Wrapping up the Birth Month

September has been wonderful, y'all! Loved the many blessings and celebrations - it's been one thing after another that I'll claim as a birthday celebration.

      My family, minus Roger and Aliah

Gifts on my doorstep night after night, beautiful star-filled evenings to greet me as I got home late, visits with friends and babies, it's just been so wonderful! 

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of it :) Truly thanks for making September and year 41 so special!

Nobody gets as excited about birthdays as much as this girl! Well, except for maybe me! 

It's been difficult and confusing, too. I live just South of Charlotte so seeing that situation play out on the local news... It's so hard to understand how totally destroying a city can be perceived as the answer. Hurting other innocent people cannot improve the situation. I hope and PRAY tonight is better and calmer. Thanks to all who have worked to bring peace to the city, to those who have prayed for peace. 

And work kicked into overdrive already, which is exhausting. For all of us. Therefore, sometimes those frustrations, stressors, and such are taken out on other coworkers. Pray for that, too. Because when it happens, cool heads are often difficult to maintain. 

I've been in a pillow making mood. These two are for mom - the Christmas pillow came first, the second is an autumn pillow. I love creating and trying new patterns. Glad I got these done before work became too chaotic. 

....and I've been sitting on this for who knows how long. :). That's what happens when you work in an elections office and it's a Presidential year. Sorry y'all. 

Bday month of happiness

September is my birth month and I love to celebrate all month long. Any and every good thing that happens is due to my birthmonth celebration.

And while it's been years since I've felt like my birthmonth was a true celebration - or even my birthday, for that matter, but September 2016 is starting off well!! 

Through work I've presented at my old college and saw familiar faces I hadn't seen in 20 years. I felt like I did a decent job at it and represented my workplace fairl well. Two thumbs up for that! 

Had the opportunity to visit the sweet nephews mid-week and it melted my heart. Those two are sweeties, even when tired and sleepy. Such a good feeling to snuggle them. 

On my vacation day off this Labor Day weekend, I sewed and finally got the adult bibs up in the Etsy store. 

Saturday (today!) Mom, Dad, and Sweet Niece #2 headed to the mountains for some apple pickin' and to visit the kids museum up that way. Totally success! Beautiful blue-skies kind of day. 

The grocery store is always her favorite. Always.

Having family time is what restores my mind to handle the chaos at work. I've needed some good family time. 

Let's cover some other events: like Macy's first day of 4K. So cute! 

One day that first week I walked her into school and her sweet teacher offered to take a pic of us! 

Went to my state capital for a work meeting and this crazy painting is in one of the conference rooms of the state museum. No matter where you view the painting from in the room, the road follows you. Really neat. 

And that's about all I got. ;)  I hope the good vibes of September continue well past my birthday. I'm excited to be excited. 

Pride

I'm sitting in a small out-of-the-way restaurant in a very small town. Had to google map it to find it. Older couple is sitting in front of me and the man asked the young waitress if the local football team played last night. "Yes sir." "Did Jordan play? I know he did." Made me smile seeing the pride these folks have in the local community.

I can't remember the last thing I wrote and service is so bad here I figure I can't pull it up. So did I tell you my bro-in-law made it through his third back surgery... 10-hours! While it seems the surgery is successful, a nerve is very angry and causing him great pain. Please pray this sucker calms down!  This family could really use a break. (This photo is from the chapel in the hospital. Just beautiful) 

My sister moved into a new school building. She wasn't allowed in to unpack and arrange all her belongings until the day before Roger's surgery... A week before school started. So Dad and I spent some time in there making it look ready for students. Thank heavens for family :) My parents have really been here for all of us. 

Sweet niece #1 hit high school this year! I can't believe it!! She playing sports, sorta learning to drive, and is just beautiful. And sweet niece #2 is going to 4K at the same school all of us attended. She wore her tiara to meet the teacher and has already made a name for herself. After her evaluation, Katie asked her how she did and Sweet Niece said, "I rocked it."  Hahahahaha

My twin sweet nephews are doing so well. Growing so fast and changing every day. I stopped in to see them last week and was amazed at how sweet and friendly they are!! They'll be 1 in the beginning of October. That just doesn't seem possible. 

(Once again, I never finished this so I'm posting it as is)

Sorry folks, I totally fell asleep on you - but I'm awake and in a rush now. No winning!  I know I'm giving a photo dump-sorry about that but I like looking back and remembering what all was happening around the same time frame.

Daddy and Macy playing on the iPad. 

