of Chevy Chase the whole time we were there. We walked through this narrow tunnel in the wall of the dam to a vent.

This is the picture I took from the vent. It was probably half way down the center of the dam.

Haha, we're such tourists when we go places. I had to get a picture in this spot. I took one of hubster too. I was standing in Nevada and Arizona and in two different time zones.

That night we took the Monorail to the MGM Grand. We ate at Emeril's restaurant. It was soooo good! I highly recommend it. Then we watched Ka one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. What I watched of it was really cool, but I was exhausted and slept through most of it. Sadly, that was the most expensive nap I've ever had. I fought it as long as I could, I even sat forward so I wouldn't be as comfortable, but I still fell asleep and started doing the embarrassing head nodding thing. So I just leaned back, got comfy and gave in.

Day 2 of Vacation

2011-05-31T13:05:00.011-04:00

We were true tourists. I had my camera around my neck and we took off up and down the streets; in and out of all the different hotels.

These flamingos were at the nature preserve behind our hotel. It's only fitting that Flamingo would have flamingos right? It was like a little park with several different kinds of birds, a stream and waterfalls.

This was the Venetian. It was pretty amazing.

I know, I'm wearing a different shirt in this picture. What I had on at the beginning of the day was too hot so I changed. The picture below was inside of the Venetian.

Pete Rose was at the Mirage. He knew I was taking his picture, but wouldn't look up because I didn't pay $300 for a jersey, bat and ball for him to sign. My picture was priceless. ;)

The city was beautiful at night.

We watched the showgirls at Ballys. You know, the ones with the tall feather hats and all the jewels. My husband had kept saying all day that he wanted a picture with one of the the dancing girls. He was able to get one, but they wanted $25 for it. I told him to get it for a souvenir but he refused to pay that much. Then we had dinner at a Brazilian steak house, the food was okay.

Day 1 of our vacation

2011-05-23T08:13:00.009-04:00

Our flight in took about an hour longer than scheduled due to storms in the midwest. At one point the pilot said, "Sorry about the delay. We had to go below the storm. Those of you that are on the right side of the plane are in the US, those of you on the left are currently in Mexico."

The flight was fine until about an hour before it landed. It was the roughest flight I had been on. The turbulence was horrible. Around the time we flew over the Grand Canyon, my poor husband got up close and personal with the little white bag behind the seat in front of him. The photography obsessed nurse that I am made sure he was okay, handed him a tissue to wipe his mouth the leaned over his back and snapped some aerial shots of the Canyon while he was forward carressing the white bag. He was okay and I got my pictures. (I know, I'm horrible.)

I was so excited to see the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign.

We checked in to our hotel. Flamingo is supposed to be the oldest hotel on the strip.

We settled into our room and hubster recovered from the flight. Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville was at our hotel, so we each enjoyed a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" for dinner.

MIA

2011-05-21T18:21:00.004-04:00

I've been Missing In Action. We were on vacation in Nevada for 9 nights. It was so much fun, but I'm exhausted. We crammed a lot of stuff into the days we were there.

I'll share 2 pictures for now. More to come...

That's me with short Native American Elvis...

...and the hubster with Cat Woman.

We gave each of those people a dollar to have a picture made with them. I once again have confirmed that we are dorks!

I just looked at my google reader and there were 613 posts to read. :0 I'm really behind!

Hope your all having a nice weekend!!!!!

I Passed My Test!!!!!!! and 5 other random things

2011-05-03T16:33:00.004-04:00

I passed the PCCN (Progressive Care Certified Nurse) exam! I've been so stressed out studying for this. You wouldn't believe the weight that was lifted off my shoulders this morning. I've been studying, praying I pass it the first time, studying some more, then praying some more.

The funny thing is, I won't be a progressive care nurse in a couple weeks. My first day on critical care is the 22nd. I'm really looking forward to it too. Sometimes change is good.

I found a website that I really like. www.ihop.org
No, it's not the pancakes. It's the International House of Prayer. There was a prayer/worship meeting that started in 1999 and hasn't stopped. It goes on night and day. You can watch live footage of it 24/7. Every two hours they alternate between praise/worship and intercession and a new music group comes to the stage and you can see people coming and going from the prayer room all the time; praying alone or in groups. They have preaching services there on the weekends and broadcast those too. I like cutting it on and just leaving it on throughout my day.

I went to a running store this morning and bought some knee high compression socks. They should increase circulation and make my calfs happy.

Vacation time is soon and I still need to book a hotel...

Our ice maker isn't working right. Hubby doesn't have time right now to fix it. Water is so boring without ice cubes floating around in it. I need to buy a couple ice trays.

Random things...

2011-04-26T09:09:00.004-04:00

Hope you all had a nice Easter! I worked and it was a busy busy day. I had it off last year, so it was only right I worked this time...I guess. I'm feeling burnt out on the unit I'm at right now. I haven't transferred yet to critical care. Honestly, my attitude stinks. I'm trying to cling to this verse to get me over the hump.

Psalm 51:10 (King James Version)

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Other things I'm doing right now are keeping me from working on crafts, so I probably won't have a good crafty post until the end of May. The ideas are swirling in my head though.

I saw one of my nephews yesterday. He's always fun to hang out with. He's hilarious!!

I'm still running every time I get a chance. Some people look all feminine, graceful and pretty when they run. Not me! The hair starts out nice, but turns into a frizzy mess. I pour sweat, I spit, sometimes my shirt and shorts don't match. I laughed when I looked in the mirror before I ran yesterday. I even thought about changing but I didn't. Even though my shirt and shorts matched, I was pretty bright. My camera phone kinda dulled the colors.

If I ever get ran over while jogging on the road, they can't claim they didn't see me.

Hope your having a great Tuesday!!!!

Buying things for the kids I don't have...yet.

2011-04-20T11:01:00.006-04:00

Did you buy things for your children before you had them? I know, I'm probably silly for doing this. I usually buy children's books, but I realized this week that Pinocchio and Snow White are going in the Disney vault at the end of this month. Once they go back in the vault, they're usually off the store shelves for a few years.

While I was looking for Snow White and Pinocchio I found Beauty and the Beast and Bambi. I love the classic cartoons. A lot of the new stuff is just stupid. I guess this will be one more thing to add to my list of collections. Hopefully my children will enjoy these.

Bullseye!

2011-04-12T08:03:00.011-04:00

We started the love quilts at the last guild meeting. It was a mystery block. We were told to bring our sewing machines and were given a list of supplies to bring.

It's a bullseye quilt. I only finished 3 blocks at the meeting, but done the rest when I got home that night. They are 12 x 12 inch squares. Raw edges are exposed. You just lay the circles on top and sew them on. Start with the largest one first. Each time you sew one on, flip the block to the back and pull the front fabric and the back fabric apart and cut out the middle of the back 1/4 inch from the seam to reduce bulk.

