We painted!!

We did this, actually a couple of months ago, but I just now finished taking pictures. After all of the painting and wallpaper removal we did at out last house, Will and I made a pact that we wouldn't paint at this house and would just leave the cream colored walls so that it would be neutral when we went to sell it again in two years. After a year, though, it started getting to us. It felt like we lived in a big apartment, and we decided finally to paint the kids rooms.

Will, Cody and I painted Baylee's room as a surprise while she was spending the night at Laura's house and Cody and I painted his room a few days later while Baylee was at gymnastics. It didn't take long--no priming or second coats and now they have some color in their rooms. The kitchen is next.

My new hair!

As the years go by, my hair seems to be getting more and more gray. Up until recently it was all underneath and not too visible, but in the past year or so it has begun to creep in on the top and along the ends and I just couldn't take it anymore. I looked older than I felt.

So my wonderful, amazing hairstylist Jennifer colored, cut and highlighted it on Friday and I love it!! It's difficult to see just how much different I look from the pictures, but I just feel amazing!!!

I'm so thankful for thanksgiving!

We had a quiet thanksgiving by ourselves and it was nice, but I really felt even more homesick than usual. It was great to talk to my family, though and I am looking so forward to going home for Christmas. We all are!

We watched the Macy's Parade this morning and a little bit of Miracle on 34th Street this afternoon. I hate to say it but the black and white version doesn't hold my attention as much as the colorized one and it makes me a little bit sad at how I have changed from the days when black and white and snowy was all we had.

It was a cold, but clear day today and in the middle of cooking, we all went for a walk to the park. Sadie was ecstatic and it gave all of us some much needed sunshine and fresh air. It was difficult to come back home. I think I could have stayed out all day.

We all pitched in and made a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. We sat down and told each other what we were thankful for. We all had about the same things:

Each other

Healthy family and friends

Sunshine

Our home

Going back to Alabama and just closer to home

Sadie

Time together

Baylee making it to State (gymnastics)

I love Thanksgiving! It's my favorite holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A reminder to pray...and listen

This is a good reminder for me, because I often get "caught up" in life, and forget to take enough time to pray...and to listen.


This will give you the chills........ GOOD chills. A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?' After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. 'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street . At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.' He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something! , 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. 'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't an! swer right away, I am out of here.' He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice! yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk! toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just pray! ing and asking God to show me howto get some milk.' His wi fe in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?' The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

Happy Halloween!

Last Halloween was very cold, so cold that I didn't even go trick-or-treating for the first time with the kids, and Will drove them around in the truck from door to door. This year was so much better. It was cold, but manageable and now that all of the new houses in our neighborhood are filled, there were lots of kids and parents out.

Baylee went as a Soccer Star and Cody was Mater. We went with our next door neighbors and there was soooooo much candy. Will stayed home this year and gave out candy to the other kids, and when we came home he had hot chocolate and grilled cheese sandwiches waiting. It was really nice.

That night while we were all asleep, the Great Pumpkin came and traded the candy for presents. Baylee got an Abercrombie gift certificate and Cody got a new bike. He made a bit of a mess, though.

Hannah Montana

On October 30, Baylee and I and our friends Laura and Marissa (Laura's mom) went to Portland to see Hannah Montana. I was very excited to go to Portland because I have never been there or even to Oregon. The skies were clear on the way down and we had an amazing view of Mt. St. Helens. We stoped for a delicious dinner on the way and arrived just a few minutes before Hannah Montana came on stage.

Will and Cody hung out here and went to Chuck E. Cheese's and the mall. They had a great time too and brought me home some delicious kettle corn from the movie theater.

The concert was really fabulous!! Miley perforemed as Hannah for the first half of the concert and as herself for the second half. There were lots of costume changes for her and for the dancers. It was more like a show than just a concert. Thanks to Will, we had earplugs which helped a great deal. We had purposely missed the opening act, the Jonas Brothers because we had already seen them a month ago or so, but they came back later on in the concert, so we were able to see them again.

We had a really fun time and thank you to Nama for the very cool Miley shirt for Baylee!!

Wonderful Neighbors!!

We have been truly blessed with the most wonderful neighbors here. Although we haven't seen much of each other lately with school in session and the cooler weather, the neighbors all around us are just so kind, caring and fun. Recently our neighbors Ruby and Roy brought us a delicious plate of cupcakes a few days before Halloween. Now I wish I had thought to take a picture before we all dove into them, because there were also some brown ones and the plate looked adorable. I did remember to take a picture before they were all gone, however, and the tag was just as pretty as the cupcakes. It was hand stamped by Ruby. Thank God for great neighbors!!