Macy saw her first movie in a theater (a local place called Sylvia, you should check it out) and she loved it!! The Secret Life of Pets. I wasn't that impressed but it was talking animals and a cartoon so she loved it. 

Clay turned 45 and he and Angela had us all over at their house. Her family and ours! So good to visit with the whole group. Look at Liam-Is he not a cutie! 💗💗 Love those boys, Heaven help!

Sweet Kellan had some surgery and I kept Liam. I was a little nervous but he was good as gold. We snuggled and rocked, ate up our food like a champ, cleaned up and played tummy time and supported sitting, back to snuggle and sleep. I sent pics to his parents all morning because I knew they were missing him fiercely. Kellan came through surgery well and Liam was a sweetie with me all day. God continues to bless those sweet boys 

 I hosted a Keep Collective jewelry party. I wasn't too excited until I played with the jewelry and fell in love. This is my set with four hearts, one for each niece and nephew. No one can have any more babies because I'm out of room. Hahah! 

Caught up to this week. Macy's mom had a conference in Columbia so mom and I took Macy on an adventure. We stayed in the same town so she could see her mama at dinner time but she stayed with us. The highlight of the trip was Edventure, the children's museum. She loves that place. 

One event just broke my heart and it was when two older girls started making fun of Macy. I wasn't paying them any attention so I had no idea until it was over. But sadly, she knew it and as they were getting ready to leave our area, Macy said those girls were making fun of her in the saddest, most pitiful voice. My mom said they weren't and made one of the girls tell her they weren't but the snide laugh at the end negated all that. 

The kids were with a daycare from the county beside ours and were wearing the daycare's shirts with scripture on the back. As much as I wanted to find those kids and point out what horrible examples they were of God's amazing love for us, I knew I was also a horrible example. 

I was mostly saddened by the fact at age four, Macy knew they were making fun of her. That innocence is gone already. A do know it will get worse before it gets better but it doesn't mean I can't wish for something better. 

While we were in Columbia this past week we were able to visit my friend, Paulene and her precious baby girl, Paige. What a sweetheart this adorable baby girl is! So outgoing and happy. It was so wonderful spending time with them both. 

I'm still sewing, lots of bibs and burp cloths. But a friend asked for a pillow for her to gift so there you go! Flannel front so it's really soft. It's getting mailed tomorrow. :) 

This Saturday and next I'm in a quilting class, learning so much!! Our project was to make a star block and we did that in class one. I enjoyed it so much, this is what I created at home. I want to bind in blues. And if I ever get motivated, I"d like to do one for every season for wall hangings :)  we'll see how it goes. 

So we've had some interesting days recently. I've already mentioned baby Kellan and his surgery. He goes back to the doctor Monday. 

Mom's knee "popped" this weekend and she's on crutches. She doesn't want to go to the doctor because they'll tell her she needs surgery and she's not interested in that right now. Hopefully the two days of rest will help her knee recover. 

Then my brother-in-law has his third back surgery the first week of August. Big time surgery. It's his only chance of getting this pain down to something bearable. Please pray. We are very concerned. There is a team of surgeons coming in for it. Will take all day. As the doc said - this is the big league. We appreciate all prayers, spirit fingers and good vibes. 

Well, that's my life right now. Thanks for tuning in after weeks of silence :) 

Pray to God!

Oh gracious - I'm in a hotel room, my mom and Macy is in the bed beside mine. Macy has tried every thing under the sun to keep from going to sleep. But just now she GASPED and said, "MawMaw! We forgot to pray to God!" It made me proud of her. A lot of what she's done has made me proud this week. She's a very kind, loving, smart, perceptive girl. I'm so thankful I have the chance to see her grow from the house next door.

Macy playing at the children's museum earlier today. Holy cow, keeping up with her was a workout!!

I haven't blogged since May. Life became hectic with the work life. Thankfully we are all taking time off to spend with our families before it really cuts loose. 

Two of the cuties I miss when work kicks into overdrive.

I work for elections. We had two days of primaries because we had a run off. That's in addition to two days of presidential primaries and a smaller election. Another tiny one in August and the Mac daddy election in November. Heaven help because my life gears up in September. Sigh. 

I've really gotten into sewing bibs and some quilting. The bibs... Well I went a little crazy and signed up for a shelf in a local store. I have 40 bib/burp cloth sets and Katie has 7 paintings so our shelf is a bit crowded. 

Then I finished my first pieces pillow for a friend's birthday. I really enjoyed making it and was tickled to give it to her when she came to visit. 

