Black Friday

Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and a day full of great food, family, & football. We certainly had a nice relaxing day and while I definitely missed being at my grandma's house with over 30 people and wonderful food, it was great to just relax and enjoy some time with the in-laws. Holidays are definitely tough whenever you first get married, and I'm assuming they really don't get much easier...especially when one family lives far away from another. Oh well, soon my in-laws will be moving back home to Missouri and we won't have this long distance issue to deal with. At least then I won't be 12 hours away from my family on Thanksgiving.

So we're certainly not get up in the middle of the night, sit in the parking lot until doors open, and race inside for a special gift kind of Black Friday shoppers. However, growing up we always ended up at the mall during the later afternoon hours when all of the crazies had left for the day. We normally still got some pretty good deals and it was always nice to get out of the house for awhile. Today will be no different. We're headed to one of my favorite malls up here in Michigan and hopefully Hubby & I will be able to get some Christmas shopping accomplished. I'll probably even ditch him for awhile to get some of his presents taken care of. This evening we're headed to the Fox Theatre in Detroit to see the musical White Christmas...I'm really excited and it should be a great day! Tomorrow is our last day here and we'll probably spend most of our time just relaxing and putting up Christmas decorations! I just love decorating for Christmas!

So very thankful...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and dear Hubby and I have made it to the in-laws in Michigan. It will be a quiet Thanksgiving here with only the four of us but I'm so thankful for the time with them. As I've mentioned before I truly couldn't ask for better in-laws. As Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I am reminded of how truly blessed I am and how much I don't deserve all the blessings and grace that God pours out on me each and every day. I am so thankful for the wonderful family he has given me and how they inspire me to live for God and His glory every moment. I won't have much time to blog but I'm looking forward to catching up on all the stories when we return home on Sunday evening. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

From Mr. to Mute

Yes, it's true I am offically mute...or at least that's what I call it when the only thing that comes out of mouth is either a whisper or a squeak. Dear hubby seems to think this is quite hilarious, but it's extremely frustrating and not much fun for me. Hopefully I start to get my voice back by tomorrow or it will be a long drive to Michigan for Hubby as he has to drive all that way with only the radio for noise.

Just call me Mr.

Well, the weekend was jam-packed as promised and we certainly got lots of things accomplished...however, one thing did not happen. I still have the ucky feeling...yes, that's right...I'm still feeling not quite up to par and on top of that I am now talking in a voice that comes close to resembling that of an old man who has smoked his entire life (complete with the occasional smoker's hack and everything). Oh what a joy! I do have to give my dear hubby credit, he was a great nurse over the weekend and he tried his hardest to make me relax...unfortunately our schedule just didn't allow for much relaxation.

Friday night we were able to spend the evening at home. I finished up some of the Christmas decor and put up a little tree in our bedroom. Then it was off to bed fairly early. Saturday morning we spent time doing some little things around the house, I ran to the grocery store, and after lunch I helped Hubby finish putting the Christmas lights up outside...they are going to look so good! However, they won't be turned on until after we get home on Sunday night. We then headed into town and took care of a few quick Christmas presents (mainly gift cards for the family gatherings that do gift card exchanges). This basically works the same way as a White Elephant Exchange but you at least get something worth having. We were able to accomplish our purchases by using a nice little Chinese Fire Drill method instead of fighting the crowds and the parking lots. Pull up in front, someone jumps out, circle the parking lot, pick you up...on to the next store. It was fantastic. Saturday night we had dinner at this fantastic little pizza joint that cuts the pizza into little 2x2 squares...it was great. Then it was off to the first Missouri State University Basketball game of the season. MSU is my alma mater and they were celebrating the first game in a brand new $67 million arena...it was unbelieveable. The Bears also won which was a bonus!