This is one finished block. What I plan to do, but haven't done yet is to cut each block in half and half again. Then I'm going to sew them up in a random fashion, like this:

See the difference?

The sad thing is, between work and studying for a certification test I'm going to be taking soon, I won't really get to work on the quilt again for over a month. I'm going to try really hard to keep this out of the UFO basket.

2011-04-03T22:58:00.011-04:00

I'm very happy right now. A friend who I would like to see get saved, came to church with me for the second time this evening. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. God has been answering so many prayers lately and moving things in the right directions. I love it! Some of the things have been ongoing for months and aren't completly resolved, but I see God moving and touching lives a little at a time. I'm convinced that if God lays a person or situation on your heart, you should pray and expect to see results. Things may not happen instantly, but God is working on it in His time. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I wanted to share 3 videos with you. The first one is my new favorite song. (I know, I have a new favorite one every week). The second one is about this specific song. The third is her whole testimony.

A Mystery Project and A New Goal

2011-03-31T09:31:00.005-04:00

I've been working on my supply list for the next quilters guild meeting on Monday. We are going to be making love quilts to give to nursing homes and needy children. It's a mystery block and we won't get to see it until the meeting. The list said to bring:

24 12"x 12" blocks ironed in half and then half again. Use as many colors as possible.

I'm looking forward to this meeting. I missed the last one because I was sick.

I made a new runner friend at my last 5k. We ran together on Tuesday. I feel like I held her back though. I even had a terrible time on my treadmill yesterday. Not sure what my problem is. I need some new running shoes, mine are hurting my left heel. That could be part of it.

I decided that I would start dieting on Tuesday. I had thought about making Monday the start day, but have heard statistics saying that anytime you start something new on a Monday, especially dieting, you will probably fail. I want to lose 10 or 12 pounds by mid May. My clothes aren't fitting so well. My husband teaches a radiography class at a nearby community college and they sold doughnuts for a fundraiser. Wouldn't you know he got them yesterday. I ate 2 this morning. I couldn't resist. I hadn't had any sweets the last two days. I'll make up for it over the weekend. I have to work and I bought special things to pack in my lunch. I've been eating a gravy biscuit from the cafeteria every day I go in. That must stop.

Hope your having a nice Thursday!!!!!!

What a difference a few hours can make...

2011-03-28T16:35:00.005-04:00

This morning at 9:30

This evening at 4:30

2011-03-26T17:46:00.004-04:00

I found out Thursday that I got the job! I should be transferring to critical care in about a month or so. I'm very excited!

I ran this morning, though I still don't feel great. It was cold too. We had been teased with 60 and 70 degree weather the last couple weeks, it was 40 during the race and we should be getting some snow tomorrow. I ran it in 30:55, but was hoping for 30 minutes or less. I did my best for today.

One of my good friends was there. Everyone thought we were sisters back in highschool. If I had my glasses on, we would have looked even more alike today.

Two verses are sticking out to me when I read them and I wanted to share. I think God has been working on some of my problem areas. We all have them. He changes us so He can use us. If He's dealing with your problem areas, these verses help:

Hebrews 12:11-14

11 No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Hope your having a great weekend!!!!!!!!

2011-03-23T09:47:00.006-04:00

My table runner is moving right along. I have finished the back and am ready to cut batting.

I took my sewing machine to a local sewing store this week and the lady matched my machine up with a darning foot and a walking foot. I'd be ready to quilt if I had remembered to buy some quilting thread. Ooops! I guess that can be a project for next week. I think I need to practice on something small, like a mug rug or two...or three. I've worked so hard on this table runner, I don't want to mess it up first thing when I start to quilt.

I haven't heard anything about my job yet. I'm guessing I'll find out at work tomorrow or Friday. I've been praying for God's will about it, but I know me and I know that if I don't get it, I'm going to be a little disappointed.

I have a 5K scheduled for Saturday. I'm feeling better, but got out of breath yesterday just going for a walk with my husband and dog. I haven't ran since last week. Hopefully my lungs will perk up by race time. I had a coupon for running clothes and bought a new pair of my favorite shorts. I wanted this pair last year but didn't get them.

Hope your having a nice day!!!!

My Monday Summed Up

2011-03-21T11:26:00.003-04:00

I didn't get to go to the bingo game this morning. I've been sick since Thursday. I could barely talk when I first got up, I was coughing and my nose was running like crazy, so I stayed home. I kept thinking that if I stirred around a little, it would all pass by time to leave for the meeting but it didn't.

I'm trying to perk myself up by this afternoon. I have a job interview for a different floor at the hospital I work at. It's with my current supervisor because she's over the other unit too, so I'm hoping she'll look over my hoarseness, she knows what I'm normally like. I would love to have this position, but I'm not going to stress it if I don't get it. I've been praying about it and God will put me where he wants me. If it's meant to be, it will be.

God is working in my life right now. I see prayers being answered daily and things changing. I feel like I'm only getting closer to Him and thats a great feeling!

Audio Adrenaline - Hands & Feet

2011-03-21T01:04:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs right now. Hope you enjoy it too!

Have a Happy Monday!!!!!

Do any of you have an OLFA cutting mat?

2011-03-16T15:53:00.007-04:00

I haven't cut anything with mine yet because it smells like a SKUNK! Yes a skunk. I didn't realize how bad it was until I brought it home. It made the whole house stink.

I googled "OLFA cutting mat stinks" and found forums where people have discussed this topic. Some stuck it out and the smell eventually wore off and others returned their mat to the store. Some people's mats didn't smell at all.

I even went to the OLFA website and they are aware that their product stinks (tee hee). They recommended washing it in a solution of luke warm water and white vinegar several times and letting it air dry. That's what I'm doing in the picture below.

I hope the vinegar works. Time will tell. These are supposed to be really good mats...other than the whole skunk stink thing.

Workin Out Wednesday

2011-03-16T10:32:00.009-04:00

This is my self portrait from a 5K(3.1 miles) I ran at the beginning of the month. I went by myself to this one. I hadn't been working out as much before it and there were a lot of hills so it wasn't one of my better times.

I have another one coming up on the 26th and I've been trying to push myself a little more. I ran intervals (walk, run until you can't, walk, run until you can't) on my dreadmill yesterday for a total of 4 miles. It took me 37 minutes and 6 seconds and I walked over a mile of it. I need to figure out how to do that during an actual race.

I think I need a new pair of tennis shoes. My left heel has been sore for nearly 2 months and now my right one is acting up. I've been waiting for Dick's Sporting Goods to get the pair I want and they finally have them in stock. I even have a $10 off coupon and I'll get 200 bonus points on my score card too.

Hope your having a great day!

2011-03-10T08:58:00.005-05:00

I'm officially 28 today. I wanted to post a baby picture of myself but realized I only have one in my possession and it's not a very good one, so this will do.