Thankfully, an online friend sent me a link to teach about the envelope back-love it!! Thanks Renee!!

Macy turned FOUR and Clay and I bought her a bike!! I think she loves it and is learning to peddle :)

We also had a family reunion where the twins were introduced to mom's family. Those boys loved all the attention and were soooo good. Love these boys!!! 

Angela and Kellan 💗

Fourth of July nieces!!

 

A friend gave me a ticket to see Wizard of Oz with her. Loved it! Great props. It was a really neat show. :)

I'm literally am falling asleep now. Let me post this and write again soon. Night friends! 

Where is the Wonder

Today at church we had an entire family baptized.  The father rededicated his life to God, the wife and four children were sprinkled and committed their lives to the Lord.  And as I watched the wife stand there, eyes closed and a huge  smile on her face, the preacher filled the palm of his hand with water and pour it over her head.  Her smile - it was radiant. Her children each stood still and had water sprinkled on their heads and she wiped her tears from her eyes as each one received the blessing of baptism.  It was then I realized she was experiencing this heart-filling sense of love and acceptance.  I envied her.


Later in the service, it was something that smacked me in the head - The God that I speak to today, that is by my side through every step, He is the very same God that protected Abraham and Sarah, that calmed the seas, that spit Jonah out of the whale, that provided manna and loaves & fishes. He hasn't changed a bit through all this time.  And while I've known He was the same God, I didn't FEEL it deep in my soul and today - I recognized it. I know, I know.  Where have I been all this time? :)


And this is what's on my mind on a Sunday night. 

New Rules.

Since I have to get my food life in order, I thought I should get my financial life in order, too.  I've done the Dave Ramsey class.  It's good - really, it is.  I wish I had applied it to my life much more than I did, because I've lost my envelopes and I'm still not balancing my checkbook.

But here is my new way of thinking - both with foods and money:

Don't Eat It and
You Won't Have to Work It Off. 

Don't Spend It and
You Won't Have To Earn It Again. 

Does that make sense? If I leave the cheese off my sub sandwich, I don't have to work to burn those calories and fats!  I can use those banked baddies somewhere else that's more tasty.  OR I could just be good and I'll know the calories I'm burning are making me healthier! It is helping me say NO NO NO NO NO.  No to fats. No to chips.  No to chocolates... sorta. Can't say I'm doing great with this one.  No to soft drinks.  No to McDonald's tea (and this one is killing me).



Same with money.  If I don't spend it, I don't have to re-earn it.  I'll still have it from the first earning! NO to buying something for Macy that she doesn't really need.  No to random purchases because they are on clearance.  No to ... well, to whatever I was spending my money on.



And that's what I've been doing for the past few weeks, trying to look at something, and put it back. Or not touch it to begin with. Not saying it's fun, but saying it's OK and I'm somewhat managing it.(Until the weekend ... when I bought 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!!!! pairs of shoes!!! Oh holy cow!! But for $240 or so... three pairs of Danskos! WHOA! Who knows when I'll wear all these shoes, but I'm tickled.  Heck, I may resell them if I find I never wear them.

Is this not the CUTEST photo you have ever seen? My dad and my niece at a family reunion. I just love it.  It's my new favorite photo of Mae Monkey. My dad got good news this week, too - he completed his bladder cancer check and it came back good! WHEW! Thank you, Lord, for taking care of my family like You do.  We are so so so thankful. 

And here is my sweet niece and me at her Muffins with Macy event at her preschool.  (It was actually Muffins with Mommy but her Mommy was in the middle of standardized testing in school, so there was no way she could get off from work).  She is such a sweetie, while also being the most stubborn person on the face of the earth.  I'm not sure if it will do her well in the future or get her in a ton of trouble... hahahaha.


I'm reviewing my sermon notes, just a random sermon, and written down the side of my notebook I have "Look at Jesus' Love."  It's bracketing these notes: 

• Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
• The Lady at the well.
• Let the children come to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.
• On the cross - Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.

While we were still sinners, - God's only Son died for us! 
Only when we see how desperately needing we are will we begin to understand God's love!
God's love is a self sacrificing love for people who deserve nothing.


Wow. Just a few notes, obviously random.  He was preaching from Romans 5: 1-11.  Now we are in Genesis, which I've really enjoyed.  It's always nice to start at the beginning and have that opportunity to see those stories you have grown up learning from an adult perspective. 


Ok, I'm thinking I've rambled on about randomness and should shut it down.  Giving thanks for all the blessings this week! :) Have a great one!