Sunday morning we headed to church with my parents and enjoyed a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, brother & sister-in-law, and both sets of grandparents. We had tons of food and we also made some fantastic crafts that I'll be sure to post pictures of later on. Small Group was next and then we finally made it home for good around 7:15...it's about this time that I began the manly voice. Hubby forced me to sit down and relax and then I headed to bed at 9:30. Whew! What a weekend...I'm offically at work and sounding completely like a man, at least I don't feel just awful. Tonight I'll be packing because we're headed to Michigan for Thanksgiving to visit Hubby's parents. I'm so excited to get away for a bit even though it is an 11 hour drive!!! Hope everyone enjoys the short week!

Ucky, Ucky Feeling

Well it's official, Hubby and a lady in my office have officially passed on their lovely sickness to me. Yesterday I woke up and felt great and by about 9:30 am I was ready to go home. However, I was only working until 3 yesterday because I had an appt to get my hair cut/foiled. I was so super excited and of course I end up feeling very ucky. Needless to say it was not the greatest day; however, I was able to get my hair done which allowed me to sit and think about absolutely nothing for about 2 1/2 hours. I headed home afterwards, put on my comfy clothes and fell asleep on the couch about 8:00. When dear, sweet Hubby came to check on me, my entire body had started to ache so all I asked for was a nice warm bubble bath. Being the good nurse that he is, he took excellent care for me and after I got out of the bath he ordered me to bed at 9:00. I slept soundly until this morning and I'm happy to report that while I don't feel 100%, I'm at least feeling better than I was yesterday. I don't know about you guys, but I really don't have time to get sick. We've got tons of things to do before we leave for Thanksgiving on Tuesday evening and I just don't have time to lay around on the couch with a blanket pulled up to my ears. Hopefully this was just a short ucky feeling...at least I hope so! Hope everyone has a great weekend, we've got tons of plans and I'll fill you in after we've survived...

Mom Day's

Well, I've mentioned before that I work for my dad and it certainly has it's perks. Mom Day's are one of those perks. You're probably asking...What are Mom Days? Well, you see all the other ladies in our office have children and most of the time he allows them to take off work early to go to sporting events or other school activities, take them to the doctor, or whatever they need. Normally this is taken as vacation, but other times it's just comp time. So...since Hubby & I don't have any children, my mom declared that I get some Mom Day's throughout the year to go run around with her or do fun things. A fantastic perk if you ask me!

My mom and I truly are best friends, and I can't imagine not talking to her everyday and bouncing ideas off her. We spend so much time together and while there are certainly times where we might disagree or not get along perfectly, she's my mom--I'm her little girl and those things will never change. Growing up she lifted me up in so many ways, taught me to love Jesus and trust in Him, and supported me in whatever my heart desired. Other girls would talk about how their mother's just didn't understand them or they never bought the right thing and they disagreed about almost everything in life...I never, ever experienced this. Those few times where I thought she was a crazy woman have now become some of the times I treasure most because she truly was just trying to protect me and make me into the woman I am today. They say you become your mother as you continue to grow up and I cherish the thought that someday I will become like the mother, wife, daughter, friend, and child of God that she has been. She is an amazing woman of God and how I wish everyone could experience the motherly love that I enjoy each and every day. Don't ever hesitate to tell your mom how much you love her...I know I don't do it often enough, but just pick up the phone and let her know--I'm sure she never gets tired of hearing it.

So, back to the title of this post. Yesterday was a Mom Day. I took off work and we headed to this fantastic little floral/ home decor shop called The Feathered Nest. They host Christmas workshops & decorating classes each year and we always come away with some sort of neat idea. The class ran from 9-1 and included a little lunch. After class, we headed to Hobby Lobby, Martin's Floral, and other places to finish off our decorating for the Holiday season. We had a great time and just loved hanging out. I came home last night completely refreshed and excited about finishing my Christmas Decor. Well, I didn't quite finish but I'm getting much closer. I love Mom Day's (possibly the best perk of working for my dad!)