It's a picture of me on the birthday card my sister made for me a couple years ago. It makes me laugh when I see it. She put some other funny stuff on the inside. I'll spare you.

We finally watched the Madae play I got for Valentines. It was funny. I'd be convinced that Tyler Perry was called to preach if he didn't cuss so much. His stuff always has such a positive message.

My husband and I went out to eat yesterday. We went to the Roadhouse. I had an appetizer for my meal. I got my own order of hot wings, a loaded baked potato and sweet tea. It was yummy.

Hope your having a great day!

B.I.N.G.O.

2011-03-08T07:18:00.003-05:00

I made this 10 inch scrap block this week. It's for a fabric BINGO game I'll be playing in a couple weeks. Just to play, you have to bring a fat quarter of fabric. You make your own game board as I did and if you win, you get some of the fat quarters along with other prizes.

I officially joined the quilting guild in our community yesterday. I've been to two of their meetings and have already learned some new things. The majority of the members I have spoke to welcomed me with open arms. Then there are a few who seem a little standoffish, like they're thinking, "Why is she here? She can't be serious. She's probably never sewn anything before." I also feel fairly sure that I'm the youngest one there. One lady commented that, "there are a couple other young ones" like me. I've yet to see them though.

My birthday is Thursday. I'll be turning 28. I already picked out my present. I should be getting it in a week or so. I'll show pictures when it comes. The funny thing is my husband's birthday was last month and I ordered his present a week before his birthday and it still hasn't came yet. It ended up being backorderd. Maybe he'll get it soon.

A Few of My Favorite (Material) Things

2011-02-24T19:03:00.014-05:00

This is a different kind of post for me. I just wanted to share some things that I like and use on nearly a daily basis. I found exact pictures of all them. Same colors and everything. (Side note, I had specific words enlarged and blogger did it's own thing when I published the post).

1. My King James Version Bible. I've had this one since 1997. My parents bought it for me.

2. Not cherry, not original but Strawberry chapstick.

3. Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Spray from Bath and Body Works (they call it fragrant mist not body spray)
4. My pretty Ellie Claire Butterfly Journal. I bought this a year ago, so I was surprised I actually found a picture of it online. I didn't run out of pages in my last journal until a couple months ago. I like using this one, it has a bible verse in the corner of every page and all the pages are colorful with butterflies on them.

5. Covergirl Lash Exact Very Black Mascara

6. My hot pink CHI flat iron. My hair has grown out and I've even learned how to make curls with it.

7. Sabika jewelry. I only have a few pieces of it (a couple more are on the way) but I wear them all the time.

8. Brooks Adrenaline GTS running shoes.

9. Dansko clogs. You may think I wear these to work because I'm a nurse and all, but I don't. I usually wear them with my jeans. I just wear tennis shoes to work.

10. Nike Tempo Running shorts. I would like to have a pair this color.

Partially Finished Pinwheel Table Runner

2011-02-20T22:24:00.004-05:00

This is what I've done with the fabric I showed you the other day. I'm nowhere near finished, but it's a start.

It looked pretty with my Valelentine tulips.

I had to take the green and blue one apart 3 times to get it right. I needed the point in the middle to match and I had to have a 1/4 inch seam allowance beyond the mid points on the outer edges. The center actually matched up perfectly every time. It was the outer edges that weren't working out. Not sure if some of the fabric stretched while I was sewing the pieces or what.

Can't wait to get it finished and use it!

Madea and Some Tulips

2011-02-16T08:45:00.004-05:00

Valentines came a little late for me. We had planned on going to Applebees Monday night after DH took a test for his statistics class. He managed to spend 2 hours on the test and still had to go home and take an online one for his sociology class. We ended up just grabbing a bite to eat at Sonic's drive in on the way home.

Yesterday when he came home from work, he had cut tulips and a Madea movie in hand. I haven't watched this one and he knows that I think Madea is hilarious. He couldn't have picked a better bunch of flowers for me either. Over the weekend, one of my patients got a couple bunches of tulips like this and I kept thinking how pretty they were. I even looked for some Sunday night when I got off work and went to the grocery store, but they didn't have any. I hadn't told anyone about them and he managed to pick them out for me! How neat is that?

What did you do for Valentines?

Pulled out the sewing maching and made something this week

2011-02-09T07:36:00.008-05:00

My hubby picked out this fabric over a year ago and I finally made him a scrub top with it this week. I think I procrastinated because the fabric was between $4 and $5 per yard and I didn't want to risk messing it up. Like he said, it wasn't doing any good just folded up on my shelf either. I'd bought a pattern for it over a year ago too, but didn't realize until I got ready to make the shirt yesterday that it was for sizes XL and XXL (he wears a Medium). Before I could even begin, I had to scale down the pattern. It took 3.5 hours start to finish, including the pattern adjustment. He says he likes it, but I'm not convinced. I told him not to feel obligated to wear it if he's not satisfied with it. If I make him another one, the sleeves need to be a little longer and the sides narrower.

I bought and washed this fabric last week and now I'm super motivated to start on my table runner today. I love this cloth, its so bright and cheerful. It doesn't really match anything in my living room or dining room, but I like it and I'm using it anyway!

Have a great Wednesday!!!!

Pretty little red blender and some weird smoothies...

2011-02-07T09:11:00.008-05:00

I finally purchased a new blender. My husband burnt out the motor in our last one while making milkshakes. This one is pretty neat. I can have it full of fruit, hit the blend button for just a few seconds and its all blended. Neither of the ones I had before worked like that.

The first thing we made were these smoothies. I say we because my husband helped. He never cooks, but for some reason when I get the blender out, he comes in and tries to fix whatever it is. He does make better milkshakes than I do.

This was the first time I had ever fixed a smoothie, so I didn't exactly know what I was doing. I used strawberries, blueberries, a banana, a splash of soymilk, a couple table spoons of fruit juice and a handful of ice (none of the fruit was frozen). It tasted great but had a really weird consistency/texture. We both think it was the banana. This may gross you out, but this is how my hubby described it. (Keep in mind he hunts, has gutted many deer and we are both in the healthcare field).

"It's kinda like a lung. You know how they're all soft and spongy. It's even the same color. I feel like I'm drinking a lung."

I think I know what we did wrong. The fruit should have been frozen and I'm not putting a banana in one again. I fixed another one a couple days ago and it turned out really good. I just used:

a 2 cup bag of frozed mixed berry fruit from Food Lion

2 cups of milk

a splash of this juice

It was much better. I plan on making them again tonight for dessert.

Vintage Jell-O Pudding Pops ad w/Bill Cosby, 1984

2011-02-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

My husband cracks me up. He was getting ready for work this morning and had on a sweater that I think Bill Cosby would have coveted back in the day. I got up to pack his lunch for him and the first thing he said to me (in a Bill Cosby voice) was, "Who wants a Jello pudding pop?" There was no good morning or how did you sleep? He was immediately in Cosby mode. Haha Love it!

My 2010 Running Totals

2011-02-02T09:41:00.006-05:00

I was pretty excited to look at this little sale paper the other day. I already see my next pair of running shoes in it. I've also came to the realization that if I'm going to keep running like I have been, I have to schedule a race every couple months, so I have something to work toward.

I thought I would share my

running totals for 2010:

JANUARY 31.2

FEBRUARY 20.9

MARCH 41.4

APRIL 13.07

MAY 7.39

JUNE 33.18

JULY 34.45

AUGUST 16.5

SEPTEMBER 21.22

OCTOBER 19.64

NOVEMBER 23.41

DECEMBER 18.3

THATS A TOTAL OF 280.66 MILES

MY BEST TIME WAS 3.1 MILES IN 25.16 ON THE TREADMILL
MY BEST RACE TIME WAS 3.1 MILES IN 30:19

MY GOAL FOR THIS YEAR 2011:

TO RUN A RACE IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!

2011-01-29T20:54:00.003-05:00

I overheard two very elderly ladies talking today at work. They made me laugh.

My elderly patient: I can't see much anymore.
Her elderly friend: oh me neither. I see good enough to drive but that's about it.

I had to giggle even though all I could think was, wow! I'm praying the one who can only see to drive doesn't get on the same roads I do.

Have a great weekend!!!!!! :)

Yikes!

2011-01-25T12:12:00.006-05:00

I know, this looks horrible. I don't know what to do with it. It's an unorganized mess. Every time I get it situated, it ends up looking like this again. Do you all have any suggestions?

What I have in here are casserole dishes, baking sheets, cake pans, some place mats,muffin pans, my bag of strawberry shortcake and popcorn jellybellys that I don't want my husband to eat, a crock pot and a George Foreman grill that I have had for 8 years and have never used because I don't want to clean the thing.

I've been on the lookout for a white hutch with glass doors to put my prettier pyrex and fire king in, but until I find one, everything goes in here.

How do you store your baking stuff?

Randomness on a Monday

2011-01-24T07:56:00.003-05:00

1. God is good. A little family I've been praying for, went to church yesterday. Yaaaaay!

2. Its snowing again. They say it's just going to last this morning and then warm up today. I hope it does because I need to go get groceries. We're out of stuff.

3. I'm not getting dressed today until I decide to go to town. It's officially a pj day until then.

4. I've been looking at Flylady.net. Going to work on my control journal today and do the weekly blessing.

5. Believe it or not, I've actually been enjoying Kashi shredded wheat and soy milk. Not only enjoying it, but looking forward to breakfast.

6. My poor old doggy has to take medicine for bladder control. (this one just put me over the top for randomness. haha)

Happy Monday! Hope you all enjoy your day! :)

2011-01-22T21:25:00.003-05:00

I feel the need to share a conversation I had with a coworker today.

Coworker: Are you pregnant?
Me: NO
Coworker: Your not? I saw a bulge. I'm really sorry.
Me: It's okay, don't worry about it.
Coworker: You just usually look so slim.
Me: (speechless)
Coworker: I'm so sorry, I do that all the time.

Yes, that's exactly how it went, word for word. I couldn't believe my ears. She just kept digging the hole deeper and deeper and obviously she's done that to other people too.
I'm sorry but you never just go up to someone and ask them that. The bad thing is, I've totally cut out sweets the past couple of weeks and have actually lost 5 pounds. I guess I need to get back into running like I was and do some sit ups too. Good grief!
About 3 years ago, I saw someone I knew in JC Penny and she had the nerve to touch my stomach and ask me when my baby was due. I said no it must just be my lunch. I wasn't very big then. I'm 5'6" and was wearing a size 8 at that point in time.

Do any of you have stories like this?

2011-01-19T08:39:00.006-05:00

Pizza Casserole

1 bag of wide egg noodles

1 roll of italian sausage (Jimmy Dean)

2 cans of pizza sauce (Walmart brand)

1 8oz bag of shredded mozarella cheese

1 8 oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 green pepper

1 2.5oz can of sliced olives

1 package of sliced pepperoni (Hormel)

Preheat oven to 375. Boil noodles. While your boiling the noodles, crumble and brown your sausage in a frying pan. Once these two are done, drain the water from the noodles and pour the sausage onto a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb the extra grease. Dice your green pepper. Then combine the noodles, sausage, pizza sauce, diced green pepper and olives. In a seperate bowl, combine your two cheeses. I used a 9x13 pan and made 2 layers; the pasta mixture, cheese, the pasta mixture, cheese and then topped with pepperonies. I baked it covered for about 25 minutes.

My husband and I liked it. He said for me to fix it again. I also gave some to my in laws and they said it was really good. Hope you enjoy it too!

2011-01-12T14:15:00.003-05:00

This is what it looked like here yesterday.

My dog and I went for a walk.

She kept sticking her nose in the snow and looking for something...could this have been it?

Snow is pretty to look at but I think I'm ready for spring. How about you?

What I've been up to on my blogger break...

2011-01-05T19:27:00.003-05:00

Wow it's been a long time! Had a great Christmas with my family. My husband and I managed to be off Christmas and New Years and went to all the dinners. I got to see my nieces and nephews before they all took off to different places. Found out that one of my nephews and his wife are expecting a baby. It will be in Germany and I'll probably never get to see it other than pictures. That makes me a little sad.

You all will be so proud of me (or maybe a little disgusted). I took 9 full trash bags of stuff to the Goodwill. The funny thing is, when my husband was helping me get it out of the basement, he said, "is this all your sending?" It's true, I need to send a lot more stuff. I've also had the realization that I can't shop at that specific Goodwill store again because I'll probably see something I took there, get all sentimental and buy it back. I'm such a packrat dork. That one will be my official drop off place and I'll just shop at the others. The others usually have better stuff than that one anyway. Wait a second, why am I worried about buying stuff? I'm trying to get rid of things. I need to get to the point where I have the mentality of one thing comes in, one thing goes out. I'm working on it. I've been praying about it. Kind of a slow process. It's such a struggle for me. I've been looking at Flyladys website. It's pretty neat.

I'm totally motivated to clean my basement right now, mostly out of embarrassment but also because it felt good to get things out of there. We have had 2 people in our basement in the last week and it just humiliates me. I must do something about it. First the guy came to work on our heat pump and then another guy came to see about hooking up surround sound. I'm determined to have it cleaned up by the time these guys come back.

I've caught some kind of bug that's going around. It started with a sore throat, now my sinuses feel horrible and I have a fever. I wish other people would stay home when they are sick. I'm tired of working with other nurses who come in looking rough, snotting and sneezing on everything that everyone has to touch. You can only sanitize so much when things are shared.