Deck the Halls

Well...since Hubby & I will be out of town most all next week for Thanksgiving & I have various other plans for the other nights this week...tonight is the night. After a quick dinner, Hubby will be traipsing up and down the ladder into the attic and bringing out all of our Christmas decorations. I will quickly admit it...I am obsessed with Christmas decorations. Not so much everywhere in our house, but our kitchen, dining room, and living room for sure. We always get a real tree so our tree won't be up for awhile but hopefully after tonight my Halls will certainly be Decked. ;o) I love Christmas and there's no better way to get in the spirit than to decorate. Stay tuned, I'll post pictures when it's complete!

Weekend Update

Well this weekend was full of lots of activities, but still enough time to relax and feel refreshed and ready for a busy week! Friday night we headed to the hospital to check on my grandma (I'll update about her in a bit), and then we had lunch with my parents. My sister-in-law's birthday was on Friday so after dinner we headed over to their house where my brother had planned a great birthday party for her. We had a great time spending time with family and enjoying cake and ice cream.

Saturday morning I had to work from 9-12, had a quick nap during the afternoon, and then we headed to a new movie theater that is close by to see the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. The theater was really nice and the movie was good, not necessarily one of my favorite Bond movies but still entertaining. Hubby and I agreed it was a little bit too much action and not enough story, with the story part being a little confusing. However, it was a Bond movie so it was certainly worth seeing. After the movie we had dinner with some people from church. One of the associate pastor's asked us to be a part of a team to focus on followup with those families who visit our church and fill out a contact card. We had some great discussion and Hubby & I are really excited to be a part of this team.

Today we had church, and then just some chores to take care of this afternoon. It was beautiful outside so Hubby mowed the yard for the last time this year, I worked in our flower beds a little, and I also took care of getting snacks ready for Small Group tonight since it was our week.

Overall we had a great weekend and I'm excited for this week to start. My mom and I are going to a Christmas decorating class on Tuesday. We went last year and we had a great time! I'm also sure I'll get around to putting up all the Christmas decorations this week as long as Hubby gets them out of the attic. I also have a hair appt on Thursday, I'm not doing anything different, just a new foil job and a trim; however, I love getting my hair done because it manages to relax me.

Quick Grandma Update: For those of you who are interested, my grandma had to stay in the hospital until yesterday afternoon. She's home now and seems to be doing just fine. They're still not absolutely sure what happened (whether it was a mini-stroke or a seizure); however, they're going to be giving her some medication to hopefully prevent it from happening again. She didn't have any brain damage or loss of use in her limbs and she seems to be functioning very well, God keeps reminding me that it could have been so much worse so I am so thankful. He has truly blessed us and I know he will take care of us and see us through no matter what life throws at us.

For the love of a child...

Each year around this time, thousands of shoe boxes are sent overseas to orphanages, villages, and other locations where there are children who are much less fortunate than here in the United States. Our church participates in this ministry called Operation Christmas Child. It is organized by Samaritan's Purse and there are drop-off locations all over the country. For those of you who haven't heard about it, here's the idea...You take a shoe box or small plastic box and fill it with fun items and toys for either a boy/girl at a designated age group. You can include hygiene items, craft supplies, hard candy, toys, stuffed animals, etc. It doesn't really matter as long as you can fit it in the box.

This year our small group has set forth a challenge: For the small group in our church that can bring in the most boxes, we will fix them breakfast, lunch or dinner (depending on when their small group meets). On our own, our small group of 5 couples has pledged to create 20 boxes (2 boys & 2 girls from each couple). Hubby & I headed to Walmart last night to get all the little goodies for our boxes. We spent forever trying to find just the right things that we knew children who have nothing would enjoy. For the girls we got lipgloss, fingernail polish, a small stuffed animal, jewelry, crayons, paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. & for the boys we did Matchbox cars, jacks, playdough, crayons, paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. We had such a great time and it warms my heart to think about all the children opening these boxes from strangers all around the world. We are so fortunate here in the United States and sometimes I know I take it all for granted.

If you are interested in helping out or joining in, just click on the link above and it will give you all the details you need including drop off locations by area code.

My Town Grandma

As a 25 year old woman, I have the great privilege and blessing of still having all 4 of my grandparents here with me and living within 15 miles of my house. We had the Woods Grandparents (because they lived down a path and through the woods from our house) & the Town Grandparents (because they obviously lived in town). Yes, we were very bright kids, don't fault us...;o) My grandparents have been able to experience so many amazing things with my brother & me and I am so grateful that we live so close and are able to have such a close relationship with them.

They are all so wonderful in their own ways, but this post is to focus on my Town Grandma. Last night, my mom called in tears telling me that my grandma had possibly had a stroke and they are headed to the hospital. I lose it, I don't mean just sort of...I completely break down and hand the phone to my Hubby so he can get details from my mom. Well, he thinks I've already hung up so he just sits the phone back on the receiver. I can only imagine my mom's face as she looks at my dad and says..."She hung up on me!" Anyways, we get a phone call a few moments later and get details that we are to sit tight and they will let us know when they head to the hospital. Hubby & I pray, I cry, and we wait. My grandma was completely unresponsive for about an hour, she was conscious but just not lucid. Once the ambulance gets to their house she has started to come around and is recognizing everyone who has showed up. The take her to the hospital run some inital tests and determine she has had TIA (mini-stroke). She has no brain damage and no loss of movement in her arms. Praise God! She's going to be in the hospital for a few days while they run tests and determine what might have caused this issue.

Three generations: Myself, my Mom, and my Town Grandma at my brother's wedding this summer

My mom is an only child, so I am the only granddaughter for my Town Grandparents. Talk about spoiled! She is an amazing woman, a prayer warrior, a funky-spunky grandma, and most of all, she's my mom's best friend. We have such an amazing relationship and I have some incredible memories of spending time at their house and her painting my fingernails, shopping at Christmastime, cooking in the kitchen, working on crafts, etc. She is an amazing Godly woman and continuously prays for everyone near and dear to her. I think she was praying for me and my husband long before we ever even met and I am so grateful to her for that! I could spend hours talking about how she has influenced me and others around her. I just wanted to take a quick moment and pay tribute to her...She's going to be fine and will hopefully be back to herself in a few days or weeks, but I probably don't tell her how much I appreciate everything she's done often enough. I love you Granny!

Another one bites the dust...

So, if you've read through my blog in it's very short life, you will discover that I have had quite the run with electronics and technology equipment in the last month or so. Well, it continues and I've decided that maybe equipment is just starting to malfunction to make fun of me and laugh at me. Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in front of the television enjoying my day off for Veteran's Day, catching up on my favorite blogs, checking e-mail, etc. Well, I started to watch a movie and sat my computer to the side and since it was not plugged in it automatically went into hibernation mode. Once my movie was over I took the computer back into our office plugged it in and tried to turn it back on...this is the message I received:

Disk Read Error
Press ctrl+alt+delete to Restart

Well, keep in mind there was no disk in the computer at all. I remember back in the day when I thought pressing Control, Alt, Delete would solve all computer problems. That was not the case yesterday, this simply caused the system to reboot and bring me to the exact same screen. When Hubby came home, he tried it and he didn't get the CAD message, he got something much worse. An error has occured in one of your system files blah, blah, blah, blah....Please reinstall this file and reboot. Are you serious? I know just enough about computers to know this is a very bad sign.

Update: As I'm typing this, Hubby took the computer back to the repair store and worse case scenario this is going to cost us $300 (a brand new harddrive, backup of the old hard drive, and a reinstall of Windows). $300...not fun, but better than the hassle of buying a brand new computer. We'll be out of a computer for 3-5 business days...so, I apologize in advance for my lack of blogging or commenting because using work time will be my only option.

I just hate electronics...maybe I'll just go back to the days of using pen & paper to communicate...or maybe even farther than that to the days of illustrations on cave walls?!?

A good laugh for a Monday!

Alright, for all of you who have planned a wedding, are in the process of planning a wedding, are dreaming about your wedding, or if you just like to laugh at all...please watch this video. I have seen it on several blogs and it seriously brings me to tears from laughing so hard every time I watch it.