I haven't ran since before Christmas. Hopefully I'll be feeling better in the next few days and can get back on track.

That's all that's new with me. Hope your having a great new year!

Drumstick Dash 5k

2010-11-30T09:54:00.007-05:00

This is our picture from the Drumstick Dash. I went with my friend, her mom and her husband. It was a chilly morning, 44 degrees.

There were about 11,500 people there. This was the view behind me.

Once they fired the gun, it took a couple minutes to actually get to the starting line because of all the people.

The view in front of me.

I managed to run the entire thing without walking. This was the first race that I was actually able to do that. My time was 32:35 but I think I did it quicker than that. There was so many people that once I got to the finish line, I had to stand there a while before I even crossed over it. My knee started to hurt during the last mile or so of the race. I just started praying and praising God and I truly believe He kept my knee together and that's why I was able to run it all.

Thanksgiving was a great day. I started it out with friends and ended it with family.

Cupcakes you will want to "Gobble" down

2010-11-26T21:00:00.005-05:00

I wanted to make special cupcakes for Thanksgiving.

After multiple google searches and careful planning, I knew what I would do.

Yes, I made sketches of what I liked.

You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find candy corn the day before Thanksgiving. I had to look in 3 different stores.

Finally found it in Food Lion for 25 cents per bag.

I had so much fun making these.

Hope your Thanksgiving day was great!!

My day at a glance...

2010-11-24T21:18:00.007-05:00

Goodbye fall. I've enjoyed you since the beginning of September (I put my stuff out really early) but now it's time for Christmas.

My husband previewed Sarah Palins new book on his iPad this morning and told me several times today I have glasses like hers (mine aren't rimless).

I'm excited because I'm going to do the Drumstick Dash 5k tomorrow morning. I picked up my race packet Monday and I really like the shirt. It's supposed to be 44 degrees by 9am when the race starts. At least the weather map isn't showing rain any more.

I made cupcakes today to take to two different dinners tomorrow. I'll show you the finished products on another post.

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!!!!

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 (KJV)

2010-11-22T08:19:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share these before fall slips away and the Christmas season begins. I've made 2 bulletin boards with my Cricut.

One for work...

...and one for church.

Can't wait to start on the Christmas ones. I guess I'll have to be a little more politically correct on the one for work, "Happy Holidays" rather than specifically mentioning Christmas. I'll make up for it. The one at church will have Jesus all over it.

"Make It With Love!"

2010-11-19T18:36:00.008-05:00

That's what my husband asked/told me this evening when I packed his lunch for work. This saying started a few weeks ago in our house. I had made something in a hurry and with a bad attitude. I was annoyed that I had to fix dinner so late. My husband was studying and my heart just wasn't into fixing anything for dinner. I was tired and wanted to go to bed. I had tried my hardest to persuade him to "just eat a sandwhich." I ended up making a pizza like he wanted (something I do every Wednesday evening anyway) and it was a flop. It didn't turn out good at all. The crust wasn't right and it didn't taste as good as usual. After we were done eating, that's when he said, "you didn't make it with love."

At the time, it really irritated me that he said that. I was thinking, "Your just thinking about your own stomach. If you loved me, you would have just ate a sandwhich so I could go to bed!" I was being a little selfish. He had been working on school work literally all day and had to get up early the next morning to go to work. I was off both days and should not have been so bitter because he wanted a hot meal for dinner. I didn't have the right attitude.

Here are the verses that I applied to this situation:

Colossians 3:17-19, 23-24 (KJV)

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

If you click on the picture below, it will take you to an article about leaving notes in lunch boxes. I'm going to start doing this. I think it's a little extra thing that will show I care and may make him smile in the middle of a 13 hour shift.

I also found another article here. It mainly talks about children's lunches but there is a paragraph in the middle that does include her husband.

Lesson Learned:
Do everything with love as though I'm doing it for Jesus. Even if it's something as simple as packing a lunch or fixing a meal.

Watcha Wearing Wednesday

2010-11-17T15:29:00.008-05:00

I got this dress at a second hand store for only $4. I think I've had more compliments on it than some of the ones I've bought from regular stores.

It's a wrap dress and there is a slit down the side. I had to put a safety pin midway so it wouldn't flop open when I sit down. Other than that, I really like it.

I was posing in my sewing room. I'll have to share more pictures of it later on. It's organized now, but I'm still using the Victoria's Secret organizing system. *wink*

2010-11-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

Early Morning Run is having a giveaway. If you enjoy running, go check it out.

Workout Wednesday

2010-11-10T08:13:00.006-05:00

I want to tell you about a race I ran back in August. It was the OBX Sandbar 5K in the Outer Banks. We were on vacation and my husband ran with me. It was the hardest run ever because it was in the sand and we had on our tennis shoes. If I had it to do over, I would have went barefoot. My husband hadn't been running regularly prior to this but every time he went with me, I couldn't keep up with him so I figured he would be fine. Before the race, I told him to do his best, don't worry about staying with me and try to win something (the prizes were vacation packages).

We were running, I was losing steam fast. My shoes were getting heavy, filling with sand and water. It was easier to run along the water where the sand was packed, but you couldn't always dodge the water because of the other people running too. I had on my Garmin GPS watch that counts your mileage, I hadn't reached the halfway point and met my husband. He had already turned, was heading to the finish line smiling and gave me five as he passed. I thought, wow he's doing great!

Keep in mind, there were about 400 runners plus their families were there. Probably 800 people in that one area of the beach. You would have thought he would have waited at the finish line for me right? That's what I would have thought too. I got done running, someone handed me water and I sat in the sand at the finish line and didn't spot him anywhere. I made a slow big circle in the crowd; caught a free frisby, ate a snack and attemted to catch a free t shirt but didn't have any luck. A half hour passed. I was getting annoyed at that point, why didn't he wait on me? Why couldn't I find him?

I glanced toward the lifeguard rescue truck and there he was. I thought, oh he works at the hospital and he's a talker so he must have struck up a conversation with the EMT guys. Nope! As I was walking over, this man ran up to me. "You have on a purple shirt! Are you his wife? I'm a doctor and I finished the race behind him. He was staggering around and talking out of his head. My wife is a nurse and got him something to eat and drink. Are you all newlyweds?"

"No, we've been married about 8 years."

"He kept talking about his girlfriend and said you were wearing a pink shirt."

They checked his blood sugar and his oxygen when I walked over. Blood sugar was fine but his oxygen was only 93%. A person like him should have been 99 or 100% by that time. He'd been sitting there for almost 40 min at that point. He looked pitiful. His shirt was wet, he was covered in sand and had a piece of orange on his face. Needless to say, I felt really bad for scoring a frisby, waiting on a t'shirt and then getting annoyed because he didn't stay put at the finish line like I thought he would.

Even though he overexerted himself, he finished the race in 30min. It took me 39. If he hadn't been in sand, he'd have probably done it in 25 min.