Busy, but....BOGEY!!!

Well as you can see by the title of this post, the most exciting (or eventful) things that happened this week involved our precious furry, son Bogey. Bogey is now about 7 months old and according to his most recent vet appointment on Saturday morning, he now weighs 71.4 lbs. For those of you that care, that means he's been growing 10 lbs a month since birth. Wow, aren't you glad humans don't gain weight like that?!?


Anyways, Friday night consisted of us having a quick dinner out (after I found $20 in my purse & $10 in my coat pocket) and a movie at home. Saturday it was ridiculously cold and windy so I got started on the laundry, cleaned our bathroom (which I loathe), and Hubby took Bogey to the vet.

Bogey Incident #1:

The first Bogey incident of the weekend started in the vet's office after Hubby had already been taken back to his examination room. Apparently we had fed Bogey a little too late on Saturday morning and he managed to have a huge accident in the room. Thank goodness Hubby was able to clean it up before the vet came in, but according to him it was not a pretty sight. ;o)

Saturday afternoon, my wonderful Hubby volunteered to drive me around to all of the local Christmas open houses. We went to all of the cutest little gift shops and really just had a great time. We also got a Christmas present for my mother-in-law, but since she reads the blog I can't disclose it! ;o) Saturday evening we had dinner with my brother & his wife at Old Chicago, I left their so stuffed I was ready for bed. We came home and Hubby went outside to check on our furry friend.

Bogey Incident #2:

Earlier in the fall, Bogey had dug up an area near our patio and Hubby had planted some new grass seed and created a contraption of green fencing to keep him out of the area. Well, last night we come home and see all of the green fencing strewn (is that a word?) across our yard. The next thing that catches our eyes is the pet bed is not in it's normal place but in the middle of the yard. This clues us into the fact that he has been a very busy puppy. So, upon further examination, Hubby heads around to the North side of the house and finds the following:


The picture you're looking at is a sprinkler head and the water line running to it. Needless to say this was apparently quite the entertainment for Bogey as he completely dug up the line and any grass around it. He also managed to move two landscaping pavers that had been helping to serve as a drainage tray (since he kept chewing on and moving the other plastic one). Oh Bogey, what was our life without you?!? I was actually very impressed with Hubby because he did not get all that upset...I mean what could you do? Bogey's just so darn cute it's hard to be mad at him. ;o) So, we headed to bed and decided to do something about it today.

Bogey Incident #3:

In Bogey's defense, this incident was just simply hilarious and has nothing to do with him misbehaving. We bundled up and headed out for a walk this morning before getting ready for church as we normally do on Sunday mornings. Since Bogey is Lab, he tends to become very focused on something and won't take his mind or his eyes off of it until something else grabs his attention. Well, that's exactly what happened this morning. We were walking down the sidewalk when one of the children in the neighborhood came out of his garage on a little motorized motorcycle (like hot wheels, but this was a like a trike). Anyways, Bogey perked up his ears, stuck his tail in the air, and started pulling on his leash a little bit tighter. I fully expected him to start barking but he didn't. The little boy's mom was outside with him and was commenting on how pretty Bogey was. We rounded the corner to head down our street and Bogey was still completely trained on the little boy and the motorcycle. He would not take his eyes off of him even as we were walking a completely other direction. He had his head turned completely around and I'm sure you can imagine what happened next. Yep, Bogey ran right into one of the brick mailboxes lining that side of the street. I'm not sure he even knew what had just happened...It was absolutely hilarious! The mom across the street was laughing along with us because this dog had just plowed into a brick structure.

As you can see, Bogey keeps our lives full of entertainment and continues to make us smile each day! For those of you with dogs, I'm sure you understand because we certainly can't imagine life without him.