Needless to say, he doesn't really care about running anymore.

Finding Joy Friday

2010-11-05T21:07:00.006-04:00

Jesus
Others
Yourself

A Lesson In Blessing

Four weeks ago at the end of a Wednesday night service, our Pastor asked, "who wants to bless and be blessed?" He then asked for 10 people who wanted to bless and be blessed to come up front. I felt led to go and at that point, I thought he would just pray for each of us. I was partially right. Not only did he pray, but he pulled out a bank money envelope and went down the line handing each of us a bill. There were twenties, fifties and hundreds. He didn't look at who he gave which denomination, he just reached in and handed. He told us to use that money to bless someone else. He also wanted us to share how we blessed and were blessed on Nov 3 (last Wednesday).

I left church that night thinking;

Where did this twenty dollar bill come from?

Was it the preacher's?

Was it the church's money?

I have to pray and make sure I do the right thing with it.

Three weeks passed before I blessed with the money. I just had to make sure it was the right thing. I prayed and prayed about it. Somehow not knowing where this money came from made me more protective of it. Like I had to be sure God was leading me to who I should give it to. I finally had my realization, ALL THE MONEY I GET IS FROM THE LORD! I should be praying over everything we have. Yes, I go to work and then I get a paycheck, but who blessed me with that job? God! Who has given me the health and ability to work? God! I need to be more diligent in seeking his will for all we have.

I've always been a strong believer in the importance of tithing, but I've never really thought about what's left over. Pay the bills, save some if we can, blow some if we can. The money that's blown is what I need to concentrate on now. It's a blessing from the Lord, what does He want me to spend it on?

3 of the 10 received a monetary blessing before we all met again on the 3rd. One lady received $1000 to go on a trip to Isreal. Another got a $600 check in the mail and another man got a pay raise of an extra $200 per month that he was not expecting.

I haven't received a supernatural money blessing like those people did, but I'm already blessed with so much. I have my health, a wonderful family, a home to keep me safe and warm, a car that gets me places, a job. I have more than I can even ask for. There may be something on down the road that God is going to bless me with that I don't even realize I will need, have or want.

Luke 6:38 (KJV)
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Psalm 68:19 (KJV)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV)
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Look what I made...

2010-11-03T09:49:00.006-04:00

I saw someone wearing a necklace close to this and decided I would just make one.

I got the beads at Walmart. They were $7. If I had just bought a necklace,it would have probably been around $12

I love the colors. It makes me think of Caribbean water. It even matches a pair of my earrings.

I have sleepy eyes, maybe I shouldn't have put this picture on here.

Have a happy day!

A giveaway I would like to win

2010-11-01T17:54:00.001-04:00

Melissa is having a giveaway to celebrate her 2 year anniversary of blogging. If you have a moment, drop by and check it out.

Eating and Watching

2010-10-31T21:21:00.012-04:00

What I've done for Halloween...over the last couple weeks:

Took a picture of leaves in the dark.

Went to a haunted house that's really supposed to be haunted because those ghost buster people with all their infrared equipment and recorders checked it out and said it was (I don't believe in that junk though).

I went with my niece.

We walked through the bloody barn too.

This was the bloody barn before they cut the lights out.

Then we went home and watched "Psycho" (1960) and ate pop corn, oreos, little debbies, chips, dip, and numerous other unhealthy things.

Friday, I watched "I Walked With A Zombie" (1943)

Later on Friday, I sat on the couch and ate these cookies...

While I watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".

And now I'm eating junk food and watching "The Haunting" (1963).

Looks like I've done a lot of eating and watching for Halloween.

Bad first Cricut experience...

2010-10-28T17:15:00.010-04:00

I'm so excited, I finally got a Cricut! It's the small one, the "Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter Machine." I got it really cheap too. They normally run about $179 and occasionally go on sale for $150. Mine was only $79. Jo-ann's had a one day sale on a Sunday. I was working, but by sister in law went and got it for me.

My first attempt didn't go very well. I put my paper on the sticky mat and loaded it like it said to. Then I picked my letters and set the blade pressure to what I thought was right. I couldn't wait to pull my letters off the mat.

I ended up pulling, tearing, rolling and ripping them. It was horrible. I got online and watched some video tutorials and those people had special little paper spatulas to get it off with. I didn't know I needed one, so thrifty me went to the drawer in my kitchen and pulled out my smallest metal Pampered Chef spatula. It didn't work. It wasn't thin enough. I finally went to Michaels a few days later and got the one in the picture. It worked pretty well. It wasn't a Cricut brand, but it did the trick.

The second go round, I used card stock. Oh what a difference. It just pulled right up.

I guess I need to practice adjusting the blade pressure for different types of paper.

This is definitely my new favorite toy.

I'll have to take a picture of my finished bulletin board to share with you.

2010-10-22T11:40:00.001-04:00

The view from my jog this morning. It was 38 degrees and it took me 38 minutes to go 3 miles.

My camera is coming home!

2010-10-13T15:42:00.003-04:00

That's right, they finally fixed it and I'm picking it up tonight. I'm really excited. It would have been nice to have had it at my friends wedding over the weekend, but I'll live.

I've felt wiped out today. Not sick, just tired. I think it's where I've worked 12 hour shifts 5 of the last 6 days. I normally just do 3 at a time. I'm not usually one to just lay around, but I slept 10 hours last night, lounged some on the couch and the dozed for a couple more hours today. I guess my body needed it or I wouldn't have done it.

It's acceptable to lay around when you go to the beach. I'll just pretend I had a beach day today, that I was back in the Outer Banks.

I get down and He lifts me up!

2010-10-11T22:43:00.006-04:00

Do you have a song that cheers you up? I've needed a little cheering the past few weeks and this one seems to do the trick. I start thinking about things that I can't really do anything about. I'm a worry wart. That's always been my nature. I'm a little ashamed to admit it because Christians should learn to cast their cares on the Lord and rely on Him to work it all out. My husband is the total opposite. Nothing seems to phase him. He's always like, "well what good does worrying do?" That's one thing I admire about him.

Back to the song. This one has been making me feel better every time I listen to it. Those little worried thoughts start creeping in and I feel myself getting wore down then I cut this song on to tune them out. I'm going to post the video to it at the bottom. It's a little cheezy but if you watch it, you see the Christian who has bad things happening to them keeps coming out ahead. Makes me feel better any way.

"GET DOWN"

BY: Audio Adrenaline

Lavishly our lives are wasted
Humbleness is left untasted
You can't live your life to please yourself, yeah
That's a tip from my mistakes
Exactly what it doesn't take
To win you've got to come in last place
To live your life you've got to lose it
And all the losers get a crown

[CHORUS:]
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down

All I need's another day
Where I can't seem to get away
From the many things that drag me down, yeah
I'm sure you've had a day like me
Where nothing seems to set you free
From the burdens you can't carry all alone
In your weakness He is stronger
In Your darkness He shines through
When you're crying He's your comfort
When your all alone, He's carrying you

[CHORUS]

This valley is so deep
I can barely see the sun
I cry out for mercy, Lord
You lift me up again

Try to watch it to the very end. If the video doesn't work, here is the you tube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hFFS2nUDHo&ob=av2e

New addition to the Pyrex collection

2010-10-09T20:41:00.002-04:00

I went to a fall festival today that I'd never been to before. It was an odd combination of crafts and yard sale stuff. I'm tickled pink with what I got; a vintage table runner, 1958 calender (a Christmas present for my mom, she collects them), a pyrex bowl and the glass jar w/ lid. I paid a total of $8.75 for these things. The lady said the bowl was $6, I offered her $3 and she settled for $4. Hee hee I love doing that!

It was an adventure leaving there. I wasn't familiar with the area and the way we came was really backed up and we knew we'd never get out. So, we went the other direction not knowing where it would take us. Teresa didn't have a clue where we were. Jaimie was okay with me turning down other roads to see if we would end up somewhere familiar. We ended up on two dead end roads then finally found a road that led us back to civilization and Teresa was able to point us home. I guess I should mention that Teresa is the GPS lady voice. My husband named her that when we first got the car. I don't care for Teresa, she isn't very reliable. I usually take a backup map when we go on long trips.

One of my friends got married this afternoon. The wedding and reception was beautiful. Probably the prettiest I've been to. Everything was decorated in fall colors. I can't believe I've been to 3 weddings this year and a 4th coming up in a month. I hope they're all happy.

What a bargain!

2010-10-07T08:49:00.002-04:00

There are usually tables of things for sale at the quilt show and I really found a bargain this year. It was a bag of 70 5x5 inch squares for $3. Yes $3. It's all christmas fabric too. I didn't actually know how many were in the bag until I got them home and counted. I looked in the Keepsake Quilting catalog to see how much this would have been if I ordered it. They had 50 5 inch Christmas squares for $13.99 plus s&h. I did good. Now...to turn them into something useful.

I called to check on my camera yesterday since they didn't call me like they said they would. It's gonna be $210 to get it fixed. She said the reason they didn't call me was because the Canon company moved thier repair facility while they had my camera, so they neglected to call me with the estimate. I nicely told her that I was hoping to have it back before the leaves fell off the trees. She went on to assure me that I would have it back by the middle of next week. I have seen so many things over the last month that I have wanted to take pictures of.

What should I make? Any suggestions?

2010-10-05T21:58:00.005-04:00

This weekend was the arts and crafts festival. I really look forward to going every year with my mom. We always do the same thing; go to the quilt show then walk up the hill to the crafts, look at half of them, eat some food to benefit the county 4H, get a funnel cake or ice cream, then look at the rest of the crafts. It's always fun, but I rarely buy anything because I'm really just scoping out new ideas. The whole time I'm there I think, "why can't I come up with something to make and sell?"I always see people I haven't saw in a while...or at least since last years craft festival.

I'm trying really hard to talk my mom into entering the quilt show next year. She's so modest and says her work is no good. She's silly, I think she would win something or at least place. She hand quilts and her stitches are very nice, even and small. I'm going to find out the rules and keep pushing her. I told her I would try to make something and enter it too. I'm thinking a wall hanging, and it will definitely be machine quilted. I'm not patient enough to sit and hand quilt. Actually I've never machine quilted... I may not be patient enough to do that either. I need to come up with a good idea. Should I go with something traditional looking or try to make a picture with my fabric? I like the picture idea, but I think it will be a lot of trial and error. Part of me dreads cutting into pretty pieces of cloth.

I was really surprised about some of the things that did place this year.I would look at the "quilt" and think wow what were they thinking then look over and see a ribbon. It made me wonder who the judges were and if they were wearing their glasses. I don't care for abstract looking stuff with random blobs of cloth tacked to front of it. That's just not a quilt to me.

This was my favorite one. It was prettier in person and machine quilted. I liked the colors and it just seemed cozy.

If you have any ideas for me, I'd like to hear them before I start cutting up my pretty fabric.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T08:47:00.002-04:00

New Do and What I'm Up To

2010-09-28T09:13:00.004-04:00

I went yesterday for a hair cut. I had her leave the length and add some layers because I want to grow it out. I think I like it. It feels better anyway. It's amazing how your hair feels when you leave the salon. You watch them fix it, but you can never quite get it the way they do. I did break down and buy a Chi flat iron. The one I had was a Remington that said compare to Chi, but it doesn't get as hot.

My husband didn't say anything about my hair. In the passed years, he would say he loved long hair and I wouldn't cut it to humor him. Then I realized that he's not a very observant person. One time I cut a few inches off and put layers in and he didn't have a clue, so after that, I just started doing what I wanted with it. I don't know if he didn't notice it this time or if he was holding back from saying something ugly. The time before last when I got it cut (it was an angled bob with the back cut up to my hairline). He noticed it, boy did he notice it. He made a face and said, "what did you do to your hair?" So, he either didn't notice yesterday or he learned from his previous mistake and is avoiding the subject.

I bought new shelves for my sewing room. Whenever I get my camera back, I'll show pics of it. The local craft show is this coming weekend and I can't wait to go. My mom and I always go together. I wanted my craft room to be in order by then because I know I'll be inspired when I leave the show and I'll come home and work on something new.

I'm playing a waiting game right now. I had my cholesterol checked last week and am waiting for results and I still haven't heard anything about my camera. The camera on my phone just isn't cutting it right now. I didn't care for the lady who drew my blood last week. I think I may have offended her blood drawing ability with a simple comment before she started. The little chair she was going to stick me at was in a dark corner and didn't have a light over it. I simply said, "wow they didn't give you much light for drawing blood did they." She replied, "It's okay I just need to see enough so that I don't accidently stick myself." Then she pulls out an 18 guage (big round), 2 inch long needle just to draw one vial of blood. I have large visible veins and that needle was not necessary. At the hospital we (I) use the smallest needle necessary for what is being done on my patients. There are some who see large veins and get excited and use the largest needles possible because they can. I almost think that's what this lady did, plus me doubting she could possibly put a needle in a vein in the dark didn't help either.

I Heart Fall

2010-09-23T09:41:00.002-04:00

I love it so much, I've had my house decorated for it since Labor Day. Seems like I put up a little more every year. This vase is my favorite thing this year. I got the flowers for only a couple bucks last year at Michaels after the season. The ribbon was free. It was in some craft stuff my grandma in love gave me a few years ago that she no longer wanted. I got the vase for $3 at the Goodwill back in the early spring. It's one of the really big vases. I don't know if you can tell in the pic. These usually run about $13 at Michaels and Walmart. I think I paid 50 cents for the little pumpkin. It has a cut out in the back of it to put a candle in. So, I think I spent maybe $7 total for the decorations on this little table.