Fraidy Cat

Alright, so before I begin the real meaning of this post...you need a little bit of background info. On Sunday, May 4, 2003, I was a sophomore in college living in the dorms loving life. That night I went to church only to be phoned by my mom who said..."We've been hit, the pool house...it's gone!" This short conversation was followed by dead air, then panic, then lots of lost calls, tears, and sheer terror. On May 4, my parents house (& the house I grew up in) was hit by a tornado. We were overall very lucky, as many neighbors and friends lost everything they had. We lost tons of trees and the landscape of my parents house and the area around where I grew up was changed forever. The most difficult part for me was that there was no way for me to get there. Sure, I had a car...but all the roads in and out of my parents house were blocked by down trees and/or power lines. So...for 12 long hours, I was stuck...only 30 minutes away but completely helpless. My family was fine, and in the next few days I heard lots of stories of how they road it out and how my mom, dad, brother, 2 dogs, and a cat were all huddled on a love seat in our basement. On Monday morning I went to my first class (because the roads were still treacherous) and then headed down...on my way I stopped at KFC and grabbed an enormous amount of chicken for all the workers at our house, some dry ice to help keep things cold, and lots and lots of batteries. It was a frustrating time for my parents (their roof was peeled away on one corner of the house, windows were blown out, and thus some rain come in). The damage was extensive, but certainly fixable. Here's just a few pics I was able to find.

The corner of my parents' house & a tree snapped off at the base

Two of the biggest trees in our yard, completely destroyed and uprooted in a matter of about 5 minutes.

Our shed (or what used to be our shed)

Anyway, to make a very long story short...we had another stormy spell in November of that year and then another tornado that took almost the exact same path 3 years later in March 2006. This tornado didn't actually hit our house, but took out more trees that the first storm missed. I was home for this one and it was maybe the most scared I've been in my life. Since that time, I have a slight, or maybe not so slight, paranoia when bad storms are predicted. And last night was no different, storms were scheduled to hit our area overnight sometime after midnight. I was already anxious as I went to bed because I knew it wouldn't be long before I was waking up needing to check the weather. Just on time, at 1:15 I awoke to heavy winds and checked my phone for the radar. Tornado Warning: Headed for the town I grew up in. Just a quick side note---Hubby and I live basically on the exact same line as my hometown, so it's basically inevitable that what hits there will be headed straight for our house as well. Needless to say, I headed for the couch armed with the tv remote and blankets while Dear Hubby slept soundly in bed. Nothing serious came about, but then it took me awhile for my adrenaline levels to go down and to fall back asleep.

I certainly do not enjoy middle of the night awakenings...but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Unsettled...

As Hubby and I sat last night glued to the television watching the results come in, I couldn't help but feel a wave of unsettling emotion come over me. I'm not exactly sure what it is, because like so many others I was not in love with our Republican candidate...however, I can't help but think that for our country, built on God's foundations and mercy for us, McCain was the better candidate. I'm not sure if it's his stance on abortion, his financial plan, or his promises that I can't help but think will never be accomplished as he says they will. All of these just leave me unsettled and worried about where our nation is headed. I'm sure in the coming days, the unsettled feeling will begin to weaken...but I have strong doubts that it will every fully go away. I must just continue on and have faith that God's will will still be accomplished, even as things seem so uncertain. As so many others have said, the time has now come for us to begin praying for President Elect Obama and the decisions he will make in the next 4 years. I have no doubt that God will continue to bless America...IF, we turn to Him and bless Him. Our government and elected officials always need the prayers of God's children...maybe now more then ever.

Awards!

So...since I'm new to this blogging thing I've gotten my 1st two awards and I've been a little delayed in posting them. So, here we go...

My very first award came from my great college, friend Joelle. We really would be best friends if we only lived closer together. I remember some great, deep conversations we had as college students! Love ya girl!
Here are the rules:

1. You have to tag 5 people.

2. 4 of the 5 have to be dedicated followers to your blog.