Hope you all have a happy first day of fall!!!!

2010-09-22T08:48:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was our 8 year anniversary and look what my husband brought home.

He knows I like pink roses the best and these are a really pale pink. I was so happy. I honestly can't even remember the last time I got flowers. Then we went on a date. We ate at Olive Garden and I have to say, the best part of the meal was the dessert. We got the pumpkin cheesecake and oh my goodness, it's GOOD. I may slip in there sometime when I go to town by myself this fall and just order dessert, it's really that good. Then we went to Barnes and Noble for a while. I looked at quilt magazines and the craft books. Mostly the quilting ones. I'm in the mood to sew. I bought some fabric at JoAnns yesterday morning. I'm looking forward to working with it. I also took my camera to have it worked on. The guy in the photo store didn't know what to do with it, so I have to have it sent off. As of now they think it's something with the computer processer inside of it and are guessing it will be $100-150 to have it fixed. They said I will get a real estimate in 3-4 days and can decide then if i want it worked on. I hope it's no more than that. I really don't want to buy a new camera. Well... a new camera would be neat, I just don't want to pay for one right now.

What's your ringtone?...or do you even have one?

2010-09-19T21:51:00.006-04:00

Do you always keep your phone on vibrate or do you have an obnoxious ring tone like I do? I actually have several obnoxious ring tones. I have certain ones for different people. It even sounds like a door bell when I get a text message. I am respectful with it though, I do lower the volume and cut it off when necessary. To be honest, I can have the volume all the way up and not even hear it when it's crammed in my purse. My husband claims that he hates music ring tones, but I occasionally hear his ringing to the sound of Magnum PI.

My current generic one is an extremely peppy version of, "Lord I lift Your Name On High."

It changes dramatically if my husband calls; Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar on Me" or George Strait "I Just Want To Dance With You." I switch between the two.

My nephew who lives in Alaska has been assigned Johnny Horton's "North To Alaska."

My dear friend makes it play the theme to the Golden Girls, "Thank you For Being A Friend."

If work calls, it plays the theme to Scrubs, "I'm no super man." If I were still working at one of my old jobs, it would play a certain Johnny Paycheck tune.

Other random ones I have; CCR "Up Around the Bend" Beach Boys "Kokomo" Mark Schultz "God Is Love" New Kids On The Block "The Right Stuff" Flatt and Scrugs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Third Day "Revelation"

And the list goes on for a few other family members...I'll spare you. So what does your phone sound like?

How much would that "one lady" pay?

2010-09-18T09:03:00.002-04:00

I found these beauties at the Labor Day flea market. The lady who sold me the apron said that they have them for every state like that. She had a California one too, but I was hanging on to my money in case I decided to go back for a picture I had been looking at.

I'm very proud of my Pyrex dish. I had found a smaller one of the exact same set and the guy wanted $8.50 for it. He also had a butter dish for $8.00. I really wanted the butter dish. I'd been looking for one for a long time. If you know me, you know I don't pay sticker price for anything at the flea market. Your supposed to haggle a little. I offered the lady $10 for both. I knew that was an insultingly low price but people usually meet you in the middle when you do that. She said, "I'll have to ask my husband." He finally came over and said, "no, we don't usually go lower." I started to walk away. Then he stopped me and said, "wait, I'll take .50 off the butter dish and $1 off the casserole dish." I said, "you can't go any lower?" He then got annoyed and said, "I have one lady who will pay $5 for the lid alone on the casserole dish" (He had 2 of those casserole dishes). I said, "okay she can have it" and walked away. That pained me because I really wanted the butter dish, but that guy just wouldn't budge to my acceptable flea market level. It was also drawing close to time for them to be packing up and most of the vendors were cutting great deals at that point.Though I was sad about the butter dish, my spirits were lifted a couple booths down. I found my casserole dish. It was over twice the size of the other one and was the same print. This guy was packing his stuff up and he had a $15 sticker on it. I said, "would you take $10?" He said, "sure." I was so happy. I was very tempted to go back to the first guy and ask him how much that "one lady" would pay for my lid. I know, I'm bad. I didn't do it. Over all, it was a good day at the flea market.

The Job Ahead of Me

2010-09-15T08:30:00.002-04:00

Since I had got my camera back in April 2009, I have neglected the whole picture printing process. I have finally printed all of them off. If you know me, you know I'm a shutter bug. This is almost going to be work putting them all into albums. I'm not someone who just sticks the pictures in and goes on. They have to be in order and they have to look nice on the page together. I always upload them online at Walgreens. The bad thing is, it gets them out of order and prints them out of order. When I get them home, it's like they shouffled them like a deck of cards. As you can imagine it takes me a while to get an album together.

I'm having another photography issue right now; my camera is broke. It keeps giving me the error message ER 99. And of course this one is not in the book and it says to contact your local Canon dealer to find out the problem. I have a feeling the shutter is broke. When I bought the camera, the salesman said it was good for about 5,000 pictures. So, I'm pretty sure this is the problem. I just have to see how much it's going to cost to fix it. If that is what's wrong, I know part of me will want a new camera. I want to take wedding, family and engagement pics for people and I know I would feel nervous and not trust my camera any longer. The camera has been broke for about a month now and part of the reason I haven't had it looked at is I want to get all the pictures I printed off sorted and put into albums before I start taking more pictures. Hopefully it will be okay and it won't be a major problem and I won't have to buy a new camera.

My Home VS Stars Hollow

2010-09-14T08:36:00.006-04:00

Do any of you watch Gilmore Girls? It doesn't really come on any more except for reruns. I got the box set for Christmas last year and I'm on season 3 now. I keep thinking how neat it would be to live in a little town like Stars Hollow where they live. It dawned on me yesterday how I DO live in a place like that. I just don't go to it very often or participate in anything.

I honestly only go into our town maybe 5 times a year. I usually just go into another county to get groceries or run to the bank or whatever. I met a friend from high school that I literally have not seen in 10 years at a hometown restaurant which is comparible to Lukes Diner yesterday. After that, I got gas and saw 2 more people I knew including another one I hadn't seen since high school. Then I went to the grocery store and saw a lady I used to work with at the bank in town and the lady who cuts my hair at the mall in the adjoining county. I'm usually a smile and nod person even to strangers, but I noticed that people were beating me to the punch there yesterday.

I live in a very rural community. The county only has 1 highschool and 1 stoplight. There is a lot of farming and even the people who move in to the area are trying to help preserve it and keep it from becoming commercialized. I think I need to start going into our little town and patronize those businesses instead of the larger chains in the adjoining counties like I usually do. If I can keep myself out of the thrift and antique stores, this would save me money in the long run too. When I go to the adjoing counties, I'm too tempted to run into the mall.