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and must live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whomever gave you the award.
I am passing this award on to:

1. Bama Belle

*I just love reading about her adventures in the big city! Coming from a small town it's so fun to hear of her adventures!
2. Amy from Chapters

*What can I say? She is so incredibly down to earth and seems like such an incredible woman!
3. Jenn from Jennsational

*I love reading how honest and open she is. I wish I could be as open with my life as she is. It seems she's always saying exactly what I am thinking (or have thought in the past) but can't seem to put into words!
4. Megan from Tales of the Trees

*Just fun! A newly-wed going through the same stage of life as I am!
5. Erin from Blue-Eyed Bride

*Another newly-wed with great ideas and thoughts! She makes me want to keep bloggining more and more!

My second award came from Bama Belle: Here are the rules for the Superior Scribbler Award:

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Link me for giving it to you.

3. Link the originating post here

4. Pass the award on to five more deserving people.

5. Post these rules for your recipients

Here are the wonderful ladies who receive this award:

Joelle--A fantastic, real-life friend who has wonderful stories from our nation's capital!

Naturally Caffeinated--I love reading her real life stories and the happenings of her life!

Mojito Maven--She is just fantastic and she makes me motivated to keep blogging!

Belle--Another newly wed who I love to follow!

Alright, so I only have 4 on this award...but give me a break! I'm new here...;o)

Election Day

I know you've heard it over and over again, but I just want to remind everyone to get out and Vote today! We have such an amazing privilige of living in America and having the right to choose so many things for our country and the direction it is going to be headed in. Hubby & I voted absentee so as to avoid the incredibly long lines--I just feel such a sense of pride when I am able to elect the leaders of our country. Regardless of who you're voting for, please exercise your right! I know God will lead this country in the way he wants it to go as long as we follow after him. So say a quick prayer before you go in to vote and as you sit there making your decisions. God is a mighty God and I know he has the ability to create whatever outcome he desires so prayer is definitely high on the priority list. How blessed we are to live in America and serve such an amazing, powerful God!

Weekend Recap

Well, as promised, this weekend was actually fairly non-eventful. Friday night we grabbed takeout and positioned ourselves on the couch armed with over 200 pieces of candy for the neighborhood kiddos. We had a great time and they all looked so adorable. We had everything from elephants to princesses to octopus to pirates. Most of the candy is gone; however, what's left is now stuck in the back of our pantry in a hiding place. Hopefully it will disappear slowly rather than all at once--although I think I heard the Milk Duds whispering to me this morning. ;o)

Saturday I had to work during the morning and Nick had his dreaded CPA test. He took the financial section this time and without going into too much detail...the test has not been his friend in the past. I have a good feeling about this one, and I hope I'm right. He's worked so hard and I'm so proud of his efforts. I just hope it shows on the test results this time. As a treat for all of his hard work and to show him how much I truly love him, I told him to pick a place for dinner. It just happened to be this wonderful local Chinese restaurant reminiscent of P.F. Chang's. It's called Five Spice Grille and they have the best crab rangoon on the face of the earth. They also have lots of fantastic Chinese dishes. Needless to say, I left completely stuffed and ready for a nap.

Sunday we were up early with Daylight Savings Time and I was actually able to accomplish a few things (cleaning a bit, tidying up the house, and starting laundry) before leaving for church. Our preacher spoke on the characteristics of a good leader and it was a great service. He quoted numerous scriptures focused on how God blesses those leaders who have integrity, lead with humility, and lead with generosity. Regardless of the party you normally align with, it's these characteristics that we should look for on the local, state and national level when choosing who will lead us. We then spent some time in prayer and I hope you all are doing the same as this election could change so many things for us and regardless of who is elected, they need prayer and God's guidance.

After the service, we headed down to my parents' house for lunch and my dad and Hubby built Bogey a little platform for his kennel. It's something simple but will give him a place to stay dry when it's rainy and snowy this winter. The weekend ended with a fantastic small group meeting...I just love those people!

I'm not sure about everyone else, but God is blessing us with a wonderful dose of Indian Summer. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s...it's been absolutely beautiful outside and certainly not normal for the first week of November. I just hope we can get enjoy it before reality sets in! Have a Happy Monday everyone!